Be our guest, be our guest...

In two days our first guests are coming to stay with us. Two VIP guests. The kids are doing a major countdown for...Grandma Colleen and Pa.

In honor of this occasion, I offer a guide for our guests to Dubai.

1. You will be completely and utterly overwhelmed. You will also be jetlagged. The jetlag will pass. Sit back and be overwhelmed. Enjoy the ride.

2. This part of the Middle East is incredibly welcoming and Western-friendly. It is still an Islamic country, so act like a guest, and you will do just fine.

3. We may have been living here for 5 months but we will get lost several times with you while you're here. You may come to believe we are idiots, at which point we will hand you the map and we'll all have a good laugh over it afterwards.

4. This is a very important one. Make sure not to leave laundry on the floor. I will be heartbroken if I end up laundering a gecko, and I hear that happens. That would be both icky and sad.

5. If you're anything like us, you will want to photograph everything, because it's all so new and exciting, beautiful and crazy, so you can share it with folks back home. You will also probably be told that photo taking is not allowed several times for no obvious reason. Refer to helpful hint #2.

6. Don't stress over packing. We can find anything you need here. Also, when people pick up our kids and walk away with them....they'll be back.


7. You're a traveler now. We can't wait share our new home and adventure with you!