Rhonda&Don

Desert Days - 3 years in the Middle East. Dec 2008- Dec 2011

2012-02-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

Desert days, Doha days, what name can I give to our 3 years of living in the Middle East? We did have one year in Abu Dhabi, so it wasn't all Doha days, so perhaps Desert days best describes it. Anyway, Doha days is a description used often in Doha, and only we who lived there understand what that means! Mostly my days were not Doha days fortunately. Sounds confusing I know, but it makes sense to me.

A friend described it as "the best of times and the worst of times." Incredible highs with rich cultural experiences, amazing travel and truly memorable experiences in our church life. Mixed with some lows - feelings of lonliness and isolation at times for me, and with some staggering health challenges for Don towards the end of our time there. But the important thing was what did we learn and what did we contribute, and how do we use the growth that came in our personal lives. Perhaps time will provide the answer.

Desert Days

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Beautiful sand formations at Liwa

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The intrepid explorere at Liwa

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Monique at the Singing Sand Dunes (Christmas activity)

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Our neighbors the Woodmans

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Dubai Airport. Interesting to see Christmas decorations in a part of the world where Christmas is not celebrated. We attended a memorable Stake Conference, sadly, it would be our last in the Middle East.

Welcome back to Doha

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It was nice to be welcomed back at Doha Airport by kind friends

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Louie showing the way to the ward Christmas activity

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The Coopers preparing their Hummer for some sand duning

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In the desert with Jane and Ernie Richter

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The project had progressed while we had been absent in Istanbul, compared to this picture, taken in August before we left Doha. Don returned to work half days on our return.

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Don was happy to be back, making it easier to accomplish the business of the Stake. With Counsellors Ernie Richter and Rob Bateman.

Lunch at the Pearl with expat friends

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Participating in a water aerobics class was one of the things I enjoyed in Doha.

Istanbul, Turkey

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The beautiful city of Istanbul. We went for a week's vacation and ended up staying for 10 weeks. The story is a long one, so I won't repeat it here. All I can say is: "who would have thunk it?"

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Grateful for family who gave us great support from home, as well as travelling to Istanbul to help us, during Don's recovery from brain surgery and his subsequent treatment at the American Hospital.

Daddy - come home

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Justin got on a plane to Istanbul immediatly Don went into hospital, leaving behind his baby son and wife.

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Emma, Don and Monique on a boat ride on the Bosphoros

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Anzac Cove. A visit to Gallipoli had been on Don's wish list for a long time.

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We managed to do some sightseeing on weekends between Don's weekly radiatiotherapy and chemo therapy. We visited the Blue Mosque this day.

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Mike at the Spice Market in Istanbul

My birthday celebration in Doha

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Birthday lunch with Don at La Cigale. I remember this birthday as being the last day of life as we knew it. Everything changed the next day when we went to Istanbul.

Birthday lunch

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Janis and I shared a birthday celebration lunch

2012-02-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

Aussie friends - Janet, Rhonda, Karen, Rhonda M, Janis and Suzi

James and Lael's wedding in Melbourne

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A happy day for all the family. Sadly, the day I said goodbye to Maxine.

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Maxine and I on the morning of the wedding. I did her make-up and her wig comb-up. She looked beautiful.

Visiting Glen and Nichole, Baby Owen and Jared

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Baby Kol's blessing - July 3, 2011

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Our beautiful Ava

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Ava is walking really well

Ava's brother and sister

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The chooks are as tame as the cat and rabbit. Jacob and Layne and Ava all enjoy their pets.

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For our grandchildren

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Sunshine in Sydney

2011-06-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

I am told that there has been a lot of rain in Sydney, but sunny days have returned. I am so enjoying time with the grandchildren, a new baby and the family here. Don is coming on July 1st. He is really looking forward to seeing family here and in Queensland. Perth at Christmas. It is the downside of his work overseas, there is never enough time with family.

2011-06-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Getting to know my new little grandson. Staying with Hayley and Justin means that I get to have lots of cuddles.

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Mother and baby love

2011-06-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

New parents Justin and Hayley. Baby Kol is only a couple of weeks old here.

2011-06-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Sam's baby boy, Julian, is coming up to 3 months now. What a cheeky grin.

Grandchildren grow up while we're away!

2011-06-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Jordan after her netball game. She plays on a Reps team as well as the local netball team.

Memories to hold

2011-06-13T04:05:00.000-07:00

It is hard not knowing what the future holds for Maxine. We have made some precious memories during these weeks I have spent with her. This video clip says it all and much better than anything I could write here.

Bribie Island - Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

New baby

2011-06-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Baby Koloti Don Crosbie made his arrival into the world on May 20th, 2011. We are so excited to welcome him. I can't wait to go to Sydney and see him and give him lots of Grandma cuddles.

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He is just soo cute. Hayley and Justin are enjoying their new little son.

2011-06-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

It was great to be able to attend Nichole's baby shower. Living overseas, I miss out on a lot of things. Jared joined in the fun.

2011-06-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

I spent 10 days with Glen and Nichole and Jared who live between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We went out to dinner this night and Jared was my special date, holding hands with Gran in the car all the way. I will return to visit after their new baby is born around the beginning of July.

2011-06-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

I met up with Carol for lunch in Brisbane. She was my first Aussie friend in Doha. Carol and her husband have now relocated back to Brisbane. They had just finished with repairing flood damage to their home after the catastrophic floods in January.

2011-06-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Brisbane on May 19th and went to stay with my sister Maxine who lives in Caboolture. It was a special time for us to spend time together.

The Nursery Class

2011-06-11T05:35:00.000-07:00

Goodbye to my third group of Nursery children but this time it is me moving on to another church assignment. I have so enjoyed teaching the Nursery class in both Abu Dhabi and Doha. It is so rewarding to see the children learn spiritual things and how to participate as a group. It is our job to prepare them to move onto Primary and the Sunbeam class. This has been my favourite calling.

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A good man

2011-05-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

One month today since I arrived back in Doha after my trip to Perth. And believe it or not, I am booked to fly out again in 10 days time, back to Australia. This dear man has encouraged me to go earlier than planned to visit my terminally ill sister. His sacrifice is great as he manages his busy life without me, doing laundry, shopping and putting up with frozen dinners for weeks on end. He says they're pretty good, I always cook for him before I go. I appreciate him so much!

The Royal Wedding

2011-05-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a royal wedding to give us a diversion from the civil wars in Libya and Syria, and the unrest throughout the Middle East. It was the stuff of fairy tales and couldn't have made a more perfect story for all of us who are William and Kate fans. Here's hoping that one day we will see them as King and Queen of the Commonwealth of which Australia is a part.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

If you can't be with your family for Mother's Day, then find a group of friends who are also missing their kids and grandkids or their mothers, and go out for a nice lunch. Combine that with some phone calls from the kids and dinner out with hubby, and it makes for a pretty good Mother's Day. Well, at least a passable one. This is my third Mother's Day in the Middle East and it is getting hard to remember past that, to how it used to be.

Progress on the Project

2011-04-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Barwa Financial District, the project Don is working on, is making progress. I visited the site recently and was surprised to see how many of the buildings are out of the foundation stage. This was a changeover of shift, with thousands of workers coming and going on the site. And just look at all those cranes! The project has two years or so until completion, keeping Don employed here for awhile.

2011-04-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Taken at Stake Conference on April 15, 2011. Don's new Stake responsibility will keep us busy in the Middle East for another couple of years.

Perth, Western Australia.

2011-04-08T22:31:00.001-07:00

Kings Park is on a hill overlooking the Swan River. Lovely views of the city and river. I always love the gum trees and the colour of the sky when I visit Australia. I am posting some pictures from my recent trip to Perth for the birth of Sarah and Sam's baby boy, Julian. Lovely time.

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We had plenty of trips to the beach, with the temperatures in the 30's for the whole time I was in Perth. When I left on April 7, the temperature plummeted to 23 degrees, I took the hot weather back to the desert with me. Perth had more than 60 consecutive days with temperatures in the 30's, a weather record!

2011-04-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

Ashton and Hyrum enjoyed Gran's visit I think. Lots of trips to the park and playing.

Babies

2011-04-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

Inroducing the first of the new babies in our family in 2011. Baby Julian.

Big Brothers

2011-04-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

Ashton adores his little brother, both of the boys do.

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In the first week after Julian was born, we took a little trip to the beach. Hyrum had an accident when he slipped on rocks. It required a trip to the hospital, a general anaesthetic and some stitches to the cuts.

Julian Don Joseph Birks

2011-04-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Julian arrived on March 20, 2011, born in Perth, Western Australia. What a beautiful boy.

2011-04-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying being a Grandma again, even if it is a long distance one. I am grateful I can travel to Australia for these special family events.

2011-04-08T21:51:00.002-07:00

Baby Julian kicked off the year with 3 babies due in 2011. Hayley and Justin are next in May and Nichole and Glen in July.

2011-04-08T21:51:00.001-07:00

Too many goodbyes

2011-03-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

Love this cute picture. I am getting on a plane again tomorrow and leaving my best friend behind in Doha. I love to spend time with our family but I miss Don. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.

2011-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

My friend Robyn came to visit. We spent several days together, enjoying shopping at the Souk, lunching outdoors and strolling on the Corniche. Thanks to Monique and Robyn's grandchildren for lending Grammy to me for part of their precious time with her.

Faces of the Middle East

2011-02-25T07:04:00.000-08:00

It is not often we get to photograph people. This old gentlemen was sitting in the Souq just watching the world go by. I love this photo I captured of him. The two ladies were shopping in the Souq. They were from Yemen and didn't mind being photographed. They looked so beautiful.

2011-02-25T07:02:00.000-08:00

Arabian Horses

2011-02-25T06:57:00.000-08:00

If you are in Souq Waqif between 3.30 and 4pm, you will see the police horses do their parade through the streets. The Arabian horses are just beautiful. I never get tired of seeing them.

2011-02-25T06:53:00.000-08:00

Out and about with the women's expat group

2011-02-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

The expat ladies enjoy some day excursions out of Doha, usually dependent on our ladies who have 4WD's. You can tell by the cars all lined up in a row, that these are women drivers! We had lunch at the beach on a beautiful day, blue sky and water and white sand.

2011-02-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

Lunch in the garden

2011-02-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

I have a lovely group of expat friends in Doha. From left: Karen, Janet, Janis, Texas Rhonda, Laura and Carol, Jane. The weather is perfect for a few months of the year and we do enjoy being outside. The heat will return in April and go right through until November.

The Asian World Cup - January 2011 - held in Doha.

2011-02-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

Australia did us proud, we saw some fantastic soccer. The Socceroos made it all the way to the final where sadly, they lost the cup to Japan 1 - 0. Go Aussies!

Me and my sisters,

2011-02-05T14:52:00.000-08:00

Thursday December 30th, 2010. A day that I will remember. My sister Maxine (centre) the youngest of we three, learned that she had a serious illness which would take her down a very hard road. Kay and I grew up taking care of our little sister and making sure she was safe from harm. If only we could do that now.

Christmas in Sydney

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Our Trip to Egypt

2010-11-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

Cairo was such an interesting city. The minarets from the mosques dominate the city skyline.

The Sphinx and the Pyramids

2010-11-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

At the pyramids - Cairo

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Shopping at the markets in Cairo with our cute little guide, Yasmin.

Temples and Tombs of Egypt

2010-11-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

Cameras are not allowed inside the tombs of the pharoahs. We went to the area where the tomb of King Tutankhamun is located. The tombs were dug deep into the mountains where they were hidden and protected from looters.

Valley of the Kings - Luxor

2010-11-27T06:03:00.000-08:00

We saw temples in the Valley of the Kings that had been there for more than 3,000 years. We boarded the cruise in Luxor and spent some time there sightseeing.

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Hot air ballooning

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I was persuaded to go hot air ballooning despite my anxiety with heights. It was well worth it with beautiful views of the Valley of the Kings. We saw the green fields along the Nile, the desert and the tombs from 900 metres up!