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!

Arriving in Israel - Day 1

It's official! Mom gets to go with Dad on one of his trips to Israel with HP while Grandma Harriet graciously agreed to spend time with the kids. Mom was sad to leave the kids but excited for the adventure. We arrived at the David Intercontinental on Sunday, March 4th after an uneventful flight from the States. Our room is on the 24th floor with a view of the Mediterranean Coast and a view of the city of Tel Aviv. We took a quick nap to acclimate ourselves and then started the adventure with a wonderful welcome event from HP at the hotel where Mom got to meet many of Ron's colleagues and coworkers. A good first start to our trip!

Canyon's First Hockey Tourney in Superior WI

We had a new first hockey experience with Canyon's first Squirt tournament. The weekend was fun for both the kids and the parents. Canyon's Squirt B team took 4th place with some really great games and really great fans! We went to Superior Wisconsin, which is just around the corner from Duluth. Our hotel had a great watermark, which the kids loved and some moms (me) tried out as well. Our team took over an entire hallway with each room marked with a kids name and number. The nights were filled with music and great chats. Fun experience. Great team.

Presley's Ski Season Continues

It is so fun to see Presley truly enjoy skiing this season. She skis every Monday and Wednesday nights and then has 4 "Race" days on Sunday mornings. She is excited to go early and stay late to get "free runs" in. She skis with Team Gilboa, which has about 120 racers in the Junior program from ages 5-10 at Hyland, a local park about 15 minutes from our house. Also at Hyland, is one of the big ski jumps. We were fortunate to catch a ski jumping competition on one of her skiing nights. Totally unbelievable experience where the racers literally "WHIZ" by you, jumping 80+ meters. Fun to watch but happy that my kids are sticking to the slopes.

The Real Birthday - February 9th

February 9th was a special but low key day. We kicked of the morning with the kids favorite breakfast request - Eggs Maxie. After school, we opened presents from family. And then the kids chose their favorite dinner place - Osaka -- where they cook in front of you, shoot shrimp into your mouth, and sing to you while you are wearing a goofy mask. Our kids are growing up so fast. When the kids turn 10, we promised to take them to their namesake. This year, we will be taking the kids to the Grand Canyon to celebrate Canyon's namesake. Happy Birthday Canyon and Presley!