Grocery Shopping and a Visit to the Club House

Outside our apartment near the bus stop

Grocery Shopping

The Club House at night

I took a shuttle to check out the grocery store today while Jon and the boys slept.  Jay and Adam slept around 11 hours in all...impressive.   The grocery I went to was like a super duper Target and you can find any and everything you are looking for...even many familiar brands, which was comforting on my first try at grocery shopping.  Just haven't found milk that has the "right" taste, according to Jay, and no luck on the rice milk, but soy is an option, so we'll see if Adam notices the difference ;). We had a nice teacher luncheon with our kids and other newbies...met a lot of really great colleagues from all over the world.  We also discovered the clubhouse on our compound and it was amazing.  Game rooms, squash and tennis courts, spa, and restaurant.  The temp of the pool is like bath water and the boys were loving our time there.  Whatever will we do when have to actually start working and the boys start school ... Curriculum to write, papers to grade, homework to do, deep breath :)  ?  All in all, a great day!!!

At the pool

Our Street and view of our apartment

Just made it!!!!!!

It started off without a hitch...Jerry and Bev tag teamed to get us and our 10 suitcases to the airport.  They were sooooo helpful, amazing!!!!  Delivered and onto our flight to Chicago.  We even happened to meet a woman and her daughter from St.Paul, who are also on their way to Qatar Academy in Doha.  The little girl might even be in Adam's class :). Things were going GREAT and then our flight was late leaving MSP so we literally ran thru the terminal in O'Hare looking something like the family from "Home Alone"...I even sang. "Run run Rudolph" straight off the soundtrack and embarrassed the boys terribly.  We made it to the plane in the nick of time, held the doors for us but as I walked thru the aisle with all of the carry on mumbo jumbo I was carrying I  think I hit every passenger on my way back to my seat straight out of "AIRPLANE"  like the flight attendant with the guitar :). The boys are in awe of the movies, video games, and touch screen computers on the back of the seats.  Everyone's excited and hopefully our baggage will make the super tight connection, but we're being realistic...but still , here's hoping. ...Update!!!  All bags arrived, which we find to be unreal considering our mad dash and urgency on the crew.  Phew!!! 

We met our colleagues and admin and were whisked away to our apartment.  We are so happy with our accommodations as there are three bedrooms, three bathrooms.  We actually think our place is about the same size as the first two floors of our house in the US.  Staying up late as jet lag has us spunky but will be hitting the hay shortly.

Exhausted after a long day and some night fishing with grandpa!

Ashland Summer Fun 2013

We spent a week in Ashland as we are still free wheeling and fancy free, otherwise known as "homeless".  It's a great feeling having no homeowner responsibility at the moment and we took advantage of the great weather and great family and friends up north.  Jon and I celebrated our 11th anniversary, met up with our friends Eileen and Brad, visiting from South Africa for the rock the dock fiesta, and ventured out to see what little was left of our famous oredock.  My amazing Mom made Thanksgiving dinner for us seeing as we will miss it this time around and it was fantastic!!  Our wonderful friends gathered for a send off to say "good bye", the boys played and played, and the "corn man" came to town to bestow his delicious harvest of the world's best corn.  All in all, a wonderful trip home!  We are blessed :). 

11 yrs

My beautiful Mom

The best friends anyone could ever have

Frog hunting

Corn Man

Bob, the corn man with the best corn around!!!

Sweet boys

Out on the lake with Donald

The last arch of the ore dock coming down 

Pondering life 

Tree climbing wonder

Home :)

Happy 11 years!

Adam and Grandma made an awesome anniversary greeting for us.  Hard to believe it's been 11 years.  The weather is almost exactly as it was all those years ago and we're spending it in

Ashland.  

Before the move 9, 37, 6

Saying Good-Bye

As we prepare for our big move east, we've been making our rounds saying good-bye to friends and family who have filled our lives and our hearts since moving back to St.Paul 9 years ago.  First, we said good-bye to our home and neighbors just in time for the renters to move in.

The boys had a going away party at Highland Park with their school friends and neighbors and managed to play and play until they dropped.  We celebrated Liz's baby shower and oohed and awwed at all of the adorable baby gifts she has to find a way back to Texas.  Grant and Ella, Jay and Adam had fun and so did Cam and the boys. Today Madeleine and Elise stopped by and everyone got their nails painted...even the boys. We are so fortunate to have such wonderful people in our lives.  I really don't know how Bev and Jerry can stand having ALL of us and ALL of our stuff in their house right now, but they couldn't be more generous and fun. We have been staying up way too late but the point is to enjoy these days to the absolute fullest, so bring on the tired mornings, the coffee, and the photos.  It's been a trip and we haven't even left yet.

The famous "door" of growing boys

Adam and Jay say "good bye" to their friends.

Pink hair was a must

Neighbor friends

Liz's baby shower

Grandmas and a grandpa :)

Happy 5th Grant!

Silly cousins

Saying goodbye to sweet cousin, Cam!

Nice dress...now which one is pregnant :)

The "old" cousins

Cousin Fun!

The artiste :)

The patio spa :)