things about me

This is a "tag" that I've read on several friends' blogs (I even stole a few of their answers, they were so great). I thought it was very interesting and introspective.

I am: a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend

I think: I am bossy & impatient.

I know: I have an unnatural obsession with my calendar and plan things way too far in advance.

I want: (long-term) my children to be happy, successful adults; (short-term) baby locks for all our lever doorknobs.

I dislike: disorganized people, people who are late (usually because they are disorganized), misspellings & grammar errors, being in pain, packing for vacation...(I could go on for awhile on this one).

I miss: California - the beach, its great weather year-round, and all the other fun things to do there.

I fear: that my husband or one of our children will get a terrible disease or be in a horrible accident.

I hear: the boys fighting, Natalie opening another door.

I smell: nothing...guess it's time to starting cooking dinner!

I crave: sweets all the time. Preferably chocolate, but anything will do. This month it's candy corn. This is probably why I have a mouth full of teeth with fillings (I got 3 more yesterday)!

I cry: at everything. Sappy commercials, music, you name it.

I search: for Brandon's Transformer video game. The thing literally disappeared and we have torn apart our house several times.

I wonder: if summer will ever be over! I also wonder what is causing my kids' allergies (hives).

I regret: not living "in the moment" more & enjoying my kids being little. It's something I'm trying to work on.

I love: (the expected answer, of course) my family. Also Dancing with the Stars, anything sugary, getting a great bargain, finished projects.

I care: about things more than I probably express. I pretend like I don't care, but I always have a strong opinion.

I always: shop the clearance racks. I cannot remember the last time I paid full-price for clothes.

I worry: about Kevin's job security (not his job specifically, just his company in general...).

I am not: a clean-freak. Of course I like things clean and organized, but I'm not obsessive about it.

I remember: everything...it's not always a good thing! I also try really hard to remember people's birthdays.

I believe: that God has a sense of humor.

I dance: with my kids.

I sing: in the car, especially when I'm alone. And I always sing at church...unless I'm playing the piano.

I don't always: take criticism well.

I argue: with myself.

I write: decently, for a girl who hated English in high school and never took it in college. I also am writing my personal history so it will be MY thoughts and feelings that are recorded and my children and grandchildren won't have to do it.

I win: arguments with my children. And yes, I've even used "because I'm the mom...that's why!"

I lose: my cool more times than people realize.

I wish: I had more craft ability.

I listen: to my mind more than my heart. This is also something I'm trying to work on.

I don't understand: politics. Never have, never will, don't want to.

I can usually be found: at the computer.

I am scared: of things I have no control over.

I need: getaways (or even just dates) with just my husband more often.

I forget: what life was like before kids (which I why I need those getaways!).

I am happy: when my husband is home and the kids are playing nicely & quietly together.

Everyone who has not done it, consider yourself tagged!

excuses, excuses

My mom always asks what "exciting things" we're doing (assuming we must be doing something really fun if I'm not blogging). Sorry, I have no fun excuses for the lack of blogging updates! We've been very busy though, trying to keep our heads above water. So, for a quick update on everyone...

NATALIE (15 months): She is the main reason I don't get to the computer as often these days. She has learned to open doors now and is constantly into everything. She has also learned to climb on everything, including the kitchen table, chairs, couch, the top/back of the couch, beds, you name it. What I wouldn't give to be able to gate off the kitchen these days! It's actually quite amazing she can do all these things since she is so short. She has also entered "drama queen" phase and will lay down and throw a temper tantrum or pout if you tell her no to anything. So, no more sneaking off to the den for a few minutes on the computer for me. Thank goodness we got a new laptop (which is why there's no photos with this post...I can't upload them from the laptop)! She is starting to say words which is adorable and she flirts with everyone she sees.

TYLER (3 1/2 yrs.): Tyler is a great kid and is actually settling down nicely these days (or maybe it's just all relative, since Natalie is becoming so much work). He is helpful and great to run errands with and he loves preschool. He is still as talkative and smart and curious as ever. He will have his first preschool field trip this Thursday to the pumpkin patch and will start soccer in a few weeks.

BRANDON (6 yrs.): Brandon had a wonderful first quarter of school. He got all E's (excellent) on the behavior/social part of his report card and 98-100% on all his academics. We are so proud of him! His teacher is very experienced and sweet and truly brings out the best in her students. Now he is on fall break for 2 1/2 weeks. He is still obsessed with Pokemon and Legos.

KEVIN: Even though Kevin changed positions in his department earlier this year, he got sucked into helping with the annual budget at work, because he's the only one in his department that has ever done one for this company before. Unfortunately between high fuel costs and his horrible micro-manager new boss the process has been even more complicated and time-consuming than the past few years. We are all glad it's almost over!

DANIKA: Laundry, grocery shopping, making breakfast, lunch, dinner, new furniture shopping, errands, cleaning, sick kids, blogging. Add to that trying to get the Activities Day program up-and-running, planning a joint baby shower for two friends, planning fall break vacation, and planning Christmas vacation. Yep, that pretty much sums up my life. I am looking forward to going to California next week.

Oh yeah, and don't forget the minor sicknesses which have been lurking in our house over the past few weeks. Everyone is over their fevers and coughs now, but Tyler & Natalie have moved onto pinkeye and hives.

Exciting times at the Park Place, right???

personal history: jerusalem (part 3 of 4)

We had been at the Sea of Galilee for about two weeks. Now we are headed back to Jerusalem for another two weeks.

July 29 - We departed Ein Gev and the Sea of Galilee early in the morning. We stopped at Mt. Carmel (where Elijah challenged the Priests of Baal). The next stop was Haifa, where we overlooked the Mediterranean port and saw the site where Israel was dedicated for the preaching of the gospel. We saw graves of missionaries who were martyred. The only stop we made in the afternoon was at Caesarea Maritima (ruins of an amphitheatre, a moat, and an aqueduct). We made it to Jerusalem in the late afternoon. It felt like coming home again. In the evening a group of us went down to Ben Yehuda street (it's a more modern "hangout" with lots of restaurants and shops).

July 30 - Class day. In the afternoon, we went to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. It was interesting & sufficiently depressing, but right before I came on this trip, my parents & I visited the Los Angeles Holocaust Museum, which surprisingly was much better done than the Jerusalem one. After the museum, a small group of us went to see the Israel Museum where the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls) is located. It was quite expensive and we only had an hour so that's the only part of the museum we saw, but I'm glad I did it. The evening was a basketball tournament at the Jerusalem Center, which I entered because my friend begged me to. I hate playing basketball as much as I thought I did!

July 31 - Class day (morning) AND field trip day (afternoon/evening)! First stop was the Holyland Hotel (not really a hotel...not sure why they call it that). This was another one of my favorite unexpected surprise places! It has a model of the entire city of Jerusalem, how it was at the time of Jesus. It took seven years of research and building. It is 1:50 scale and spreads over 1/4 acre. It was fascinating to have the "birds-eye" view of all the places we had been and how they looked in relation to how Jerusalem was during Christ's time. It gave a great perspective of how big Herod's temple really was and how hard it must have been to destroy.

Our second stop was in Bethlehem (which is about 6 miles south of Jerusalem) at the Church of the Nativity, the church that is built over the spot where they believe Christ was born. This church was interesting - it has a Greek Orthodox half and a Catholic half. We entered the Greek part first and they were in the middle of some type of worship service. I was almost sick to my stomach because the smoke & incense were so strong. We went down into the cave where the traditional site where they believe the manger was. It was decorated so heavily and fancy, it was hard to picture this as a stable with animals. Next we went to the Catholic half. It was very simple (especially in comparison), but very beautiful. We sang some Christmas hymns in here.

Manger Site

After the churches (and a souvenir stop where we bought handmade white baby blankets - I used mine when we blessed Natalie), we headed out to Shepherd's Field. Obviously no one really knows which field the shepherds were in during Christ's birth, but this was still an active shepherding field so that made it more interesting. We had some personal time here to reflect & ponder. Some of our group talked to the shepherds and shared their dinner with them. Brother Hall gave one of them some money. When it was almost sunset, it was fascinating to watch the shepherd's call their sheep & the sheep following their master. Brother Hall taught/reminded us of all the shepherd/Jesus analogies and how we should be obedient sheep. We were up on a hill, so when it was dark we were overlooking Bethlehem all lit up. We did our Christmas program, reading Luke 2 together and singing most of the Christmas hymns. A peaceful, beautiful, and poignant evening. Christmas will never quite be the same for me.

August 1 - Class day with our Near Eastern Studies final. Just as hard as other regular college finals. In the afternoon, as our time here is almost done, we went souvenir shopping in the Old City.

August 2 - Field trip day. Left REALLY early in the morning, because we were headed out to the Dead Sea area, where temperatures are outrageous. First stop was Masada. History (for those like me that knew nothing about it): About 2 1/2 miles from the western shore of the Dead Sea. It is 1/2 mile long, 220 yards wide, and stands 2,000 feet above the Dead Sea level. In 40 B.C. Herod built a fortress on the top. In 70 A.D. when the Roman legions subdued Palestine & Jerusalem, a band of Jewish patriots marched onto Masada. For many months the Romans tried to storm the fortress but were beaten back. The Romans built a huge ramp up to the top. When the Jews saw they were about to be overtaken, all 960 of them decided to commit suicide rather than surrender. It was a hollow victory for the Romans. I didn't find Masada to be particularly "exciting" since it was just a bunch of ruins on top of really tall mountain (that of course we had to hike up to), but I thought the history was fascinating.


Next stop was the Dead Sea. You might have heard that the Dead Sea is so salty you can float in it and read the newspaper. Well, here's proof! It was extremely salty (they actually told us not to shave our legs that morning - or the guys their faces - because it would sting terribly if we accidentally nicked ourselves). It was the craziest feeling to automatically float in water without having to try. We didn't spend that long in there because you wouldn't want to go under and you can't really splash and play. I've now officially swam in the three seas of the Holy Land: the Med(iterranean), the Red, and the Dead! There were several spots that had the Dead Sea mud that people dug into and spread it all over themselves (because it's so salty it is very good for your skin).

I circled myself in red. You can see on the left side of the picture where they are digging the mud out.

Our last stop for the day was Qumran - where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. History: The writers of the scrolls are the Essenes, who were members of a religious sect who, detesting the life of corruption, retired to the shores of the Dead Sea. By 68 A.D., the Essenes were massacred by the Romans on their way to crush the Jewish revolt in Jerusalem. When the Romans approached, the Essenes hid their most valued possessions, their scrolls, in the caves around their settlement. In 1947, a Bedouin looking for a stray goat, made one of the greatest finds of this century by discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves in Qumran. He found 8 jars with their lids still on. The most famous scroll is the the Isaiah one, which is 1 ft. wide x 24 ft. long. More than 900 pieces of the scrolls were found in 30 caves. We were tired and it was very hot, so it wasn't that fun to listen to a lecture while looking at a cave (they are not accessible so we didn't go in them), but since we had just seen the Dead Sea Scrolls in Jerusalem at the museum, it was interesting to see where they were found.

This evening, after returning to Jerusalem, we headed down to the Western Wailing Wall to watch the Jews bring in their Sabbath again. Got in trouble again for taking photos at a different spot.

August 3 (Sabbath) - Before church we walked over to the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden, which is right next to the Jerusalem Center, and consecrated oil that was pressed from olives on the Mount of Olives. We had a discussion about Jesus in Gethsemane and the "olive press" analogies (Gethsemane means 'olive press'...in case you didn't know). Very meaningful since we were sitting on the Mount of Olives! It was great to be back in the Jerusalem Center with it's spectacular views during church. In the afternoon after church, a group of us went down to see the Garden Tomb (and Golgotha, which is right next to it). This is the place where most Christians believe Christ was crucified and resurrected. I took this photo below (which is enlarged to 16x20 and hung in my den next to the Galilee sunset one...this is my one of my favorite photos). The Garden Tomb was one of the highlights of the entire trip. I can't begin to describe the peace & beauty of this place, so I won't even try. Easter & the resurrection have had very different meaning in my life since I stood in this garden.


August 4 - Today was a free day. My good friends (both of whom I am still in touch with to this day) Mindy & Erin & I had so many things we wanted to go see. In the morning we saw the Citadel (Tower of David), which was built by Herod the Great as a royal palace and the western defense of Jerusalem. Most of the present structure dates from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent who restored it in 1540. After the Citadel, we accidentally encountered some small riots by the Jaffa (western) Gate. Not too scary, more interesting that anything. From what we were told by a local vendor, some men were fired when a building was closed and their picketing was turning a bit nasty. He warned us to get out of the area because it could get worse soon. Needless to say, being three American women alone, we took his advice! In the afternoon we did the Ramparts Walk, which allows you to walk on top of the Old City wall, around most of the areas of the Old City. It provided a "birds-eye" view of some of the areas where people lived and merchants had their stores. Very fascinating.

August 5 - Field trip day! Two stops at Tels: Lachish and Maresha. After lunch we went to the Bell Caves at Bet Guvrin. There are about 800 bell caves in the area. They were quarries of the old days which supplied the building material and lime to the coastal areas. They were huge and echoed a lot. When it was our group's turn for photos, someone started making animal noises and everyone followed. We were all hysterically laughing. First afternoon stop was Micah's Caves, where we had the choice to do a little spelunking (which, of course I did). Also a stop at Midras, where they have a empty tomb similar to Jesus' (with the stone rolled away...but this stone is still intact). The final stop for the day was at the Valley of Elah, where David & Goliath happened. We got to practice the slingshot (and of course buy some!).

Me doing my best David (and Goliath) slingshot work

August 6 - The whole group was bussed to Tel Aviv for a fun day at the beach.

August 7 - Another field trip day. As you read this one, remember that all these places were in or around Jerusalem and we WALKED to all of them (no buses today)! First stop was Lazarus' tomb at Bethany, where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Then onto the Church of Bethphage, where Jesus started his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Next stop was Dominus Flevit (I think this was where Christ overlooked and wept for Jerusalem), and then the Church of all Nations, which is the church built at the Garden of Gethsemane. The garden was nice, but the church was like all the other ones - big, dark, and smelly. Next we went to Bethesda (where the healing pools were and a man had laid there 38 years and then Christ came and healed him). The Church of St. Anne is built nearby and we sang "How Great Thou Art" inside of it. Several other tourist groups joined in with us, but in their own languages. It was very powerful. After lunch, we went to a room in the Old City that was similar in style and size to the "Upper Room" that was used for the Last Supper. After the "Upper Room" we visited the tomb of King David, which is one of the most sacred sites for the Jews, second only the Western Wailing Wall. Another stop at Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu where we sang in the dungeon (I didn't record any details on this place's significance or take any photos...I must of been getting tired of all these churches that looked the same!). Another stop at Dormition Abbey, where Mary is supposedly in her "eternal slumber." Our class time together was done, and we were allowed to have free time. A small group of us spent awhile trying to find Oskar Schindler's grave (as in Schindler's List...he helped rescue Jews during the Holocaust), but we never did find it! On our way back to the Jerusalem Center we toured Hebrew University, which was right next door to the Jerusalem Center.

That evening, all four of the teachers put on a special presentation called the "Upper Room Experience" in the Upper Auditorium in the Jerusalem Center. They taught us, by demonstration, about the Last Supper. It wasn't so much what I learned, but the incredible feelings I had during this presentation, as I overlooked Jerusalem at nighttime, and realized what a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I was experiencing. My life has been truly changed by this program.

This is actually how the Last Supper was held - they would have been lying down, not sitting up as the famous art indicates. I am on the left side, third one in, wearing a maroon dress.

August 8 - This morning in class we watched To This End Was I Born, a touching video about the life of Christ. Then our class went down to the Garden Tomb, where we had a testimony meeting. There's nothing quite like being in a sacred place with people you love like family.

After the Garden Tomb, we were given free time. For safety reasons, we were always supposed to stay in groups of three or more, but no one else wanted to come with us, so my friend Betty and I ventured out on our own. Not the smartest decision, but we were lucky that nothing happened to us. We saw the Tombs of the Kings, St. George's Cathedral (which was light, beautiful, and peaceful for a pleasant change), and the Cathedral of St. Etienne, where we heard nuns singing.

In the afternoon back at the Jerusalem Center, they were doing a blood drive. They really like good BYU student blood so every group that comes over gets the opportunity. I was very nervous about donating, since I had only done it once before and it was a very traumatic experience (and this was Israel, after all...not exactly a place known for its cleanliness!). But my friends made me feel so guilty I tried again. It was every bit the traumatic experience I expected it to be and I didn't get the bag filled, but the lady (notice her fake fangs!) was very nice and said it could be useful for a child, so that made me feel better.


August 9 - We had our New Testament final in class. Then our Egypt orientation & preparation class (travel procedures, border crossing, food protections, history, geography, culture, rules). After that the Jerusalem Center cook taught some of the women how to make homemade donuts - so yummy! This evening we had a talent show. Unlike the first talent show (which was held in the Upper Auditorium and was spiritual), this was a fun, goofy night of silly songs, inside jokes, making fun of the teachers/leaders, and stupid human tricks.

August 10 (Sabbath) - Our last Sabbath in Jerusalem. I will truly miss the view during church. Afterwards, we took lots of photos while we were all dressed up.

Me and my good friend Rob. We actually called him Steve because he looks exactly like Steve Young.

Bus #4 (I am in the front center, 4th from the left)

August 11 - Finished up the last of our souvenir shopping in the Old City. We also finally got to take the Kotel Tunnel Western Wall tour (the tours are small and hard to get tickets for). This is a tour that takes you through and underground tunnel along the Western Wall. The point that is closest to the Temple Mount is considered a very sacred place to Jews, which is why the tour is so popular. I thought it would be a cool shrine or something, but it was really just a slimy wall. That evening we had our class party.

14 more days done. Next (and final) entry will be our last week...in Egypt!

fall break...summer weather

As of this afternoon, Brandon is officially on school fall break for 2 1/2 weeks. I was really looking forward to long hours at the park with the kids. However, as you can see by our forecast, it's not exactly "fall" weather around here yet! 107 degrees forecast for the last day of September...are you kidding me???? Guess I better come up with some new INDOOR plans quickly.

This is what the boys have done after school for the past two days. They love it!

Tyler's preschool teacher changed her bulletin board to her fall theme and they have been discussing it. Tyler keeps asking me when the leaves will change colors and fall off the trees. Do I dare break his heart and tell him it won't happen until January? I'm having a hard time getting excited for his pumpkin patch field trip next week when I still am wearing shorts...

personal history: jerusalem (part 2 of 4)

To remind you where we were...we just hiked Mount Sinai and are headed up to the Sea of Galilee area for about two weeks.

July 12 - Back through the Egypt border crossing. They sent my bags through the scanner (like at airports), then took everything out of my bags and searched them. I think I was the only one who got their stuff searched. They finally determined it was all my shekels (coin money), and let me go. Onto the buses for a full day of travel up to the Sea of Galilee, where we'll be for the next two weeks. Stopped for lunch at the Dead Sea (not to be confused with the Red Sea where we were doing snorkeling). We didn't get to go in - we will come back another time to do that. We had "Bus Olympics" (since we were currently missed the Olympics in Atlanta 1996), and played many other silly games to pass the time. I won't include all the inside jokes, since they will mean nothing to you. We had a great teacher who let us get away with a lot (and even sometimes was part of the games & practical jokes). Late in the afternoon we arrived at Ein Gev, which is a kibbutz community right on the east shore of the Sea of Galilee (seriously, the water was about 15 steps from the trailer we slept in). It was nice to be back in Israel and not have to worry about the food & water quality as much (though their idea of "dessert" was a plate full of dates). It was very green & pretty, especially compared to the barren desert of the Sinai Peninsula where we had been for several days.

Me with my Galilee roommates (from L to R): Betty, Erin (who I still keep in touch with), me and Jaime. This was taken right outside our trailer - you can see how close we were to the Sea of Galilee!

July 13 (Sabbath) - Church, relaxing, catching up on sleep, and writing letters.

July 14 - We are now starting our second part of the "semester" and only have 4 hours of classes. Several of our local native professors that teach at the Jerusalem Center didn't accompany us because there was another summer group at the Jerusalem Center now. This was the first time they had two groups in the Holy Land simultaneously. We are starting to study the New Testament now. It's so much easier to read the scriptures and concentrate on the stories when you are really there! The afternoon was spent swimming in the Sea of Galilee, paddle boats & kayaking (you could borrow these from the kibbutz), volleyball, and watching the beautiful sunset.

July 15 & 16 - Two more class days. No record of what I did in the afternoon - probably more of the same as the day before.

July 17 - Field trip day! At the crack of dawn we headed to Samaria. This was a special treat - other groups in the past haven't been able to go because of the violence & danger. This particular day Yassar Arafat was going to be speaking in Nabalus, so they were allowing buses in (though I was thinking to myself...wouldn't him speaking there make things MORE dangerous???). We drove through the mountains of Ephraim on the way there. We got to see Jacob's Well (woman at the well story in John 4). Then we headed up to Mount Gerizim (where the few remaining Samaritans now live). We drove through Nabalus (ancient Shechem), right by where Yassar Arafat was speaking - it was easy to spot since they had tons of big pictures of him posted and lots of soldiers with guns! We didn't stop in Nabalus, for security reasons. Then we headed to Nazareth (where Jesus was raised). We toured the Church of Annunciation (where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary), and the Church of St. Joseph (where Joseph's carpenter shop was). These were more big fancy, ornate, dark, incense-smelling churches! We stocked up on Nazareth chocolate bars (that's the brand name). On the way back to Ein Gev, we stopped at a grocery store (we had to make our own lunches each day - only breakfast & dinner were provided by the kibbutz). Grocery shopping in a foreign language with strange products & money was an interesting experience!

July 18 - Class day, then playing in the water (and I'm sure there was some studying happening...)

July 19 - Long field trip day! We had the opportunity to take a boat across the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is much bigger than I expected (7 miles wide & 13 miles long). On board, the captain raised the American flag and put our national anthem on his loudspeaker. We all sang along in tears, appreciative for our home country and the freedoms we enjoy. When we got to the middle of the sea, the captain turned off the motor and Brother Hall taught us about some of the miracles of Jesus that happened on the sea (walking on the water, calming the sea, fishers of men). Once we got to the other (west) side of the sea to Tiberias, we went to a museum that had a boat that archaeologists discovered and preserved that dates back to Jesus' time.

Then it was off to Taghba to the Church of St. Peter's Primacy (can't remember what that one was for...obviously something about Peter!), then to the Church of Multiplication (where Jesus multiplied the loaves & fishes). These churches all look about the same. Depending on how busy they were, we either met inside or outside them and Brother Hall explained their significance. We usually read whatever scriptures correlated to the the event and sometimes, if we were allowed, we would sing a hymn or two. That was always very special & moving. Then it was off the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Here we were allowed about a half hour of private time to write in our journals, read scriptures, pray, meditate, or whatever we wanted to do. I climbed up to a rock and did a little of each of those things. I remember wondering whether that was maybe the exact rock that Savior might have used when he was teaching. It was very humbling.

In the afternoon, we visited Ketavim (or maybe it's Korazim...I have it written differently in two places) and Capernum. These were the two cities that Christ condemned and were just a bunch of old ruins (apparently no one wants to preserve or honor those condemned cities). Then it was back to Tiberias to watch "The Galilee Experience" movie (in a theatre) that was all about the places & events surrounding Galilee at the time of Jesus. Unfortunately, we were all so exhausted we slept through it, so we called it our "12-shekel nap"! On the way back to Ein Gev we stopped for a quick look of the Jordan River (where John the Baptist baptized Jesus).

Standing in the Jordan River -I am in the front wearing the maroon shirt (I wasn't purposely showing so much leg, I just didn't want my pants to get wet!)

That evening my good friend Seth cut his eyelid open while playing volleyball. The Jerusalem Center staff doctor had thankfully accompanied us, so he stitched it up (which was really gross to watch).

July 20 (Sabbath) - The usual church, relaxing, napping, studying, and visiting.

July 21 - This morning we loaded up the buses and headed to Jordan (the country next to Israel) for a few days. We spent the whole morning at the border crossing because they thought Seth was a "threat." They interrogated him alone for quite awhile in a back room (from what our leaders were told he fit the "terrorist" profile...which is so funny because he's like 6'3" and blonde...maybe it was the eye stitches that scared them). Border crossing are taken VERY seriously over there - we were instructed to sit quietly and wait - no jokes, no games, no snacks, nothing. Once that got all cleared up, a girl in another one of our groups lost her passport between the two borders, so she couldn't get back into Israel and couldn't get into Jordan. Finally, the Israelis relented (since obviously we had just come through there and she must have had it then) and let her and one leader back into Israel. They had to travel all the way back to Jerusalem and go the US Embassy to get her a new passport, so she missed out on a few days.

Because of the border delays, we didn't get to Petra until late in the afternoon, so we only had a few hours there, instead of a half day. But the high temperatures for that day were about 120 degrees (I wish I were exaggerating, but I'm not), so we probably wouldn't have lasted that long anyway. I didn't know much about Petra, but it was one of the surprise highlights of the Holy Land. It's where, centuries ago, an entire people literally carved their community into the side of mountains. Huge structures as far as you can see and the details & formations are amazing. For those who are fans of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade this photo will look familiar - it's where they did the filming. You can see the size of it. And no, the Holy Grail is not inside! Inside is just a large, empty room, probably a few thousand square feet. This is only one of hundreds of these types of structures in Petra.


That evening, the power at our hotel near Petra went out for awhile. We hung out in the hallways together with real candlelight.

July 22 - We left Petra early in the morning. We stopped at Mt. Nebo (where Moses overlooked the promised land and lifted up the serpent), then had lunch in Amman (capital of Jordan). Amman is like most major cities and we had lunch at Pizza Hut. Pizza has never tasted so good! We spent the afternoon at Jerash, which is ruins of an ancient Roman civilization. The border crossing back into Israel was the fastest, easiest one so far. We arrived back at Ein Gev at the Sea of Galilee.

July 23 - Class day. That afternoon a small group of us hiked up the closest mountain named Mt. Hippos with Brother Hall. I can't believe I chose to hike when I could have been relaxing and playing in the water. But I'm glad I did, as it provided a great view of the Sea of Galilee and there were some ancient Roman ruins at the top (see photo below). More classes this evening. In our free time we are tuning into the Atlanta Olympics, but we don't get many channels at the kibbutz and because of the time difference, we only get to see some of the less popular sports.
July 24 - Field trip day. We bussed over to Mt. Tabor (most Christians believe this is the site of Christ's transfiguration) and hiked to the top. Together with another class (often our field trip days are rotated so that two buses were on field trips and two buses were having class day so it was less crowded everywhere) we had a short discussion and sang some hymns in the church on top. It was very touching. In the afternoon we visited Megiddo (the site of the eventual battle of Armageddon), then Nain (where Jesus raised the widow's son). After those, we headed to Ganhashalosha (I have no idea how this is really spelled) for some fun. This was a river with a waterfall, swimming, and cliff jumping. I tried cliff jumping for the first time (see me below circled in red).
July 25 - Class day. In the afternoon a group of us took a train tour of the kibbutz.

July 26 - Field trip day. First stop was Qasrin. This was an ancient city with old home ruins that we could walk through. No particular scripture significance, but we discussed how it was probably in cities & villages like this that Jesus healed the sick and washed people's feet. We stopped at an overlook where we could see Syria (this was as close as we would get to Syria). Next stop was Nimrod's Castle (yes, that's really what it's called) complete with real bats! Another stop at Banaiss (the old site of Caesarea Phillipi) where there was a beautiful waterfall. Lunch was Burger King! In the afternoon we stopped at Tel Dan (Tel means "hill"). It had a freezing cold river that we waded in, which felt great on a long, hot day. Our last stop of the day was at the "Good Neighbor Fence" border with Lebanon. Ironic name, since it's not exactly a friendly border! See photo below - I am right in the middle with the plain white shirt and black fanny pack.

July 27 (Sabbath) - Also my 21st birthday! I called my parents today, because I knew they would want to wish me a happy birthday. I was sang to at dinner (not a huge surprise since they did this for everyone who had a birthday). The best part of the day was the most beautiful sunset that I captured on camera (see photo below). I have it blown up to 16x20 and it hangs in my den. In the evening, some friends of mine got a few loaves of bread, and we put matches in them for candles and had a little party. I realized that birthdays aren't about fancy presents but about being with friends, being happy, and at peace. One of the best birthdays I've ever had!
July 28 - Our last class day (complete with a quiz) at Galilee. In the afternoon, Provo BYU President Bateman was visiting and gave an excellent talk. He tied together a lot of concepts in the scriptures that I had previously thought were unrelated. I sat for most of the evening on the rocks at the shore of the sea, writing in my journal, thinking, and praying. I'm sad to be leaving the beautiful Galilee area, but excited to get back to the Jerusalem Center.

Another great 17 days! Next entry we'll be back in Jerusalem.

political rant

I really don't want to make this blog about politics, so hopefully this will be all you have to hear from me on these subjects. I freely admit I don't know or understand much about political things (and I really don't care to), but I can't hold my tongue any longer...they're getting on my nerves. I'll just make a list so hopefully I don't get too sidetracked.

-I feel like we've been dealing with this presidential election forever already. First we had to have a mini-election just to find candidates for each party. This has been way too many months of mudslinging and changing opinions. And who do we end up with??? John McCain vs. Barack Obama??? That's the best our country can come up with...seriously??? Can't we have a do-over???

-In the few interviews I've seen with Barack Obama, he seems like a nice, charismatic guy. But does he have the experience? I don't think I want Mr. Nice Guy confronting world leaders about war issues. I want someone tough.

-Which brings me to John McCain. I've always been a conservative republican. Most of the people who have run as part of the GOP presidential ticket I've been fully in support of. I'm not so sure about John McCain this time around. I think he's definitely got the experience, especially in times of war, which we're in now. And he hasn't screwed up Arizona too badly. But he's so old! He could literally drop dead at any moment, which brings me to my next issue...

-Sarah Palin. What an interesting choice for vice-presidential candidate. If McCain's theory in selecting her was to "shake up" the election, I think he did a great job. She's getting far more press attention these days than most celebrities, and that's saying a lot! I think she's beautiful and well-spoken and it would be really cool to have a woman vice-president. But she's extremely inexperienced (even less than Obama, I think). And the woman is a mother of 5 kids, including a unwed pregnant teenage daughter and a newborn Down Syndrome baby. I really think this woman needs to be in her home, helping her family right now, not running for vice president. And what's up with her kids' names? Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, and Trig. If these are the kind of important decisions this woman makes, do we really want her as vice president??? Especially when John McCain could drop dead any minute, thus making her president.

-Okay, I think that's all about the candidates I want to say. For the first time in my life, I don't know who I'm going to vote for. I know it's my civic duty so I'll probably just flip a coin, because I really don't care this time around. I'm tired of all of their empty promises.

-Onto the financial disasters of this week. Again, my disclaimer is that I don't claim to understand the economy anymore than I do politics. And I don't like the stock market - it's a big gambling game. With that said, I'm really frustrated that taxpayers are going to have foot the bill to the tune of a HALF-A-TRILLION dollars because lending institutions made poor decisions and lent money to people who couldn't afford it, and those said people can't manage their money correctly. Why should I have to pay for their stupidity? Yes, I know it's the global economy that's going to suffer if government doesn't step in to help. Yes, I know some of those people lost their jobs and have valid reasons for getting foreclosed on. Yes, I know I'm being ruthless. Buy what you can afford, have a savings account, plan for a rainy day, be accountable for yourself, don't spend more than you make...these are not tough concepts.

-And don't even get me started on the whole "marriage amendment" issue that certain states are facing right now...

Okay, rant over. Good thing the new TV season starts next week so I can take my mind off all of this less-important stuff like politics and the economy...and focus on important things like Dancing with the Stars!

the boys

Tyler's latest funny (I think there have been so many recently because we spend so many hours in the car together to/from Brandon's school and to/from his preschool):

Yesterday, we saw the sheriff's chain gang from jail working (we have a really cool county sheriff here who makes these guys live in tents so the county doesn't have to pay for their A/C and they take them out most days to do community service cleanup work...that's the way I think jail should be). Anyway, I pointed out to Tyler the jail guys working (they wear the traditional black/white stripes) and the guards who were holding big guns. He thought for a minute and said, "Jesus wants us to work!" I was kind of startled that he could make a connection between jail workers and Jesus, but not wanting to pass up a good teaching moment, I said, "Yes, Jesus does want you to work!" He promptly replied..."No mom, he just wants GROWN-UPS to work!"

Last week at Tyler's preschool they studied rhymes and discussed Cat in the Hat. He nows likes rhyming everything. I told him Brandon made a hat just like this one when he went to that preschool, so of course we had to drag out the photo album and look at Brandon's photo (below). Here it is. Okay, I'll even admit they look alike sometimes...
Unfortunately, sickness is still plaguing our house. Brandon hadn't run a fever since Saturday morning and was acting fine so I sent him back to school yesterday, only to receive a phone call from the school nurse (who happens to be a friend of mine) a few hours later that he was running a fever of almost 103. He is better today, but the school asks that you don't send them back until they've been fever-free for 24 hours, so he is home today. Tyler still has a nasty cough and is not sleeping well, but his earache and fever seem to have passed. Kevin was up half the night nauseous, but of course can't take the day off work because it's his busy budget season. So far Natalie and I have managed to stay well, but since she puts everything in her mouth and I have been cuddling with sick kids & Kevin for 5 days, I think our chances of escaping without something are between slim & none.

hair today...gone tomorrow

Yep, I finally did it! Here's the BEFORE:
And the AFTER:It's a bit shorter than I intended, because I had her cut it the way I thought I wanted it, then I didn't like it so she had to cut it a bit shorter to fix it. Overall, I really like it and she did a good job (especially considering she was fighting with some guy on the phone for half of the haircut). It will just take some time to get used to it being short again.

fun family saturday...plan b

We had planned a really fun family Saturday taking the boys to the Diamondbacks baseball game (for the first time). My mom, who is in town watching my sister's kids, was even going to watch Natalie for us. Everything was going according to plan until Tyler woke up Friday morning with a horrible cough and Brandon came home from school Friday with a fever. Brandon's fever broke Saturday morning, but we decided that we didn't want to spend all the time & money to go downtown, get into the game, and then have one or both of them start to feel worse. And we didn't want to take them somewhere else and expose anyone to their germs. So we went to Plan B...family time in the backyard after dinner! Our house faces west, so our backyard is completely in the shade by late afternoon. It was a gorgeous evening and the kids had a great time.

Brandon caught a baby gecko, though he and Tyler were so rough with it, I think they maimed the poor thing!

Tyler showing off his muscles

Natalie learned how to get up on the picnic table and...
In the wagon. This is her cheesy face she gives every time she sees a camera. In addition to the cheesy face, she has also perfected "the glare!" I can't wait until family pictures next week...
Brandon & Kevin relaxing on the grass

P.S. - Brandon is fine today, but Tyler is worse (he now has an earache and fever in addition to his cough).

personal history: jerusalem (part 1 of 4)

The next four week's personal history entries will be about the summer (June 25-August 18, 1996) I spent as part of the BYU Study Abroad program in the Holy Land. With 16 rolls of film, a whole scrapbook, and an entire daily journal full of feelings and memories to sort through, four entries will only be scratching the surface! This is more of a travelogue; I have not included many of my deep feelings, as they are very personal and special to me. I wish I could include photos of everything (because it's way more fun to look at photos than read text), but that would take many more hours of scanning and uploading. It's all recorded in much more detail in my scrapbook & journal, so this will have to do. I have also tried to incorporate bits of historical facts to help you recognize & understand some of the places. I didn't write these, I copied them from my books.

Background: I had never really wanted to go to Israel. But after talking to my freshman year friends Amy & Brooke, who each had the opportunity in 1995, I became intrigued and starting thinking about it more often. I approached my parents with idea (because they would be the ones footing the enormous cost). They were very supportive. I applied and was accepted the first time. After hearing other people's stories about applying year after year and not ever being accepted, I felt very fortunate and knew that this was where I was supposed to be that summer.

June 25 & 26 - I won't bore you with the flight details, but two days and three layovers after we left we left SLC we arrived at the Tel Aviv airport in the afternoon. There I am...exhausted and excited!

We loaded onto four buses (there were 150 students) and drove about one hour to the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, located on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. We were all exhausted, but they forced us to play silly introduction games and take tours of the Jerusalem Center until early evening so that we would hopefully not have too much jet lag. They brought us into the Upper Auditorium (the fancy room where they have special concerts, church services, etc.) to watch the sunset. I sat there crying, partly homesick, partly exhausted from travelling, and partly amazed that I was sitting here overlooking Jerusalem, a city that I loved already.

The Upper Auditorium

This was the view from all the balconies (including the dorm rooms) in the Jerusalem Center.

June 27 - The first morning we took a walking tour of Old Jerusalem (where most of the historical sites and merchants are located). We were in small groups so we could hear the tour guide. Our tour was led by a few of the teenage kids of the Near Eastern Studies teacher. They had been living there for a year and were excellent guides. We were given a sack lunch, which consisted of a warm orange cola beverage (I HATE orange soda), a piece of pita bread, an apple, and a tomato (apparently you were supposed to eat the tomato like you did the apple). Not ideal, but oh well. That evening we were split into our four groups that we would be with the rest of the time. These were the people were to be our "family" over there. We had our religion classes together, we did field trips together, we rode buses together. We were Group (Bus) #4 with Brother Hall. He was really cool. He and wife had been there almost a year. We were his last group before he was to go home. His college-age daughter came over with us and was part of our group.

June 28 - First day of classes. This was definitely not a fun sight-seeing vacation. We were cramming a whole semester's worth of religion and history credits into 7 weeks. This meant 5 hours of classes every morning (unless it was a field trip day). Plus there was homework every night. If it was a class day, we usually had the afternoon open to study or go explore.

That afternoon a bunch of us went down to the Old City (where we toured the day before). We went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (this is where some religions believe Christ was crucified and where the tomb is). This was the first of many, many churches like this that we saw in the Holy Land - big, dark, and smelling like incense. I got in trouble from a guard for sitting down to take a picture. I thought it looked like a pretty, decorative place, but I guess it was where they believe Jesus' body was laid after it was taken off the cross and was considered a very sacred spot! Oops...

That evening (it was a Friday) our whole group went down to the Western (Wailing) Wall to observe the Jews bringing in the Sabbath Day. The Western Wall is considered one of the most holy spots in the world for the Jews (the Jews currently don't have control of the Holy Mount, so the Western Wall is as close as they can get). They start at Friday sundown and gather there to sing songs and dance and celebrate the coming of their Sabbath Day (Saturday). We were asked/reminded by our teacher whether we truly "celebrated" our own Sabbath day, or sometimes dreaded it because we aren't supposed to do certain things. Again, we got in trouble for trying to take photos where we weren't supposed to (the men's side where they were doing their ritual washings).

June 29 - Because most of Jerusalem celebrates their Sabbath on Saturday (and therefore some of the sights are closed), we will hold our regular church services on Saturday morning. It's very hard to concentrate on church services when you're in the Upper Auditorium! The rest of the day was for relaxing and catching up on our religion homework.

June 30 - 5 more hours of classes this morning. That afternoon a group of us went down to the Old City to try to see a few sights. We got lost, tried to see 4 things that we all closed (it probably had something to do with the Muslim sabbath which is on a different day that the Jewish sabbath), then we got chased by a scary dog, hid in a parking structure elevator to escape the dog, then stumbled across the Jerusalem McDonald's. Very expensive, but worth it for familiar food! We got lost on the way home. A frustrating day, but made some good friends along the way.

July 1 - A long field trip day! The whole group (all 150 of us) went to take a tour of the Holy Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock). This is the gold-domed building that is probably the most famous and controversial in Jerusalem. A bit of history for those who know nothing about it, like I didn't before I went there (I didn't write this, I copied it): The Holy Mount is revered by the three monotheistic faiths. For Jews it is the ground where the great Temple once stood; for Christians it is associated with many events of Jesus' life; and for the Muslims (who currently have control of it and it is a mosque) it is the third most sacred place after Mecca and Medina. So, basically there's a lot of fighting over this place. They don't allow you to take your camera in there, but of course they will sell you a postcard (see below). Basically it's a really fancy shrine built around a big rock (which they believe has something to do with their ancient prophet Mohammad - I can't remember what). I wasn't terribly impressed, but since I know the history during Jesus' time and what we as Mormons believe will happen to the Temple Mount eventually, it was humbling to be standing on that sacred ground.

This photo below is the entire group. I circled myself in red, but you can't really see it. I'm right in the middle in the third row from the front, next to my friend Seth in the hat.
That afternoon we split into our classes and toured some of the other sites in that area of Jerusalem. Several other Muslim mosques, the Jewish area (very interesting to see these two areas back-to-back), and the Ophel (see photo below) which is an area that is still be excavated and they are finding things (including steps of the temple of Herod) that date back to the time of the Savior.

Then it was onto Hezekiah's tunnel. History: In 700 B.C., Hezekiah, king of Jerusalem cut a tunnel into solid rock. It was to channel the water from outside the city wall to inside the city wall. It's an S-shaped tunnel that is 600 yards long. The workmen tunneled from each end and remarkably met in the middle only 4 feet apart. The Pool of Siloam (where it ends inside the city wall) is sacred to Christians, as it was the pool that Jesus sent the blind man to wash the clay from his eyes. We got to hike through this water-filled tunnel (it was up our mid-thigh) the whole 600 yards.

July 2 - Classes in the morning. In the afternoon, 12 of us got special permission and chartered a van & driver to drive us to Tel Aviv. We went to the beach and to the Hard Rock Cafe. Tel Aviv is like most other large cities, with lots of people and big buildings and traffic. It was nice to have a break, but also nice to come home to the Jerusalem Center. We got in a little trouble because we got back much later than we told them we were going to.

July 3 - Classes in the morning. In the afternoon, a group of us headed down to the Old City to see some sights and do some souvenir shopping. That evening, we had a special Ramadan (Muslim) ritual dinner to celebrate and learn about more their food, their culture, and the Muslim religion. It was taught by one of our professors, who was Muslim and had taught at the Jerusalem Center for years. Afterwards, we did Israeli folk dancing (taught by a Israeli dancer). Since I just finished a month of folk dancing tour, this was particularly fun & exciting for me. Unfortunately, I think something from the Ramadan dinner made me sick to my stomach, and I had to leave early. I spent the rest of the night throwing up.

July 4 - I was still not feeling well, but it was a long field trip day that I really didn't want to miss out on. So I went to see the doctor (one of the Jerusalem Center staff). He gave me whole dramamine pill and told me I might be a little drowsy, but that I should try to go. Well, I had never had dramamine before and I didn't weigh that much, so I pretty much slept on the bus most of the day. Apparently, we saw Nabusam Well (tomb of Samuel), Gibeon, and Valley of Sorek (Samson & Deliliah) since I have photos there, but I really don't remember much of it. That afternoon we went to Jericho, but I was too exhausted so I stayed on the bus and slept. I was very sad to miss this. That evening we had hot dogs, pizza, and french fries to celebrate the 4th of July. I was so excited to see "real food" again, but unfortunately still wasn't feeling well enough to eat much of it. We had to stay inside this evening (which wasn't that tough since we were all exhausted from the field trip) because there were many fireworks and gunshots celebrating the 4th of July. Being in Jerusalem certainly makes you more appreciative of living in a free country!

July 5 - Classes in the morning. Sightseeing & shopping in the Old City in the afternoon. In the evening was a spiritual talent show in the Upper Auditorium.

July 6 (Sabbath) - Church & relaxing.

July 7 - Classes in the morning. In the afternoon, I chose not to go sightseeing, but to catch up on homework, studying, letters, laundry, etc. In the evening, we had a special simulated Passover dinner to learn about & celebrate the Jewish culture & religion. This was taught by a Jewish rabbi who was our Jewish studies professor. The food was not bad, except the bitter herbs! And thankfully, none of this food made me sick...

July 8 - Classes in the morning - two quizzes and a final (how can we be taking a FINAL after only 10 days of classes???). Went to the City in the evening with a group of friends (we had to get special permission since it's not as safe in the evenings and they want to know who is out there and where we were going). Israeli military are EVERYWHERE carrying machine guns. It was very disturbing the first few days we were here, but now I'm used to it. This evening, my friend Mindy and I saw some and asked them to take a photo with us. They were very nice about it.

July 9 - This morning we left for Sinai. A whole day on the bus looking at barren desert. Stopped at many different sites/ruins along the way: Tel Beersheeba (Home of Abraham), Wilderness of Tzin, David Ben Gurion's Home (he's a famous Israeli guy), Avdat National Park, the Ramon Crater (the largest crater in the world at 40 km long, 9 km wide, 400 m deep), and the Underwater Observatory at the Red Sea. Then our first border crossing into Egypt. Border crossings are always an adventure in the Middle East. You never know what/who is going to get searched. You always have to exit one country, then walk a stretch down the road, then enter the other country (they don't want to be that close to each other). For security reasons, we did not carry our passports on a regular basis. They were kept in the Jerusalem Center safe and when we travelled our teachers carried all of them together, then handed them out to each of us right before we went through the border, then immediately collected them all after we all got through. We stopped to buy bottled water (the water in Egypt - as well as any food that uses the water - is very unsafe), then arrived at our Nuweiba "resort" (that's what it was actually called). Our room was dirty, bug-infested, and slightly better than a shack with a bathroom that barely worked. The shower dripped & drizzled and the toilet didn't flush.

July 10 - Since we arrived at our "resort" after dark, we didn't realize we were literally steps away from the Red Sea. The morning was spent snorkeling in the Red Sea. Apparently the Red Sea is some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world. I didn't know enough about it, nor am I comfortable enough in the water to explore very much. But the water really was that blue (see photo below)!

That afternoon we loaded up the buses again and travelled down closer to Mount Sinai to a place called Morgenland. Halfway there, our bus broke down in the middle of nowhere. As we were Bus #4 (always the last of the 4), he radioed ahead to the other buses and they came back for us and we squished into all the empty seats on the other three buses. After they got it fixed, they arrived at our destination with our luggage. There were a bunch of local Egyptian kids who were playing soccer barefoot in the dirt. A bunch of the guys from our group decided to challenge them (with shoes on). The kids totally beat them! That evening, each class hiked out into the desert to have a short class about Moses and Sinai and their scriptural significance. We also got logistical instructions about the climb.

July 11 - We were awakened at 1:00 a.m., fed a light breakfast, and bussed to the base of Mt. Sinai a few miles away. You have to hike it at nighttime so it's cool enough. It was a very hard hike. And I was even in pretty good shape, considering I had just finished the folk dance tour. It was pitch black and we used flashlights the whole way to see the trail. My flashlight ran out of batteries, and I was alone. Thankfully I wasn't the last person in the group so I stayed where I was until others came by who had working flashlights. We talked about the "oil in your lamp" and preparedness analogies. Another option people had (not us...other tourists) was to take camels up to near the top, so we were constantly trying to dodge camel poop on the trail and avoid camels who would walk right past you and almost push you off the mountain. At the very end of the hike there are about 700 rock stairs to go up (camels don't go up this portion). We got to the top and waited for the sunrise. It was one of the most magnificent things I've ever seen. See photo below, even though it doesn't really do it justice.

We had another short meeting with our class at the top and then headed down. The hike down was every bit as hard as the hike up. It was excruciating on my knees, and the temperatures were getting extremely hot. At the bottom of the mountain was St. Catherine's Monastery. It was here that we had the most creative bathroom experience of the whole trip. The lines were long (everyone drank too much water on the hike and there were no bathrooms at the top). Each person would go in, you'd hear some funny joke or laughing, then they would come out and you'd ask them what was so funny. They'd say, "you'll see!" When it was my turn, I went in and looked around for the toilet and couldn't find one. Then I saw a small decorative hole in the floor. Yep, that was it! The rest of the day was relaxing and sleeping.

This was the first 17 days. The next entry will be about the two weeks we spent around the Sea of Galilee.

funny brandon

So, after Brandon's declaration of last night that he "promised to be better" today, I was surprised when he started getting in trouble and whining about five minutes after he woke up this morning. When I reminded him of his promise, he said, "Oh, I just meant at school!"

eating humble pie

It's been one of "those days!" Actually, it's been one of "those weeks!" You know the kind I mean....the ones where everything seems to go downhill and you just want to do nothing but wallow in self-pity. I was all set and starting to type a nasty blog entry about what a tough week it's been. Then I took a deep breath, scrolled down through my blog, and ate a whole humble pie, remembering that I'm desperately trying to work on humility & gratitude. So, here's my week...from a different perspective:

Kevin has been working VERY long hours this month (on a budget project he wasn't even supposed to). Most nights he gets back on the computer and works after the kids go to bed. Monday night he didn't get home from work until after MIDNIGHT (so I guess that's technically Tuesday morning??). I couldn't fall asleep until I knew he was home safe. I am thankful he has a job, one that allows our family great travel benefits, and that his days of crazy long hours should be over by the end of this month. I'm also thankful that I love him enough to stay up and be worried about his safe return.

Tuesday Natalie fell asleep in her stroller for an hour while we were out shopping, which means she didn't nap while Tyler napped, so I didn't get a nap (which I desperately needed after the late night before) or anything else done during naptime. I am thankful she still takes naps, will take them anywhere, and allowed me an hour of shopping in peace. I am also thankful for money to buy new clothes and shoes for our family whenever we need (or in this case, want) them.

Natalie learned to climb up onto the couch and onto the kitchen chairs this week, thus causing me to get even less done while she's awake because I'm afraid she'll fall off. I'm thankful for a new laptop that works, which allows me to get things done on the computer while spending time with (and protecting) my children.

Natalie had her 15-month old checkup and got 3 shots, so she has been extra clingy and grumpy today. I am thankful for health insurance, money for a co-pay, a great doctor, and a healthy (and normally very happy & independent) baby.

Brandon had a really tough afternoon. He had a homework "meltdown" and after several chances to control himself, I gave up. I am thankful he usually does his homework quickly & easily, and that this is the first time it has happened this school year. I am thankful he is able to control his emotions at school and has never gotten a red "behavior" note home. I am thankful for his sweet spirit. When I gave him a hug & kiss goodnight he whispered in my ear, "I promise I'll be better tomorrow!"

Brandon decided to clean the bathroom sink with soapy water and Tyler's toothbrush. I am thankful that he wants to help clean and that I am organized enough to have a new toothbrush handy.

Brandon & Tyler are constantly running through the house driving me crazy, hurting themselves (and each other), and making tons of noise. I am thankful for healthy, active children who will never be fat, lazy couch potatoes.

It took us 4 hours to get our living room artwork/photos hung on Saturday, due to a bossy wife and a perfectionist husband. I am thankful we have a beautiful, new home and photos of our darling children to hang them in.

It is still 100+ degrees outside and we still can't send the kids outside to play. I am thankful that summer is almost over.

I took 2 kids to 3 different grocery stores this week. I am thankful for free cookies and those cool car carts.

I did 5 loads of laundry. I am thankful for a washer & dryer that does all the hard work for me.

My kids take forever to clean up each night. I am thankful to have so many toys, puzzles, books, games, etc.

I have spent many hours this week putting together my next few personal history entries about my time in Israel. I am thankful I was able to go, the journal & scrapbook I kept, and that reading through it again helps me to remember the wonderful time and special memories there.

I'm clumsy and the kitchen chair almost broke my foot tonight. I am thankful for....sorry, I got nothing on this one!

I could go on. Instead, I'm going to repent AGAIN and try even harder to enjoy my family, look past the frustration to the gratitude, and react better in the moment. Isn't that what it's all about? Oh wait, that's the hokey pokey...

school pictures - 1st grade

So, I guess this is an improvement from last year's school pictures...
Still not buying any. I would feel bad, but I think my kids have more professional photos than most. I have an appointment at JCPenney next week. Less money, better wardrobe, cuter poses (no mug shots), and viewing them before purchasing them.

new callings

Kevin & I finally got new callings (church assignments). Between people being out of town for the summer and then a stake reorganization that took 6 huge wards and created 8 normal-sized wards, we have escaped with no official callings since we moved out of our old house in May. Don't worry, we haven't been sitting quietly enjoying church! I subbed in Primary (piano & music leader) for 6 Sundays this summer, I have played piano in Relief Society 3 times, and Kevin has subbed teaching either Elders Quorum or Sunday School for 5 Sundays. Oh yeah, and don't forget our little almost-15-month-old bundle of joy Natalie who is SO READY to be in nursery.

Our new callings.....(drumroll, please).....Kevin is the Elders Quorum Secretary and I am an Activities Day leader for the 8-9 year old girls (14 of them, to be exact). I've always wanted this calling, so I am thrilled. It's like mini young women, without the huge time committment and teenage drama. Kevin hasn't had time to think about his yet, as he worked until midnight (yes, you read that right) last night and was back at work at 8 a.m. this morning. The ironic thing is that the Elders Quorum president is married to the other Activities Day leader and they live about 5 houses down the street. They are a great family and we are excited to be working with them.

another fun family saturday

We're doing well with our goal to spend more fun family time together on Saturdays. Yesterday, we (okay, I) decided we would go to the Splash Playground at Tempe Beach Park. It's somewhere I've heard about for several years and have always wanted to go, but it's a bit far and I didn't really know if I could do it by myself with three kids during the week. But it's FREE and it closes for the season at the end of September, so I figured it was do it now or wait until next year.

We had a great time and the kids loved it. Kevin loved that it was right near the airport and he could watch planes land every few minutes. Brandon loved the water cannons - both spraying others and being sprayed.

Tyler spent most of his time on the water slides (no surprise) and thankfully we didn't end up in the ER!

Natalie was a bit cautious and unsure at first, but the water is never more than about 2" deep, so she enjoyed being free to roam & explore at her own pace.

The boys were begging me for snowcones that a vendor was selling there, but I just couldn't spend $2 each. So we stopped at Circle K for slushies (89 cents each and they were twice the size) and the kids thought that was about the best thing ever. Isn't it great when a few bucks and a few hours can be such a success and create such fun memories?

personal history: college junior year

College Junior Year: 1995-1996

Still at BYU. Still living off-campus in the Brittany Apartments. This year I opted to move over two doors to Apartment #23. My sophomore year roommates were moving elsewhere, and I was moving in with Heidi who had lived in Apt. #23 the year before. Most people thought the apartment was slightly better because there were no downstairs neighbors (below it was like a common/gathering room that was attached to the laundry room), so it was quieter most of the time. What we forgot was that anytime people were in there (especially playing the piano) it was VERY LOUD!

My roommates this year were (from L to R): Lindsay, Heidi, me, and Annette

Lindsay - We were in folk dance together my sophomore year and became good friends. She was from Colorado and was a year behind me in school. We have kept in touch over the years and she is the one primarily responsible for converting me to blogging. Ironically, the guy who was usually my folk dance partner (based on height) ended up marrying Lindsay!

Heidi - She lived in this apartment the year before and so I got to know her through the ward. Like me, all her roommates were all moving so we decided to live together. She was my same age and from Montana, and even though she was a Zoology major, she was a country singer at heart. She even took a trip out to Nashville during the year to record a single. I have not kept in touch with her, but I would love to know what she's doing. I'm still waiting to hear her name on the country station I listen to!

Annette - She lived in the condos across the street and was in our ward the previous year also (you might remember me mentioning her in my sophomore year entry). She was dating Todd, who lived in the same apartment complex and was in our ward. She was a math major from Seattle who was my same age. She and Todd got engaged this year and he was over so often, it felt like he was our 5th roommate! After 12 years, I recently got back in touch with and saw Annette and Todd, which is pathetic since they live only a few miles from me!

Me & Lindsay (we shared the same room...and apparently the same clothes since she is wearing my green dress and I'm wearing her red dress!)

This was the year I started into some of my upper-level Business Management classes (that was my major). It was there I met Glenn & Dagan. We did lots of group projects & study groups together. Dagan & I began dating and it was only then that I found out that he lived in some condos right across the street from me! It was very convenient, especially when the weather was cold & snowy. One unusual experience I had with Dagan was one night we watched a very late movie over at his apartment with his roommates. He walked me home and the chain on my door was already latched. Apparently my roommates thought I was already in bed and didn't check to be sure. I tried shouting, we went back to his apartment and tried calling (this was before cell phones), but to no avail. I slept on his couch for a few hours then I ran back home at like 6:00 a.m., before anyone would be up to see me sneaking out of a boys condo and call the BYU Housing authority on us! It was a bit awkward when Dagan and I broke up and still had to see each other everyday in classes.

I also continued folk dancing this year. First semester Lindsay & I were in a class that did a few small performances (church functions and marching in the BYU Homecoming Parade). In November we both tried out and made the Spring Performing Arts Company (which you can read all about here). We did Christmas Around the World (the folk dance annual concert) and I was deathly ill for the Christmas Dinner Dance, but I didn't want to disappoint my (assigned) escort, so I went anyway and was miserable. Second semester was filled with many more practices & performances and getting ready for our month-long tour in May.

I am in the front row, red dress, second from the left.

Through Folk Dance, I met & started dating Clayton (he's not in these photos). He was a great guy, but it kind of freaked me out that he had an identical twin brother. Like Dagan, it was uncomfortable after we broke up to see Clayton everyday at folk dance. Thankfully he was so much taller than me we were not usually partners!

In January, Heidi and I went to see the Collin Raye (country singer) concert up in Ogden (photo below). It was supposed to be about an hour and a half drive each way, but between the snow and getting lost (neither of us had been to Ogden before and this was before Google maps), it took us over 2 hours each way.

My brother Eric (who was a freshman at BYU this year) got his mission call and I was allowed a special privilege up to his dorm room when he opened it (while he was on the phone with my parents). He was called to the Hong Kong mission. It was particularly exciting when we realized he would be there in July 1997 when Hong Kong would be turned back over to China. Growing up for many years we joked with Eric that he would probably be the first missionary in either Russia or China. This was the very beginning of a long path that led him back to China where he lives now.
This was the year several of my friends started getting engaged and I started attending bridal showers & weddings many weekends. Several folk dance friends, my roommate Annette, my friend Brooke from my freshman year, my friend Glenn, and Dagan's sister...just to name a few.

Second semester I started dating another folk dancer, John. He was a freshman so I got a lot of teasing from people (I was a junior, remember?). He lived in the dorms in the next building over from my brother, so that made it convenient! Lindsay had a crush on another folk dancer named Shane, so the four of us went out a few times...country dancing of course! Below is a photo of (from L to R): John, me, Lindsay, and Shane.

This whole year, I continued working in the apartment office as the Assistant Manager most afternoons. At the end of junior year I was eagerly anticipating several summer events:

* the return of most of my freshman missionary guy friends, many of whom I wrote to often during their missions

* folk dance SPAC tour for the whole month of May 1996 (which I won't write about again, since I wrote about it here)

* spending two months as part of the BYU Jerusalem Study Abroad program (this will be the next several entries)

Overall, another busy year with great roommates, lots of folk dancing, and good memories!