4th of July

We had a pretty eventful weekend. It seems like we do very little anymore, both since it is so hot now and because we’ve pretty much done everything there is to do until winter comes back around and we can enjoy the outside again.

Happy 4th of July! Look at our patriotic family! Red, white and blue!

So Thursday night we had Rainy and Marcelo (and Benji) over to hang out and eat Arabic food (from the palace, thanks to Marcelo as usual!). We always have a good time with them, so it was nice.

Then on Friday we went over to Stef and Tony’s for the 4th of July. It’s still weird to me to have a holiday come around and there is NOTHING that would indicate there was one unless you already knew. Just goes to show (just like my Easter flop) that if we’re not reminded, we’d probably forget holidays altogether. Anyway, so we grilled out and had snacks and hung out just likewe would have done back in the States… just without the fireworks. After watching CNN about the California fires, it’s probably a good thing. I saw report after report of homes being burned to the ground because a bottle rocket went astray. Still, it was kind of a bummer missing them. Especially since last year we were treated to a fabulous show courtesy of some 15 and 16-year-olds, at Marcia’s neighbors’ Tracy and Randy’s house. We set up a line of folding chairs and watched as 15 feet away stuff exploded. Too much fun! (Especially since it was July and it was the last holiday I’d have to brave as a prego blimp)

Me, Kasey, Stef, and Andrew being a cutie pie.

Kaden with his new friend Mikey.

Kaden and long-time buddy Matt, just hanging out.

Matt playing Kaden's guitar, and Kyle... pondering???

Kaden walking with the big kids!

Louie, his son Alberto, and Kaden, playing "ride the horsey"

Speaking of which, Stu and I took another picture of ourselves since a year ago today we took one and found it again recently. Boy have things changed in a year! Especially our mass! Haha. A year ago today I weighed in at a light 183 pounds and Stu was pushing 200. Today we’re 125 and 160, respectively. We’ve lost almost a whole person! Haha (Well, I really DID lose a person, but MY person only weighed 8 pounds!!! So by that standard I lost more than 7 people! Hehe). Anyway, so I figured I’d post Stu’s creation commemorating a year of up and downs (mostly on the scale).


Anyway, so we had a good weekend and it is always nice to get together with other humans and remember that we aren’t SO isolated here on this little brown island in the middle of the Middle East.

Just had to throw this in here too... these are two trucks parked back-to-back with guys unloading garbage from one truck and putting it into another... what the heck?