Last Day of 2012

For our final day of 2012, we went to a beach near Purple Island.  We had been in this area last year, but this time we wanted to try a different spot.  It was a warm day (around 74 degrees) with a bit of wind.  The tide was way out and even when we got to the water, it was only about 4 inches deep.

 Flamingos in the background.. I tried to walk out to them, but as soon as I got too close they flew off.

These are snails that covered the sand.  They were slowly moving along leaving a long trail in the sand.

 The mangroves

Santa brought little remote controlled boats.  This waterway was a great place to try them out.

Little crabs dig out these holes in the sand.  The hole is surrounded by perfectly formed balls of sand.

Christmas Eve

It's been a few days of hustle and bustle as we prepare for Christmas.  We've been to the Christmas pageant.  We've been listening to Christmas carols.  Today there were just a few more things to take care of (including some last minute shopping, taking the car in to the car shop for a 2 day repair, pedicure treatment for the girls, and a party at our friends).

 

You're never too old to make a gingerbread house.  This is one of my first attempts to make gingerbread from scratch.

 

Then it was time to make the pumpkin pie and minced pies.

 

And set the table for Christmas Day.

We've just finished listening to A Festival of Nine Carols and Lessons put on by King's College and we're having a family reading of The Night Before Christmas...

Let Christmas begin

Winter Break

Rob and I celebrated our wedding anniversary at the Four Seasons Hotel.  What a treat.  What I love about this hotel is that they do the little extras to make your stay special.  We had told them it was our anniversary and they had a cake waiting for us in our room.

Our room had a lovely view of the beach below.

The best part about this hotel is the pool/spa.  Outside they have numerous pools and hot tubs.  Indoors they have hydrotherapy pools.  We spent the day relaxing and soaking.  The next day we had late check-out and the children came and joined us for the afternoon. 

After shopping one day we stopped by the souk to look for a trinket. 

There was a little shop with a line, so I knew there must be something worthwhile going on.  This man was making flat bread.
We ordered 10 pieces to take home for a total of 54 cents.  What a deal.

 

 

A Weekend in December

With Christmas just around the corner, we are doing what we can to prepare.  Here is a little touch we have added to our pergola.

 My sunflowers are in full bloom.

 Yesterday we went to see some festival grounds that have been set up for National Day.  Loved seeing the group of men gathered in the background.

 Having some fun with a mock up of a dhow boat.