Last Days in Kuwait

 We've spent the summer swimming every other day, packing things out at various stages, saying goodbye to friends, trying to stay out of the heat and doing random fun things.  We went to City Center for the last time the other week - during Ramadan - and purchased random fun things for a friend's birthday party!  I also found Snap Poppers there and bought a box for our kids to enjoy!  You know those little things of gunpowder maybe in a little paper wrapper that you throw on the ground and they make a bang?

 It was sooooo humid out that day - maybe 120F and super humid since we live right on the beach.  Jack's glasses fogged up as soon as we went outside and my camera didn't stand a chance!  

I think there were 50 Snap Poppers in the tiny box and they had a blast throwing them, stomping on them and Jack clapped them together in his hand! 

Cars

 I'm not usually an aficionado of cars - but it's hard to not be impressed by some of the cars here in Kuwait!  Kuwait is known for it's insane traffic and copious amounts of money - which translates into a general love of cars throughout the country.  We see amazing cars all the time here and finally decided to take pics of them when we see them.  

The crazy part is that we have lots of these crazy cars parked on the street on our neighborhood street.  You would think they would be parked in a garage...but they are just on the street.  It's insane.  Along with our Toyota Sienna and Dan's awesome 1995 GMC Jimmy :)

 A Lotus - I tried to explain to our kids that they might never see another one again in their lives.

$78,000USD

 McLaren

$241,800USD

 I have no idea what car this is, but Megan took a picture of it from our playroom window!

Bentley Continental

 $217,725USD

 Car dealers in Kuwait

 Driving past

 Some insane amounts of money sitting on the street!

 Our neighbor got this Aston Martin delivered to his house.  We followed it home, not knowing it was being delivered to him and enjoyed watching it being unloaded!

 The trailer is lowered off the truck until it's flat on the ground...

 They they roll up the back and start to slowly back the car out.  

 The other crazy thing was that the owner didn't even come out to get it - his driver did and then drove it through the gate!

$135,225USD

 Ferrari Italia 458

$239,859USD

 Porsche Panamera

$176,275USD

 Incidentally - this was me taking a picture of a crane that was trying to do a u-turn and got stuck.  They had to call the police, cars were trying to scoot under this crane to get through - not politely, might I add.  Lots of horns honking and clearly no OSHA around.  Cranes haul things all the times over streets or people walking!

Saying Goodbye to still more friends...

 We really have very few friends who are moving like we are - the majority are staying another year or more, but are headed out on R&R and won't be back in Kuwait until after we move...so, we said goodbye the other night to yet more friends!  

 This is Kylie's little buddy, Nick.  He's 2 1/2 and he loves her - which I am so thankful for!  He makes a beeline for her at any event and asks where she went if he can't see her :)  They are a riot together!

 Our other friends who we had to say goodbye (or see you later) to is our buddy Kent and his parents - we had him and Carol over for dinner (the men had a guy's night)- and Jack and Kent played something like 3 straight hours of Minecraft :)  It kept them happy :)

We're going to miss him!

And we're going to miss his parents!!! :(

Saying Goodbye to more friends...

 

 We said goodbye to our friends Sara and Matthew and their children Sofia and Clive.

They are staying in Kuwait, but were headed out on R&R..so we got to do some fun things with them over the last couple of weeks.  Kylie got to spend the night 2 different times and had a BLAST!  I got to go shopping one Saturday with Sara by ourselves down in Fahaheel.  We had them over for a last dinner and we painted the girls' nails and did tinsel in Sara and Sofia's hair!  

We are thankful that we've gotten to know them this last year - Sara did Kuwait Ladies Bible Study with me and helped facilitate the 2nd half of the year.  We started our Bible Study with them that we had all year - Dan and Matthew took turns leading us through a time of study in 1 John and then the Beatitudes!  We spent every Saturday evening with them hosting Bible Study at whoever's house wasn't leading :)  They are a wonderful couple and we will miss them greatly!!!

 Me and Sara at the Fahaheel Mall

(taken right after she showed me the "animal souk" for the first time - we walked through it at 115F out - skinned whole body lambs hanging from butcher's hooks with their heads still on, skinned baby camels hanging, skinned sides of beef and live chickens that they will butcher right there for you!  I seriously got through most of it before I started to turn green and think I was going to throw up!)

 Dan teaching Matthew some basic guitar chords

 Kylie and Sofia did a fashion show for us!

 Sofia twirling :)

 Kylie dancing

 Clive looking like trouble :)

 Megan, Clive, Sofia, Kylie and Jack

 And Kylie's blanket and bag to get ready to go sleep over at Sofia's!

Walking on the Beach

 We've been walking over to the beach across the street from us the last couple of weeks.  While locals have been swimming there the last couple of months, we still aren't sure it's safe to swim in - but we have had fun walking on the beach and looking for shells, watching the hermit crabs and schools of minnows!  

 Jack likes throwing shells

 View south down the beach

 Beautiful boat that was docked right off the beach

 Walking

 Drawing pictures in the sand with her toes

 Me sporting Megan's sunglasses

 Throwing more shells

 Our family

(my shadow plus Dan and the kids)

 All these shells were in large lines all along the waters edge...

 When I got closer, I realized they were all moving because they are all hermit crabs!

 The areas where they weren't all together, you could see their holes in the sand and the markings they made in the sand carrying their shells!

 Dan, Megan and Jack walked close to the water over many hermit crabs...Kylie and I weren't brave enough to go there.

 One that looked like a moustache :)

 She had fun digging and drawing in the sand

 Jack

 Megan

 Kylie

 And a cool design from a crab!