Our Apartment

Is it Colin Raye that sings the song that begins "Love grows best in little houses..." ? That may be true. The kids still have their moments, but all in all they seem to be getting along better than they used to, especially the older three. Mary and Linda stay up at night whispering and during the day I hear much less teasing from Isaac. The older two seem to be getting a little better at helping and encouraging their younger siblings (i.e. Linda) instead of getting annoyed.  That gives me hope that eventually they will turn out to be good friends.

That being said, this "little house" IS really really little. One can never really get away from the noise, and these five children make A LOT of noise.  As I indicated above, at least it's generally happy noise, but a couple hours of all of us in the apartment and I have quite the headache. And since I generally prefer orderliness, the clutter of seven people in 1200 sq. ft. really gets under my skin.

There is refuge, here, though. There's always the patio. And I can send the kids up to the gym or the library or the student lounge, as well as the Judds' or Schade's houses (the other faculty families). And at night when they are all in bed, Ed and I can work out in the gym or go to concerts or lectures in the Forum. After all, there is always something better and always something worse about a new situation. And we really are happy here. I wonder how I'll feel six months from now.....

So starting at the southern end of the apartment, here is the girls' room, looking from the doorway. The closet/cabinet is the brown wall on the left. The window looks out on an olive tree and actually down onto the student apartments on the level below.(I think this picture is bigger than the actual room itself.) Isaac and Joe share a bedroom right next door that is identical except with a crib instead of bunk beds.

This is the hallway, looking from the girls' room. There are two very narrow bathrooms on the right side of the hallway, one with a tub/shower that is a full five feet long (nice for soaking).

After the bathrooms is the entry door on the right. From the carpet in the above picture, turn left to see the dining room, turn right to see the kitchen.

Right next to the fridge is a doorway (in which we requested a door to be installed which allows the kids to sleep in their bedrooms and us to talk in the living room at the same time without anyone waking up) leading into the living room. Because our apartment is actually two stuck together, you will notice that the living room is identical in size and layout to the dining room, complete with another kitchen. We use the extra kitchen mostly for storage and for a homework and drawing table. It's really nice to have another fridge and oven, though.

Right next to THIS fridge is another doorway, this one to the "adults only" section of the apartment. It's cordoned off with a baby gate, and what would otherwise be the entrance to that side of the apartment is now my makeshift office. How wonderful that it has such immediate access to the bathroom!

Immediately to the left of the office/bath combo is Ed's and my bedroom. It is also identical to the kids' rooms but with a kingsize bed (which fits, but with no space for anything else). Many thanks to the Ludlows who left behind their spacefoam mattress over the top of the two twin mattresses. Our sleep and our dispositions are much improved because of it!

So there you have it. Roughly 1200 square feet of clutter and craziness, but with everything we need to survive and be happy. Did you see the blue couch? It has a pull-out mattress; isn't that enticing for those of you thinking of visiting? Don't worry, we'll actually try it out before we subject you to it.

The Israel Museum

Just to refresh your memory, in Israel Saturday is the Sabbath, and while most Israelis take Friday as their Saturday and work Sunday through Thursday, the BYU Center and the Christian communities generally take Sunday as Saturday and work a Western week of Monday through Friday. So the museums, parks and zoos are pretty empty on a Sunday, which is excellent for us. A couple Sundays ago we went to the Israel Museum, in part for Ed to check the details of his museum assignment for his class, and in part because I was excited to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. We accomplished both of those things, but the kids only cared about the sandbox and the children's part of the museum. Ed and I will be going back sometime soon to see the other world-class exhibits.

Abby, tired of walking as usual.

Linda at the scale model of Jerusalem at the time of Christ.
Can you hear the whining? "It's tooooo briiiiight, Mommmm."

The sandbox, with pretty darn cool chairs.

The children's museum had an exhibit on sleep, complete with a strange "bedroom" that the kids could run around in, and a sculpture on the wall full of bedtime kinds of things. Wierd, but they loved it.

NEWSFLASH!!!

I've made the blog public, although still not discoverable by search engines. So please tell all family and friends that have been dying to follow our every move that our life story is now available for public consumption. Abby and Joe say they're shooting for 1000 followers. And if what I write isn't enough for you, please look to the right for the highly-recommended "Other Jerusalem Center Blogs," written by my lovely, funny, capable and proximal friends, Jill and Karla.

Another Baptism

We got to go to another baptism last weekend, but this time it was held at Qasr Al-Yahud, a site more likely to have been one John and Jesus would have used.  It is much farther south than Yardenit (in the Galilee) and about 30 minutes due east of Jerusalem, through Jericho. In this area, the Jordan river forms Israel's border with the country of Jordan, therefore it is a militarized zone, and was once the site of heavy fighting. My first picture here doesn't do the place justice--it is most barren desert I have ever been in. You have to be careful to stay to designated roads and not wander past the fencing because for miles around there are land mines left over from the 1967 war.

This is a view of the river, and the opposite bank is the country of Jordan (there were soldiers sitting near us, watching the baptisms to make sure nobody crossed the river from either side). There is a pilgrim site on their side as well, with a beautiful monastery and another dock built for baptisms. Yes, the water really is that color of green.

Adventures with Abby and Joe

I try to get Abby excited about sightseeing with me in the stroller by telling her we are going on "Exciting Adventures." Yesterday when I picked her up from preschool, she said with a big smile "Hi Mommy! Are we going on an Adventure?" So I guess she doesn't totally hate them.  Joe, on the other hand, is perfectly happy just to climb stairs, slam doors, or sweep the apartment.

One of our first adventures was to see the Mary Magdalene Church on the Mount of Olives. It was built in the late 1800s so it's quite new inside. The grounds are beautiful, with long winding stairs up the hill to where the church sort of jumps out of the trees at you.

These golden domes are visible from all over East Jerusalem and the Old City.

Here is the view from the church across the Kidron Valley to the Old City:

Apparently Abby didn't think Joe should be allowed inside the church.

After that, we walked about 100 feet down an incredibly narrow road to the Garden of Gethsemane. The garden itself is small but well-kept, and the olive trees are incredibly old. The religious importance of the site aside, we were somewhat fascinated by a lizard climbing one of the trees. Can you find it?

We also explored the Hebrew University Mt. Scopus campus (just around the corner from the BYU Center) and checked out the library to see if I could get circulation privileges (no luck). The interior of the buildings are a little run-down, but the grounds are beautiful. Abby explored them all climbing, spinning, and wiping out.

Abby's Preschool

Up the hill and around the corner about 1/4 mile is the Augusta Victoria Hospital, a Lutheran World Federation organization that works in conjunction with the UN to provide health care to Palestinians. On their grounds they also have a guest house, cafe, various other offices, a playground, and--lo and behold--a preschool! We got Abby enrolled last Monday and she LOVES it. Joe and I hung around most of the morning the first couple days, but now I can just drop her off. She wakes up every morning so excited to go to school like the big kids.

The preschool itself is run by Palestinians, and they speak Arabic, English and German. Many of the kids, however, speak none of those: at least half speak something else, like Greek or French or Czech. In fact, there is only one other child that speaks English, and she's actually bilingual English and Dutch.

Truth be told, Al-Mahaba Kindergarten is much more a play-school than a preschool, but its a perfect fit for Abby. Since she can go as much as 5 1/2 hours a day here, it's going to be a hard adjustment to go back home to Utah where she'll only be in preschool for 2 1/2 hours, 3 days a week.

The bike room

Oh no! Hit and Run! I've got to get out of here before the cops show up!

The First Day of School

The BYU students arrived today and this place sure feels different. It was so quiet and peaceful before, but you could sense in the air all day today that everyone was gearing up for the students. They arrived in the late afternoon surprisingly bright-eyed and excited from their overnight flights. My kids are so excited to have more people to play with, Isaac especially. I don't think he understands that they aren't here just to hang out with him.

But this last week for us has been a busy one. The kids had an orientation at their new school (the Anglican International School of Jerusalem, or AISJ) on Friday morning, met their teachers, and got to run around the campus, which is an old hospital built by the British in the 1920s. School officially started Monday, and all the kids seem to really love it. Of course, there are minor complaints: from Isaac--"my teacher's too strict so my name is always on the board;" from Mary--"our gym teacher is so mean that my experience today was absolutely horrific;" from Linda--"Mom, I want you to go to school with me." All in all, though, I am nothing but impressed by the school, its staff, and its teachers. Everyone is so welcoming and helpful, but they have high expectations for behavior and academics. There are no more than twenty in a class, and Isaac only has ten other students in his class. It's going to be a challenging year, but I think the kids will grow a lot.

I also love the school because of its international character. Many of the teachers are deeply religious people from all over the English-speaking world. The kids speak a multitude of languages, and many of them are learning English for the first time. I've met parents from Holland, Italy, Spain, Africa, Korea, America, and Britain, not to mention from Israel. All the kids dress uniquely and have unique foods and experiences and attitudes to share with one another. I'm sure that could be difficult at times for the teachers, but they all seem more than excited for the challenge because of the benefits that variety brings to their school community.

Can you tell I'm excited about their school? I really love it and I hope the kids create great memories there.

Here are all the kids attending the school from the BYU campus, sans Isaac--I don't know where he is, but I know where he was supposed to be! (On the Left: Megan, Lisa and Emily Judd; Mary and Linda, then Carrie and Amanda Judd; then Elizabeth, Adam and David Schade.)

Mary with two of her new classmates, and Amanda Judd, who is from the
BYU Center and in Isaac's school class.

Isaac outside his classroom.

Linda with her most delightful of all "Pre-Primary" teachers, Ms. Gandy.
She is wonderful to and for Linda.

While the big kids were at school, Abby and Joe and I went on a hunt around the neighborhood for a local preschool. We found it but they were still closed for August holiday. However, we did find a fun playground at the neighboring hospital, where a seven-year-old Palestinian girl from Jericho fell in love with Abby and tried to teach us both Arabic.

Joe liked to wander between the swings and push them until they hit him in the forehead.
He eventually got better at ducking.

And then we gave Joe a haircut. Sniff sniff. He looks way too grown-up. Better pictures to follow.

Before...

...and After

Jerusalem's Old City

We took the kids into the Old City on Sunday morning (Saturday is our Sabbath here, so Sunday is a play day) to see the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount. The line was too long for the Dome of the Rock, even at 8 a.m., so we decided to see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where most forms of Catholic and Orthodox Christianity believe Christ was crucified and buried. The church is fifteen hundred years old and each of seven sects owns a particular part of it. Ed says if you get there before it closes at night, you can sleep inside. But they won't unlock the door until 7 a.m., so you'd better be sure that you really want to stay.  Anyway, our kids were (un)remarkably whiny from the very beginning of the excursion, so we didn't get very far, and Ed and I didn't enjoy ourselves very much. But it was a good reminder: don't take your kids to the Old City unless you want to carry them.

Can you believe my cheesy daughters? And at the Wailing Wall, of all places!
(Standing next to Abby is Elizabeth Schade, one of the other faculty kids.)

Yes, it got so bad that at one point we were dragging Abby through the Old City. I think Ed was ready to duck into a side alley and never reappear. Good thing he loves me so much he couldn't ever really leave me.

The Garden Tomb

Many people--including some LDS prophets--consider this to be a likely spot for Christ's burial and resurrection. Whether it is or not, the evangelical church that cares for the tomb has done a lovely job of beautifying the space, especially in a way we Mormons find conducive to the Holy Spirit. It was a nice place to visit on a Sabbath afternoon with my family.

Three of the most handsome (and entertaining) men I know.

Linda standing at the entrance of the tomb. There has been a wooden door installed, upon which says 
"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen."

Such a beautiful, peaceful setting.

Week 1

We have been here for five days now (the kids say it feels like weeks
and weeks) and getting fairly acclimated. Ed and I ventured out
driving on our own this evening to look for baby gates and booster
seats and didn't get lost or crash into anyone. Plus we found the baby
store and some fantastic falafel, so it was a success.

Everyone is happy, no one is homesick, and the jet lag is mostly gone.
Ed heads up to the Galilee tomorrow for two days for, the kids have
their school orientation on Friday morning, then life will start in
earnest on Monday with school and meetings. Right now we are still
doing some of the getting settled things, but the center (and
especially the service couples) really work hard to have as much in
place for us as possible. Not only is the apartment fully stocked, but
they even supply laundry soap and toilet paper.

Even though the Center was built for college students, it is a kid's
paradise. My older ones are running around like madmen with the other
faculty kids and I see them less than when we were in Orem. Linda and
Abby are having a great time just playing together, both in their new
bedroom and out on the patio. Joe is still a bit cranky with jet lag,
but getting better. The apartment is small, but entirely adequate, and
the view from the patio is really astonishing. We come out and have
breakfast under the olive and pomegranate trees, and in the evening we
read scriptures out there with the sunset glinting off the Al-Aqsa
Mosque on the Temple Mount and the Call to Prayer ringing from various
mosques around us. The daytime is hot but dry, but there is plenty for
the kids to do indoors with the gym and the bomb shelter (which has
the nursery toys and foosball tables) and the playground just outside
the lower floor. Most of the time they can all run around
unsupervised, which is heavenly.

Today we went up to the Galilee because one of the other faculty's
daughters got baptized in the Jordan River. The sea was beautiful with
a cliffside home-turned-meetinghouse overlooking the whole area. Then
we drove down to a pilgrimage site where people come from all over the
world to be baptized like Jesus. It was quite the experience--my first
induction into the Holy Land pilgrimage culture, complete with prayers
carved in stone walls and trees planted by prominent people with lots
of money to have their name displayed equally prominently (including
Glenn Beck, believe it or not), a 2-acre gift shop to buy every kind
of Christian paraphernalia you can imagine (from every sect you can
imagine), and a front desk where you can rent the required white
clothing. Some of the catfish in the river were as big as Abby, but
only the little ones nibbled your toes when you put your feet in the
water. It was a beautiful baptism and a beautiful little girl. The
drive was long but we got to see Jericho and date palm plantations and
the Dead Sea and the West Bank and Bedouin shanty settlements and
little boys driving herds of sheep on the cliffs.

As for me, I'm still organizing some cupboards and trying to work down
my shopping list. I hope to find time to start studying when life
begins in earnest next week. All in all, the trip over and the
settling in couldn't have gone smoother and we are all enjoying this
new adventure.

Joe and Ed at an overlook on the Mount of Olives,  near the Center. Just below him is a Jewish cemetery filled with believers who hope to be in the center of the action at the Messiah's Second Coming. Across the valley you can see the Old City walls and the Dome of the Rock.

The family at the meetinghouse in Tiberias, with the Sea of Galilee in the background.

Baptism at Yardenit, just below where the Jordan River flows out of the Sea of Galilee.

The Big Change

Ed's history job at BYU is taking us to Jerusalem for a year. We will be living at the Jerusalem Center on the Mount of Olives in a fairly small apartment with incredible balcony views. And I have been so excited about this whole adventure until I realized that I was going to have to blog about it.

Big Joe

He's getting bigger all the time!

Halloween pictures

 Unfortunately, in the next picture Isaac is spitting. Lovely, I know.