December 1, 2005
Tiffany's family arrives
The weekend after Thanksgiving, Tiffany's parents came to visit. They were joined by Tiffany's sister, Tawni, Tawni's husband, Dave, and their eighteen month old daughter, Lexi.
On Saturday morning we drove to the airport and waited anxiously for their flight to arrive. The kids loved running around at the airport. It was especially nice because the airport was nearly empty due to the Sabbath. Tyler was disappointed that he couldn't ride on a plane, but very happy to see his grandparents.
They came!After they arrived, we picked up the rental car and drove to Haifa. They were pretty tired so they spent the next couple of days recovering. Poor Tawni was even pretty sick. We were thrilled when she told us at the airport that she was pregnant but sorry she was sick. Fortunately her morning sickness subsided once she caught up on some sleep. It was fun to just spend time together and talk at our apartment.
Once they recovered, we went to Jerusalem. We stayed in the Notre Dame Guest House again. After we were checked in, we went to Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. Scott drove in the car with Dad, Tyler and Brooke. The rest walked (parking is a pain near the Garden Tomb). Here are Tiffany and her mom at the Damascus gate as they were on their way to the Garden Tomb.
Damascus gateFortunately, Scott remembered most of what the guide told us the last time we were at the Garden Tomb, so he was able to share it with the whole family.
At GolgothaWe had a very relaxing and enjoyable visit to the Garden Tomb. It is so peaceful and beautiful there, especially compared to the noisy, dirty city just a few hundred feet away. It is a wonderful place to sit and feel the Spirit.
Garden TombAfter we returned from the Garden Tomb, we called Omar, and he picked us up and took us to his shop. Omar is an olive wood carver who specializes in pieces for LDS church members. For example, in the picture below is a figure of Nephi and another one of Brigham Young. He also makes very beautiful nativity sets. We all bought some souvenirs and then returned to the hotel for some well-deserved sleep.
Omar's shopThe next day, we went into the old city. We started by taking taxis to the Dung gate (the gate closest to the Western Wall). Here are Tiffany, Tawni and Mom on the women's side of the Western Wall.
The women at the Western wallWe spent some more time in the Western Wall plaza and then we wandered through the shops of the old city. Dad got a cane and Mom and Tawni got watches.
Jerusalem shopsAfter shopping, we split up. Dad, Tiffany, Tyler and Brooke returned to the hotel for naps, and Scott, Mom, Tawni, Dave and Lexi went on the Hasmonean Tunnel tour. It is the tour that starts near the Western Wall at what was ground level at the time of Christ but is now underground. The tour runs along the base of the Temple Mount and ends in the middle of the Old City.
After the tunnel tour, we went up onto the Temple Mount and saw the Dome of the Rock. We were pestered by a man who wanted to give us a tour. We finally let him and he told us a little about the history of the Temple Mount. At the end, Scott gave him a little bit of money which of course the man complained was too little. However, Scott felt it was a 50 shekel tour, so that is all he gave. Despite our guide, we enjoyed the visit especially because it was a beautiful day.
Shipleys at Dome of the RockWe all met back at the hotel and had dinner and a relaxing evening at the hotel. The next day, Scott took Mom, Tyler, Tawni and Dave shopping in the Old City. They bought a wide variety of souvenirs: olive wood, jewelry, Ahava lotion. Tyler was given an olive wood donkey by one shopkeeper, a stuffed camel by another and a couple of Christmas tree ornaments, so Tyler came out ahead.
After shopping, we ate lunch at our hotel. The hotel has a wonderful little cafe that serves good and inexpensive food. They even serve food we haven't had in a while: quesadillas and burritos!
After checking out of our hotel, we drove to the BYU Jerusalem Center. We were given a personal tour by our district president. It was neat to have a tour just for us, with more commentary than the standard tours get.
Jerusalem centerAfter finishing at the Jerusalem Center, we drove back to Haifa. On the way home, we decided to stop at Avasi for some good middle-eastern food. It was great: pita fresh from the oven, falafel, salads, hummus and skewers of meat. We then went home and collapsed into our beds, exhausted.
Tyler-isms:
"I love toys, Daddy loves books and you love clothes." - Explaining to Tiffany how our family works.
"You said I'm smart; that's like the car." - One of Tyler's favorite kinds of car is the Smart.
"Unhanged it up" - To answer the computer phone (Skype).
"Write that down" - When Tyler realized he had said something funny, he told us to write it down on the Tyler-isms list.
Brooke-isms:
"Poppy" - Potty. We have had a few successes among many attempts.
"Troltrol" - Stroller