Bye-bye

Hello hello. Goodbye, bye-bye, later, hasta la pasta, see you later, adios, ma'asalama, ciao! A despedida**, a farewell is something we say every day when we hang up the phone, close the door or leave a place a business. Here in Egypt, they have a special way of saying goodbye.

I should back up and let you know what "goodbye" is in Arabic. It is Ma'asalama. That is the best transliteration I know how to spell.

So, the unique way they say "Goodbye" on the phone . . . . how to put it? They don't quit. The goodbye-ing doesn't stop. And sometimes they do say, "bye-bye." A combination of it all. I was just on the phone with the Orbitz satellite guy and he didn't quit.

me: "Alright, ma'asalama."
him: Ma'asalama, bye-bye
me: bye
him: okay, bye-bye. bye-bye
me: ma'asalama
him: ma'asalama, okay, bye-bye, bye-bye

Onandonandonandon. After 4 years, you would think I'd get used to it. Nope. It still cracks me up! I can overhear my housekeeper's cell phone conversations and her trying to get off the phone with her sister, son, or pharmacist.

ReRe: Okay, bye-bye, bye-bye, yalla ma'asalama, bye-bye, okay, bye-bye.

And you just hang up. Mid-ma'asalama. The only way to get off the phone is just to hang up. You aren't offending them, it's just the way to say goodbye. Okay, bye-bye, adios, ciao, aurevoir, auf-wiederzein, domo arigato (mr. roboto) cheers, you can quit reading, see you later alligator, really, I won't be offended, goodbye, bye-bye, see you later . . . .




**isn't it frustrating when something is just better described in another language? Despedida or to despedir is a word to describe saying goodbye. I guess you could call it the equivalent of farewell. "He bade them a sorrowful farewell." also fitting in the category: semaforo, insha'allah, jalas But this is all good fodder for another post.

10 Years Ago . . .

The day has finally come. Spencer and I have been married 10 years. And it feels like it was just last week. Then I'm jolted back to reality by my 8 (almost 9) year old Eliza asking if she can play the Wii. And then Mairyn wanting to play, too. Grant running along throwing Legos and Jacqueline screaming, "Me too, me too!"

Who would have thought that 10 years from this day we would be in Cairo, Egypt sharing the adventure of our lives? I scoff a lot of people (when we go back to the states) that ooh and ahh about our "exotic" life.

"I never thought it would feel so . . . normal. School, clubs, errands and grocery shopping." I tell them.

But in some ways, it is a new adventure every week. Not necessarily one of my choosing, but still, not every day life in the States. And nonetheless, an adventure I get to share with my best friend and confidant, Spencer. Who knows what the next 10 years hold for us?

Christmas Photos

I figured I had better get some Christmas pictures up before the season passes. That and the fact that I have semi-decent Internet right now. Sheesh.

We made salt dough decorations for the Christmas tree this year. I didn't feel like getting out all the fancy, fragile ones and it suited us perfectly. Quite a few were broken, but no tears from Mommy.

We made lots of goodies.

Also, our family reenactment of the Nativity and dressing up went well this year. Jacqueline did not want to be dressed up she did her own thang.

The Christmas morning picture

Daddy's Birthday Greetings

This is Eliza's birthday card to Spencer. And he isn't sick. I asked Eliza why she put that and she said that this morning Daddy said his stomach hurt. "His stomach hurt?" "Yeah, he said he needed breakfast." Ok, well, alright, whatever. The joke at the bottom is a mortgage company magazine advertisement. She told me the joke last week when we were unloading groceries. I did the obligatory "ha-ha, that's funny" and asked her where she heard that. She said,

"Oh, I saw it in one of your magazines, Mommy. I think it was Time."

Good, good. Time magazine, the source of all jokes for birthday cards!

Crushin' on me

I know as of late I've posted a lot about my little man, Grant, but he's just saying the best things right now. We were talking about when we grow up. (I'm still getting there) What will he do, what will be his job, where he wants to live, etc. I know where this conversation is going. You can have this conversation with any little boy and they will answer the same thing. I just wanted to hear it from him.

"So, what are you going to do when you grow up?"

"I want to be a man like Daddy."

"Really? And what does Daddy do?"

"He grow up & get married & go to work."

"Who are you going to marry when you are a man like Daddy?"

"You, Mommy!"

Aww, Mommies just need to hear that! So I posed the dilemma back at him,

"But I'm already married to Daddy."

"Then I marry Mairyn because she my best friend."

I'm just pleased that he would call his sister his best friend. Something is getting through to that little brain of his!

**We did continue the conversation and discuss the social no-no's of marrying ones sibling or mother. He'll get things straightened out eventually!

Sunday Quotations

'Tis the season for Christmas movies like "It's a Wonderful Life". We tried watching this and other such films with the kidlets. "Tried" being the operative word. Some of the flicks went over better than others. Here's a quiz: Given the choice between 'Elf' or 'It's a Wonderful Life' which do you think held the kids' attention longer? If you chose the former, you would be right. Although I remember gradually warming up to the latter such film as the years passed. It's a gem. The following quote isn't actually uttered in the film, but is in a frame underneath Father Bailey's picture in the 'ol Building and Loan office.

"All you can take with you is that which you've given away."

George and Uncle Billy are faced with the closure of the family business and George glances at his father's picture and framed quote. This is when George puts up $2000 of his own money to keep his friends out from under Potter's thumb. No truer words could be hand-stitched for posterity. Later Clarence, George's angel, reminds him of this ever important phrase.

"Remember George, no man is a failure who has friends."

Truer words could not be uttered. In these times of worshipping material possesions, we need to remember we can only be truly wealthy if we surround ourselves with the best of friends and the warmest of feelings. Merry Christmas!!

Four foods on Friday 60

Yes, yes, I know that it is Sunday. I got up Friday to finish my Four Foods and there wasn't any internet! An underwater cable in the Mediterranean was severed somehow. The cable that supplies the Middle East/North Africa with internet! This happened earlier this year and when they fixed it then, they said something about making it stronger, less susceptible to incidents like this! Oh well.

#1. What’s your favorite crunchy food?

Gotta be nachos. Put down one layer of chips, then some shredded, sharp cheddar cheese, then another layer of chips, cheese and then the microwave. Remember the randomly placed sliced jalapenos on top!

#2. How often do you try new recipes?

Every week! I'm so stuck in a rut right now, so I'll try anything new! But I will find new recipes all the time and make a one-two serving experiment with it, to see if we like it.

#3. Name a food that you almost always have in the house.

Pick one? One that we eat every day is cold cereal. Yeah, boring.

#4. What kind of food do you leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?

Cookies, duh. One year we hadn't made any cookies (I was pregnant and insanely ill) so we left marshmallows and pretzels for Santa and his reindeer.

50 questions

I have discovered something. I think I like memes. Shocking, most of all to me! Or maybe it was just a great distraction for this afternoon when I was avoiding addressing Christmas cards and NOT making the Christmas goodies that I've got every ingredient for, including Peppermint extract, cocoa powder and melting chocolate. This one has also sparked some new blog post ideas for me!


1. Do you like cheese? Yes, stinky cheese.
2. Have you ever smoked? Nope.
3. Do you own a gun? Technically, no. Will I? Yes
4. Do you like listening to Christmas music? Of course!
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Depends on the reason for the visit, but sometimes, irrationally so.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Those sticks of calories can rest on my hips anytime!
7. Favorite Christmas song for all time? Oh, um, heh, ah, Sleigh Ride by Harry Connick Jr. and then Silver Bells by Elvis Presley. Best version ever.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Ah, a protein shake after my workout.
9. Can you do push ups? Little girlie ones!
10. Who is your favorite Grey's Anatomy Character? Grey's who's anatomy?
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? These hanging round sparkly ones from Avon
12. Favorite hobby? Taking pictures & reading
13. Do you eat "exotic" foods? You betcha!
14. Do you have ADD? If you mean that I'm easily distra . . . ooh, something shiny!
15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? My disorganization
16. Middle Name? Claire
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? I should be making Christmas goodies. I need to get those dang Christmas cards addressed and in the mail. Finally, Jacqui is down for a nap.
18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? Sugar, whipping cream, salt (for the christmas goodies I should be making)
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, Diet Coke, and Milk.
20. Current worry right now? Do I have to pick just one?
21. Current hate? Egypt
22. Favorite place to be? Camping in the mountains.
23. How will you bring in the New Year? With a fiesta!
24. Where would you like to go? Australia
25. Name three people who will complete this? Whoever wants to
26. Do you own flip-flops? One pair I use for public showers
27. What shirt are you wearing? One I bought in the Denver Airport when Jacqui got chocolate pudding all over me on the plane. It says, Rocky Mountains est. 1876 Colorado
28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Never have tried it, but I would like to!
29. Can you whistle? Yeah sure, you betcha!
30. Favorite color? Olive or sage green
31. Would you be a pirate? Only if I get a flag tattoo that ripples when I flash my muscles!
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever is currently on my iPod mix. (as of late, Hot n' Cold by Katy Perry. Pretty appropriate for our water heater.)
33. Favorite girl's name? Lauren Charlotte
34. Favorite boy's name? Hayden Marc
35. What's in your pocket right now? No pockets in these pants.
36. Last thing that made you laugh? Grant's response to Santa's gift. (see previous post.)
37. Best bed sheets as a child? Um, clean ones?
38. Worst injury you've ever had? Does 10 years of inflating and deflating due to pregnancy count?
39. Do you love where you live? I have to agree with TypO, Love is a strong word.
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two.
41. Who is your loudest friend? Friends, who needs friends? Ah, Jamie Probert from college! Love ya, gurlfriend!
42. How many dogs do you have? In my dream life or now? Now = none. Dreams = 2 chocolate labs
43. Does someone have a crush on you? Yes, my little boy Grant! I'll be posting about that story soon.
44. Do you get embarrassed easily? Nope. With 4 kids, not much fazes me now.
45. What is your favorite book? Again, that's like picking a favorite child.
46. What is your favorite candy? Twix
47. Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince theme song? Yes ma'am! If you'd like to hear it, come to the shower next week.
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Each Life that Touches Ours for Good
49. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping. Wow, that's amazing.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Ah, it's vacation and I am sleeping in. Any other day? Crap, it's morning.

Take it or leave it

Santa came to visit Grant's school yesterday. It was a big deal. Santa brought presents for everyone! Actually, they asked the parents about 2 weeks ago to bring a covert package so that each kid could have something from him. *sigh* I've already done my Christmas shopping. I'm done. Finito. Jalas! That was one thing I was on top of this year. I had already bought a bushel of books for stockings and presents, so I did some present rearranging and put one of his Christmas morning presents in a gift bag and took it to his teacher.

Yesterday, the motivation for him going to school was that Santa was coming to visit. Yay! It's a bit hard right now to get him out the door because his sisters are out of school already and just lounging at home. Anyway, Grant got to school, I went to the gym and through the rest of my day. 3pm comes; it's time to pick up Grant. I go pick him up and get home. We're taking off shoes in the entryway when I ask him about the Christmas party at school.

"How was the party with Santa today?"

very unenthusiastically, "Okay."

"Really? Did Santa bring you anything?"

"Yep."

"Well, what did Santa bring you?"

"I don't like it."

"What? What was it?"

"He bring me a book and I don't like the book. I want a toy."

Oooo-kay. "Well, bring me the book, let's see what it's about."

"I don't like it. I leave it at school."

He didn't like the book, so he left it at school. This started my thought process running. Where would he leave it? What would he do with it? Did he throw it away? We got to school this morning and I started scouring the book racks for his book. It's a fun book, I remember it from my Reading Rainbow days, it's called 'Gregory the Terrible Eater', about a goat that doesn't like to eat junk and wants to eat vegetables and spaghetti. I hunted high and low and could not find that dang book anywhere. I was about to go ask the teacher when I remembered that each child has a paperwork cubby. I pulled out the drawer and voila! There is it, gift bag and all. I may have some last minute shopping to do. Maybe Bakier stationary has some Spiderman paraphernalia. Really, anything with Spiderman on it will win this boy's heart. I got it! A book about Spiderman! Now where will I find that in Egypt? Hmmmmmm . . . . .

Luxor Part 3

Ok, third and final section of our trip. On Friday, we went on a day cruise arranged through our amazing hotel. It left at 7am and returned at 7pm. The cruise covered 42 miles downriver (meaning north) to Qina near where the temple Dendera is located. It was quite early for us lazy bones who had been enjoying the sleeping in till whenever we felt like it (but getting up before breakfast was over, hey, we still have some priorities!) It was surprisingly chilly, the boat crew passed out blankets and beach towels to whoever wanted them. It took about 4 hours to cruise there, got some great pictures on the way. You'll notice on the third row down, end right picture is this Michael Jackson-esque person. When we stumbled on the boat at 6:45am, he was at the entrance filming away and telling everyone to smile and wave! We figured out that he was probably making a DVD of the "experience" and then whoever wanted to buy it at the end, could do so. He picked out some people, and then would film them exclusively for a while. Suckas! He was quite hilarious!

Once we arrived at Qina, we all piled onto tour buses, divided by language. Apparently there was a big Finnish group in attendance, they even had their own tour guide. There was also a French contingency and then the English speaking group. We had our own bus. Dendera is one of the most well preserved temples in Egypt. It is a favorite of researchers, archaeologists & scholars. The colors are amazing & still vivid. The structure itself is still standing, hardly any reconstruction. There are stairways, passages and roof access. All of which you can explore. There are sub-terrain catacombs, ladders leading up to secret offering rooms, and chamber upon chamber every which way you turn. I could have explored for days! We wandered away from the tour group. Hey, we knew where to meet. Besides, the guide was sub-par at best. I don't like tour groups anyway. I like to be able to wander, ponder and take pictures at my leisure. I do my homework before the trip, find out history, etc. and just take it for what it is once I'm there. There is also something else about sight-seeing that isn't in any guide book. You will reach a saturation point. You can only take in so much and then the cut-off point comes and no matter how many more sights or information you cram in, you will not care! That said, we were at Dendera for 2 hours and it was just enough time. Not too long, not too short.

Then it was back to the boat, lunch in the dining room as soon as we boarded and a 6 hour cruise time till Luxor. There was a pool on the boat as well. We brought swimsuits, but it was too cold. In the collage, you will notice there are two boys frolicking in the water. They were Finnish, I'm sure it felt like the middle of summer for them! After a beautiful sunset, the full moon came out and it was such a peaceful ending to our amazing 2nd honeymoon! Whew, I'm done. I sorted through over 650 pictures to pick out some of the best. I'm also putting some into albums on my Facebook account. Tip: If there is only one book you buy for touring anywhere in the world, it is the Rough Guide. It was invaluable! It has everything in it; recommendations for every budget for lodging & food, opening & closing hours of sites, their prices, history and synopsis of everywhere. Don't leave home without it!

Luxor Part 2

So, the second part of our trip. We were going to go to Aswan for 2 days, but decided that would make the trip too hurried. We wanted to have a relaxing week, so we stayed in Luxor for Wednesday and Thursday. We did the Karnak temple and it's Sound & Lights show that evening. The show is on our video camera and I'm not tech-savvy enough to get some clips on here. It is the best sound and lights show in Egypt. Very interactive. You walk through the temple grounds and the narration is a little cheesy at times, but very enriching. Luxor wouldn't be complete without that show! Thursday we did the Luxor temple. We got there about an hour and a half before sunset. It's open from 9am to 9pm, so it's one of the few ones where you can stroll during dusk. And that provides great lighting for magnificent pictures. Although we were all prepared to walk back out the entrance, to catch the sunset over the Nile, and they pointed in the opposite direction. WHAT? So we hiked to the other side of the complex to exit. It's a scam, I swear. There are vendors right there waiting for you. We barely made it back to the banks of the river to get some sunset pictures. So plan accordingly. And, every night we had dinner at this great little Italian restaurant called Pizzeria Romancero. It's on the grounds of the Iberotel, so convenient and affordable. And there is no extra charge to add your tab to your room bill. (usually there is) Other than the expensive water (12 LE bottle = $2.17) the food is very affordable. They bring you this basket full of gourmet bread with a dipping dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We had the Quattro Formaggio pizza for 40LE ($7.24) every night. We split it. Although I could have eaten a whole one by myself! The best pizza I've ever had. Period. Thin, crispy crust, not greasy, loads of cheese and yum! Anyway, I'll wrap Luxor up tomorrow!

Luxor Part 1

We are back! Yay! We had a great week together in Luxor. The problem is that there are so many pictures I want to put on, but just can't. Oh wait! I have this wonderful program called Picasa. Let's make a collage.

This whole trip was a surprise for Spencer. It's our 10th anniversary later this month and he had all of last week off. So, what better time to take a vacation? I was going to try and surprise him the morning of, but seeing as how we had to leave at 4:45 am, I didn't think he'd appreciate being woken up that early and leaving on short notice. I left our plane itinerary on the bed and asked him, from another room, to go get the papers for me. He was thoroughly surprised! Our flight to Luxor left at 7am and is only an hour flight, so by 9am we were checked into our hotel and ready to begin the day.

We took it easy and visited the Luxor Museum first, which is, in my opinion, the best museum Egypt has to offer. It's 80LE ($14.47) entrance ticket is a little steeper than other prices, but totally worth it. Everything is well labelled, beautifully arranged and lighted, air conditioned (not that it matters at this time of year, but other times it's essential). They even have two mummies which are leaps and bounds past the mummies in the Cairo Egyptian Museum. The Egyptian Museum is a disorganized, poorly lit, over-heated mess of pharonic artifacts. And you have to pay extra to see their stinky mummies. But it's only open from 9am - 1pm, so you have to plan your time wisely. Although we got there at 10:30 and were completely done by noon. And we are museum freaks, we love reading every description, lingering over each piece and basking in the awe of ancient artifacts.

After the museum, we headed over to this great little cafe called Chez Omar. I discovered it last February when I went to Luxor with my friend, Collette. It's traditional Egyptian food, but not tourist prices. A bowl of lentil soup, 5LE (90 cents), rice and vegetables, 5 LE each and half a grilled chicken for 20LE ($3.61). And we each ordered our own everything, we could have easily split it. We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through town and along the Nile, you know, being mushy 2nd honeymooners! There is one picture, on the bottom row, 4th from the left. That was what greeted us when we returned to our rooms the second day. The "maids" (they were mostly men) had made up the room, rolled a towel into a snake/swan something, put a book in front of it and balanced my glasses on it's "nose". The tears of laughter were flowing! Though I had put my glasses away in my case, creepy at the same time. We made sure to hide everything adequately for the rest of the week.

The second day, we went to the West Bank (no, not that one), Luxor proper is on the East bank of the Nile. We caught the 1LE (18 cents) ferry across the river and hired a taxi for the day. We went to the Valley of the Kings first. There are numerous tombs (65 known tombs at this time and 2 new entrances discovered this year) but your ticket only gets you into 3 of your choice. And King Tut's tomb is a separate ticket of 100 LE ($18.10). We didn't go inside that one. We went inside Rameses IV, Tutmoses III and Rameses IX. The last one, Rameses IX, was a last minute choice seeing as how some other choices of ours required an extra ticket or was closed. After that we went over to the Ramesseum. It's the mortuary temple of Rameses II. After a quick stop at the Colossi of Memnon, it was back to the 1LE ferry across the river. That takes us up to Tuesday night, more to come! (oh, and no photo allowed inside the tombs, that's why there aren't any)

Sunday Quotations

It is Sunday, hence, quotations! I'll dip my toes back in the blogging waters with this post while I create a menagerie of collages illustrating the past week of vacation bliss!! I'm sharing some quotes from Hugh Nibley today partly because of our trip last week. He was a great scholar and was fluent in many languages. One particular interest of his was Egyptology. He could read Hieroglyphics and I am just generally impressed by him. He was one reason we went to see the Dendera temple. It is one of the most well preserved temples in Egypt and Hugh Nibley would frequent it during his travels to Egypt. I had the privilege of hearing him speak in person while at BYU. But the first person to introduce me to his works was my wonderful Spencer. I remember when I first heard this quote and then I asked, "Why?"

Hugh Nibley was professor emeritus of ancient scripture at Brigham Young
University when this commencement address was given on 19 August 1983.

"Twenty-three years ago on this same occasion, I gave the opening prayer, in which I said: "We have met here today clothed in the black robes of a false priesthood." Many have asked me since whether I really said such a shocking thing, but nobody has ever asked what I meant by it. Why not? Well, some knew the answer already, and as for the rest, we do not question things at the BYU."

That said, I've got a short but sweet quote from Brother Nibley.

"Beauty is whatever gives joy."

A short Hiatus

Hiatus
–noun, plural -tus⋅es, -tus.

1.	a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.

I know, I know, it's not Wednesday. The day has come, though. Spencer and I are taking advantage of the Eid el-Adha celebrations a jetting off for a vacation! Without the kids! This was a surprise for Spencer. So we'll be back in a week. Ma'asalaama!

Sunday Quotations

In memory of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, I thought I'd share a little memory about him as well. Actually, it's not my memory, it's Spencer's. When he was on his way home from his mission, he met Elder Wirthlin in the Salt Lake airport. It was the last leg of his journey and he was looking for his gate. He found it and was about to sit down when he heard a voice call out that said, "Elder, come sit and talk to me." It was Elder Wirthlin and his wife on their way to Ricks College to give an address. *gulp* So Spencer sat and talked with him and his wife until it was boarding time. Then the announcement came that it was time to board and everyone began gathering their things. They parted ways and got in line. They ended up sitting next to each other for the flight home. During their conversation, Spencer expressed some apprehension he had about being released, and about keeping the same spirit he had on his mission. Elder Wirthlin said,

"You find yourself a good girl, get married, finish your education and you'll be fine." Sidenote: Seven months after that conversation, Spencer and I were wed for time and all eternity. We are celebrating 10 years this month, by the way.

Spencer had been doing some proselyting on his way home from the Dominican Republic, prior to running into Elder Wirthlin. At one of the airports, he had spoken with a man that was interested in learning more, and who wanted to talk to the missionaries. Spence got his contact information, but wasn't sure what to do with it. When he asked Elder Wirthlin what to do with it, Elder Wirthlin said,

"Here, give it to me, Elder. I'll take care of it."

A few weeks after Spencer got home, he got a call from Elder Wirthlin's office. They were asking him if it was OK if Elder Wirthlin use their conversations in a mission president's training seminar. Sure, no problem. Spencer's last mission president had come to the mission field under special circumstances, and had not had the mission president training. So he was in attendance at Elder Wirthlin's training course. When he got to the part where he shared Spencer's proselyting endeavors, he said,

"Whoever Elder Penrod's mission president was, he taught him right."

Spencer's mission president was beaming!! He called Spencer after the conference and told him about the mention and thanked him and wished him well. We will all miss Elder Wirthlin, but we know that he lived a full life and is now reunited with his lovely wife!

A tag of 8

8 Favorite Shows
(everything listed here is on DVD, except American Idol. so we watch WHEN we want to!)
- Lost
- The Office
- House
- Monk (although the season should have stopped a year ago)
- Psych
- Stargate: Atlantis (it's wonderfully unrealistic & I love my disconnected hour of fun!)
- American Idol
- Heroes

8 things I did yesterday (I started this on Friday, even though it's being posted Saturday)
- Went to the gym
- Woo-hooed with the girls because it's the last day of school!
- Helped Jacqui get on the toilet. (she's potty trained, it's just that the toilets here are HUGE, the seat hits her at mid-chest.)
- Prepared my "Sunday School" lesson for church on Friday.(so why don't we call it Friday School?)
- Found heavenly Jello Cups at the commissary. They are sugar & fat-free & only have 10 calories!
- Checked my email.
- Watched an amazing clip of Kristin Chenoweth.
- And another.

8 Favorite Restaurants
- Bhua Khao (amazing Thai)
- Cantina Laredo (the best pulled beef tacos in Cairo!)
- Rainforest Cafe (They have one good dish, Calypso Chicken. I've only been once & I've dreamed about it ever since. And my kids LOVE the animatronic animals, huge aquariums and anthropomorphized tree in the gift shop.)
- Wingers (man, their wings are good!)
- Macaroni Grill (the spinach & shrimp with lemon and pasta, yum. same thing, had it once, been dreamin' ever since)
- Rodizios
- P.F. Changs
- Pho Dat Than (a vietnamese soup place that is amazing, you build your own soup AND we can feed the whole family for $7, yeah. Unfortunately, it's only in Virginia & Maryland)

8 things I'm looking forward to
- Spencer getting home TOMORROW
- Going to Germany when my brother goes to the temple.
- The new Harry Potter movie.
- Christmas
- Turning 30 (someone said you get more street cred. after 30)
- Leaving CAIRO this next summer! (though I'll cherish the memories, some more than others)
- Going to the salon for a new 'do
- Going to D.C. this next summer


8 things I'm NOT looking forward to
- Getting up in the morning
- Children getting up in the morning.
- Renewing vaccinations.
- Getting the house ready to move. (I need to do some serious de-junking)
- Addressing & mailing Christmas cards
- A month of kids at home all day, every day
- Eliza turning 9 next month
- Leaving ReRe here in Egypt (my housekeeper)


8 things on my wish list (only 8?)
- Wilton Mini Loaf Pan
- This frame from Ikea. Nothing in it. On a plain wall.
- This dining room set
- A huge self-cleaning kitchen
- Snow
- Lasik surgery for my eyes!
- A personal jet (clearly, some of these are more realistic than others)
- A backyard for gardening and playing


8 people I tag
- Katelyn at Chris and Katelyn
- Leslie at The Good Report
- Sara at 2 of us, 5 of them
- Nancy at Heissatopia
- Carolee at The Schilling Family
- Aprillee at The Life of Mark and Aprillee Spencer
- Melissa at State of d'Nile
- Janyece at Daily Journeys of an American Gypsy

Four Foods on Friday 58

This is a meme I participate in every Friday. Someone else comes up with the week's questions and we answer them!

#1. Does your family usually eat meals in the kitchen or somewhere else?

Our kitchen is so dinky, we get claustrophobic with more than 3 people, let alone have enough room for a table. (we're a family of 6) We eat where I was taught to eat, at the table. Family dinner. Now, if it's just my husband and me, (after the kids are in bed) we will skooch together on the couch and share a cozy dinner with a good movie.

#2. Who usually does the dishes in your house?

Right now, my housekeeper, ReRe. And when she's not around, the dishes sometimes wait for her. We're teaching them how to play dead next week! I will tackle the mountains on her off days; she comes in 3x a week.

#3. What’s your favorite small appliance or tool in the kitchen?

My stick blender. I use that baby every morning for my protein shakes! And for my soups! And for hiding "secret food" in with the regular food. One time, I made spaghetti with tomatoes and eggplant. I cooked the eggplant and then buzzed it into oblivion and added it to the tomato sauce. And nobody could tell. I hide a lot of things. I think it stems from my mom. I came into the kitchen one evening and she was making spaghetti sauce. I saw her grating carrots and cooking zucchini and I asked,

"What are you doing?"

"Making spaghetti sauce." she calmly replies.

"With that stuff in it?"

"Yep, and I have been for years!"

Yeah, so now I do the same thing to my kids! You can hide a ton of stuff in spaghetti sauce. My stick blender is really great. I really like it. A lot. **


#4. This one’s for my son. Share a recipe for chili.

I don't use recipes, amounts are very fluid for me! This is my own creation. It did win a small church chili cook-off! There were 4 other entrants, 5 including me. Soooo, do with it what you will.

About a pound of ground beef
beef bullion granules
a cup of corn (i like pict sweet)
1 can red kidney beans
2 cans Hunt's tomato sauce
1 can Diced tomatoes and pepper (drained, I like Ro*Tel)
1 can Diced tomatoes & Garlic (drained, I use Del Monte)
1/2 a packet of Chili Seasoning (schilling brand)
liberal dashes of chili powder (depends on how spicy you want it)

- Brown the beef, I add the beef bullion during this time and the chili seasoning.
- Then add everything else.
- Taste and tweak.
- Once it's heated, serve!!

This recipe is really subjective to taste and number of people. More people? Add more beef. If you like more corn, do more corn. Less saucy, (rrrowwl) use less tomato sauce. My rule of thumb is to start small, you can always add more.


**hmmm, best movie for february ever? am i right or am i right or am i right?

Word of the Day Wednesday

Litany - \ˈli-tə-nē, ˈlit-nē\ noun; plural lit·a·nies

Etymology:

Middle English letanie, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin litania, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litanos supplicant

Date:

13th century

1: a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the leader with alternate responses by the congregation
2 a: a resonant or repetitive chant a litany of cheering phrases — Herman Wouk> b: a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration a familiar litany of complaints c: a sizable series or set a litany of problems


Friends and family have often asked about the call to prayer, the adhan (or athan, whichever dialect you want!) The call to prayer happens 5 times a day; first at sunrise (which I don't hear anymore alhamdulilah! It bothered me the first few months, but then I guess I just got used to it. That and we put a huge noise-making fan outside the baby's room to provide white noise!) Then again about noon, again at about 3ish, sunset and then an hour after sunset. That's when I hear the muezzins calling out. And then, sometimes, (for the heck of it?) these really creative guys in our neighborhood just start wailing & yowling into the evening. Maybe they're just practicing. Now, I don't mean any disrespect, but it's really quite unintelligible, even for Arabic speakers. The beginning part is unmistakable, (refer to the hotlink for adhan) but the rest? Well, I've asked ReRe, our housekeeper, what they are saying and she says,

"Oh, they're saying this & this & this." (because they say the same prayers every day.)

"No, can you understand these exact words right now?"

"Oh no, ma'am. Some of them are quite awful."

But to hear a really great muezzin; it is truly an art. They train and practice and when it's done the right way, it's like music. I have a clip of the call to prayer at sunset below. This is something truly unique to hear. Even though the cacophony can sound a bit overwhelming and mixed up, when sunset comes, you can hear the waves of voices beginning to spill over the city. First far away and then building to it's peak right outside your kitchen window. Which is where I recorded this video clip. I caught it at the peak of saturation. I'm not extremely pleased with the sound quality, it's a lot louder in person, but, hey you take what you get! Boy, this turned into quite a wordy Wednesday.

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!

So I think we may need a new Toy Story DVD. It is riddled with scratches (we call it love) and now, when you watch it, the screen freezes about every 3 seconds. Then it continues. Very annoying. But apparently not annoying enough for children. I tried telling them that the movie is broken, but they wouldn't hear of it. And Grant kept insisting that it wasn't broken.

"I just need to clap my hands, Mommy."

"What?"

Then the screen froze.

>>Clap Clap<< "See Mommy, the movie just needs to be clapped."

Apparently, he thinks that the power of his clapping is enough to keep this DVD alive. This is a DVD, Grant, not a fairy. And so, he continued to watch Toy Story, freezing every three seconds and him clapping it back to life.

Mmmmm, Food.

Jacqueline really likes her food. She hums when she eats. I tried it, and it's weirdly comforting. Not that I'm going to make a habit of it! I have finally caught it on video and just can't keep it to myself!! She was quite embarrassing in church on Friday. She decided she didn't like nursery and came to class with me. Well, she began digging in my purse and found an Oat & Chocolate Fiber One bar. Fiber, mmmmm. It was about her snack time, so I opened it up and put her on the floor at my feet. One bite, then,

"mmmmmmmm" *swallow*

Some people looked over. She took another bite.

"mmmmmmmmm" *swallow*

More people looked. Hey, it's all her! I just said, "She really likes her food."

Here she is enjoying a cup of yogurt. (or as she calls it "yo-guts") Word to ya momma.

Sunday Quotations

This week's quotation is one that you won't find in any book or magazine. It was related to us firsthand by Professor Norbert Duckwitz. When we were at BYU, Spencer worked in the Middle Eastern Studies office, doing odd jobs, editing, answering phones, etc. Professor Duckwitz was a hoot. He is German born and told us many funny stories, one of which was about when he was on his mission. He served in Germany and President Benson was the Area Authority at the time. When President and Sister Benson would visit, they stayed at the mission home. Professor Duckwitz was working in the office at this time. When he was serving, missionaries were still allowed to go out in the evenings and see movies. Well, one evening, Elder Duckwitz and his companion were leaving to catch a flick. Sister Benson hears them leaving and pokes her head out the window and sees them in the street. He said that she called after them and said,

"Boys, where are you going?"

Elders: "Well, we're going to see a movie, Sister Benson."
(they were a little nervous because they thought she was going to call them back to do something for her.")

But she said, "Boys, oh boys, can I come too?"

Just the way that Professor Duckwitz related it, it was so sweet. If you need a new book to read, pick up Ezra Taft Benson's biography. Wonderful insights and inspiring stories. So, it has merged into our own life as an expression. Someone is leaving to do something alone and you call out after them, "Boys, oh boys, Can I come too?"

Forays In Faux-tatoes

We went beyond our usual boundaries this Thanksgiving. Since Sara and I were both husband-less, we didn't go all out but we also tried gearing the meal in a more healthy direction. Sara made these amazing savory sweet potatoes. Cut into chunks, seasoned with herbs and garlic (garlic, mmmm, that's what i remember) they were the best sweet potatoes to ever cross my lips. And I really don't like sweet potatoes. The other alternative food on our menu was Fauxtatoes. (mashed cauliflower, but it sounds yucky, so I use the faux-ternative. ha!) And of course they had garlic in them as well. No, there isn't some special agenda with the health advantages of garlic in a diet, we just really like garlic!! I cooked up the cauliflower, mashed it up and then put it in the blender. **Side note** I was noticing some straggling stems hanging onto the side of the blender and, since the mixture wasn't spraying, I took the lid off. Everything going fine, I use the push stick to integrate the stuff on the sides. I guess my stick went down a little too far and caught the blade at the bottom a little. So the mixture just blew up right in my face. All over my front, face, hair and the cabinets. See, this is why I don't cook in the shirt I'm going to wear for dinner. Anyway, back on the subject, the fauxtatoes were a hit. I also made some regular mashed potatoes just in case the cauliflower didn't work out. We served both and fooled the kids.

"So, how did you like the mashed potatoes?"

Kids: "They were goooood!"

"They weren't all mashed potatoes."

Kids: "WHAT?? Then what was it?"

"Cauliflower."

Kids: "No way. Yuck. Ew. Blech."

"No, really, and you just ate your plate clean."

We revealed at the end of the meal which kids ate which and really, nobody was the wiser. I think these may become a staple in our house! So the rest of the menu was pretty basic but oh so good and traditional. Turkey, stuffing, corn, gravy, relish trays, fauxtatoes, roasted sweet potatoes and also, Sara's wonderful yeast rolls. Apparently she had to use a different recipe, but really, anything baked that comes out of her kitchen is just perfect. (and now on to other martha stewart impersonations.) Oh, and desserts. Well, Sara saved the day there, too. We both bought a box of these Pumpkin Gems. They are mini pumpkin pies made in big cupcake cups with crust and everything. I was up late chopping vegetables and such and decided to do the Gems (ooh, it's truly outrageous) after Thanksgiving dinner. Sara made her's the night before, so then everyone would have the choice of cooled or warm pumpkin pie. So, while ReRe is doing dishes (yay for maids) I'm in the kitchen starting on the pumpkin gems. Well, apparently I put in too much butter. Really, could that ever be possible? But the crust was like a blob of goo. It was not forming and so we decided to just bake them and see what happens. It would be just crust on the bottom and filling on top. Sooo, it comes out of the oven 12 minutes later and yuck, they are gross. I totally messed them up! Fortunately we had the other 6 Sara made. She also made this apple crisp that has more crisp than apple (the way it should be).

And we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It has gotten crappier each year. I don't know why I keep watching, probably for the nostalgia. It was great when I was a kid, but really, in the last 15 years, it has gone downhill. I have one thing I look forward to seeing in the parade every year, and that's the Rockettes. I think they are so cool and I think Sara would make a great one, too! Well, I forgot about the parade and turned it on about an hour and a half late. So we missed the Rockettes. Although then, we saw the greatest parade moment in history this Thanksgiving. There was this float about the cartoon Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. This is actually quite a funny show. There was the big house and all the characters from the show. They stopped at their place at the Macy's storefront and then started singing this inane, weird song. Gag me! Then, as we are losing interest, this other music starts up and Rick Astley walks out of the front door! The float was rickrolled!!! Sara and I were literally gasping for air, laughing so hard. And all of our kids did not get why their mom's were laughing like lunatics! They were disappointed that the Imaginary Friends quit singing! It was the highlight of the day! That and the savory sweet potatoes (is that an oxymoron?) and the fauxtatoes. and the rolls. and the apple crisp. Ok, now I'm done. And the turkey. Alright, really I'm done.

Four Foods on Friday 57

#1. What’s your favorite carbonated beverage?

Diet Coke, duh. Next question.

#2. What’s your favorite spicy food?

Kung Pao shrimp at P.F. Changs. I'm not really a very spicy food person. I like my salsa medium. I can take some heat, but I don't revel in it. My husband, however, will relish a hot beef curry dish spiced up the yin-yang, beads of persperation gathering on his nose and upper lip. So it's a rare dish that is actually named in association with something fiery hot that I really like. And maybe it's the fact that it's not too "kung pao" to begin with, in my opinion.

#3. How do you handle hot dishes? Oven mitt, pot holder, towel?

A combination of all three. If I don't need much dexterity in extricating the dish, I'll use an oven mitt. Pot holder is for pots. And I'll use a towel if I'm too lazy to hunt for the other two.

#4. Ice cream. How do you like yours?

Well, this can be handled many ways. Are we talking soft serve or scoop? Cone or cup? Homemade versus storebought versus parlor? What kind of flavor? Toppings? A perfect sundae for me would be two scoops of Edy's Vanilla Bean with caramel, candied pecans (for the crunchies) and some homemade whipped cream. I'm a sucker for caramel! Now, if we're talking flavors, it's gotta be Rocky Road. Hands down. Breyer's has a good version. The almonds are toasted and dipped in chocolate. I am drooling all over myself here, I haven't had good ice cream for quite long time. Although that's of my own design. I'm on this here thing called a Diet. (It's working! 23lbs in 3 months. Thanks Sara!) And preferred mode of transportation for the ice cream to my mouth? Waffle cone. And soft serve or scoop? Depends on the place. FroYo, as I like to call it (frozen yogurt, hey, it's sweet and frozen) is the best at Mill Hollow in Rexburg, ID. Their flavors change every day. And not crappy ones. They have wonderful tart blueberry, lemon, blackberry, strawberry, apricot, cherry, I could go on and on. So in that department, FroYo for soft serve and ice cream in scoop form. Yay!

My Very Own Collage

Thanks to Lulu and Nancy, I can now make my very own collages and really kick it up a notch in the photo displaying department. For my first blog Vision Board, I chose the theme of things that make me happy. Starting out, it was really tough. What makes me happy? Do I go material or conceptual? I just threw it all out the window and put whatever! As you can see, I was all over the place. And that cupcake isn't cupcake sized, it's cake sized! I want the mold for it! See, it's things I like, things I like to use (or want to use) or look at. All of this makes me happy! Now in retrospect, what with today being Thanksgiving and all, I should have made one of things I was thankful for. I'll work on that for this weekend. I made this yesterday, but just couldn't make myself post twice in one day!

Word Wednesday

Narcoleptic nar'co·lep'tic (-lěp'tĭk) adj. narcolepsy n. pl. nar·co·lep·sies
A disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable, though often brief, attacks of deep sleep, sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations.


I don't know why I picked this word. I just like saying it. Narcoleptic. Narcoleptic. And maybe because I wish I could sleep. I haven't been sleeping well since Spencer left. Don't know why, just laying in bed until 2am. Believe me, I've tried a lot of remedies. I don't need any advice, I'm just frustrated and weary of it. Anyway, I've got to go chop vegetables and make pumpkin pie!! Enjoy your word. Narcoleptic. Narcoleptic.

Hugging my Mommy!

When I pick Grant up from preschool, I don't have any of the other kids with me. It's kind of our own "alone time". And he gets to pick a song to listen to on the way home (it's a 5 minute drive). I rolled the windows down one day because it was getting cooler and we didn't really need the AC on. Well, the wind created much more ambient noise and he couldn't hear his song, so I turned it up. Fast forward a couple days.

"Mommy, can you make my hair move?"

"What Grant?"

"Roll down the windows and make my hair move, please."

Ohhhh! We had been doing the same ritual: pick song, roll down window, turn up music and sing along. That was how he asked me to get it started! Sometimes he picks "We are the Dinosaurs" by Laurie Berkner. Or "Victor Vito" by the same lady. On the day that I'm writing about, he picks Amarillo. Grant loves the song, "Is this the way to Amarillo?" By Tony Christie. Yes, yes I know I posted about this song last month. But there were a few hiccups with the link, etc. Hey, I'm still new at this blogging thing. Anyway, we get home, get out of the car and we're both still singing the song. He's right on top of the words with me. I start the chorus, "Is this the way to . ." and he sings, "Amarillo!" I sing, "Every night I've been hugging my . . " and he blurts out, "Mommy!" (it's supposed to be 'pillow'.) Oh geez, Grant, just go ahead and melt my heart! "Every night I've been hugging my Mommy." My sweet little boy. He loves his Mama!** You can bet he won't be singing that in 10 years when he's 14. Click on the hotlink for each song to hear it and watch the video. The YouTube video is a bunch of British squadies in Iraq lip-syncing to Amarillo. It doesn't get much better than that! This is a picture of Grant near his preschool. We had just parked the car and he jumped out and yelled, "A door! A door!" And I could not figure out what he meant. I said, "Where?" And so he showed me. Ah, a door in the tree. I asked him who could use that door. He said that mice use it to climb the tree because they can't fly like birds. Hmmm. I'll keep an eye out for mice in the tree.




**name the movie, get flair, etc.

Digging for Gold

Last night I got a text message from Eliza's horseback riding teacher that she was organizing an afternoon lesson for today (Tuesday) after school. Clubs ended last week, but Eliza is friends with the teacher's daughter and she wanted to go riding with Eliza and another friend. Sure! Anytime! Eliza loves riding and is really good at it. She's been taking regular lessons during the school year for the last 2 years. So, the text said that she would pick up Eliza at school, take them to the lesson and bring her home. Great! And the lesson is only 90 le ($16.28). No prob, bob. I go to my purse and I find 65 le. Not great. I'm home alone with a house full of sleeping kids and it's 10:30 pm. Oooo-kay, let's begin the scavenging. I find 4 one pound coins at the bottom of my purse. Tally: 69le. I dig through a side table in the living room. A crumpled one pound note, hey, every thing counts. I moved through the apartment, room by room, drawer by drawer and couch cushion after couch cushion. I found my camera bag and it had 12 50 pistre (half a pound) notes! That's 6 pounds! What's the total now? I gathered my assortment of change and crumpled, stinky bills (the money here really does stink after it's been in circulation for a while) and began counting. 20, 40, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 71, 72. That's it? Oh wonderful, this is just great.

Then I remembered that Eliza is a little packrat. She will save everything. She also has this plastic piggy bank and squirrels away any currency she finds. Usually she asks; like one time she came to me with 50le ($9) and asked me if she could have these 50 pistres (9 cents). Oh, um, honey, that's fifty pounds. Riiight. She's also saved all of her tooth fairy money and never spent any of it. What have I come to? I am borrowing from my daughter! Well, it IS for her lesson. I went to her red, plastic piggy and unscrewed the plug. I dump it upside down and out fall, 1,5, and 10le notes. Plus a menagerie of American, Egyptian, Greek, German and Jordanian coins. So that's what's knocking around inside of you little bank! I ended up borrowing 18le. I'll pay her back. Maybe. No, I'd better do it otherwise I'll be in even more of a pickle then next time I need money! ;-)

It is NOT Christmas today!

It all started about a year ago when we played a Wii together as a family. We (ha-ha) love it!! Our good friends, the Catognis, have one and we play it when we get together. I have never been a big fan of video games, never had one growing up and really didn't feel the lack thereof. But, this is not like any other "video system". It is the only thing I've seen that can actively involve every person in the family, from the little toddler (she likes the cheering) to the adults. (really, how many parents just LOVE playing Candyland overandoverandover again) So, this last August, the 'rents (me and spence) decided that we would get a Wii for Christmas. We figured out how much we would regularly be spending on each kid & ourselves and just rolled it into one nice package.

That said, I'm still getting them some individual little things. I'm a sucker for books. Love them, devour them and can't live without them. I will always buy a kid a book. There was a Book Fair at CAC this past week. I didn't go. (we were sick) But on Saturday they were selling what was left, so I went. I was trying to cull information from each child as far as a subject they were recently interested in, etc. I told them we were going to the Book Fair at CAC, but that they had to stay at the playground while I picked out some surprises for them for Christmas! (I don't think it's too early to mention Christmas!) So they stayed far away, I put the purchases in a non-see through bag and we headed home.

Their curiosity was obviously piqued. "What did you get, Mommy?" "Oh, I can't tell you, then it wouldn't be a surprise." Needless to say, Eliza and Mairyn can handle the suspense. Grant cannot. (and Jacqueline really doesn't know what we're talking about!) We get home and Grant says, "Yay! Merry Christmas! Can I have my book now, Mommy?" "Oh, it's not Christmas yet, buddy." "But you said you have presents for Christmas. Can I have it?" How to explain to a 4 year old that it is still a month away? See, we went through this when we hinted that maybe Santa would bring a Wii, or something else. And the girls would pine EVERY DAY that, "I wish it was Christmas. Then we could find out what Santa brought us." I finally said that if they talked about it every day, it would only be harder to wait. They quit. But now, for about a week and a half, Grant has been popping up every where, "Yay! It's Christmas today!" "Nope, not really, buddy." "Why?" "Just because." It would probably go away in about another week, but this Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. What happens on that day, Lydia? you ask. Well, that is the day the Christmas decorations go up in our house. (and sometimes it starts Thanksgiving evening) So there will be a daily reminder to our little man that Christmas is coming. Drat! I don't think I can put any wrapped presents under the tree!

Sunday Quotations

I chose this poem by Sister Hinckley for this week. I have it tacked to my cork board in the office area by the phone where I can see it every day. She was such a kind, sweet woman and quite an example to me. If you get the chance, read "Glimpses into the Life and Heart of Marjorie Pay Hinckley", written by her daughter Virginia H. Pearce. A great companion book to President Hinckley's biography "Go Forward with Faith".

"I Really Lived"
by Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley
I don't want to drive up to the pearly
gates in a shiny sports car, wearing
beautifully tailored clothes, my hair
expertly coiffed, and with long,
perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station
wagon that has mud on the wheels
from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with grass stains
on my shoes from mowing
Sister Schenk's lawn.

I want to be there with a smudge of
peanut butter on my shirt from making
sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.

I want to be there with a little dirt
under my fingernails from helping to weed
someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's
sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears
of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.

Four Foods on Friday

I am trying out this Food meme this week. I'll see if I can keep it up. This one looks difficult, at least the first two questions. Because I really like a variety of foods and the second question, well, I'll have a hard time whittling down the finalists. There are so many incidents! Here we go:

#1 What's the worst tasting food you've ever eaten?
Dolma. It's called different things throughout the Middle East, and I still haven't had one I liked. It's a rice, meat or vegetable mixture rolled up in grape leaves. I don't like the texture of the leaves, all veiny and slimy, just, no. But I'll still give it a try if I'm in a new region. The worst I ever had was in this little hole-in-the-wall place in Luxor. They had amazing lamb stew and koshary, but whoa, the dolma tasted like little burned cigarettes. Ugh.

#2 Share a funny or embarrassing story about a meal you've made.
Ok, Thanksgiving dinner 2006. (not my first one, by far, mind you) I made a killer turkey. It was golden, crispy in the right places and browned to perfection. I placed it tenderly on my special used-once-a-year turkey platter. I carried that bird out to the table and settled it in it's place of honor in the middle of a table set for 12. When I started carving it, I noticed something poking out of the cavity, just a bit. I didn't stuff this bird, so I was a bit confused. Oh. No. I had missed the packaged turkey neck. The packaging was all burned and gross. I excused myself and the bird (no one had had any turkey yet) to the kitchen. I said that the juices were slopping around in the platter and were going to make a mess if I didn't drain it. I removed the offending packages and will always check the neck.

#3 What food do you burn or have problems cooking most often?
Eggs, omlettes. They are always brown and spongy and I can never make that perfect little semi-circle that omlettes are supposed to look like.

#4 Name two foods you will be eating on this Thanksgiving.
TURKEY and homemade stuffing!

Word of the Day Wednesday

Shukran
arabic: شكراًَ
is an arabic expression meaning thanks or "thank you". Shukran Gazeelan means thank you very much. Alfa shukr means "a thousand thanks".

This is basic Arabic vocabulary. It is probably the first word many new residents to Egypt learn. Also, it's a surefire way to win the heart of an Egyptian. You say Shukran and they go, "Ah, you speak Arabic very well!" Yep, you can go far with just this one magic word. And expound upon it with shukran gazeelan, they will be blown away. And if that isn't enough, you say Alfa shukr and you'll be scraping them off the floor like putty. Mwa-ha-ha! The companion to thank you, "You're welcome" is Afwan. The other day, Grant and I were coming home from preschool. I had a couple bags with me and Grant had his lunch box and water bottle. Mahmoud (our boab) came and helped us with our parcels. When we got to the elevator, I prompted Grant with a What-do-you-say? and Grant said, "Shukran ya Mahmoud". Mahmoud smiled, waved and shut the elevator door for us. Grant looked up at me and, "But Mommy, he didn't say Afwan!" Does my boy know his manners or what?

Sunday Quotations

I just had to dedicate this week's quotations post to President Hinckley. I think I speak for most when I say that my heart aches and the tears come unbidden when I think about my beloved prophet. I like to call him, "My Prophet" because he was prophet when I was a teenager and really discovering my own testimony for myself and he was the first prophet, for me, that I felt I could connect with. I knew in my heart that he really loved me and cared for me. I can remember the time, place and day of when I heard this first quote. I don't even have to look it up. It is from the Sunday afternoon session of the October 1997 General Conference. It was my freshman year at BYU and a group of my friends and I had taken a radio and some blankets to the Provo Temple grounds to listen to this last session of conference.

"I have a confession to make, my brothers and sisters. It is simply this: I love you. I love the people of this Church. I love all who are faithful. I love all who follow the ways of the Lord. It is a humbling thing to preside over the Church. I can never forget the words of Jesus: he that would be first among you, let him be the servant of all. "

When Spencer and I were engaged, the stake president of our stake liked to interview each engaged couple before they were married. Our stake president was Truman G. Madsen. Yeah. I was understandably intimidated. Well, it was a very relaxed and comfortable conversation and he mentioned this quote during the evening. It has always stuck with me as a yardstick of sorts.

“Under the plan of heaven, the husband and the wife walk side by side as companions, neither one ahead of the other, but a daughter of God and a son of God walking side by side. Let your families be families of love and peace and happiness. Gather your children around you and have your family home evenings, teach your children the ways of the Lord, read to them from the scriptures, and let them come to know the great truths of the eternal gospel as set forth in these words of the Almighty.” (fireside, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 12 Nov. 1996)

And how could I not mention this favorite.

"Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better. Make the extra effort. You will be happier. You will know new satisfactions. A new gladness in your heart." (book, Stand a Little Taller)

Gordon B. Hinckley