August 9, 2005
Intel party, Mike's Visit, Branch Activity
Just like last year, Intel had another summer water activity. This year it was at Club Akziv (or Ahziv or Arziv depending on how you want to transliterate). It is right next to a Club Med location and used to be part of L'Ambert castle at the time of the crusaders. One section of the park even has ruins from Crusader times. Akziv is located right on the beach so we had a beautiful view from the pool.
There was food and soft drinks and lots of water activities. We didn't ride on the catamarans or jump on the bungee-trampolines because Brooke and Tyler were too small. However, we had lots of fun in the swimming pool.
Intel summer activityWe ate lots of popsicles and watched part of the movie Shark Tale (in Hebrew). Tyler and Brooke charmed Scott's co-workers. Tyler even spoke Hebrew with them. He usually doesn't speak Hebrew when we are around. Tyler also impressed them with his love of pita and hummus. Brooke was sweet and kept asking to be held by the females.
Tyler helped Scott play laser tag with Scott's co-workers and their significant others. If you look closely, you will notice that Tyler didn't put down his watermelon, his favorite fruit, to help.
Laser tagOf course we think Brooke is the cutest girl in the world. See for yourself.
Cute girlTyler loves his Duplo Legos. He is always building vehicles and hotels and garages. This Lego tower is a hotel. Notice the people stuffed in the windows and the cars parked on the roof.
Lego towerWe went to Herzliya for another of Tiffany's dentist appointments. Scott and the kids played and hung out with Mike, a BYU student who is interning at a company in Tel Aviv.
After Tiffany was done we all ate at a fabulous Japanese restaurant and then returned to Haifa with Mike. We showed Mike around Haifa, including the German colony, Stella Maris and the Baha'i gardens.
Bahai GardensBrooke and Tyler had lots of fun with Mike. Fortunately he was very good natured about their pestering.
Mike and the kidsHere Mike took our picture at the top of the Baha'i gardens, looking down over Haifa Bay.
Haifa BayMike spent the night at our apartment and then we took him with us to church. After church, we took him to some of the more important sights around the Sea of Galilee. Here Brooke is looking at the stained glass in the church of St. Peter's Primacy.
Brooke with stained glassAfter our sightseeing, we helped Mike catch a bus back to Herzliya.
The watering system on one of our balconies broke and our landlord hasn't been able to find someone to fix it, so we have been watering the plants by hand. Here Brooke and Tyler decided to help.
Watering the plantsThis month we had a Branch Picnic. After dinner, we divided up into groups and drew pictures of the Garden of Eden. Brooke helped by coloring the flowers blue.
Coloring at branch activityBrooke's hair is finally long enough to put in pigtails. We think she looks really cute that way. She did pretty well with them. She usually pulls out her barettes after an hour or so. The pigtails lasted almost four hours.
Pigtail girlTyler-isms:
"Do they have kids? When you get married you get kids." - About Jeff and Augusta.
"Mom, don't look where I colored on the table. It was an accident." - Oops.
"How does your hair stay on your head?" - Another profound question.
"Some people's mommies and daddies speak Hebrew." - Until recently, Tyler thought everyone's parents spoke English.
"When I'm a daddy will my hair turn black?" - After observing his father.
"Is this like jet flag?" - Disoriented after a late nap, he thought he had jet lag.
Brooke-isms:
"No" - We are afraid this is now her favorite word.
"Go" - Probably her second favorite word. She runs to the door if we say something like, "it is time to go to bed."
"Purple" - The color
"Preple" - Pretzel
"Car" - While riding in the car, she often says car and points out the window.
"Owie" - When she gets hurt
"Oopa" - This is the Israeli way to say "oops".
"Uppie" - A multi-purpose word, which replaced up and down.