The first week

Hooray!  I'm so excited!  I am finally able to get onto blogspot without it all being in Arabic.  Although, I don't have access to the pictures I've taken through this computer.  BUT, baby steps, people.  I'm slowly figuring this out.

Just a quick update.  We landed safely last Tuesday to a very hot UAE.  As soon as we stepped outside the airport all my kids made the comment, "Oh, it is so hot!"  And it was 9 pm.  It doesn't cool down here a whole lot.  It was around 103 degrees Fahrenheit at that time!  No surprise though.  We expected the heat.  Maybe my kids hadn't realized just how much heat :).

It's Monday morning now, about 4 am, and I still am not sleeping through until morning.  The kids are all still having the same issue.  Hopefully just a couple more days and we'll be more transitioned to the new sleep schedule.  As it is right now, you would all laugh to see us all crashed on the couches, fighting fatigue at 6-7 pm every night.  It's quite a site to see!  Drew was giving blessings to the kids last night for their first day of school and one at a time we slowly fell asleep during the subsequent 4 blessings.  Anastasia and Drew were the only ones still awake by the time we were done.  Drew had to carry Bryce and Tyler to bed and pry me off the couch.

The kids attended their orientation day for 2 hours yesterday.  Yes, Sunday!  In UAE the work and school week runs Sunday-Thursday and the sabbath is on Friday.  Then we have a normal Saturday.  It did feel a little strange this last weekend to have my days so mixed up, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

While the kids attended their orientation, Drew and I ran to the grocery store with Rylee and I had my first encounter, one-on-one, with an emirate.  She was quite funny and asked me if I wanted to trade her daughters because mine was so well behaved!  It was completely unexpected and we both laughed out loud, then she showed me where to find the "best" chicken.  The emirates are all clothed in the full robes and this woman was wearing everything with only her eyes showing.  I still haven't learned the difference between the robes.  Some only show their eyes, some wear head coverings but their face is showing.  I'm sure I'll learn soon enough.  I've been told about a presentation shown in Dubai that talks all about the robes and customs of the people and why they do what they do.  I'm anxious to make that trip and see it.  I was told it demystifies everything; probably something that most that come to visit will want to see.  Anyway, it was a surprise to me to have one of them openly show such humor!  I always envisioned them all very solemn and silent.  Cute lady!

Rylee just joined me in bed.  It's 5 am now.  All the kids are still waking up pretty early but we'll get there.  It's good timing, I don't have much more to share right now.  I think I'll snuggle up with her for a little while before we get ready for the first day of school.  Love and miss you all!  I will share in my next post how all of this came to be, which is part of the story I've been wanting to document for a while.  Watch for it :)!