Everyday, all day long....

This is how we pass the hours in Doha during the summer. Xavier has had an ear infection and has been told by the doctor not to swim for 5 days. This is second only to a prison sentence. After day number 3, he was going batty. And when I say batty, I mean dangling from the chandelier and doing death defying tricks down the staircase.

The countdown is on! We have one week before we will be free from this heat. Axel's in Dubai for the week, and I had a huge presentation I had to give a few days ago for a prospective employer. It has been a stressful time to keep children entertained and all the while keep relatively sane. We're doing it. Barely. But we are doing it.

Our daily reprieve is the 3 hours we devote to our compound pool. Chlorine never smelled so good.

Distractions

As usual, Asa finds a way of drawing our attention, even during sacrament meeting.

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Summer Days...

Last Day of School photo and proof that my children do not lack personality

It has begun. I have been gearing up for this moment since January. Summer here is like a decaying tooth. You can ignore it for only so long and then bam! There is no ignoring it and a dreaded root canal (debilitating heat) has to happen. Before you know it, you find yourself in the dentist chair at the point of no return. I have just made the appointment--so to speak--and I am going to be in that uncomfortable reclining chair for quite sometime. Fortunately, I have a few tricks up my sleeve and a fantastic vacation planned smack dab in the middle. I can do this!

To be truthful, the summers are never as bad as they seem. The panicked 5 months before June, July, and August, are far worse than the actual summer days. In fact, we have found it to be quite fun so far. I have allowed my children to spend the first week or so just playing with all the neighborhood kids that are here. The grand exodus from Doha to all home countries typically takes place about one week after school is out. My kids had to get their friend time in before it looked like the apocalypse just took place.

Xavier sharing quality time with his neighbor friend.

The slow-mo moves were terribly fun to photograph--especially when it took about 50 moves to get the perfect shot. I will admit, I do not understand boy amusements.

(No child was harmed during the actual photo shoot).

Since the departure of most expat families, we have spent a lot of time at our compound pool. It is heavenly with a waterfall, hot tub, and poolside beverage and food service. It's hard to dislike Qatar when I am sipping my lime/mint drink with classical music playing in the background.

Along with skating, 3D Imax movie watching, and cooking, we decided to try out the Doha beach. Sadly, because swimming is not a popular sport in Doha there are no decent beaches in Doha. We have plenty of coastline, but no suitable beaches. Friends of ours from church told us they know of a secret spot where Axel could spearfish and the kids could collect shells. It took an hour to get there, but once we arrived, the kids were submerged. It was windy, hot and dirty, but it was just the diversion we needed.

I foresee another drive to Dukkan in our future before we head out on our real summer vacation, which is in two weeks, 5 days, 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 23 seconds, but whose counting?

13 Years of Bliss

The day after I arrived home from London, it was our anniversary. How fantastic to celebrate my marriage after a whole week of girl celebration! You'd think I would be sick of it, but not so. Can one really ever get sick of delicious eating and stimulating conversation? Not me.

When I think about my dating years I feel really thankful that I dodged a few bullets. There were several suitors I could have married, but thankfully, I didn't. Not that they were terrible guys, just not for me.

When Axel entered my life I knew there was something special about him. Our first date was at a cultural event in SLC. Axel had to show off his ability to speak many foreign languages (allow me to brag for a moment...my husband knows about 8 languages!) and expose me to many cuisines I had never tried before. We talked about travel and how it was in our blood. We initially met in Jerusalem back in 1993 and it sparked something deep within both of us. Who knew it would set a precedence for the rest of our lives together?

Our dating years were fantastic. I couldn't get enough of him. There was something about Mr. Bromley that made me feel complete. Truly we were meant for each other and no matter now many times he has forgotten to put the toilet seat down, or coordinated his clothing in a hideous mess, I still completely adore him.

The best news of all is that I have an eternity to share with my favorite person in the world. 13 years will seem like a blink compared to all the years ahead.

I chose well.

I look ahead.

I feel lucky.

I am blessed.

Portobello Road

No girlcation would be complete without a market street shopping spree. I was a little worried that we wouldn't get some hard core shopping done. It wasn't until the final day that our trip was complete.

Around the corner from our apartment in Notting Hill is Portobello Road. On Saturdays, it is shopping at its finest. Items that are sold range from antiques, leathers, clothing to fruit. It is miles of pure shopping heaven. We spend the entire day going from one end of the street to the other, and thanked heavens that our husbands weren't there to rush us along. A true girlcation.

The final English spoils

Next time you are in London on a Saturday, leave your husband at home and cruise Portobello Road. You will not regret it!

Streets of London

Spring has sprung in England and the vibrancy of the streets could not have been better. Just some visuals for your delight...

Remember this? The cute bookstore in Notting Hill? It was around the corner from our flat. Although we searched, no Hugh Grant. Pfft.

Harrods

Harrods was high on our list. It was as important to us as seeing the London Bridge and The Globe. Who wouldn't want to shop in a store where the price tags alone make you chuckle? It was refined, classy, and full of pretentious customers. It was so much fun to make fun.

The chocolates will make you poop gold.

Sedona's birthday is coming up and I am wondering if she would mind if I dipped into her college fund a bit and front $3,500 USD for this cake. Princess cake/tuition..princess cake/tuition...princess cake/tuition?

This photo looks a lot more perverse than it really was. I was smelling the roses in the lingerie shop, that is all. No, at the time it wasn't weird. But in retrospect....

After realizing that there was nothing that tickled my fancy (although the high grade pasties and whips were awfully tempting...), I decided to make all of my friends pose with the mannequins. Some were willing, some were not (Amber and Farran!). I didn't care, I made them do it anyways, cause that is what I do. I make my friends do uncomfortable things just so I can photograph it and then use it to my advantage later. That is how I secure my spot in the girlcation group. After looking at all my photos, you will see that I am locked in for a lifetime.

There is a strict rule against photography in the hat section. I wanted to tell them that if Beatrice's hat actually leaked out before the wedding she could have been scrutinized enough to find a better one. It would've saved England from a lot of embarrassment.

Amber made several purchases in Herrods. She is never deterred by cost. I was happy to watch her spend. Nothing makes me happier than when someone else spends money when I don't feel like it. That is why girlcation is so wonderful. You can be joyful with not only your purchases but also your friends'. It satisfies the desire to spend without dishing out all the cash. Win/win.