A Trip to Saudi Arabia (Almost)

Between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, there is a very long bridge called the Kind Fahd Causeway that is 15.5 miles long. Midway across the Causeway, there is a stopping point with a few restaurants and an observation tower, in addition to the tollbooths into Saudi Arabia. We have never been out there, so we thought we should go check it out before we leave Bahrain at the end of this month. I took a few pictures to document our experience.

Quinn riding across the Causeway.

The view on the Causeway. Beautiful, blue ocean on both sides.

Kai wants out of his carseat.

Quinn enjoying the ride.

Super Bowl Party

I'm a huge football fan. I've looked forward to the Super Bowl all year--finally, last night it was here.

Since we're 8 hours ahead of Central Time, the kickoff time for us here in Bahrain was after 2 AM. Our cable company also does not have the rights to show live programs from certain channels, so we had to go to the Navy Base to watch it. They were having a party there sponsored by MWR. We decided to show up around midnight, but the party had actually begun at 8 PM.

Theresa came and stayed overnight so we could enjoy the game while the children slept. Last year, the party was indoors, but this year (for whatever reason) they decided to have the party outdoors. It was semi-fun and semi-annoying because it was cold enough that we all needed heavy coats, hats and blankets. In some ways it was nice because it was almost like being at a real game!

Since we arrived fashionably late (but still 2 hours before kickoff), there were already many drunk sailors by midnight. They were already rowdy and ready for the game. We watched the pre-game show bundled under a blanket. Some of Shawn's co-workers joined us around kickoff. I was outnumbered--in our little group, most were going for the Patriots. Even my husband! But one other guy and I were going for the Giants. We weren't alone as far as everyone else went. It seemed that Giants fans far outnumbered Patriots fans.

Right before kickoff, about a dozen very drunk guys sat right in front of us. It really started to feel like a real game then! After kickoff, practically every play they were jumping up, cheering, shouting and generally carrying on. Some Patriots fans heckled them and there were some interesting drunken exchanges of words between the two sides.

As the evening wore on, people began to disappear. Both sleep and alcohol reduced the numbers considerably. Inside the NEX complex, lots of sailors either passed out or fell asleep on the floor or on chairs. After half time, our peanut gallery did not return, so we had a much better view of the game.

The Giants managed it and I think Shawn was really disappointed. But I was ecstatic and so were all the Giants fans who still remained (a lot more than Patriots fans still left standing). After the game wrapped up, it was starting to get light. We went home for a few hours of sleep and then back to the grind......

One thing that is not very fun about this atmosphere is that due to its non-profit status, the AFN (Armed Forces Network) that broadcasts the Super Bowl on military bases cannot broadcast the Super Bowl commercials! So for the second year in a row, I've missed all the commercials. In their stead, they show military propoganda and information about resources for military personnel. Sigh....next year...

ALTHOUGH, I heard one sports writer say that this year people might be talking about the GAME instead of the commercials! Isn't that the way it should always be???

Super Bowl Analysis

Woohoo! Victory for the New York Giants!

This year, there was division in the Cherri household. My dear husband was rooting for the New England Patriots and I was rooting for the New York Giants. Why? Well, for one, the Colts were out--Eli Manning is sort of the next best thing. Also, I've liked Tom Brady less and less with each passing year. It seems like the fame and winning has gone to his head. He always comes across as such a laid-back, team-player guy in the media. But last night he showed his true colors when he sulked, pouted and yelled at teammates after botched plays. What a whiny baby--I guess three Superbowls just aren't enough for him.

The New York Giants, on the other hand, lost teammates to injury, started the season 0-2 and had to overcome the "underdog" label in nearly every game they played this season. And last night, they were nearly flawless as a team. I was so surprised that by the 4th quarter, the scores were so low and close. I fully (sorry, Eli and the guys) expected the Patriots to get on a roll early on and just blow the Giants out the water. But I still hoped that the Giants would manage to pull out a huge upset.

The game was not won solely with stellar offense, though both teams played well. It was mostly decided by the steadfastness of both defenses. With so much attention in recent years on offensive lines, quarterbacks and star wide receivers or running backs, it was refreshing to see so much contribution to a meaningful win from the defense. In the first three quarters, neither Manning nor Brady really gave us much of a show--they kept getting rushed and sacked by determined defensive players.

Then, when it really came crunch time, it was Eli Manning and his offensive line with an amazing series that led to that final touchdown. Truly, a thing of beauty!

Congratulations, Giants! You deserve every bit of this one!

Fun WIth Balloons

Quinn with her balloon.

So much fun!

Kai holding his balloon. Of course, both were popped by the time we got out of the parking lot....

My Husband, Buckwheat

I thought you guys might enjoy seeing my husband's latest hairdo. He has been growing his hair out ever since my brother mentioned that he was getting a man-perm to try and look like Matthew McConoughey. Shawn decided that he would grow his naturally curly hair out to see what would happen. We theorized that at some point in time, gravity would have to take over and make it lay flatter. We theorized it might look cute. The reality is that he is starting to slightly resemble Kramer from Seinfeld. Also, you can see that he has fallen off the wagon and is back to his shirt-free ways.....

More Joys of Parenting

The kids were mysteriously quiet in their room while Shawn and I watched TV the other evening in the next room. Turns out they had taken the baby wipes box off the shelf and proceeded to rearrange them in the way they thought they should be....

Quinn carries a wipe in each hand, victorious!

It's Happened

That's right, I'm now an embarrassment to my 3-year old son.

Last week:

Me: "Kai, can I have a hug?"

Kai: Nods.

Me: "Biiiiiigggg hugggg!" I finished off with a nice big kiss on the cheek.

Kai: An enthusiastic and resounding, "YUCK!"

Where did he even learn that???

It was a sad day in the Cherri household.

Big News!

Well, I guess I should post this on my blog.

Shawn and I have finally set a date to return home to the States. He has to be back in the States for an interview process with a fire department in Oregon the first week of March. Because of that, we will be leaving just a bit sooner than anticipated--March 1st.

We are so excited about moving back to the US. It has been a very interesting and meaningful experience living here, but we're ready to go home.

By Popular Demand

People have been asking for belly shots to show my expanding waistline. Sooooooo here they are......

This is me today, at a day shy of 14 weeks.

We are the Champions!

Okay, so really they were second place. This weekend Shawn was in the NSA Bahrain MLK Memorial Basketball Tournament. Here is the team he coached, "The Hustlers."

Our Babies

Quinn all dressed up....but still no hair!

Asleep in her car seat.

Kai in his car seat.

Trying to get the camera!

Stomach Flu Blues

Thursday evening and Friday morning, Kai had a touch of the stomach flu but seemed otherwise fine. Saturday when Shawn and I got back, Quinn looked a little bit peaked, but didn't have any fever or anything. Kai had recovered and was back to his boisterous self, minus his usual appetite. Around 9 or so, Quinn started throwing up and after it seemed to get worse, we were worried about dehydration.

Shawn took her into the ER near our house and they admitted little Quinn to the hospital. Above is a picture of her in her hospital bed. We ended up trading out in shifts. Once Quinn started getting IV fluids, she got much better. By midday, she was her usual, happy, rowdy self. That evening, we all finally went home.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening. I was sick. Wednesday Shawn and I stayed in bed pretty much all day.

Now, we're all on the mend and our household is getting back on track.

Desert Safari

The second day in Dubai, we went shopping in the morning, then were picked up for our Desert Safari. We drove over the sand dunes of Dubai and crazy speeds, fearful for our lives, but having a good time.

A picture from the back window of our car. Note the other safari-goers in the caravan following. The Arabic text on the window reads, "Ma'shallah" which means basically, "praise be to Allah." It's a very common bumper sticker.

Shawn is at the top of the sand dune of our little desert safari village trying to sandboard down the dune.

Shawn getting the sand out of his shoes at camp.

It's a very blurry photo, but on the ground on the green stage, Shawn is bouncing a cane off of his abdomen. There was a belly dancing show after dinner at the desert safari. Shawn and a few other men got pulled up on stage by the belly dancer and she was trying to get them to belly dance. The other two guys didn't really fare so hot, only managing to look utterly ridiculous and making the crowd laugh. Shawn, on the other hand, just shook his belly and butt like a belly dancer. The crowd thought he was hilarious, gave him lots of applause and laugther, and one Arab woman yelled "YIYIYIYIYIYIYI!" (It's a strange thing they do. I guess you'd have to hear it to know what I'm talking about.) Anyway, right before the desert safari, our camera battery started to die, so unfortunately, I couldn't get more pictures.

Skiing in Dubai

After checking into our hotel, our first stop was to the Mall of the Emirates. We split an appetizer at Chili's, then went to Ski Dubai. Shawn had never been skiing before (only snowboarding), but since he is pretty athletic, I thought he would do just fine. I was a little worried about myself, though, considering my "interesting" performance when Celeste and I went in October.

I guess when I'm with Shawn, I get a little bit competitive. With Shawn watching me, I managed to remarkably improve over the skiing abilities I displayed with my sister. Plus, the baby slopes were closed and I didn't get to practice on them the day Shawn and I went. I just had to wing it.

We had a ski pass for two hours and had a blast!

A view from the middle of the medium slope.

Our skis on the lift.

Me trying to decide whether or not I should really attempt the big slope.

Me skiing down the hill.

Going to Dubai Again

Shawn and I wanted to go to Dubai together before we left the Middle East, so our anniversary gave us the perfect excuse to go. During our trip there, we skiied at Ski Dubai.


Me putting my skis on .

Getting my chapstick fix before hitting the slope.

Shawn on the ski slope.

Just Hanging Out

Quinn silently protesting her winter wear.

Quinn walking!

Kai using an earplug for some strange reason.

Kai and Quinn hitch a ride together in a double-seated grocery cart!

Finding a Pearl

About three weeks ago, Shawn decided to go snorkeling at the beach near our house. As he approached the beach, he noticed some older women picking up something out of the sand and throwing them in bags. They were oysters. So he got the idea to take some home and try to open them up to look for pearls.

For those of you who don't know, Bahrain used to be one of the largest pearl producers in the world. They produce real, all-natural pearls. You can take pearl diving tours around the island where you get to keep what you can find.

Here is the pile of oysters Shawn found washed up on the beach.

Opening the shells.

At last! A pearl. In all those oysters, this is the only one he found.

Two Years Ago Today

Two years ago today, Shawn and I got married. It was one of the best times of my life. We had a wedding where we met--on our family's land. It was such a wonderful event, with all of our family there to share in our joy.

Us with our family on our wedding day--one of my favorite pictures.

THE Kiss. Check out those "unity torches." So much better than unity candles. You were right, Mom.

Us with our wild bridal party. Note we're related to all of them! What does that say about us??