A few words about Egypt...

Its been 11 years since Jeremy and I visited Egypt; shortly before Christmas in 1999. The memories I have...
Going to a persian rug factory: There was a big room with about 50 kids sitting at ten different stations tying knots as fast as they could. Unbelievably fast. The kids ranged from 7+ years. Our tour guide said not to feel bad for the kids. If they worked at least they got fed and they weren't on the streets begging. He told us they went to school half day too. (I don't know if I beleive that).
Cairo Zoo: totally delapidated. I don't really know why we even chose to go there, but when we entered the gate a zookeeper came up to as and told us to follow him. He took us into a building with locked doors. We went into a room/cage where there were 2 baby lions (maybe the size of a grown pug dog). The Mama lioness was in a room next to us with bars to look in on her cubs. She was so angry, and growled at us. The zookeeper helped us pick up and pet the lion cubs. It was AMAZING! Then the keeper asked us for "bakshish" a tip. Unaccustomed to that, we gave him something, but not much.
Driving around the city: people jumped to help us back up our car, give us directions, and offer to ride thier camels- all in the name of "backshish" (tips).
Standing at the Mosque of Abn Tulun: (i think that was its name) A Huge, beautiful mosque near the center of cairo over looking the city. Our guide pointed out different parts of the HUGE, BUSTLING city. One area was a massive graveyard made up of different tombs or crypts. There was so much poverty, that many families lived inside of people's crypts. Our guide told us that if a family wanted to visit a crypt, someone would have to go the day before and ask the people living in it to leave while they came to visit. Then the family would move back in.
The Suez: crossing the Suez canal was memorable. we were on a ferry FULL of Egyptians. We were so heavily pressed by them, several people in our group had thier pockets picked.
The Red Sea: We stayed at a BEAUTIFUL resort right on the red sea. We went to the most amazing aquarium i've ever seen, and snorkeled in spectacular coral reefs. No one was there.
Mount Sinai: We stayed at the most foreign little place near the mountain. It was in barren desert. Huts to sleep in around a dining hall. I remember the smells, the music and the stars. We climbed Mt. Sinai starting about 1 am. Jeremy and I payed a whole $10 to be led by a young boy on our own camels all the way up the mountain in the dark. (we had to walk the last few hundred feet). We met a boy that had a tent at the top, and lived there selling hot tea to the tourists. He was very lonely.
Luxor: Renting Falukas and floating leasurly down the Nile. alittle boy swam out to our boat and got us to buy nile flowers. Renting bikes and cruising around neighborhoods in the town during Ramadan. Sundown and celebration came while we were riding thru.

I could go on and on and on. I love my memories. As all of this unrest is happening, I was want to cheer. "GO Egypt!" Those people have spirit. They are such survivors. They were ingenuitive, helpful, smart people. They seemed to work hard. They needed to survive. I didn't meet beggars, just people doing favors for bakshish. I'm sure there were beggars too. I am proud of those Egyptians for standing up to a dictator. That takes so much courage! What brave, strong people. I pray that they will get what they want. GO Egypt Go!

december projects

6 Lucky Ladies recieved an apron made by yours truly (me!) for Christmas! It was SO fun to pick out fabric, and watch these aprons turn out darling. It was fun to anticipate giving them, and I hope they are loved. I sure had a wonderful time making them!

A Recap

For the one reader, and mostly for myself, I wanted to recap a few highlights from our wonderful holiday season...

the polar express

One of my favorite traditions in December is our Polar Express Party. Contrived after a fun, and seriously expensive ride on the Polar Express (Heber Creeper) 8 years ago, we decided we could recreate the idea at home with make believe. We've done it every year since (minus one). Cookies (hundreds of them), kids in PJs, Santa, and lots of games, and of course the infamous story that Jeremy reads, followed by the cartoon grinch. Parents drop their kids off with us. We had 47 kids under the age of 10 this year. I've realized that chaos doesn't mean disaster to kids. So we provide the atmosphere, and create a way to minimize the chaos, and sit back and enjoy the experience. (it would be nice to have more room, but who cares huh?) I must admit I am a bit worried about focusing on Santa too much. I waffle between the magic of it all, and the true meaning of Christmas. I am working on an idea of trying to combine the two more next year, by having the kids participate in some service at the party instead of playing Santa bingo.


jer reading to the kiddos



a christmas coloring station



I LOVE the pile of shoes and coats that collects at our back door!

Another favorite tradition of mine is cutting down our Christmas tree together Thanksgiving weekend. We make a whole day of it and have been lucky enough to be accompanied at different times by Jeremy's parents, some of our siblings, my parents, and even Jer's grandparents. Unfortunately, little Naomi threw up all night the night before we were to go on that adventure this year. We were staying in a hotel in Logan. That made for a long night. The hotel ran out of extra sets of sheets I think.

The 23rd of December is our Bethlehem night. We light candles, sit on the floor in our living room by the fire. We eat mid-eastern food. (Naan is the kids favorite) and talk about what it must have REALLY been like when Christ was born. The conversation always starts like this: "Kids did you know that on the first Christmas there weren't any Christmas trees? No Santa? No bright colored lights? When Daddy and I lived in Jerusalem and visited Bethlehem, we realized how strange our Christmas traditions have become, compared to the simplicity of that special night." Sometimes we show them pictures of the Shepherd's Fields. We exchange gifts of love, which could be anything, as long as it wasn't purchased. Jeremy gave me a free pen from Staples this year. Olivia made me a sculpture out of Bendaroos.

Jeremy's family always has a progressive dinner. We visit his parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents homes and eat awesome food. The kids sometimes open a little present at each house. They love that part.

My mom's family always has a Christmas party the Saturday before Christmas. They eat bbq little weenies and lime slushees??? The kids act out the nativity and Santa comes. I've discovered a magical part of that night. There is a cemetary where my grandpa is burried, on the way home from my grandmas that is lit up with 1000s of luminaries on that night for a few hours. I stumbled upon it a few years ago. It was breathtaking. I imagine all the people it would take to light all of them. It is simple, quiet, and beautiful.

I could go on and on and on, but I think I will only share one other thing. Since we have been married, we have never once had a Christmas eve or day spent at home. We have either slept at my parents, or Jeremy's parents. It's a magical thing. The cousins all together. The parents staying up late wrapping and putting toys together. Watching an afternoon movie in our PJs christmas day together. I complain often that we haven't done our own, that its too stressful hauling everything back and forth, that we don't have any of our own traditions, that I feel childish, but as I write this, I realize how grateful I am for being so surrounded by people I love and that love me. I have a place. How lucky I am to not be forgotten, especially on Christmas, but really any day. To have an important job as a mother, daughter, wife, sister, aunt and friend. To be needed, wanted, and an integral part of a bigger group. To be missed when not there. I am thankful.

with so many people together at christmas, it always looks like presents have exploded all over the room,but remember there are like 23 people

kids waiting for thier turn in the nativity

cousins waiting on the stairs Christmas morning!

A kink in the plan...

Henry Wy-wy loves his binky. He LOVES his blanky. He loves going to bed because this is the only place he can enjoy his binky and blanky. He goes to bed wonderfully... until 2 nights ago, when he learned FINALLY to climb out of his crib. He is 28 months old. I think Addie was doing it a 7 months. SO, Thursday night, I went to bed early. Around 10. Jer was out exercising, and all the kids were in bed. I fell asleep immediately, only to be awakened by Addie with Henry in tow. She said, "mom did you know Henry was in my room playing with our store?" Befuddled, I put him back to bed and apologized to Addie for him waking her up. This happened (with Addie) 2 more times that night. I was so tired, i'd fall asleep, and he sneak downstairs. I finally stayed awake and sat by my bedroom door to listen. Moments after I put wyatt down, he would start giggling. He has such an adorable little giggle, and does it whenever he is happy. I would hear his little feet hit the ground and he would run for the door. Then I would hear the door open, and shut again, and giggles and cute feet padding down the hallway. Until I scared him by sneaking up on him, grabbing him, and taking him back to bed. We didn't get much sleep that night.

The next night I figured that it was time to take the side of his crib off, so he didn't injure himself getting out. I laid pillows on the floor, and sent him to bed. Of course he immediately got out of bed. However, I was waiting by his bedroom door. I sent him straight back to bed. Then I locked his door. Moments later, when he discovered the door was locked, he set into a full tantrum. He is not a quiet screamer. He screamed for quite sometime before I unlocked the door and told him if he got out of bed again, he'd get the door locked again. He did not get out of bed again.

Last night we had a babysitter. When I got home she handed me the key to Henry's room and told me she had quite a night trying to get him to bed. Hopefully she'll come back again to babysit after that experience.

So, whenever life seems so be going normal, I always find a KINK in my plans of a smooth easy life. Hopefully this little boy will learn quickly.