Mila is now that she can partake in the food. She had her first food last week! It was avocado and she loved it! She took the spoon from Terrence and feed herself. Since then, she’s had carrots, sweet peas, applesauce, and sweet potatoes. Baby marrow, rice or oatmeal cereal, and pears are on the menu for this upcoming week. Our little girl is definitely growing up.

A few days later she had sweet peas. It’s not as big of a hit as avocados are, but with applesauce she likes it ok.

The original childcare we had lined up for Mila didn’t pan out.  Mila just didn’t feel comfortable around the person so Terrence, her, and I decided that it would be in Mila’s better interest to look elsewhere for childcare. What a daunting task that was! For three days I prayed, visited daycares, and emailed  and called people I knew requesting contacts/places.  One of the emails was sent to a friend and former co-worker of mine and she, readily, suggested her husband. That evening we found the perfect person! Brian has been taking care of Mila since January and we nor she could be happier. He allowed me to interview him for the sake of this blog.

Q: Where were you born?

Williams Airforce Base in Chandler, Arizona. 

Q: Where did you, your wife and youngest son move here from?

 Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Q: How long have you been married?

We’ve been married since March 12, 1988. 

Q: How many children and grandchildren do you have?

We have 6 children and 6 grandchildren

Q: What was your profession prior to moving to the UAE?

 I was a Tech/Welding and Automotive Teacher. My students ranked in a national state competition. Prior to that I worked as a Firefighter,Paramedic, Bond Recover, and was the Chief Engineer for the largest fire district in Arizona. I’ve also owned a repair motorcycle, automotive, and marine shop.

Q: What is your most recent project?

Working on getting a degree in Business Management via online courses. I’ll be finish in a year.

Q: What is your dream job?

My wife and I would like to open a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. We don’t want to serve dinner because we want to keep our afternoon free to spend time with one another and family. 

Q:  What are some of your hobbies?

Motorcycle racing, Pilot (owns  Cessna Cardinal C177), competitive shooting, cooking, and water sports. My favorite sports are football and wrestling.

Q: What’s your favorite food?

Mexican

Q: How has it been living in another country thus far?

I love Al Ain. We were able to escape the chaos, selfishness, and greed of the U.S. While this country, of course, has it’s downfalls people here seem to be more god-fearing and kind. We miss our family but we are really enjoying our time here. 

Q: If you could describe Mila in one word what would it be?

It’s a toss up between beautiful and amazing. I’m going to have to go with amazing though.

We took Mila to the aquarium in the Dubai Mall as promised.

http://www.thedubaimall.com/en/entertainment/entertainment-section/dubai-aquarium-underwater-zoo.html

Finding Nemo is one of my favorite movies. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

Mila is now 6 months old!

It depends on the religion. We met with a gentleman last week that shared with us that he was Jewish and that his religious beliefs rendered his ability to work in this country a challenge. When he was first offered a position to work in the UAE he asked the hiring agency if him being Jewish would present any problems. He was told that there were no foreseen issues but would be informed soon if his tenets were not acceptable in this country. The following day the gentleman  received an email from the agency stating that he would not be comfortable in the country due to his beliefs and that they would no longer be offering him a position. He then applied through another agency and didn’t mention his beliefs that time around.