Mom and Dad Doan visit - Ritz, Katara, and Soccer

So Jaden really wanted to check out the life sized gingerbread house that was part of the Christmas decorations at the Ritz, but we forgot to go before Christmas.  I wasn't sure they would still be up, but he really wanted to check and see.  So we drove out to the Ritz, only to find out they took the gingerbread house down early that morning!!  We just missed it!  But the chef was so amazing!!!  He took the boys by the hand and gave them a tour of the kitchen.  They really liked the walk in freezer!  They came out of the kitchen wearing paper chef hats and loaded up with sweets - cinnamon buns, gingerbread cookies, and candies galore!!!  They loved it!!!  We love the Ritz!

Waiting for the boys to finish their tour of the kitchen at the Ritz

Ken and his parents at the Ritz

Happy chefs after the kitchen tour!

Ritz lobby (I love the crystal chandelier!)

 

 

Such a beautiful couple!  More than 50 years of marriage!!  What a wonderful example for us!!

After the short excursion to the Ritz, we took Ken's parents to Katara for lunch...their first time trying Egyptian food and they loved it!!! 

Ken's parents at Katara with the Arabian Sea and dhow boats behind them

Add in the kiddos...

Golden Mosque at Katara


On Thursday night, we had tickets to see a soccer match in Doha.  It was a huge game and sold out to a crowd of nearly 50,000 people!  Paris Saint Germain vs. Madrid.  I was looking forward to my first soccer game, but it didn't quite go as planned.  We got a bit of a late start and parking proved to be a nightmare!!!  We finally parked in a residential area a block away from the stadium.  The game had already started and just as we walked through the gate of the arena, it started to thunder and lightning and RAIN!!!  In Doha??!!!  What??!!!  Our tickets were in a covered part of the arena, but as there were no one checking tickets once inside the stadium, it was a bit of a free for all with seating and of course the covered area was filled straight away!!!  We wandered around the stadium a bit and found some seats hoping the rain would blow over quickly.  It didn't.  We got soaked!!!  Ken was worried about him mom and me (I had come down with a terrible sore throat) and he didn't want us to sit in the cold rain.  So we only watched a few minutes before we hiked back to our car in the rain.  A bit disappointing, but what can you do??

Madrid vs. Paris Saint Germain game - in Doha - in the rain!

It's raining, it's pouring!!

Trying to stay dry!!