Canyon's 4th Grade Music Performance

Canyon's music performance was definitely a performance to remember. On Monday, the day before the concert, we got a call from the school nurse because he fainted during rehearsal for the music performance. He fell off the top of the 3rd bleacher. Luckily he didn't hit his head and he got a passing evaluation from his doctor. But it was a good learning lesson about keeping your legs moving and blood flowing. He was able to participate in his music performance on Tuesday. He continued to stand on the top bleacher. But this time, he (and all of his classmates) did a great job of bending their knees to keep moving.

It was an amazing performance. Kids sounded great and Canyon played both the recorder and the orff. Fun. We also captured him solo in the car afterwards. Fun time!

Spring Activities

This has been an extremely unusual spring with temperatures making it feel like summer. Kids will only wear shorts and are refusing coats. We have also been having a lot of fun. Dad was out of town this past weekend but Mom and kids had some fun activities as we get ready for our spring break trip to Grand Canyon! Our weekend started with a visit to Mall of America where we climbed on the 4-story obstacle course, held only by tether. Fun activity that really tested our fear of heights!




This weekend we also went to REI to stock up on gear for our trip. With our new appreciation for heights, the kids and Mom enjoyed climbing the indoor rock wall. No climbing planned for the Grand Canyon but fun activity for us nonetheless.




Since we will be traveling the week before Easter, we enjoyed our annual tradition of easter egg coloring bit early. We have lots of eggs to eat this week!



The weekend ended with Presley enjoying a special birthday party for a classroom friend where she enjoyed horseback riding! We missed Dad but had a really fun weekend!

Happy St. Patty's Day 2012

Auny Kimmy always makes our St. Patty's Day more festive with special St. Patty's day treats for our family. The kids enjoy dressing up and we had some friends over to celebrate the green holiday with lots of green food and cocktails. No snow this year but we still enjoyed a bonfire (still 70 degrees at 11:00 pm) Crazy!

Our Trip Winds Down

Israel was a wonderful experience -- both adventure and vacation. Our last couple of days were definitely vacation, with walks and runs along the Mediterranean Sea. We enjoyed watching the Israeli sport of paddle ball, enjoying cappuccino in the sand, and Shakshuka (and much, much more) in the town of Jaffa. But it was also soooo nice to come home to our family and Grandma Harriet. Thank you Grandma Harriet for this very special experience.

Israel Day 6 - Exploring Tel Aviv

Today was the day we wanted to "vacation" and explore Tel Aviv at a relaxed pace. We started our day with a nice run along the sea front. We then headed to the special market that is only open on Tuesdays and Fridays -- lots of street performers, rows of produce, hand crafted Israeli items, and more spices! We also finally enjoyed delicious, hot falafel at a small cafe.




After the market, we walked through Neveh Zedek toward the train station. Neveh Zedek was the first neighborhood to be built outside of Jaffa, 22 years before the establishment of Tel Aviv. It is now an upscale neighborhood with cute shops and restaurants. We then arrived at "Hatachana" - the original train station that ran trains between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The historic station was closed and hidden from public eye for many years and was recently renovated to commemorate its significance and now includes shops, museums, and restaurants. We found some great Israeli items for the kids here!




Before sunset we headed to the beach because we heard about a drumming experience that happens only on Fridays. What an experience. Great drumming, great local culture, and a great way to experience the sunset. Grandma Harriet's "clappers" and "bells" were well enjoyed by the locals. Check out the videos to see and feel! in the evening, Ron and I enjoyed an amazing dinner and cocktails near our hotel at Herbert Samuel, a great restaurant from a leading Israeli chef, Chef Roshferld. Amazing day. And then we woke up at 4 AM to see Canyon's hockey game "webcasted" live. So cool!

Israel Day 5 - Masada & The Dead Sea

Today, Ronnie and Trisha went sightseeing together. We ventured to Masada and the Dead Sea. Masada is the historic story of the Jewish people's commitment to freedom. Masada was originally built in the desert on a cliff top, overlooking the Dead Sea, as a refuge for Herod the Great. At the beginning of the first Jewish-Roman war, ~1,000 Jews fled Jerusalem and settled on the mountaintop for safety. However, the Romans held a siege against the Jewish fortress, and eventually charged the site with a large battering ram that they built. Instead of surrendering, the inhabitants set the buildings ablaze and committed a mass suicide to ensure that the Jewish would never become slaves again. The site was excavated and has been amazingly preserved.






After Masada, we went to visit The Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth (1,388 ft below sea level), located near Jordan (to the east) and Israel and (to the west). With 33.7% salinity, fish and plants cannot survive, hence its harsh name. For visitors, it provides the unique experience of floating. The sea is also famous for its minerals which provide the great foundation for wonderful lotion and beauty products. My skin definitely felt soft after our little dip!

Israel Day 4 - Latrun & Valley of Elah

Day 4 was the last day of the spousal program and we had another full day. Our first stop was to the Latrun Monastery, a monastery of 22 Trappist Monks, that is surrounded by a grove of olive trees and vineyards, where the monks make their own wine and olive oil. We were hosted by one of the monks and then enjoyed a concert with musicians who performed Arabic, Turkish, and Israeli music. The musicians got the audience involved, teaching us to play the drums and other musical instruments. Some in audience were even brave enough to do some belly dancing (not me -- I stuck to the drums).






After the monastery, we visited "Mini Israel", a theme park which showcases the most important Israeli sites in mini exhibits. And we had lunch at a kibbutz. A kibbutz is a social collective of families that share resources within a community. The food was awesome and overlooked a beautiful valley.




Our last stop of the day was to Eshatol herb and spices farm. This was a truly unique shopping experience. ALL went mad over the amazing amount of all natural herbs, teas, and spices! You know it's a special place when our drivers, our guides, and all the visitors are scooping stuff up bags and bags of this stuff - for health reasons, for new flavors, and for the unique shopping experience. This is just waiting to be developed in the United States!



And then the night begins.... HP hosted an end of conference Purim 60s party. Purim is a Jewish holiday where people get dressed up in costumes and masks to commemorate the saving of the Jewish people from destruction in the ancient Persian Empire. HP hosted an event along the seafront and we were happy to bring our Elvis and Priscilla Presley costumes for the super fun celebration! By the way, it's National Sleep Awareness week this week. We aren't getting much sleep!

Israel Day 3 - Old Jaffa

Our days start early in Israel. No time for sleeping in and we go all day long. Day 3 started with a tour of Jaffa, the oldest city on the eastern Mediterranean shores, just south of Tel Aviv. We strolled through the port and the colorful alleyways. I also replaced my lost sunglasses with a new pair from the market in Jaffa. From Jaffa, you can view the shoreline of Tel Aviv. Our hotel is the large white hotel in the center of the group hotels.






After strolling and learning about the history of Jaffa, we boarded a bus to meet up with the HP event participants at a 650 acre nature preserve for a team building event. The nature preserve includes all the plants that are included in the bible. Poppies were in full bloom and beautiful. Our team building event started with a nice lunch in a forest of trees and then our small sub team worked on some different team building events including a ropes crossing event, an archery competition (Mom shot a bullseye for her team), and a sheep and goat herding exercise (we failed miserably). Fun event. Ron brought his guitar and red cooler for the bus ride back to the hotel. The evening ended with a nice dinner in Jaffa with HP.

Israel Day 2 - Carmel Mountains

HP work events started on Day 2. Along with the conference events, they have a special program for spouses. My day started with a trip to the Druse village of Usafia in the Carmel Mountains. The Druze are a separate religious community known for their loyalty to the countries they reside in. We toured the neighborhood of homes which have a utilitarian feel and are known as the Bauhaus style. We also visited the Druze heritage center and viewed an ancient olive press. We ended our visit with a authentic Druze lunch overlooking the valley and a visit to the local market (where I lost a pair of sunglasses while trying to get persuaded to buy an "authentic" Druze scarf).





After lunch, we visited a unique artist colony in the town of Ein Hod. The village is situated on a hillside amidst olive groves, with a view of the Mediterranean Sea. Our host walked us through the town visiting the various galleries where we met the local artists, including one that was a 4th generation family in the village. We also visited the Nisco Museum, where Nisco has been collecting mechanical music boxes, large and small, for over 50 years. Extremely special town and visit.






At the end of the day, Ron and Trisha met up and we went out for an HP dinner event, which included an amazing band with great food and fun dancing. Packed a lot into a first day!