Christmas - 2012

Once I finally made it to the end of the school term, the holiday season became all about Dalila - as any Christmas season should be!  Jeremy and I made sure to plan as many festive trips as possible, mostly to help us feel Christmas-y in this totally uncalled for 90 degree weather we experienced the first weeks of December.  Sweating in shorts and a t-shirt makes embracing the spirit of the holiday season just a tad difficult - especially when we watch the weather reports for snow and nice chilly days back home.  We definitely needed some help getting into the holiday mood.

This year, we focused most of our holiday outing into one big day in Dubai - where Christmas is much more openly celebrated than in our "little" city of Al Ain.  One of the best places we went last year was Al Wafi Mall - a fairly high-end shopping mall with a surprising Egyptian theme, complete with pyramid structure and hieroglyphics proudly on display throughout the facility.  (Why is the theme surprising?  The idea of multiple deities is almost horrifying to a large majority of the population here - but Dubai can get away with nearly anything!).

As beautiful as the Ancient Egypt-inspired motif is, their seasonal Christmas decorations are even more amazing.  The tree at the center of the Santa display rises almost three stories and is surrounded by the most adorable kitschy animatronic figures in all states of Christmas preparation.  The experience is nice and private in comparison to usual Santa visits where any old passerby can stare as your child sits on Santa's lap to share her wishes.  Here, Santa sits in a private grotto next to a mountain of stuffed animals, presumably to bribe the more uncertain Santa-visitors and/or reward the brave little souls who march in with no fear of the big guy.  Luckily, Dalila was more of the latter - shedding not a single tear nor sharing any worried glances with Mommy and Daddy as she confidently strode up to meet Santa.  She couldn't keep her eyes off of the hill of stuffed animals and I believe her first words to Santa were, "I wanna puppy, please?"  Santa chuckled and complied with the request, allowing our straight-forward little miss to ask for what she REALLY wanted, "I want a pooter, please Santa."  This request was spurred by her desire to "work" alongside Mommy and Daddy who are frequently busy with laptops.  Also...we may have helped her to this decision with the knowledge that Santa just may be bringing Dalila a LeapPad II this year... Either way, our daughter ended up happy.  After the Santa visit, Dalila was invited to participate in the Christmas crafting booth where she made the cutest little Santa fridge magnet ever.

Waiting to see Santa!

Admiring the mountain of puppies before her chat with Santa.

"I want a pooter, please, Santa."

Loving her puppy after visiting Santa's Grotto.

Some of the festive display at Santa's village.

They even had elves on stilts!!

The next couple of locations on our planned Christmas fest ended up falling short, or falling through completely.  The mall we remembered from the previous year with amazing decorations didn't live up to the standard set by our first visit.  Our very favorite location from the year before with a festive Christmas market and the jolliest Santa we had ever had the pleasure to meet was also the site of the last day of the Dubai International Film Festival and the crowds were far too thick for any of us to enjoy ourselves.  We altered our plans slightly and ended up heading to Festival City - another favored area of the city for us - to see what kind of Christmas spirit we could find there.  We were lucky enough to finish our steak dinner (!!) and walk outside right as a laser light show was starting on the boardwalk along the water.  The show was impressive and even got Lila to dance a little for the other audience members, which I'm sure made their nights memorable.  After that, Dalila got to have one more visit with Santa, this time asking for a phone....though I have NO idea what prompted that request.

Another visit with Santa at Festival City.

Once we all felt sufficiently Christmas-y, we made the decision to move our family Christmas celebration up just a few days.  Our trip to Paris would begin on the 22nd and we knew we would be too busy in Paris to stop and celebrate, so we chose to make the 21st our Christmas Day.  Because our BIG gift for the whole family this year was a trip to Paris, presents mostly consisted of things we knew we would need for our vacation (accumulating an appropriate winter wardrobe in the stifling heat that is the U.A.E. is quite impractical, so buying a few staples to keep us warm in Europe was an absolute necessity).  We also wrapped everything we had purchased for Dalila, including socks and her new cup so she could experience the fun of opening her Christmas presents like always.  This strategy worked very well for our little almost three-year-old and she was perfectly happy with her Christmas.  Santa even managed to make a special early stop and bring Dalila her "pooter" before our flight to Paris - Thanks, Santa!!

We capped off our Christmas night with a delicious roast duck prepared by Jeremy and an early bedtime to make our morning flight to Paris the next day.  Somehow, we managed to make the 22nd OUR Christmas.  In fact, it worked so well that I had convinced myself Christmas was over by the time we began our big vacation.  Luckily, Paris did NOT feel the same way as me, and we experienced the city of lights at the most festive time of the year.  Stay tuned for our BIG Paris post, coming soon!!

Eid at the Zoo and Waterpark!

The first trimester at school is by far the best.  Why?  THE BREAKS!!  It seems like we have a day off for some random event every 3 weeks...and I LOVE it!!

For our first major break of the school year, Eid Al Adha, we booked a little get-away to a private zoo and resort.  Jeremy discovered a groupon offering tickets to the zoo and a night in a beautiful chalet.  The zoo was a very short 90 minute drive from home, but felt like jumping the border into a new country.  Driving anywhere in the U.A.E. is always a fun little challenge, but we were pleasantly surprised by the signage that popped up once we finally located the road we needed.  Oddly, the zoo is situated right in the middle of a sandy, barren desert neighborhood.  But the grounds inside the zoo were of a completely different world.  The walk to the hotel front desk was lined with banana trees hanging low over a pretty, winding path with a sweet pair of huge squirrels in their enclosure waiting at the end to greet us.


Check-in was a breeze and we were awe-struck on the short outdoor walk to our chalet.  The resort is situated so that each room opens to the giraffe, zebra and antelope enclosure.  Zoo employees sell bundles of grass for guests to feed the animals.  Dalila couldn't have been happier with the arrangement and plucked pieces of grass one at a time to offer the curious giraffes hanging their heads over the low fence for a little snack.  She had no fear, even when the huge giraffes were inches from her face and licked her little hand clutching a tiny fistful of grass.

The room itself was perfection.  A raised living room, kitchenette and comfortable master suite helped us to feel right at home.  The best part was the massive picture window that opened up to our amazing view of the animal enclosure 10 steps away from our private porch.

Lila and Mommy petting a sheep.

One of the main perks of staying at the resort was the endless access to the zoo.  We stumbled upon a small, hidden gate available for use by hotel guests only the put us right into the heart of the well-maintained zoo.  Some of our favorite U.A.E. friends were able to meet up with us for a walk through the zoo.    

This sweet little boy became Lila's new boyfriend.  His family
stayed in the chalet next to us and the two were inseparable.
She likes older men.

Playing in the sand...because they can't get enough of it
everywhere we go?

Heather and Dalila, trying to get the shy antelope to come to them.

Dalila and her buddy Heather petting a goat.

Our next destination on our fun-filled Eid holiday was a visit with some more of our favorite U.A.E. friends complete with a trip to a waterpark and a Halloween party!  The waterpark was about a 2 hour drive from home and looked a bit sketchy when we pulled up into the parking lot.  Our only other experience with waterparks here, however, was at The Palms Atlantis resort last Christmas, so our standards were arguably high.  Once inside the park, the chipping paint on the exterior was soon forgotten.  This place was perfect for young kids and Dalila couldn't have been any happier with the many kid-friendly pools and slides that she exhausted herself on.

Next came the big Halloween party with some of our best friends who we hadn't seen for months.  Walking up the pathway to the home where the party was held reminded us all of the people back at home who have their home completely decked out for every holiday.  Those people who make a haunted house for the kids right on their front lawn, but it's an amazing haunted house and not at all cheesy.  THAT'S what this house was like.  Just like being at home for Halloween.  The interior was even better and we could spend the whole night noticing decorations that we hadn't seen before.  The company was fantastic and exactly what we needed to cure our homesickness.


Eid holiday always comes with high expectations as the first holiday of the school year, and this break certainly didn't disappoint!

Ummm...I forgot we had a blog?

Yeah, that's it!  I forgot we had a blog!  Why else would I completely neglect my loyal readers (Mom and Dad).

Really, though?  I'm just a blog-slacker.  Sorry everyone!!  I'll break all the big events down into a few posts to make up for falling completely off the radar for the last 2 months.

Big News First!!

Let's begin with the biggest news of all to happen during our 2 month Blogspot hiatus.

Dalila is going to be a big sister!!  We decided it's finally time to expand the family.  Baby Allen will arrive at the end of next May.  We're ecstatic to be able to deliver here in the U.A.E. where our insurance is incredible and we pay nothing more than our co-pay of 30 dirhams (about $7.50 U.S.) for each visit.  That's IT!!  PLUS, my job here offers 45 days of paid maternity leave.  How lucky are we!?!

Second Biggest News

The Allens are headed to Paris!!  Our Christmas this year will be spent taking in the beauty and wonder of the city of lights.  We had hoped to travel home to Idaho, but after many fruitless searches for airfare at an affordable price, we realized that visiting one of our dream destinations will actually end up being far cheaper than travelling home for our winter break.  We're devastated to miss another Christmas with family, but the promise of an amazing trip to a place we never thought we'd be able to go will lessen the pain just a little bit.

That's it for big news that I've neglected to share on our blog.  Now for some more specific posts about holidays and happenings.  Stay tuned!    

Our Summer at Home

It's hard to believe that our summer vacation is over.  More unbelievable still is how much we crammed into those action-packed weeks spent state-side.  Here's a run-down of some of our vacation highlights:

1. Las Vegas Trip

Mommy and Daddy finally got some much-needed alone time when we were able to leave Dalila with her grandma and grandpa the first weekend we spent back in the states.  What better way to celebrate our daughter's reunion with her grandparents than with an adults only trip to Vegas!?!  The original guest list for this shindig was huge, but, as time progressed, steadily started to shrink, and shrink, and shrink.  Ironically, the only friends who ended up joining us in Las Vegas were the ones who lived the farthest away!

Regardless of the attendance issue, we had an incredible time in Sin City.  I had never gone to Vegas with the sole intention of experiencing the night life alone, and it was EXHAUSTING!!  Night one included a show and blackjack - just Jeremy and I.  On the second night, our friends joined us and we were able to snag a table plus bottle service at Chateau night club (for the bargain basement price of $800!!!).  We ended the night playing the tables in the casino at the Paris, where we stayed.  The last night was spent at Marquee night club where we had to forego the table (which would have set us back another $3,000!) and just wander the club.  This was the most difficult night, as Allegiant Air does not understand what Vegas is for and scheduled the ONLY flight back to Idaho Falls that day for 6 a.m.  No worries, that's what Vegas all-nighters are for.  This actually ended up working in our favor, as Jeremy was able to walk away from the blackjack table with a HUGE win right before we had to leave.  Success!!

The Vegas Gang at Chateau Nightclub

2. Heisel-fam Reunion

Camping trips are kind of the thing in Idaho, especially where the Heiselmann family - my mother's branch of relatives - is concerned.  Why?  Well, many reasons: we love nature, fresh air, etc. But mostly just because it allows us to congregate in a large group, light a huge fire, be as noisy as we want (we don't DO campgrounds - we camp out, OUT of the way), and once the night is through, everyone can just walk back to their various lodgings, be it a tent, a camper or, hell, even a picnic bench if need be.

It's been a long time since we've been able to get a large chunk of the Heisel-fam together to pull off one of these infamous camping trips, so we were ecstatic to be able to plan this one.  We chose the Heise Hot Springs area for our location; it's beautiful, close to home, AND now features a zip line course!!  Enter the highlight of the trip.  This zip line trip was AMAZING!!  There are seven lines that crisscross the foothills and allow for a different perspective on an already beautiful and beloved area.  And, while the required gear is less than flattering, the whole experience was completely unforgettable, from the courage shown by my cousin's 6 and 8 year-olds who chose to take the zip line trip with us, to the masterfully executed leg-sweep performed by a member of our group on one of the instructors at the bottom of zip line number four (whoops).  We finished this trip off with a night of star-gazing in the midst of a stunning meteor shower and the whole trip left me with the warm-fuzzies and oodles of love for my Heisel-fam.

On our way to our campsite - Dalila and Skooter sharing a treat 

The view from the highest zip line

Jeremy's video of the first zip line.  It's pretty good considering how much we spun while zooming through the air.

3. Yellowstone with the Allens

We're not done with the camping stories yet, because the following weekend brought the Allen family camping trip!  The destination this time around was Yellowstone National Park - a must-see on my and Jeremy's list of destinations for our summer at home.  This trip featured just a few more bumps than we would have liked (including a literal bump when Dalila fell and bumped her head, prompting a ranger escort to the closest clinic and instructions to watch our little munchkin for the remainder of the trip for signs of a head injury).

Aside from the head bonk, we had forest fires and mixed-up schedules to contend with, but nothing took the Allens down!  Our campground was right on Lake Yellowstone, so we were able to take a short walk down to the marina and enjoy fantastic views of the beautiful lake.  The last day brought a leisurely drive through the park where we found ourselves in the middle of a bison migration of some sort.  The best view here was of a mother and baby buffalo swimming across a wide river as we sat with Jeremy's sister and brother-in-law watching the whole thing. We even dragged Jeremy's dad on a hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, complete with a warning sign about the dangerous trek and 328 scary, steep, metal steps down to an incredible view!  The Allen family Yellowstone trip, bumps and all, ended up providing the perfect opportunity to connect more closely with Jeremy's amazing and loving family.

Dalila, being adorable on Fishing Bridge.

One shot of the Great Buffalo Migration

The informative warning sign at the trail head.

Jeremy's dad - plugging along!

A view of the falls from the bottom of the trail.

To describe every part of the summer that I loved would take FAR too long.  Each moment was meaningful and we were deeply grateful to have the time home with our family and friends.  A massive thank you goes out to everyone who took the time to make us feel loved and welcomed back home.  We can't wait to see what next summer's trip to the states will bring!

The Allens Invade Europe

Our first stop on our summer holiday this year was London - just before the Olympics hysteria hit.  Jeremy and I have always wanted to travel in Europe, but never really thought it would be possible until we took the overseas job.  At that point, it wasn't just possible, but almost necessary.  When we were researching flights home, almost every flight we found stopped in London.  We took advantage and took an extended stay in the capital of the U.K.  An air of excitement descended upon our household weeks before the big travel day finally arrived.  It was so intense on the day before our flight left (at 2 a.m.) that poor little Lila could sense something was up and refused to nap.  At all.  Thus, we arrived at Dubai International Airport with two over-sized suitcases and a toddler who hadn't slept for 18 hours straight.  Needless to say, we were a little nervous about how the rest of the trip would go down.

Lucky for us, Dalila loves to fly.  She HATED waiting in the airport, dressed in her cute little jammies and wheeled around in her stroller from gate to gate as we waited for take-off.  But once we found our seats, she was settled and ready for the trip.

Our first thoughts when our plane touched down at Heathrow at 6:00 a.m. went something like "brrrrrrrrr!!!"  Mind you, we came from a high of 120* F and rolled into London at barely 50* - that's a HUGE change!  Most of the trip was much the same as our arrival day as far as weather goes.  Lots of rain, wind and cold, sprinkled with a little sunshine. After finally finding some adorable Wellies for Lila and a jacket for me - we were set to go!

Lila, strutting her stuff in her new Wellies

 Here is the rest of our amazing vacation in picture book style, just how we like it!

THE FAMILY AT PICCADILLY CIRCUS:

WE FOUND A CLASSIC RED PHONE BOOTH!!

RIDING ON THE TOURISTY DOUBLE-DECKER BUS:

CHASING THE TRAFALGAR SQUARE PIGEONS:

DADDY AND LILA AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE:

THE FAM AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE:

GREAT SHOT OF A FEW OF LONDON'S FAMOUS LANDMARKS ALL IN ONE PIC:

AT THE LONDON EYE ON A RAINY, COLD DAY:

THE CLOCK TOWER (AKA. BIG BEN):

HOTDOGS ON A RIVER CRUISE:

THE TOWER OF LONDON:

TOWER BRIDGE AND THE OLYMPIC RINGS:

AT OLYMPIC PARK:

ON THE WAY TO HISTORIC AND BEAUTIFUL BRICK LANE:

LIVERPOOL STATION, ONE OF THE LAST STOPS ON OUR FUN-FILLED LONDON VISIT:

Despite a few hiccups (including the loss of Jeremy's new Rolex over the side of the tour bus, a crew of very concerned Japanese tourists behind us, a few challenges before attaining mastery status of the London Underground - WITH a stroller in tow, and the normally blah weather) we thoroughly enjoyed our little trip to London.  We're already planning our European trip next summer....but hoping for a little sun on our next jaunt to Europe =)