December 2018

December 31, 2018December 31, 2018

Bahrain Forts

Bahrain has just a few neat old forts. We haven’t visited them is a long, long time as our Bahrain trips most recently have revolved around a movie, a dinner out and perhaps some time on the beach. This time around we visited the Arrad fort on Muharraq island and the Riffa fort in the middle of the island. It is pretty striking how much Bahrain has developed. The Arrad fort is literaly in the shadow of a huge new mall and where the Riffa fort used to look out over a broad valley it is now crowded with housing developments and a golf course. Still, a good time and some fun pictures.

Getting ready to go into the Arrad fort

The Arrad fort

Walking toward the fort with Manama skyline

Outside the Arrad Fort

Nora at the Arrad fort

View of Manama from the Arrad fort

Crystal and Nora

Kai and Nora on the walls at the Arrad fort

Crystal at the Arrad Fort

Nora and Kai make Ben nervous at the Arrad fort

Kai at the Arrad fort

Crystal at the Riffa overlook

Crystal, Kai and Nora on top of the Riffa fort

Ben and Kai

Kai at the Riffa overlook

Nora taking pictures

Nora with wind swept hair

Nora and Crystal at the Riffa fort

Nora goofing aroud

Hang in there Kai

Crystal matches the Bahraini flag

Window screen at the Riffa Fort

Kai and Nora at the Riffa fort

Nora just happy to be there

Kai at the Riffa fort

Kai and Nora check out the view from the Riffa fort

Corner tower at the Riffa fort

Kai at the Riffa fort

December 30, 2018December 30, 2018

Vector Graphics from Bahrain

We recently took a trip to Bahrain which gave me a chance to explore some new graphics options – specifically vector graphics. Most images are bitmaps – a collection of pixels, each with a color, tint, brightness, etc. A vector graphic is a mathematical representation of the image instead. This makes it more difficult to capture fine detail but the results can also be intriguing. Here are a few that I captured in Bahrain this last weekend that I think are kind of fun.

The Wyndam hotel in the Bahrain Bay development

Ben in the sculpture garden outside the Bahraini museum

Kai in Starbucks

This one is called "...but all my friends have SnapChat."

Crystal and Nora outside the Bahraini Museum

Manama as seen from the Arad Fort

Crystal not sure what to make of her pastry

Kai in the Bahraini Museum

Nora is all smile

Nora getting a refreshment

Crystal in the City Center Mall

Kai enjoying family time

Kai at a fancy steak dinner in his new shirt

Nora does her "tough guy with a toothpick" bit after a steak dinner

December 30, 2018December 30, 2018

Bahrain Trip

A three day weekend means a two night trip over to Bahrain. We stayed in a hotel at the City Center mall which meant a great move (Spiderman) and time for Kai and Nora to do some independent shopping. We also did a fancy brunch, lots of shopping for Kai, a trip to the Bahraini National Museum and a tour of forts we haven’t visited since the kids were born.

Ben, Kai and Nora at the City Center Mall

Nora at the Four Seasons bruch - trying out some of the iPhone portrait effects

Crystal at the Four Seasons brunch

Kai wraps up brunch with some ice cream

Nora texting requests of things to be authoried to buy. The relishes independence

In the mall waiting for a mediocre iHOP breakfast

Nora at the Bahraini National Museum

Kai listens to the exhibit in Stereo

They complain about having to visit museums....until they get inside

Nora enjoying the sculpture garden

Crystal and Kai at the National Museum

Crystal at the Bahraini Museum with the 4 Seasons hotel in the background

Crystal driving her new Audi in Bahrain

Waiting for an Uber to the Meat Co.

Kai ready for a night on the town

December 28, 2018December 28, 2018

Christmas Traditions

Here are a few more pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas day…

Nora in her Santa hat

Kai on Christmas eve

Nora making Reindeer Porridge

Kai and Nora keeping straight faces

Concerned that one is mocking the other

Smiling anyway

Sorting gifts on Christmas morning

Merry Christmas!

Nora tries out her new sealing wax for letters.

Christmas eve tradition - meat and cheese fondue!

The other Christmas eve tradition - driving around camp to look at lights. They were few and far between this year.

Kai on the Christmas eve drive

Reindeer porridge is coming along nicely

Another Christmas tradition - the making of the Reindeer porridge

Christmas morning in Chez Jacobs

Crystal in her farwa on Christmas morning

Ben and Nora opening presents

December 28, 2018December 28, 2018

Jebels

Late on Christmas day we took a walk in the Jebels with the dogs. It was a great chance to get some fresh air and take a few more pictures.

Crystal wrangling both dogs while Ben takes pictures. You can really see that Suki is a desert dog

Kai and Nora scramble up a Jebel

The amazing Webster

Suki - sometimes she just needs someone to lean on.

Kai sitting on a jebel with his new headphones in.

Sunset over industrial landscape

Nora goes trekking...

Face masks!

Nora on a jebel at sunset

December 24, 2018December 24, 2018

Christmas Traditions – 2018 Edition

We waiting for Kai to return from school before we started most of our traditions so our window was shorter than normal. Still, I think we will squeeze everything in… gingerbread houses and cutout cookies are complete. Next up is Christmas eve and making porridge for the reindeer after a fondue dinner.

Getting ready to decorate the gingerbread houses

This year Kai and Crystal teamed up on one house and Nora and Ben worked on the other.

Crystal working on gingerbread houses

Working on gingerbread houses

The finished gingerbread houses

Getting ready to frost cut-out cookies

Nora taking extra care with her Santa cookie

Nora frosting cookies

Nora enjoying holiday traditions

Kai's allergies get cumulatively worse when he is back home with the dogs

Nora wrapping presents in the office

December 24, 2018December 24, 2018

Pie Face!

Was shopping and came across the “Pie Face” game. Basically load up the hand with a dollop of whipped cream and take turns turning the handle until the spring is randomly triggered and one (un)lucky person gets a handful of whipped cream in the face. Loads of messy fun.

Nora gets ready to try the Pie-Face game for the first time

4 "cllicks" in and getting worried

Kai loses on the first click

Nora's turn to get pie in the face

Another pie to the face

This time attempting to actually eat the whipped cream

Success!

December 21, 2018December 21, 2018

Another family gallery from December 2018….

The purple (jasmine?) flowers are in full bloom in the back yard.

Suki in the back yard

Suki detects attention being paid to her and comes running

Webster!

After a trip to Bahrain we had a bread & cheese platter dinner with Manchego, Tomme de Savoie and a wedge of "Stinky Bishop"

When your Dad keeps taking pictures of you on the outside you are like...

...and inside you are like...

Rare picture of Ben when Nora wanted to try the new camera

Nora is thrilled to be a photography subject

Relaxing in the evening

Kai home for the holidays

Kai and Nora haivng thier favorite snack. Pickles.

Crystal with her stress reducing coloring book.

Getting ready to start the Gingerbread houses

It is nice to have Nora and Kai back under the same roof.

We alternate Gingerbread house partners each year. This year it is Crystal-Kai and Ben-Nora

Structrual work on Gingerbread houses

Kai dipping mint chocolate truffles in a white chocolate shell

Goofy at the City Center mall

Crystal and Kai at the Ithra theater

December 14, 2018December 14, 2018

December in Saudi

Here are a few pictures of December happenings in Chez Jacobs. Kai has been back at school so far but he gets back home tonight for the holidays!

Nora Jacobs, budding sushi chef. As long as there is no fish. here we are going crazy with cucumber, avocado and green olive rolls.

Sushi!

Nora relaxing in her Pink Floyd shirt. She loves the shirt but has no concept of Pink Floyd as a band. Who's Pink Floyd? I dunno, some old guy? Maybe a muppet?