Life of ike, part 1: Qatar and Kuwait

The last 3 months have been overflowing with awesomeness (shout-out to Barney Stinson). After a great trip home to Portland for Christmas it has been non-stop since returning to Dubai.



Qatar
My first adventure took me to Doha, Qatar for an education conference over a weekend at the end of January. Without getting into the boring details of the conference I'll skip to the awesome part where I meet the greatest American couple currently living in Kuwait... Mike and Erin Johnston. Mike chimes in via email to provide a recap of our time together... "This past weekend was super sweet! If they made a movie about it, my character would be played by Marky Mark and your character would be played by Denzel Washington!!! That's how we roll." Pretty wild, considering that all we did was slack-off and goof around together during the conference. There was little time to do anything outside of it. Mike and Erin teach middle school art at the Al Bayan Bi-lingual school in Kuwait, and Mike is quite the artist. We first struck up a conversation when I noticed his shoes, which were painted in the style of Piet Mondrian and Roy Lichtenstein... two of my personal favorites. Mike painted the shoes himself, and he directed me to his website, Squeaky Sneaks, where he has many more customized shoes on display. As Mike puts it, "Customize your life... it's too short for generic crap." Amen. I didn't have my camera with me in Qatar, but here is a lasting memory from the trip...


This is the bag they provided for us at the conference, which was decorated with all kinds of ugly swag on the front. No problem for MJ... he covered the front in white paint and proceeded to customize.


Kuwait (part 1)
The good times with Mike and Erin carried over to my trip to Kuwait for the JV basketball tournament. I was able to arrange housing with the Johnstons and they were gracious enough to take me in and provide a bed and my favorite Kashi cereal, Cinnamon Harvest. I quickly decided that the Johnstons needed to move to Dubai and work at ASD and be our best friends. Unfortunately, due to the demanding schedule of the basketball tournament I was not able to spend nearly enough time with them. However, we seized every opportunity and maximized our time with such awesome things like homemade date rum (actually quite good) and Step Brothers on dvd... which caused Mike and I to realize that we were simply long lost brothers. So, we went and did karate in the garage and made bunk beds.

As I mentioned above in the Qatar section, Mike designs and hand-paints his own shoes, and he takes shoe orders from friends. Naturally, Jenni and I just had to have ourselves a customized pair of the Johnston Squeaky Sneaks. So, I commissioned Mike to create two pairs of shoes while I was busy with coaching duties at the tournament. I got a chance to watch some of the magic happen, and the dude is like a modern day Michaelangelo. The final product was absolutely beautiful... check it...

For my pair, Mike used the Lichtenstein comic book, pop-art style















Jenni wanted a rain forest... that's exactly what she got... check out these cute little critters












I think we'll become collectors of Squeaky Sneaks. Mike and Erin will be visiting us at the end of April... what should the next theme be for my shoes?

Stay tuned for more... this is part 1 of a 4 part series of events I've been meaning to post about for the last 3 months. Up next, Part 2 will cover my coaching journey with the JV boys basketball team. Following part 2 will be my trip to Greece with the 6th grade class of ASD, and part 4 will document my run at the middle east softball championship with Dubizzle.

I apologize for my lack of photos of Kuwait and Qatar. I didn't bring my camera with me on either trip.

-Isaac

Be Mine, Valentine

We had a really nice Valentine's this year. We slept in, had breakfast in bed, and walked through the greens with Bella. In the afternoon we took maternity photos of our friends, Donny and Natasha. They are expecting their first child- a girl!- in about a month! They are such a warm and happy couple, and we really enjoyed spending the afternoon with them. Donny used to have Isaac's position at ASD, and is now teaching middle and high school art. His incredible artwork can be found in and around their beautiful villa, and it was so fun to see it all! Donny's "found art" pieces include several large fish, made from metal scraps, and items he's come across. They are AMAZING!!! I was thrilled when Natasha suggested that Donny make us a fish in exchange for the photos. I am so excited I can barely stand it!!! I've already given a lot of thought to where we will hang our beautiful angel fish... =). After the photo session, we dined al fresco. Donny made his homemade chili (loaded with veggies and super delicious), and prepared a green salad. We brought my twice baked potatoes, and I can say with certainty that we all thoroughly enjoyed our scrumptious feast. It was such a relaxing and fun evening of conversation! A perfect Valentine's day!



To see photos from Donny and Natasha's session, click here to visit Wayfarer Studio!

New Header

I decided to try my hand at designing a little header for the blog. Whatcha think? Nothing too extraordinary this go 'round, but every time I look at this picture I'm reminded of the AMAZING man I'm married to and I turn into a lovey-dovey pile of mush...sigh... =)

And we're back in business!

We found a new 50mm lens today! Woo Hoo! It was beginning to look like a hopeless case (and my stress levels were rising) after contacting multiple camera shops. Finally we discovered a teeny tiny shop in MOE that had one. So, I now have my *new* precious lens, back on my camera, safe and sound! I have also scoured B&H online for a good camera bag, as the ultra cool (not really), but super functional hip bags do not appear to exist in Dubai. I found one with great reviews that carries a large SLR, plus 3 or 4 lenses for a pretty good deal. We'll be placing an order for one or two soon. Hopefully my mom can bring it/them over to us in her suitcase when she visits this spring, pleeease (says Jenni, batting her eyelashes adorably). =)
Of course I HAD to test out my new lens as soon as I got home and the only models I could find were the furballs responsible for the death of my first lens. Even though they are stinkers, they are pretty darn cute!


Goodbye, dear friend...













A precious moment... bath time is pretty much the only instance when these two aren't either scuffling or ignoring one another



Oh, sweet, confused Safa... what goes on in that little pea-brain of yours?

Lesson of the day...

Never, and I mean NEVER leave your precious camera and lovely little brand new 50mm f1.4 portrait lens sitting in the middle of the dining room table! A frisky cat may come along and knock it onto the stone floor. ARGH!!!!!

Oh, my poor lens, I am so sorry you have passed on... I promise I will NEVER EVER EVER be so STUPID as to leave one of your fellow friends out like that AGAIN!

Lesson learned!!!

In more positive news, it's the weekend! Hooray! We slept in until 9:00, which was heavenly. Now, my sweet hubby is whipping us up some scrumptious french toast. YUM! AND, we have been invited to a Chinese New Year party this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to it!
Perhaps after the party we'll swing by Sharaff and see if we can find a new portrait lens, as well as a new UN-DOG-CHEWED camera bag. *Sigh* Another quick lesson... NEVER leave Mentos (those glorious little fresh-makers) in your camera bag. A sneaky little dog may come by and chew a hole through the bag to get them.

Reflecting on this post, I suppose another lesson learned is that your life is much easier if you don't have pets... hmmm...

He's in there!

Yup, that's where Baby Russell is residing for now. We can't wait to meet him in a few short weeks! Click here to see more of Teryl, James, and their cute little baby bump!

More Wayfarer

Guess who just shot their first senior portraits???

And, yes, we have reduced ourselves to using this blog as shameless promotion for our new blog... but only for a little while=). We'll have some more "regular" daily life posts up soon.

Wayfarer Debut

Want to see more of these?











Then click here to visit our new photography and design blog... Wayfarer Studio! More details to come...

44

Tonight we attended an inaguration party for our country's 44th president. Spicy chili in hand, cookies and cream cupcakes waiting to be consumed, we sat in awe around the television. He was nothing short of amazing- inspiring, articulate, and resplendent. My heart was bursting as I walked away from tonight's festivities- overflowing with joy and hope, excitement and anticipation. In me lives a sense of peace and contentment for our country and our world... thank you, Barack Obama. God bless you and keep you, Mr. President!

Good things come...

...to those who wait =) Does that sound braggy? I don't mean to sound braggy.

Name that TV show=)...

Anyway, just wanted to give a big thank you for your patience while I filtered through, and edited the thousands (literally) of photos we took over the break. I wanted to find just the right selection of images that best document our trip.


A frosty morning at the McD's

Little did I know how "frosty" it would later become! The temptation of early morning light glistening on icy-edged foliage convinced me to wander around the McD's place as the sun rose our first morning at home.































To the Nines!

After such a wonderful girls weekend at Cannon Beach last summer, Mom, Ruthanne, and Robin and I decided to have another overnight trip during our winter vacation. Cautious of foul winter weather, we opted to stay downtown at The Nines, instead of driving to the coast. Good thing we planned ahead! Arctic Blast '08 dumped a ton of ice and snow on Oregon, but we didn't let it stop us! Between the max rail and taxis, we skidded our way to the hotel, situated atop the Macy's building in Pioneer Square. What a swanky place! Our elegant, turquoise damask room was on the club floor, and we enjoyed all sorts of fun perks. We had a fabulous time catching up, eating, shopping, eating, playing games, eating, enjoying complimentary drinks in the club lounge, eating... I think I gained the majority of my winter padding in just those 48 hours! It was such a fabulous experience that we've decided to make The Nines our annual winter getaway. I can hardly wait for next year!


I didn't bring my camera... pictures are all complimentary of Robin... Thanks chica!!!































More Winter Wanderings at the McD's

After my weekend at The Nines, the snow continued to pour, and Mom and I decided we might as well be snowed in at the McD's so we could get some more time with them=). One morning, after a fresh shower of glittering snowflakes, Lizzie and I decided to don our snow gear, and waddle out into the great expanse of white to take some photos. It was so peaceful outside, and we spent a couple of hours clicking away.




Scuffy and Biscuit opted to stay snuggled up inside, where it was warm=)






























Abby the Labby joined us on our walkabout














Lizzie and Abby decided to test out the sledding hill... it was slow-goings



















Julie telling us it was time to go inside...NOW!



Prawn and Champagne Night

Every year on December 23rd we get together with the McD's for prawns and champagne. With a fire crackling away, we gather around the coffee table to eat our dinner, and share about all the things we are thankful for in our lives. Then we cry. And hug. And usually cry a little more. Then we drink more champagne. And laugh. A lot. It's the best!
We started this tradition to honor my Grandma Lois, who passed away twenty-one years ago on the 23rd. We also celebrate sweet old Scuffy's birthday, which happens to fall on the same day. This year he turned a whopping 16 years old! He is confused and clumsy, and showing signs of incontinence- eww, but is just as loving and precious as always=).



Happy birthday Scuffy!




Mushy lovebirds =)














Clinky!



Christmas Eve

We love Christmas Eve! Well, we just plain love anything about Christmas, but Christmas Eve is special. It's magical! Every year we commence our evening's celebration with a cozy candlelight service. Then, we proceed to some sort of family gathering. This year we had a progressive dinner. It started with salads at the Goff's and then dinner, deserts, and presents at the Marshall family. It was so nice to see everybody, and Janell had quite an entertaining game picked out for us- am I right??? A little inside joke for everyone who was there=).



Alicia and baby Kora and I




Oooh, she is so cute! I just couldn't get enough of her!


Christmas Morning

This was probably the best- if not the most emotional- Christmas morning yet with the Marshall family! Lots of laughter, happy tears, and an overall feeling of contentment. Our morning started with a scrumptious breakfast, and then we opened our stockings. We also watched an old home video of the Marshall kids opening presents. It was priceless! The best moment was when Rachel opened her Aladdin movie. She was so overjoyed she kissed the box! We laughed so hard watching her, and I think just about everyone kissed one of their gifts that morning.
We love opening presents with the Marshall family on Christmas morning. Each person opens one gift and a time and everyone else watches. It takes a little longer this way, but it is so much fun to witness the joy on each person's face as they unwrap something special. We received so many thoughtful gifts from one another, and just rejoiced in the fact that we belonged to such a special family. It was a great morning =)



The girls in their new Christmas jammies




Rach kissing her new book =) hehe




The moment before the first round of happy tears









The cupcake lady!




Festive Toby




Isaac's BIG present... he knows 5 chords now=)




And of course my wonderful husband had to secretly show me up ;) (Just kidding sweetie!). He surprised me with my first professional lens- a cannon 400mm. It's going to be perfect for our African adventure this summer!

** I can't believe I forgot to mention this cute little bit... due to the inclement weather, the lens did not arrive on time. So, Isaac being the creative guy he is, printed photos of the top and side views of the lens and attached them to a long box. On the fourth side he wrote a cute 'Twas the night before Christmas poem about why the lens was late. Then he attached the box to his camera, and tucked it away in a shoe box. Too fun!


Leah made us all BEAUTIFUL paintings!


I didn't take any pictures with my family on Christmas=(. Bummer! Perhaps it was because we were a bit frazzled and frozen from our little delay? On the way to the McD's on Christmas day, our vehicle started overheating- A LOT! So, we pulled over, and after several attempts to cool it down, conceded that we were stuck. Uncle EI came out to "rescue" us, and while we waited, we played around with Isaac's guitar and sang Christmas carols at the top of our lungs. It's so nice to have your best buddy with you in less-than-ideal situations=). We didn't open our presents that evening until 5:00! Still, we had such a nice time, and again, were showered with such lovely and thoughtful gifts. We are so blessed to have our families. We enjoyed a lovely and low-key dinner that night, as the rest of the extended family still couldn't make it through the snow. We had another BIG Christmas dinner several nights later. The atmosphere was so bright and festive. It was wonderful to chat the night away with loved ones!



A Fun Surprise...

On one of our last nights at home, Sandy picked up Isaac's guitar and told us she would sing us a song. Given that she loves to joke around, we figured she was just teasing. Then she starts strumming away and we realized she actually knew how to play! 28 years as her son, and Isaac never knew she could play the guitar. We were so shocked we started laughing, and before long Sandy was giggling right along with us. What a fun surprise!




If I had a hammer...