Happy Birthday Alex!

Today was Alex's 8th birthday! She woke up this morning to a fun surprise from her parents--a new bike!Then we had chicken Poppyseed for dinner and a yummy chocolate cake. We loved that cake!

Isaac and Noah gave her a glow-in-the-dark Care Bear, and me and Dave gave her a gift card to Jo-Ann's so she can buy something crafty. I think she had a nice day!

Together at Last

Effie Jane Larson died today at 10:30 am in her sleep at home. From the short conversation I had with Diane, it sounded like Donna and the Utah Davidsons were there with her. It's always a little sad when someone dies, especially when it's our last grandparent. But to me, it's such a happy day for Grandma! It's been a long 11 years she's lived without Grandpa, and now they're together at last!

I called and talked to Dad in Israel. He said he'd really hoped she would make it through their trip, but I'm sure he's glad he has spent several days a week with her in the past month or so. Hopefully he'll make it back in time for the funeral.

When I told Delos's kids about it they were really sad, but it's nice to have the gospel and be able to tell them that she will live again thanks to our Savior. Now she can see and hear and I'm sure she is so happy to be with Grandpa.

We all have a lot of good memories of being at Grandma and Grandpa Larson's when we visited at General Conference. I especially remember them coming (what seemed like) every year for Thanksgiving. I always looked forward to that time of year because I knew they would be coming. It was so fun to come home from school and see their red Cadillac parked in the cul-de-sac.

Grandma hasn't been herself for a long time, so I see it as a real blessing that she passed.

I'm thankful for the time we had with her, especially when she was living with us for a few months. She loved Isaac and was so sweet to him. I'm so glad for that time.

Funeral arrangements haven't been finalized yet but I'll let you all know when I know. I'm so sad that she's gone but so happy that she and Grandpa are together at last!

Who do I look like?

We took Kate for her one year pictures yesterday. I feel like I'm looking in a mirror (well a mirror that shows me 30 years ago!)

We went into old Jerusalem in the morning, and it was just stunning. Such a beautiful, old city. The wind, however, was blowing in from the East and filling the air with yellow dust. So it looked hazy and overcast all day. On the up-side, it was cool and pleasant all day too. We started with the traditional site of the Last Supper, then we made our way down 2000 year old steps recently excavated and certainly used by Jesus himself many times as they lead down toward Gethsemane. You can see the red "lillies of the field" are all around, and used in scripture by Christ.

This is the Garden of Gethsemane. It is a beautiful place and we had a moving experience here. But Daren, Dad, and I could definitely feel for Peter, James, and John, we could barely keep our eyes open after an hour here...

This is the BYU Jerusalem Center. It is an incredible place. We had a meeting in the Chapel and sang songs and toured the campus. It has the most unbelievable views. and the Chapel has all-glass walls and overlooks Jerusalem, best view of the city by far of anywhere we've seen, and you get that view for Sacrament meeting! Dad was nearly overcome by the place, he said if he had known how amazing the place was, he would have let Emily and Ellen go for study abroad, he felt really bad about saying no now that he's seen it!

This is the BYU Jerusalem Center. It is an incredible place. We had a meeting in the Chapel and sang songs and toured the campus. It has the most unbelievable views. and the Chapel has all-glass walls and overlooks Jerusalem, best view of the city by far of anywhere we've seen, and you get that view for Sacrament meeting! Dad was nearly overcome by the place, he said if he had known how amazing the place was, he would have let Emily and Ellen go for study abroad, he felt really bad about saying no now that he's seen it!

This is the traditional spot said to be where Jesus was born in the caves under the church of the Nativity, where the animals were kept. It has been enshrined though, so you can get a better feel for what it was like in the pictures that follow

One of the caves under the Nativity church, shows what it was like for Mary and Joseph when Jesus was born.

An animal feeding trough in the caves under the Nativity Church where Jesus was born! here you are Alexis!

On our way back into Israel from Bethlahem, some Israeli soldiers boarded the bus to take a look at us. One was this female soldier. All men and women have to serve at least 3 years in the military. One guy on the bus asked for her phone number!

Misty and I ended the day welcoming in the jewish sabbath as the sun went down over jerusalem at the Wailing or Western wall.

We attended the 1st ever "Mormon Jewish Dialogue Conference " at this university. Heard talks by jews and mormons, but mormons are not allowed to say ANYTHING about the church or its beliefs, so the mormons just talked about the old testament. Our leader who spoke showed us his letter from the first presidency when he got this invitation to speak telling him not to say one word about mormon doctrine, history, ANYTHING, because that is part of the agreement for getting the Jerusalem Center for BYU.

At the front gate of Ntanya University (there is only one way in, by this gate for safety reasons), there is the Orson Hyde garden. Never heard of this place before. The Jews and Mormons have a wonderful new blossoming relationship, and some leaders created this garden to commemorate Elder Hyd'e's dedication of Israel for the return of the Jews in 1841. But it didn't stop there. There is a tree and a plaque for every LDS president, and for a few other general authorities who dedicated Israel at one time or another. There is even a spot for Elder Rector's son who died in that climbing accident last year. Amazing, here in Israel they did this on their own.

You have no idea how hard it is to get mom to take a picture now! This is Caesarea, where King Agrippa had a very nice summer home. I want one here too. Paul preached here to Agrippa and then was sent to the world to teach. I am Delos I am stupid. This is the door to the preaching of the gospel to all the world. Peter had his vision down the road at Joppa that 'no man is common' and then sent Paul out, not just to teach to the house of Israel anymore. Cool.

Caesarea, we stopped to play in the mediterranean. The water went right over dad's shoe in this picture!

The roman aquaducts from fresh water dozens of miles a away to Agrippa's house at Caesarea. Up on top there is a trough that carried the water. It's neat up there, I climbed up.

This is the view from the top of Mt. Carmel. There is so much free natural carmel growing on the trees that is yumy to eat! This is where Elijah confronted the priests of Baal. He learned that ours is a God that answers with fire. On one extreme occasion with real fire, now with a more powerful fire, a witness of the holy ghost, each to let us know who the true God is.

Me and Elijah about to cut down the priests of Baal.

We started the day in Haifa, up north near lebanon, where the hezbolla always fires rockets when they get mad. There are two LDS missionaries buried here. They died of small pox in 1895. They are the key reason the LDS church has a presence here and got the BYU center. Israel refused any non-established religions when they received independance in 1948. These graves proved LDS presence, and is the reason they were sent to live and die here (say the prophets) . Very sweet place. Our bishiop told us the story of these guys at our home teaching visit just a week and a half ago.

Gymboree

If any of you shop at Gymboree, here's a 30% off coupon to print and use May 10-13.

Darth Vader Baby

Noah has a cold so this is how he's breathing lately...hi-larious

Noah got a hold of a very dirty balloon. Look at those hands! I guess the balloon wasn't dirty but apparently the spots on it rubbed off very easily. So cute!

This is Mt. St. Helens, or maybe mount Timor, possibly the mount of transfiguration, and where Jesus would often go to pray.

This is the Nazareth YMCA. The ancients loved to dance the Y-M-C-A and this is where they honed their basketball skills.

We ate St. Peter's fish on a pier at the sea of gallilee, these fish were UGLY and we got the whole thing, head, tail and all. My fish had a coin in his mouth, just like the ancient miracle by Jesus to Peter! See video below

This is where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered. The beatitudes, the "blessed are the..." sermon. Beautiful place.

This is where Peter's house may have been, Capernaum, where the Lord spent a lot of time and performed a lot of His miracles.

I got tagged--any and all feel free to contribute their own answers

3 things that scare me:

1. spiders
2. satan
3. anyone who tries...like, stand around a corner and say boo? it gets me every time.

3 people who make me laugh:

1. dave
2. lynette
3. steve carell

3 things I love:

1. watching tv
2. spending money
3. my friend lynette's blog

3 things I hate:

1. my disorganization. even when i try to be organized it's disorganized
2. laundry that never seems to end, especially matching socks
3. snow in may

3 things I don't understand:

1. html code
2. housing market in utah
3. calculus

3 things on my desk:

don't have one. but on delos's desk there is:

1. a computer
2. a camera
3. mail

3 things I'm doing right now:

1. laundry
2. blogging
3. laundry

3 things I want to do before I die:

1. have a daughter
2. do a sprint triathlon
3. see italy

3 things I can't do:

1. lose weight
2. reason with isaac
3. sleep

3 things I think you should listen to:

1. the spirit
2. the prophet
3. your spouse

3 things I think you should never listen to:

1. my brothers
2. satan
3. 9 inch nails (see #2)

3 things I'd like to learn:

1. another language
2. how to be a good mom
3. photography

3 favorite foods:

1. chinese, especially noodles and sweet and sour chicken (or mongolian beef if it's pf chang's)
2. chocolate. almos any will do (or great wall of chocolate cake from pf chang's...do you see a theme?)
3. pizza

3 things I regret:

1. answering these questions honestly
2. spanking isaac last week
3. not buying a house 3 years ago instead of moving in with mom and dad

3 people I tagged:

1. jessica
2. holly

okay, that's it. i only have one friend and one sister-in-law who blog.

Austin's Baseball Game

Dave took Austin to his baseball game yesterday, so I thought we'd post some pictures and video--if I can get that part to work. They played the Yankees who are 6-0. At the top of the ninth Austin's team was winning 6-1, then somehow the Yankees ended up winning 18-6. 17 RUNS IN THE LAST INNING! Sad.

We started the day at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus occasionally wanted to escape the huge crowds that mobbed him near Jerusalem and as recorded in Matthew 16 (beginning at Verse 13) he took the Apostles to Caesarea Philippi to teach them. He asked Peter "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" Then he asked Peter who he (Peter) say that He is. It was a very pretty place, we wanted to jump into the headwaters of the Jordan River here, but it said you can't. I then had a nice similar interview with Misty about who I am! You can see the video next!

Misty's Interview at Caesarea Philippi

This is way up in Northern Israel, they uncovered these walls and gates of the Northern Kingdom when Solomon turned the kingdom over to Rehoboam, who was brutal. So his brother Jeroboam took 10 tribes north. He could have kept the 10 tribes and had his posterity continue forever if he obeyed commandments, but he was afraid his people would head south to the Temple at Jerusalem, so he built a golden calf to worship. The righteous left, he lost everything, and his 10 tribes were scattered and "lost."