Mediterranean Cruise

Here are some photos from our trip a couple weeks ago. We went to Rome, Vatican City, and Naples in Italy, Athens and Rhodes in Greece, Ephesus and Kusadasi in Turkey, Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, and stopped in Sicily. Most memorable experiences: Turkish bath, karaoke, riding a camel, hanging out with Aimee (John's sis) and Travis, and having my chair tucked in by my waiter, Deron, each evening in the dining room before he brought me as many entrees as I wanted.

Here's John telling lies to the Mouth of Truth in Rome

On top of the Acropylus overlooking Athens, Greece
The sunset leaving Athens
John, Shauntelle, Travis, and Aimee on the castle grounds in Rhodes, Greece

One of my new favorite places: Rhodes, Greece
hanging out in the city where Paul, the apostle, taught the Ephesians (Ephesus, Turkey)

The best authentic meal we had: included Turkish pizza, awesome pita (peda) bread, and real lamb kabobs (kebaps)
John and his apple tea after our interesting rub down in the oldest turkish bath in Kusadasi
obviously in Cairo, Egypt at the pyramids of Giza
Riding camels on the Sahara Desert
This is what my camel did when I tried to pet it, yikes!

25 RandomThings About Me

1. I complain a lot about how busy I am, but I really like being busy.
2. I like to think I am handy with a power drill, but sometimes can't really finish a job without help.
3. I envy people who update their blogs regularly and edit photographs and wish I would take the time to record my family's memories better.
4. I LOVE it when John plays the guitar, except when he's playing when it's time to get kids in bed.
5. I have been to at least 14 countries and lived in Germany.
6. Although I'm a decent skier, I would probably never go skiing if my husband didn't get me a season pass to Powder Mtn. each year.
7. I want to be in a musical, but am too busy and too afraid to try out for one.
8. I remind myself of my dad in good ways and bad. One thing we both do is feel bad that we didn't spend more time with the kids.
9. I wrote a song for the piano a few years ago. Only one. Ever.
10. I wish I had a bigger kitchen every day.
11. I volunteer about 3 hours a week at the local elementary school.
12. I have a goal to someday write down my goals in life.
13. I love the opportunity serving in the Young Women program has given me...a renewed desire to work on goals because of the Personal Progress program and the occasion to spend more time with my daughter.
14. I wish I had another child.
15. I started working on my family history work (again) this year and try to do something every week. It is really fun and addicting.
16. I love to eat food, but only when I'm not the one making it.
17. I feel a loss when I lose touch with friends or when a relationship with a good friend dwindles.
18. If I could go back in time I would learn to dance and I would take an art class in school.
19. I cut my whole family's hair and sometimes my own because I don't like to pay someone else to do it.
20. I used to love making cute crafts and decorating for holidays, but the older I get the less I feel like getting all that clutter out just to put it away again a few weeks later.
21. I don't watch television
22. I don't play sports with adults because I'm self-conscious and uncoordinated at them. I like playing soccer with 8 year old kids though.
23. I graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and graduated college Magna cum Laude, but can barely carry on an adult conversation now (especially if we're talking science or politics).
24. I always had a pet cat between the ages of 7 and 17 and spent hours playing with them. Now I rarely touch animals.
25. I loved writing poetry when I was growing up. The closest thing to poetry I've written in the last 10 years is rhyming birthday invitations.

Skateboarding...this is only the beginning

I spent 2 hours putting together a movie in windows movie maker, only to find out that blogger.com and facebook don't accept movie maker videos. bummer...there were some great bloopers too. At least John took off his tie before he skated :)

Mission Accomplished

Yay! John finished my coat rack/bench for the laundry room AND we are almost finished putting the bricks around the edge of our back yard AND John finally turned our shed 90 degrees AND he built himself a big old half pipe this week. What a busy little bee, huh?

If You Leave Me Now

I am a little ashamed that I'm not the typical mom who cries on the first day of preschool. I am LOVING having a few hours every once in a while to clean out drawers and volunteer and finally work on my family history. I have to admit, on that first day of dropping the last kid off I felt a little empty inside and almost even teary-eyed when the Chicago song, "If You Leave Me Now", came on in the car.
Tolkien was pretty excited to go to finally go to school like his sisters. On the way home he said, "School is fun!" and then 2 minutes later when we pulled into the driveway he said, "I sure am glad to be home with my mommy now."

A Room for Braunté

I promised Braunté I'd put some photos of her new room in here. It's her early Christmas present, but she has to wait until December to decorate. We finally had a new window put in and we finished painting on July 24th.

before...

and after...

Ouch

Here are some photos of Odessa over the past couple of months. Don't look if you're really squeamish. She had all 4 pins removed and stitches out on August 3rd and I'm happy to report that her second cast came off on August 17th. She started school a week later. She has been a little self-conscious about her scars, but she's doing better at dealing with it. I'm proud of her.

At 7 weeks in Lava Hot Springs
(made possible by an awesome waterproof cast cover).