Just a few updates

Time is flying this year! 

1.  Emalyn has grown in leaps and bounds.  She is turning 1 year old in 3 weeks.  Seriously, where has the last year gone?  She is the happiest, most joyful baby and keeps us laughing.  She is almost walking and "talks" to us non stop.

2.  Aberly continues to grow and learn in school this year.  She is an adventurer and loves trying new things.  She recently got back from visiting GeeGee (Nancy, Colin's mom) in India when she traveled with Colin to our school's annual Track meet that was being held at Nancy's school.  After returning, we headed right to International Day at our school where she sang with her EC classes and ran right over to ride the camels.  She kept her composure when the camel suddenly, and quickly, dropped to its knees after the ride.  She was clearly rattled but stayed brave even though I could tell she was initially scared. 

 

  

 

3.  As for me and Colin, we continue working and trying to keep up with life.  Colin enjoyed coaching Track again (he worked with the throwers this year and had one student get gold in shot put!), but is happy to have it done and have after school time back for himself again.  When we aren't working, we try to get outside for walks or to play with the girls, get out for dates and get togethers with friends, and keep things together around the house.  Always things to be done, always something to plan for! 

Tiny wonders

Call me dorky, but this blog post is to showcase flowers.  But not just any flowers, the wildflowers of Oman. 

It's been an oddly cool and "wet" year.  These conditions the past few months have lead to the normally tan, rocky, and sandy hills to take on a green hue.  It's been such a contrast to our first year here where it was fairly hot and dry all year long.  In the normally rocky, dirt patches around the school and our home, there are lots of low-growing grasses and weeds, as well as the wildflowers.  I suspect some of these flowers might be weeds, but nonetheless, they are beautiful.

But you have to get close to see them.  Most of them are tiny.  While most people might overlook the majority of them and just see the green, I've gotten out of our car and taken some walks, crouched low, and taken a good look. 

I've always like little things.  Something about the tiny beauty all around us that most people don't notice yet they are there, just as beautiful as the "big" things usually noticed.  If you've ever walked with me on the beach, you know I can't look up.  I'm always looking down; waiting for the next pretty agate or shell to be happened upon.  Same with on a hike.  I love looking at the big picture, but then my head keeps to the ground and sides of the trails, looking for the small things.

So seeing all these tiny flowers has really given me joy.  They, along with the grasses in bloom, have also given me allergies for the first time in three years, but it's been worth it.  I've loved seeing more green around us in general, and the flowers have been the cherry on top. 

With our sweet little Panasonic camera with macro setting, I took a couple days to find and shoot the little beauties.  A common trend I found with a lot of the flowers/plants were that they were low growers, had small or very small flowers, were "fuzzy" or had some other type of thorn.  It makes sense in a dry climate with intense sun and a fight to survive.

They might not be here next year!  Just depends on the weather, and how long those seeds have to wait again.  I hope you enjoy!

 

This stunning yellow flower grows on a low spreading plant that has the appearance of a succulent.

 

I really liked this plant.  It had a very "Fall" look to it after I picked a bunch of stalks for my vase.  Each branch was covered in the tiny buds of the white flower.

 

This unique flower was growing on the wirey plant below.

 

The ultra-tiny flowers on this plant resulted in the pods below.

 

This was one of my favorites.  The long tendrils on this plant had the bright white flowers all lined up.  Below, you can see the end of the tendril not fully extended.

 

 

This was another favorite.  From far away, it looked like a taller red/pink plant, but up close, each sprig was actually a bunch of small green/red pods.

 

 

Up real close, you can see the gorgeous color and intricacy of the pods. 

 

A fuzzy one...

 

Berries!

 

These white guys were easier to spot by the casual eye, but being up close allowed you to see how fragile and soft their petals were.

 

This is what most of the ground cover looks like, which standing by it, you can just see the bits of color peeking out.  From the road though, you wouldn't even notice.

 

This little lady doesn't want to be touched.

 

Another very tiny stunner

Terry Fox Day Run

Better late than never!

Earlier this year in January, TAISM had it’s annual Terry Fox run.  Our wonderful colleague and friend, Laura (who saw Terry Run through her town when she was very young), organizes the event yearly to raise funds for cancer research.  The funds are used here in Oman at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital where they seek to better research leukemia, which occurs here in Oman at a higher rate than other places in the world.  Events include purchasing a run spirit item (this year was bandanas, last year was bracelets), a “Shave for the Cure” fundraiser in the HS, and then the run itself.  

Terry Fox runs are held around the world each year, and to date, since the beginning of world ride runs in his name, $600 million dollars have been raised.   

You can learn more about Terry Fox and the organization here:   http://www.terryfox.org/

There is also a great video about Terry Fox here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjgTlCTluPA

An amazing blessing for our school this year was that Judith Fox, Terry’s sister and International Director for the Terry Fox Foundation, came to visit our school personally and to be a part of the event.  We were touched by listening to her present about her brother, the run, and the impact the foundation has.  She ran with our students and interacted with those that she could. 

A real special treat was that she joined the EC run, which is short and small, so she could interact with many of the students involved.  Since I was there early to help out and take photos, I spoke for awhile to Judith and she is such a wonderful, inspirational, and caring person.  Aberly got special help from Judith putting on her Terry Fox tattoo, and got to stand with her for the group photograph.  Aberly will not understand the unique experience she got to have for many years, but it truly touched my heart that day.

 

 

Isla is probably about the age Laura (her mom) was when she saw Terry Run through her town. 

 

All ready to run! 

 

Of course, Aberly was thrilled to get to hang out with her favorite big kid friend, Cassie Irish.  A group of MS students helped run with the kids that morning.

 

They are off!

 

 

Group photo with the school Terry Fox banner

 

Popsicle treats for everyone post-run