Update

We are fitting into a routine, which is good, but it makes me feel that there is less to write about.  More time is slipping by than I would like while some highly important things on my to do list remain unfinished.  Primarily is shipping some of our stuff.  Matt is to the point with his visa that we can get serious about finding a residence to replace hotel living and we would want the things stuck in boxes labeled "Italy".  We also the piano and bikes.  I did get some quotes, they are all over the place as far as price and what is covered and what is not.  I hate not being on site.  Brian and Hilary already very kindly agreed to help out on the Vegas end, for which we are eternally grateful and are planning on showing them a super fun time when they come here to visit.  The drawn out process of asking for more info from companies is narrowing down the candidates.  Hopefully it will all work out.

Jess has finished her first three weeks of soccer, I mean football.  She is insisting on calling it football to comply with her peers on the pitch.  But Isaac keeps insisting, "You are American.  It's called soccer."  She has enjoyed it and wants to sign up for more weeks.

Isaac is still going to kickboxing 2 or 3 times a week and enjoying it.  He also has mutual every Tuesday and will be starting scouts in March.  One family has asked if he could babysit to which he said YES!!

Makenna has been harder.  We are having a goldilocks experience.  One dance class was too packed.  One offered only private lessons.  One horseback riding place has a 100+ waiting list.  I did sign her up for a knitting class with a couple girls in the branch, but it doesn't start till May.  Today I bought a groupon for horseback riding classes at another location (further away)  but can't call to schedule unti the groupon sale closes.  So hopefully she will have something of her own to do soon.

We did contact the homeschooling group here.  It's pretty big and open to all nationalities.  We have met a few families and are looking forward to some fun things with them.  Science on the beach this Thursday and Ski school in the mall in May are the things being discussed on email today.  The girls have made one friend who lives near where Isaac's kickboxing class is.  After a very successful first round last week, they are hoping to have playtime with her for that hour each Wednesday.

We had Stake Conference last Friday.  It was held in a huge gorgeous ballroom in the Shangi-La Hotel.  There were over 600 chairs set up and filled and plenty more folks in the lobby.  All UAE members were encouraged to attend in person while it was broadcast to the other branches and wards in Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.  That was the 3rd Stake conference we have had since the last General conference, but the first in English (but in truth we didn't attend the Italian one being daunted by the language and the 3+hour drive).  It was quite awesome really.  The Stake Presidency was reorganized and the testimonies and speakers were really good.  The kids were paying attention too.  Makenna told Matt one of the stories later that night. The President of the Seventy had offered to do a fireside, so afterwards we drove over to the Villa and I helped set up food for the youth and their families.  The Young Adults were upstairs, and then came down for the fireside.  Isaac met more kids.  I have been hearing great things from parents and leaders about the youth here.  Yeah!  They had a packed room for the fireside which was run more as a question and answer session.

The kids and I went on a Visa Run.  It's a normal activity for many folks here.  The Allens' friends,  the Ramptons have been going once a month since August.  Matt doesn't have his passport because he is practically official, so I got to go without him.  I am so glad Matt did a Visa run with me while I was here in June.  It's not a completely obvious process and helped seeing it done once.  It's an hour and a half each way.  You have to go to the border, pull off and park to get an exit stamp--VERY important but not obvious at all.  Then you drive further to get a paper from vehicle inspections.  Next you go into Oman and fill out an "In and Out" visa application, pay 200AED per person, get lots of stamps and start working backwards.  You drive to turn in the stamped vehicle inspection paper.  You drive and then park again at the border and get a new entry stamp.  You are now good for another month!  There are also 2 truck stops each way where you may or may not be asked to see passports.  We showed at 3 out of 4 this time.  We may have to go one more time, but hopefully not more than that.  I will soon be starting my official process requiring blood work, a marriage license certified by the state department, birth certificate, and I honestly don't yet know what else.  Besides the blood taking, most of it is out of our hands.  We brought the documents we needed, though we didn't realize the marriage license issued and stamped by the state of Utah also needs the approving stamp of Ms. Clinton's office.  Their guy (L3 and other contractors), Akmed (sp?), will be helping get all the requisite stuff through.  It's really not on my mind much.  I spend much more brain power on school. My dear husband has been dealing with this and starting some shipping stuff.  Lots of emails and phone calls. . . .  He says it's still fair as long as I handle the taxes, which were mailed off today!!

I'm going to mention two other things which made for a spoiled Karen.  I have been trying to run or swim or generally exercise, but I have been getting worse, not better.  There is a great gym and pool at the hotel, but our late nights make getting up early so hard.  We have whittled down school to 4 days a week to accomodate church and Matt's days off so I don't want to take any school time to work out because we are packing extra into those 4 days.  I have been running, but I haven't done a full 6 miles without a walking break.  Pitiful, for what I once could do, not long ago.  So I signed myself up for a race.  I had to get up at 5 to drive myself there (almost 2 hours before Matt normally gets up) but somehow it didn't feel as bad doing it for a race.  It was just a 10K around the rugby stadium and practice fields, next door to the camel racing track--we saw one doing laps.  It made me laugh.  I made it.  The air was cool and perfect, no sand blowing.  There were a couple hundred people.  At 3K, I started talking to a girl I had been using to pace myself.  She was lovely and we chatted to the end.  I ended up running one of my fastest paces.  And I felt SO GOOD.  My body needed that push.  Later that day was the Relief Society Dinner.  I picked up two pizzas (coupon for Dominos) for the kids before leaving and almost stole a piece for myself on my way out, feeling starving and not having a whole lot of faith in the upcoming dinner being provided by the priesthood.  Good thing I resisted!  I hadn't met the family from Sri Lanka yet.  He is a no kidding 4 or 5 star chef.  Wow.  Full points for taste and plating!  I was taking pictures of each course with my phone.  Brother Van Moorsel from the Netherlands had done the decorating, including repainting the napkin holders red because the original pink clashed.  Wow.  (His wife is Jessica's primary teacher and is giving one of the talks at her baptism.)  There was a small army of servers and then after dessert, we were entertained by a "Dubai's got Talent Show" including several singing and guitar numbers and two readings of cowboy poetry.  It was such a yummy and fun evening.  And I got to know a bunch of the other girls and held a little adorable newborn for awhile.

I guess I found a bit more to write about than I thought.  Currently, school has been wrapped up for the day.  Jess is "helping" Isaac edit his video be made for a history project.  Makenna is writing an email.  We need to leave in about an hour for mutual.  They are playing paintball? . . . .