29December2009 Quick Shot: Watch the Road

Taxis, potholes, pedestrians and....yes, sheep. Driving/riding can be an adventure around here.

23December2009 Baking Cookies

Speaking of traditions (see December 8th post) one of ours is baking Christmas cookies. Courtesy of a recent package from the States (thank you mama G) we have some neat cookie cutters. As you can see, D and the kids put them to extremely good use!
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22December2009 Quickshot: Some coffee!

Don't be misled by their diminutive appearance. These little cups of coffee pack quite a wallop (drinking Red Bull is like sipping mineral water in comparison) but the hospitality and friendship they signify in this culture is what's powerful.

18December2009 International Holiday

December 18th may not be an international holiday but it SHOULD BE. Join us in celebrating D's birthday today. We are so grateful!
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PS One of us may be in trouble for posting up this pic. We were going to post up a couple baby photos but the brown, pleather vest was a clincher! Isn't she beautiful!

12December2009 Quickshot: Sun over Minaret

Caught this shot last night. They're all beautiful but this sunset was...breathtaking.

8December2009 Traditions

As we were decorating our beautiful, 8 foot, neon green (okay maybe it's not neon, it's really quite beautiful even if it doesn't smell like a douglas fir) it was neat to pull ornaments out of the box and recollect memories of Christmases past. The ornaments we loved seeing the most were ones the kids had made, particularly the ones with their photographs attached. Isn't it funny how a picture, song or even a smell can so quickly evoke a memory?
As we celebrate our first Christmas overseas we are excited about keeping some of our family's time-honored traditions but equally excited about starting some new ones. This is where you, our faithful blog fans, come in. We want to hear some of your favorite holiday memories and traditions. So, simply click on the comment link below, jot a few lines in the appropriate field and hit publish. We're hopeful and looking forward to reading what you write.

6December2009 Eid Al-Adha

Last week our friends here celebrated Eid al-Adha or “the festival of the sacrifice”. This three-day holiday, which is observed at the end of the Hajj (the annual pilgrimage to Mecca), commemorates Ibrahim’s obedience to God by offering his son, Ishmael, as a sacrifice. They do this by sacrificing an animal, usually a sheep but sometimes a goat, cow or even a camel. A third of which is given to their family, a third is given to friends and the remaining portion is donated to the poor. This act of piety symbolizes a man’s willingness to give up, at least a portion of, what God has given him so that he might remain on the “straight path.”
During the Eid our friends attended mosque for prayer, visited family and friends and exchanged gifts.

2December2009 Quickshot: ...to the slaughter

There were sheep all over the city last week for Eid al-Hada. This flock made it through without being sacrificed.