Summer Adventures Pt. 2: Utah

We have loved stopping in Utah every summer for the past many years to catch up with family, friends and to enjoy the outdoors.

Elodie and her two youngest came down to visit, and we enjoyed a beautiful hike.

We love the Myers, friends from our first tour in Jerusalem who live near my parents' house in Lehi.

A visit to the Draper temple was the perfect reunion with my friends from Jerusalem.

It seems we have been able to join the birthday celebrations of J's brother Tyler several different times.

Summer Adventures Pt. 1: Washington, DC

Training in DC gave us time to reconnect with our capital and see friends and family.

The Hansens invited us to their lake house, and we got to enjoy home-caught crabs on Rebecca's birthday! (as well as hunt for shark teeth-- how cool!)

Our hotel was right downtown, so I thought we could walk the monuments. Why I made this classic summer DC tourist mistake, I can't remember. The kids were exhausted and grumpy.

Another day I tried to lure them outside again with the promise of a visit to the world's largest library. Total meltdown when we got there and found out you have to be 16 to even get into the stacks of the Library of Congress.

4th of July fireworks were also a bust. Inversion caused a big smoke cloud that obscured most of the show.

Things finally started looking up when Kelsey and Sophie arrived. We had some fun museum visits and yummy food.

Then Grandma came, and we got to go to the new African American Museum of History and Culture, as well as have an excuse to eat more ice cream.

Last Visitors and Goodbyes

Our time in Jerusalem ended in a whirlwind of visitors and goodbyes. One year was simply not enough time to do all we wanted with the people we came to love, but at the same time, I think we did more in that one year than we would have otherwise, because we knew our time was short.

With the Hawaii Crawford cousins at the Mount of Beatitudes

With the Maloneys (Annie was a mission companion) having dinner in Bethlehem

J's Aunt Kevin's family at Hezekiah's Tunnel

Goodbye to the Rasmussens, who left Jerusalem and the Foreign Service

Night games with the Howells and Sarah & EJ, sweet, loving friends

After repeated attempts by my friend Carolyn to get into Jerusalem from Ramallah (a U.S. citizen, retired kindergarten teacher denied entrance because she is married to a Palestinian!), we finally were able to have lunch and get caught up after 10+ years.

The kids requested a final trip to the Old City for some shopping. Paul's souvenir was a shofar (ram's horn), for which he had to bargain hard to get it within his price range. The blue eyes helped. It later got nicknamed the "chou-fart" because it smelled so bad ("chou" means stinky in Mandarin).

Our goodbye to Jerusalem would not have been complete without another stop at the fountains in Teddy Park.

Headed to the airport. Our last goodbye was to our cross-the-hall neighbors, the Riggs. We will miss them!

Rome

When Tom & Karin offered to stay with the kids while they were here visiting, J and I jumped on the chance to go to Rome to visit the new temple and take my first trip to Italy.

We started at a castle overlooking Bracciano Lake:

The next day we went to Tivoli Gardens:

And the ruins of Hadrian's Villa:

Then the temple:

Our third day was an early morning start at the Vatican Museum, then a visit to the Borghese Gallery (where we couldn't take pictures, but the Bernini sculptures are amazing!)

This is Raphael's "School of Athens":

 Outside St. Peter's on Wednesday when the Pope comes out to speak:

 St. Peter's Basilica blew me away. It is huge!

The canopy over the altar, also done by Bernini:

A view from the top of the dome:

On the roof:

The Vatican's Swiss Guards:

Our last day we visited Ostia Antica, the old Roman port. I couldn't believe how well preserved this tavern was:

A view of the Ostia Antica ruins:

We loved the food and were so happy we stayed at an AirB&B where the hostess gave us recommendations for her favorite places that got us off the tourist track. This was our last meal on the cutest back street:

Our last gelato run (of which there were many during our 4-day visit):

May

May brought visitors, birthdays and Joel's baptism.

Birthday breakfast:

A joint cake, courtesy of Grandma:

Tom & Karin and Shawn's family:

 Joel getting baptized in the Jordan River:

It was such a beautiful experience:

It was nice to cool off a bit:

Weather Warming Up

We were excited when the weather finally got warm enough to go to the beach (I say finally, even though it was April, because with less than one year here and decent beach access, we feel pressure to get the kids there.) At the end of April and into May, we made a spontaneous trip to the Red Sea, then Tel Aviv with friends, and then a hike in the Negev desert with other friends where we got lost in the barren heat for a while before we finally found the watering hole we were looking for.

Snorkeling is better than the sand in Aqaba, but that didn't stop them (and Jonathan, Claire and Paul enjoyed the snorkeling, too.)

It was cold for me in the shade, but my skin prefers that is where I stay.

We might be considered regulars at this burger joint in Aqaba called Route 65. Who knew that in a year, we would go to Jordan 4 times?

Our day at the beach and playground near Tel Aviv with friends.

On the wrong road in the desert:

On the right road leading down to the hidden water:

The last bit got steep:

So steep that Paul slipped:

Claire in her hiking glory: