And we're back ...

Two school years have passed since my last posting :(

So here is a quick update --

Andre has changed companies - huge move for us - he now works for Saudi Aramco and we moved home from Khobar to Rastanura. This means the girls and I travel on a bus to school each day, approx. 60mins on a good day with little traffic. Makes for a very long day but the home is good, the husband is happy and we live at the beach :)

Aimee is finishing up with elementary school and will be starting Middle School (grade 6) in the Fall. Lucy will be going in to grade 4. Both girls are doing well. Everyone keeps saying just wait until they are teenagers - my response --- you mean its going to get worse !!!!!

Me -- I am still working at ISG - DEMS. What can I say, its work.... it has its bad days, its good days, its brilliant day and well everything inbetween :)

Soccer World Cup 2010 is in SA this year so in a bittersweet twist, we are not going home. Watch this space for updates of our Big Adventure as the Bosch family tackle the USA. Sadly will be missing family this June/July but looking forward to the 'American Experience'.

So in a nutshell, we are still breathing, haven't fallen off the face of the earth, just got busy with living.

Happy Birthday Lucy

Ocotber 7, 2008... Lucy Kate Bosch turned the ripe old age of 8 ! Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday Darling Lu-cy... Happy Birthday to YOU ! hip-pip-hooray, hip-pip-hooray, hip-pip-hooray nog 'n piep, hoora There was a very happy little girl on Tuesday morning when her eyes fell upon the new iPod that she had been begging for for abolutely ages. And a very happy mommy who can now have hers back hehehe.

September/October Break 2008

We started off our break celebrating Saudi National day (September 23), a wonderful family day, Ashton, Sandi & Tyler joined us for some shopping in Bahrain before home, relax and then spinning in the evening. The next few weekdays, Andre was still working so while he headed to work. the girls of the house had a lazy pj-day watching movies and eating junk ! A wonderfully relaxing time together !

Once Andre was on leave for Eid though we headed down to Doha, Qatar to visit with Larry & Nikki Kenton (friends from SA). We arrived after a long but uneventful journey on September 30 - Larry's birthday ! Happy Happy Larry =) We enjoyed a picnic on the corniche in the evening before collapsing after a tiring day. Then is was off to shop for our camping trip. Once back the girls enjoyed a swim while Nikki prepared for Larry's birthday dinner with friends.

Thursday saw us head out to the desert for a day/night of playing on the quads and camping. Mmmmm an experience ! The girls had a ball on the quads and as usual it was difficult to get Aimee out of the water when we took a walk down to the beach hehehe. All in all a hot, windy but fun experience, made all the more fun spending it with special friends.

Only low-point of the whole break was that Snowbell took a turn for the worse. She ended up being taken to the vet midway through the week and had to stay for treatment. We were due to fetch her on Saturday after we returned from Doha. Dr. Seega was confident the antibiotics and other meds she was taking would clear her kidneys and the parasite that was causing her aneamia. He called on Thursday but we missed the call... when we called back on Friday, we received the sad news that Snowbell had passed away the night before. Sad news for us but finally she wasn't suffering anymore. Snowbell we love you, you were quite the character, you will be missed !

School 2008

Aimee Julie Bosch is now in Grade 4 at Dhahran Elementary Middle School.

Lucy Kate Bosch is in Grade 2 at Dhahran Elementary Middle School.

These photos from the first day/s of school - kept trying to see if we could get at least one decent photo from one of the days when the camera didn't mist up from the humidity :(

September saw mom and dad visit school for our Annual Open House where the girls showed us around, introduced us to their teachers (Aimee - Mrs. Cooke, and Lucy - Mrs. Flanders). They both wowed us when we visited their Arabic classrooms, with their ability to write their names in Arabic !! We got to meet the Bob family in Aimee's classroom - some characters who have become regular visitors to our home over the weekends.

Looks to be an awesome, busy, colorful year !

Uncle Jorg....

.... stopped in Bahrain for a visit ! We were so lucky to get the opportunity to visit with Uncle Jorg when he stopped in Bahrain on his way home to visit Aunty Luanne.

Jorg and Luanne (for a bit) lived on our compound in Saudi a few years back. Luanne is back in the States and your is back in the Middle East although not Saudi.

We drove over to Bahrain after our first day at school to meet Jorg at The Ritz Carlton. Girls had a ball swimming while the adults did a little catch up. Then it was over to Trader Vic's for a quick bite and drink before heading back home --- school in the morning !

Was a fabulous visit, just way too short ! Next time longer and with Mrs. Jensen too =)