Diary Entries
Trip to Oman
More Snorkeling
26 weeks
David's B-day
Old Carvings
Boat Races
Marjorie's B-day
Wakeboarding
29 weeks
Baby Shower
Eli's Room
Trip to Oman
Spring Break gave us the chance to travel to Oman.  We spent our time in Salalah in the south of Oman on the Indian Ocean enjoying the beach, resort and local town.

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I enjoyed the relaxation while...

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David enjoyed the water slide

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and the boogy boarding

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and the snorkeling

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and the tennis

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ok so I didn't sit the entire time, no worries David hit the tennis balls right to me...I didn't overexert myself

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A resident at the resort

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Our tour guide demonstrates the cradle at Taqah Castle

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Queen of Sheba's Castle

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A resident of Sheba's Castle

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Duke Family Photo

 
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More Snorkeling from Oman
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See the eel?

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Eli's second time to snorkel (his first was Jordan)

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The tail of a sting ray

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Eli's 26 Weeks
Eli is now approximately 1.76 pounds and we aren't saying how much Mom weighs.  He's moving around all the time.  It's really amazing to watch my belly jump around.  Stay tuned for some video of our ultrasound.
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David's Birthday

We enjoyed hearing from all of our family on this day.  Thanks to everyone for sending cards and calling us.

Eli insisted that his daddy wear a birthday hat.  I think he looks quite handsome in it!  I just think he's handsome though.

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We had Hammor with Lime/Cilantro Sauce drizzled on top, Green Bean bundles (green beans wrapped in turkey bacon drizzled with brown sugar, butter and garlic powder) and baked potatoes (with turkey bacon, sour cream, butter and cheese).

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Cake, Stawberries and whipped cream.  Notice four candles, one for each 7 years of his life.
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Old Carvings

There are over 900 carvings (first catalogued in 1974) at Jebel Jassassiyeh.  We went to find some.  We were successful in finding only these.  These are cup like depressions used for traditional games called Al Aailah and Al Haloosah.  

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It's a large area so we have some more exploring to do!

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Boat Races

Formula 1 World Championship Power Boat races were held in Doha on the Corniche.  These boats were FAST!

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We also saw something unusual in Doha...an English Bulldog puppy.  Dogs are unusual enough around here so it was a real treat to see an English Bulldog.  Her name is Betty and she's two months old.  It made us miss our Mack even more!
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Marjorie's Birthday
We celebrated Marjorie's birthday with a Southwest Feast.  We had Black Bean Tortilla Pie and Southwestern Rice Bake.  To top it off we had chocolate cake and a no sugar added Strawberry dessert that the Justin and Marjorie made for David.  We ended the party with a rousing round or two of a trivia.

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Wakeboarding

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Back to back weekend events at the Corniche.  We went to see wakeboarding and shortboard competition finals on this day.  The gulf itself was really choppy, making it extremely challenging for these guys to do their tricks.  It was impressive to see what they could do when the conditions were bad.

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Eli's 29 Weeks
Eli weighs about 3 pounds now...he's growing so much.  We did a CTG test at this visit.  It required that Eli and I sit still for 30 minutes.  Well, Eli's mom can sit still but Eli had a hard time.  He's a very active little boy...is this a sign of things to come???
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Baby Shower

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Shower hostesses (from L to R) Anita Reilly, Marjorie Carlson and Leslie Thorpe.

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I requested brownies...ask and you shall receive!

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Shower games, they were asked to draw a picture of Eli

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Leslie made a quilt.  It's complete with Camels, Palm Trees and Traditional Tents.  She's very talented!

 What a blessing this day was!  We have so much useful stuff!  Group gifts included:  hand carved, rosewood rocking chair from India, a bath/changing table/dresser combination and a Britax stroller.  We also received an abundance of cute cute cute clothes!  Thanks to everyone for their generosity. 

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Shoes that squeak!

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What a creative presentation...the laundry basket with a line full of clothes and goodies for Eli

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Changing Table/Tub/Dresser combo

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See the Onsie with Robots on it!  It's from Eli's Grandparents.
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Eli's Room
Have you ever watched the decorating shows like "Design on a Dime" or "Trading Spaces" where you have a limited budget and limited time to decorate a space?  Well this was our weekend!  We found a rug on Friday night that gave us our inspiration for Eli's Room and now it's Saturday evening and we've completely decorated his nursery.  

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Before Picture

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Our Inspiration Piece

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After Picture #1

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After Picture #2

We found foam board and made wall hangings.  With the rug and the homemade wall hangings we spent a total of $35 to $40.  David was able to look at the rug, draw a picture of the vehicle and then cut it out of foam board.  He did an amazing job.  We're pleased, we hope Eli will be too!
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