Twelve of Our Most Memorable Moments in 2012

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

As 2012 draws to a close in just hours, here are a few of our favorite moments we experienced. 

 We have enjoyed learning and experiencing Saudi culture. There are times when it is frustrating to the extreme but part of learning about a new culture is accepting it as a whole, good and bad.

 Compound life with amenities such as multiple swimming pools, a water slide, and a wave pool have pretty much rocked. We spent most of our summer in the pool, when we weren't eating birthday cake or suffering through a Saudi summer. Bubba J hated pools and water when we moved to Riyadh, but not plays in the water with confidence and aplomb, hence his fearless and frequent descents down the waterslide.

Our oldest has had a chance to explore aspects of old Saudi culture with some friends. We've enjoyed his pictures and stories of his adventures, including holding a falcon.

I spend my afternoons teaching seventeen young pianists the piano. In December, I held a recital for my young students and was pleased with hard work and performances. It is so rewarding to work with children and watch them develop skills and talents.

We swam outside on Christmas Day. We didn't have to go anywhere to do so. We just walked outside our door and jumped in the pool. Having lived in Wyoming, Utah, Sweden, and New York, this is an unparalleled luxury. Swimming is awesome.

Camels, camels, and more camels. We enjoyed a very interesting day at a camel auction out in the desert where thousands of camels and their owners gathered to buy and sell camels.

My daughter got to see the Sphinx. And we spent a fabulous week in Egypt.

T fulfilled a life-long dream when he recently held a peregrine falcon, an animal he has studied intently for two years.

The desert is spectacular and we have enjoyed our explorations of it in many ways.

We agreed to hamster-sit two hamsters for friends over the summer, but have since obtained ownership for two cute little hamsters. They've been a source of amusement, frustration, lots of messes, and fun. Bubba J in particular adores them.

And finally, we enjoy the luxury of being able to scooter, bike, or rollerblade around the compound without problems!

What would you list as twelve of your greatest moments of 2012?