Let's see what has been going on this week 🤔!
We decided to go to Fujairah on Friday to see, if by chance, the hotel had found my red fuzzy hat. We left that afternoon and drove 1.45 hrs, found the Palace Resort Hotel, but, unfortunately, they didn't have my hat 😢. They were so nice and wonderful and tried so hard to locate it. I left my information just in case someone locates it someday. The far right middle pic is a picture of the mosque in Fujairah ~ it is so beautiful. After Fujairah we drove to Dubai and stayed at the nicest hotel by the airport (only $35 a night 🤗) and it was soooo nice! We settled in and we both slept soundly (no worries about Branch business except we had to tell Sophia that we couldn't give her a ride home from work today; she has been asking daily all week long, and we have been obliging) but we couldn't since we were out of town 😐. We woke up refreshed and headed for the airport to pick up Hygine! Temp was 106F; looks like a scorcher of a day. Hygine filled us in on his wife, Joy, her pharmacy, the teary goodbyes when Hygine had to leave, especially his little boy, Devine (2.5 yrs) and it was so sad. This trip was the first time Hygine got to meet Devine as Joy was pregnant when he first arrived in the UAE and he hasn't been home since. Then he filled us in on his conversation with Joy about his temple garments; when Joy was asking Hygine about his temple garments he told her it was a secret and she can't know about them until she goes to the temple 😂 ! I'm going to send her this article so she will understand that it's not secretive but sacred:
The LDS temple garment is sacred clothing worn under ordinary clothes by adult members who have received the temple endowment. It isn't considered magical or something that automatically protects a person from harm. Rather, Church teachings describe it as a physical reminder of covenants, commitment to Jesus Christ, modesty, and God's promised spiritual protection.
A particularly simple phrase from the First Presidency is that wearing it is “an outward expression of an inner commitment to follow Him.”
https://www.
Another story Hygine was telling us about was when Joy found out that Hygine had to get a shot in the bum by a female nurse, Joy didn't like that. Hygine says, "I make sure no one gets the wrong idea from me and that I am a married man"😂. He says the only lady that can ever touch him besides Joy or get close to him is the nurse for a shot, but she said he should request a male nurse or have the doctor do it 😉. This might not seem funny, and maybe you had to be there, but when he says it, it's hilarious! Hygine really is soooo funny. I mean really funny. He is smart and witty and fast with funny remarks like the one above. He just has the cutest personality. He would fit in with our kids very nicely! I'm sad he has to be away from his family but it is really good to have him back.
We dropped an item off at his friend's place (from his mom) then we stopped at the Rove Beach Resort to check, if by chance, they had seen my hat. No luck. Then we had one more stop to drop something off for Hygine then eat and drive home. Hygine was pretty exhausted so he got a few minutes of sleep whenever we were driving. We got to Al Ain and there was a 3rd stop we needed to make for Hygine to drop something off ~ then home.
The termites were still there waiting for us ~ so gross. I mean it makes me want to throw up. Worse than the ants. I thought I plugged the holes and the exterminator killed them but then Billy went into his whole office and it was totally infested with termites, again. Finally they came yesterday and drilled holes and squirted poison in the walls. They left a disgusting mess all over the downstairs but I guess cleaning up after themselves is not part of their job description. That was all for that day. We'll see if Billy has to go out and help anyone tonight!
I don't know of any other culture that throws parties like the Filipino's. Since over half our ward is Filipino we have had many great activities with them.
There were games, singing, dancing and a TON of food! It was a real "family" gathering which we now understand that if one person is invited to something it means the whole family should attend!
It was the party of all parties!
I love to take the kids to a place called Grandma's House for our Primary's Super Activity! It is the cutest place and both Teena and Sophia (from our Branch) work there so they know the kids real well. It's an enclosed place so no worries that anyone will escape and it's large enough that there is something for everyone to do.
We spend about 3 hours there and have dinner. They offer pizza, nuggets or waffles for the kids which are all very delicious! Usually the whole family joins in so we make sure and get enough food for everyone!
All the kids in our branch are invited (even the babies) and the only hard part is when it is time to leave we have a really difficult time with Alma; he will start crying and screaming the minute he knows we're going home. Then he cries and screams the whole way home in the car until we drop him off at his door. I sympathize with him for the first 10 minutes but the next 20 it gets a little hard on the ears. We just have to ignore his outburst. I completely understand how he must feel, he is stuck in his little home which is only a little bigger than the size of a California king bed with a twin bed sized kitchen and a 1/2 twin bed sized bathroom. Pretty sad 🙁.
These last 3 bottom pictures are a place in the mall where on Tuesdays it's just 1 dirham for each ride or activity (about 30 cents). We'd love to take the primary kids here but it really isn't an enclosed area and I can just see one of our little kids escaping and them being lost for hours in this humongous mall.
Since we make a few trips back and forth to Abu Dhabi and Dubai sporadically; for job interviews for the members, airport runs, visa papers, etc.—I made just a little baggie of “critical things” if we are staying overnight that I can just grab and take with me. It makes packing a whole lot easier when I don't have to think about what I need each time.
We have a total of six large rugs in the living room, entry, and primary room. They were getting a bit dirty, so we saw this truck advertising carpet cleaning. They came out and got our rugs and cleaned them for us. I think it was a couple hundred dollars to have them all done, but they were definitely in need of it!
Then there is this store where these large carpets are only $10. WOW! So fun! This one is in the guest room and I want to get one for our bedroom.
The next picture doesn't look too appealing, but this was a scrumptious dessert with noodle dough, strawberries and bananas. It was SO good! Above that is a little text about Louie needing some tooth medicine; we get texts like this all the time. This is why we feel like parents to many of our members (his wife is a nurse 🤔)! The next picture shows how very close we are to the Oman border. It's pretty amazing to realize how close we are to another country, which, by the way, has a fence between the two borders like most countries do 😉!
Then there are, once again, more white cars 😂. Have I mentioned that our white car’s A/C kept going out so we got a different rental and guess what color it is . . . nope not white, it's black!
And finally, there is me and my Nook. I bring it everywhere I go so I can read anywhere I am at. This has become a staple (along with my pumpkin seeds)!
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 — There is “a time to laugh” and “a time to weep”; seasons of joy and sadness naturally come and go.
