2013 Highlights/Lowlights and Abu Dhabi Update

2013 proved to be a challenging but ultimately good year for us.

LOWLIGHTS
~Mom to Urgent Care on Jan.1
~Leaky roof
~Frozen/burst pipe
~Failed Surgery for mom
~Monkey fell while hiking and cut his head
~Monkey passed out, ER via ambulance, cardiologist
~Washing Machine died
~A/C went out in the car
~Bad storm blew 70% of our shingles off our roof
~Got egged on Halloween
~A/C went out in the car (again)
~Had to re-home our puppies


HIGHLIGHTS
~Ladybug lost a LOT of teeth
~Ladybug, Unicorn and mom learned how to crochet scarves
~Unicorn turned 13!
~Swimming
~New Air Conditioner
~Campout with Daddy
~Adopted Puppies
~Girls sewing class at Jo-Ann's
~Monkey turned 5!
~Girls were in the local pageant
~Ladybug turned 7!
~Successful surgery for mom.
~Daddy's parents came to visit
~Girl's got their ears pierced
~Road Trip: Four Corners, Mesa Verde Ruins, family reunion in Branson, Missouri (Silver Dollar City)
~Monkey learned to float on his back
~NEW ROOF
~Fixed A/C in car
~Monkey started KG, Ladybug 2nd and Unicorn High School (and seminary)
~Dad applied for and passed the phone interview for a job in Abu Dhabi
~Mom and Dad's 9th Anniversary
~Dad flew to Chicago for an in-person interview and got the job!
~Unicorn earned her Personal Progress award
~Mommy's dad and step-mom came to visit
~Kids went on a mini-vacation to Scottsdale with Nana and Papa
~Great-Gram came to visit for Thanksgiving
~Got all our documents back and submitted for our visas/tickets
~Sold our home
~Road Trip: Grand Canyon with my brother and his family


ABU DHABI update
Last update we were waiting for our documents to come back from Washington D.C. We got them back on the 4th of Dec. and submitted them to Footprints on the 6th. On the 9th we were told that the first group could leave for Abu Dhabi between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1. While we knew it was unlikely that we would be in the first group (or that they would leave on time) we had to be ready! We had a huge yard sale (indoors) on the 21st of Dec. and then donated what was left on the 23rd. The cleaning guy and the final walk-thru were on the 24th and we closed on the 26th! On the 23rd we got another update that it would be unlikely for visas to be issued in time for the original window of the 26th-1st and that we should now plan on a mid-January departure (and to still plan for delays and to have back-up plans).

For now we are enjoying the holidays with family and preparing for daddy to go back to work on the 6th. We will get back into our school routine (as it went out the window the past 2 months) and live life as normally as we can while living in a 400-sq ft casita (at least we can hang in the main house with my parents too)!

Happy New Year!!