Happy Christmas from the Middle East...what?

We are a week away from the beginning of the holidays and I must say that, even in the middle east, there is Christmas cheer.  You wouldn't think so considering this place is full of Muslims, but the malls, restaurants, hotels and grocery stores all have ornaments, trees, lights, Christmas music, etc.  The real Christmas miracle happening is that it is…wait for it…50 degrees and rainy here.  Yes.  Hell has frozen over, people.  I think the Mayans were right…watch out on the 21^st! 

On the final day of Earth, my friends Donna and Jenne and I are hosting a Ladies’ night.  I’m going to make chicken pot-pies.  What a great meal for your last day on earth, right?  I haven’t told the ladies that the end of the world is my theme.  They think it is just another neighborhood ladies’ event.  T-hee.

For Christmas Eve, we were invited to some friends’ house down the street.  They are making dinner and I’m supplying the stuffing because (gasp) they were going to buy the crap in the box!  Not on my watch, sister!  :)  Christmas Day we are having some people to our house.  Jenne, our friend Al – who threw his back out and can’t fly home to see his family, our friend Chris – who works at the Embassy and isn’t going home to see his family and whoever else decides to show up.  Jenne is making the turkey and I’m going to make all of the sides.  It’s not a Christmas like at home with family, but it will be awesome to spend it with my make-shift family in Doha.  :)  I need to find Joon a Santa costume.

Other than that, we have been working in the backyard and playing some tennis.  I am terrible, but Brian is worse, so it makes me feel better.  :)  Just kidding, lover!...kind of.  OH!  We are planning our Eurotrip in March.  We have a credit with United Airlines that we have to use before April, so we decided to take a few weeks off in March and backpack through Europe.  As of today (five minutes ago), we are going to:  Budapest, Vienna, Berchtestgaden (Eagle’s Nest), Mayrhofen (skiing in Austria), Zurich, Lausanne, Verbier (skiing the Swiss Alps), Grenoble, Marseille (wine tasting in France), Barcelona, Doha.  Pretty cool, huh?  I only wish we could bring Tiger, our photo-taking tour guide from Thailand, with us to be our photographer!

Merry Christmas everyone!  Love and miss you all tons!