Another Year Down (Late)

This is a few weeks late...but...Can you believe we have been in Doha for 2 years now! It really seems more like 10 instead of two! Have I been here long enough to say that?! I guess because it is hard to believe that we could feel so comfortable in another country, let alone the Middle East! We do feel completely blessed as our lives have changed so much with the addition of Kelsey. Things happen for a reason and there is definitely a reason we accepted this assignment when we did. Of course the downside to Kelsey (if there could be) is traveling...where can we go now with an infant and too bad she won't remember any of it!? I guess my only regret would be that we didn't head off on a trip before her arrival. But with trips home, me working and getting ready for Kelsey, we just could not have fit it in. Hopefully we will find a place to go to this year, though arriving home is at the top of the list.

The addition of Kelsey brought my sister, Lori, and my parents to Doha. Seems that people were waiting for our miracle just as we were! We are hoping that Michael's mom will make the trip as well.

You may or may have not heard that I have decided to not return to work. While I hate to do that to my students and the school, leaving Kelsey is just something that I am not prepared to do. Seems that maybe I should not have worked this year at all, but I guess until she arrived in our arms, I just couldn't really believe that our prayers had finally been answered.

We continue to pick up a very small amount of the language, though working at the school was really helping me out in that department. Michael continues to like his job and the challenges that he is confronted with on a daily basis. This year brings for him a much longer drive, such is life. We continue to meet many wonderful people who we know we would have never met if we hadn't moved to Qatar. It is actually amazing how often Michael runs into an old friend or classmate. I had a student come up to me one day and tell me her dad went to OSU with Michael! This year also brought the addition of a live in maid as I thought I would be returning to work and they really don't have day cares here. That has been quite an experience. I feel now with me staying home that there is not much for her to do and my cleaning compulsion has kicked back in. However, she is worth her salary as she does laundry, wash, dry, iron and put away, each day! We are currently working on teaching her to cook though it is hard as she is unfamiliar with "American" food.

Well we are looking forward to sharing another year of adventures with you! Plus a new rug!!!