Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and boats)

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and boats)

Kids were so excited to see Gas Monkey

I am not one of the fortunate souls whose employer pays for the entire family to fly back home once a year. However, I am very fortunate that they pay for private school tuition for my kids. I actually make out better this way, but it is damn inconvenient when it's summer vacation time. So, bearing in mind that we had to spend LOTS of money just to get anywhere for the summer, we went back to Texas. Awesome free family lodging, our cars are there (so no renting), and free entertainment in the form of sisters and cousins and relaxing on the back porch.

Carnival Sunshine Cruise

We had a cruise credit from Carnival Cruise lines from when our ship broke down in St. Maarten in March 2013, so we went on a brilliant 7 night cruise on the Carnival Sunshine. The thing Jason and I (and most parents) value most from a Carnival cruise is that you can dump drop your kids off in Camp Carnival where they are entertained and provided with age appropriate activities, leaving you with pina colada quiet time. BEST. THING. EVER. 

Grand Turk

 We went to Nassau, St. Thomas, Grand Turk and Puerto Rico, and took too many pictures. Beach time, exploring time, and relaxing time. Ahhhh.






Road Trip

Road Trip stop at the BlueBell Factory

On our road trip to Florida, we stopped in Brenham, Texas at the BlueBell Ice Cream Factory for a tour. After a BlueBell trivia game during the tour, I realized that I should be embarrassed by the amount of knowledge I have about BlueBell ice cream. The workers really can eat as much ice cream as they want. "We eat all we can, and we sell the rest." True. They have freezers stocked with ice cream in the break rooms. Ava changed her career plans that day.

We also stopped at the USS Alabama. We had fun exploring, but Jason was like a kid in a candy shop. A hot, humid candy shop, but a candy shop nonetheless. We all played shoot shoot bang bang with the mounted guns. It was a nice road break, and a good family road trip type place to stop.











ChiTown

We had a 10 hour layover in Chicago on our way from DFW to Abu Dhabi. Why? I don't know. Instead of sitting in the airport for 10 hours prior to a 15 hour flight, we decided to take the L train into downtown and walk around. It was kinda rainy, but tolerable without an umbrella, especially since we had spent 10 months with no rain. Walked to Millennium park, Theater district, ate lunch out on a patio, and had some Famous Garrett's popcorn, which coincidentally they have in Dubai Mall.

Although happy to go home to Texas for July, it is always nice to return to your own bed, your own house, your own place. I am extremely fortunate that my kids travel well. Alhamdulilah (Thank God)!

Ma Salama, Texas! See you in a year, Inshallah!