News from Brian

It's almost 8PM here and I just got back to the hotel. It's been a long but good day. We ended up getting to church around 8:40 thinking that it started at 9, but it turns out that it didn't start until 10 AM so we went on a self guided tour of the grounds and just sat and took in the amazing view overlooking the old city including the Mount of Olives, and the Dome of the Rock. The church and BYU have done an amazing job with that center; it's really an amazing place with a great spirit. Apparently the church leases the land and it was very difficult for them to gain permission to have a presence over here (lots of opposition).

The students were in Egypt so the group was pretty small; mostly tourists and a group of LDS students studying at the Hebrew University which is just down the street from BYU. The service was nice. The best part is the amazing view. Behind the pulpit there is big 20 foot glass windows that look out through two sets of arches and over the city. We decided to leave after sacrament meeting. There is no way I could have stayed awake through 2 more meetings.

We decided to try to find the top of the Mount of Olives (which is really more like a hill) and the place where Orson Hyde dedicated the land of Israel for the gathering of the Jews. After walking around for more than an hour we gave up and asked a taxi driver to take us there. He didn't know where the Orson Hyde monument was but he took us to an overlook point on the Mount of Olives. Maybe tomorrow we'll try again to find it.

We went back to the hotel and took about an hour long nap. I was just wasted tired. I set my alarm for 1 hour so I wouldn’t sleet too long during the day here; which I easily could. When I woke up I changed into more comfortable clothes for walking around...and walk we did. We started by going through the Jaffa Gate into the "Old City"; which is what they call the part of the city that is inside the old city walls. There are still about 30,000 people that live inside of the city and it's really an amazing place. It's divided into 4 parts; the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter. I got a much better sense for why this area has been plagued by holy wars for the past 4,000+ years. The city has holy significance for 3 major religious groups: Christians, Muslims, and Jews and all 3 groups would be willing to fight and die for it. I'm amazed that it's as peaceful as it is.

I really liked the Jewish Quarter- it's really an amazing place with little walkways and arch-ways everywhere- probably not too different than it was 2000 years ago-the merchants just sell different things. The Jewish people amaze me- they are so devoted to their religion. It's amazing that they can maintain their culture so strictly while being surrounded by the outside world. The Western wall is one of the most (if not the most) holy places in the world for Jews; it was pretty cool.

A lot of the Muslim Quarter was closed to us non Muslims because it was Shabbat (Hebrew for Sabbath) and what we did see I really didn’t get. On so many occasions I wish that I would have had a knowledgeable guide because I'm sure all the things we saw would have been more significant had I know the history and background and prophecies about these places.

The Christian Quarter was interesting but significantly different from the time of Christ. I was amazed to discover that the Catholics believe that Christ followed a different path with his cross, was crucified, and was buried in different places than we believe in...I wish I understood why. We went to the place where Pilot supposedly condemned Jesus and where he was scourged. Beautiful architecture but not really on my list of favorites. Then we went out of the Lion's gate and across the Kidron Valley which sits between the Old City and the Mount of Olives. The Kidron valley is pretty significant…Christians believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth on the Mount of Olives, cross over the Kidron Valley, and reenter the City of Jerusalem as King of Kings. Jews believe that the Messiah will come from the East, pass over the Mount of Olives and through the Kidron Valley before arriving on the Temple Mount (part of the Old City). Muslims have their own account where the prophet Jesus will return in a similar way. These views of the 2nd coming have caused all three religious groups to build huge cemeteries throughout the Kidron Valley, hoping that they will be the first to be resurrected as the Savior moves West. I’ll show you pictures when I get home. The Kidron Valley is really small by our terms. It’s really more like the bottom of where two hills meet. About 5 minutes after leaving the Old City we were at the bottom of the Kidron Valley and 2 minutes later we were at the foot of the Mount of Olives at Gethsemane. This spot is owned by some other church and it’s surrounded by streets on 2 sides, one of which is pretty busy. There are only about 8 original olive trees left in the garden buy they are ancient and some say that they are old enough to have witnessed the Angel comforting Christ as he took upon him the sins of the world. As I tried to tune out all the noise it was pretty easy to feel something special about that place. I could have stayed there a lot longer than we did, but we wanted to make sure that we could get into visit the Garden Tomb. It’s a good thing we hurried, because we found out when we got there that it will be closed tomorrow because the church that owns it observes the Sabbath on Sunday. This is also a pretty special place that is very nicely kept. It was one of the few places that was not overrun with street vendors. There were a lot less people than I expected (partially because all the Catholics believe in a different spot), and I even got to spend a few minutes inside the tomb all by myself.

While we were walking around the grounds we ran into a group of 6 Sisters that we had seen at the LDS branch at BYU. They were all over there attending the Hebrew University. They were seated on some benches between the tomb and Golgotha (which are less that 200 yards away from each other). They were singing “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” when we walked up and we recognized at once. We went and sat down behind them and just enjoyed the moment. After the song we chatted a minute and they invited us to sing along with them. We nicely declined because we would have detracted from the good thing they had going. Two of them played the violin and so them played together the song “He Is Risen” while the other 4 sang in parts. I told them it was the highlight of my trip so far…it was very cool.

Then we went back to the hotel and I started writing this. After the first paragraph we went to eat dinner but just ended up getting a waffle with ice cream on it. We had a big lunch and I didn’t really feel like having another big meal. It was warm today so I mainly been drinking a lot.

A couple funny things that I noticed during the Shabbat:
-Taxi drivers wouldn’t use their taximeters until the sun went down today.
- The buttons in the elevators in the hotel didn’t work; it would just stop on every floor
- The revolving door to enter the hotel wasn’t functioning until after sun-down today
-There was a metal detector at the entrance of the Western Wall had a big sign in front of it saying that it was “Shabbat Safe”, certified by some institute

I could go on, but you get the picture…it’s another world. Thanks for reading this far!! There are more details but It’ll have to wait till I get back. I’m going to bed. YEA!

Isreal

Brian is gone for the week in Isreal, part business part pleasure. He has an important meeting in Tel Aviv with a potential partner, and since he's all the way on the other side of the world, he decided to take 2 vacation days to go see the holy land! I'm excited for him. I sent him off with the camera and video camera to document all the sights that I may never get to see on my own. I'm sure he'll catch you up on the trip when he gets back, but I think he plans to see the Garden of Gethsemane, Golgotha, the tomb, the BYU center, etc. I told him to bring me back some olive oil and a nativity scene made from olive wood, and something for Jackson and Zoe, but he said I was cheating and just wanted more things :)

On his way out of town, we stopped by to have brunch at the home of one of the guys he works with (and also traveling with, thank goodness). They are a super fun family that happens to live next to the old Hinckley home. We got to see the stump of the walnut tree that was cut down to make the pulpit for the conference center. It was a huge stump! Anyway, it was cool to turn the farewell into a fun/historic/sight-seeing morning before we had to say our goodbyes. We will miss him while he's gone!!

Homemaker

With decorating on a budget, I've learned to get creative. I am not what most would consider a seamstress, in fact, I hardly ever sew. But, who knows why, I decided to tackle sewing my own window coverings for our entry.

I was looking for something very specific. Not too formal. Create some privacy, while still allowing sunlight in. And I wanted it to be pretty from both sides (inside view, and the view walking up to the door). I was looking for something with more color, but I fell in love with this linen and I think it goes well with our style...

Anyway, here's what I came up with. No pattern, just went to work. I think it turned out kinda nice. I'm proud of myself!

Handy man

So, you may have heard Brian complaining of the "laundry list". This is what he calls our "to do" list of chores to get done around the house. Basically, it's things that I can't do myself, electrical stuff, plumbing, carpentry, etc. Guy stuff.

Brian has been really great at trying to save a few bucks and learn how to do it himself without getting a professional. This has been a great learning experience for the both of us. Not only is Brian very capable, he's a perfectionist, and he does the job better than leaving up to someone else. I just have to be patient and wait for when he has the time to get things done AND wait for how long it takes him to get it done!


Every project has ballooned into something larger, and more time intensive, then we planned. A goal Brian set recently was to get this initial list of things done by the 4th of July (that way, he could truly celebrate freedom, in his own words... i didn't have the heart to tell him that this was only an initial list of to-do's). What he planned out to take around 45 hours of home repairs turned into something like over 80 hours. And remember, this all takes place after he gets home from work in the evenings and on Saturdays, so he had his work cut out for him to say the least.


I just wanted to take some time to brag about what we've accomplished...mostly him, but I usually work beside him or on one of my own projects:





1) fixed, rewired and programmed our sprinkler system that was broken


2) replaced 13 light fixtures, and counting


3) helped paint 3 bathrooms


4) installed new towel bars and toilet paper holder in each bathroom


5) installed our appliances, and most recently the cooktop!!


6) mowed and weeded the yard, and continues to each week (by the way, this is not a picture of bushes we thinned out from the flower beds, yup they're weeds!)


7) cleaned our garage


8) installed carpet in the cold storage room


9) rewired some light switches


10) did some finishing/trim work around the window in our kitchen and bar area


Of course, there is plenty more he has done to help with the home improvements. But as you can see, he's a hard worker!!

Happy 4th of July!

4th of July was great like it should be. A little relaxation, swimming, barbeque and fireworks. Next to Christmas, it is Brian's favorite holiday. We had to go all out in red, white, and blue!

We got up early to take Jackson to see the hot air balloons. Actually, it wasn't that much earlier than any normal day...we got up at 6am instead of 6:30am. Jackson loved it! He was pointing at them floating in the sky and kept saying "ball". Close enough! (By the way, the picture with the balloon coming out of my head is a typical example of how pictures turn out when you ask a stranger to take them) ;)

Grandma and Grandpa Beutler joined us for the balloons and then we headed over to their house for a pancake breakfast. It was yummy, and a great way to start the day.

We all came home to take naps, and then decided to watch a movie while we waited out the heat of the day. Around 5 o'clock, we met up with Danny, Liz, Scott and the kids and went for a dip in the pool. Jackson was NOT a fan! He hated it! He clung to us, both arms and legs, like an octopus! He was a little suction cup that we couldn't get off of us too easily.

Swimming cooked up an appetite. We headed back over to the Beutler's to grill hamburgers. We had the typical 4th of July meal: Hamburgers, fruit salad, chips, and drinks. Yum! My appetite is starting to kick in, and so I ate about as much as Brian did!

I didn't think Jackson would stay awake for the fireworks, but he seemed to be fine playing outside. We hung around till about 9:30 and caught a few good explosions, then headed home to put J-buster to bed. He was fascinated by the colorful fireworks, and the fireworks that shot up in the sky, but he didn't like the loud ones!

All in all, it was great! We are so lucky to have a holiday like this to celebrate our freedoms. God Bless America!

It's a girl!

We had our ultra sound today and Brian was right all along! It's a girl! We are so excited! Since I won the naming game with Jackson (Brian wanted to name him Jesse), Brian might get his choice of names this time around. Zoe Lynn. He has had this name picked out since Jackson was born, and forewarned me then that if we had a girl, her name would be Zoe.

Beside the fact that we got to find out the sex of the baby, we were also reassured that she is growing normal and healthy so far. We are so luck to have modern technology so we can find these things out! I had many concerns about our appointment today because up until this week, I haven't gained any weight! Being almost half way through the pregnancy, that was kinda scary! I've now gained 2 lbs. and the baby is measuring at 8 oz. (which is still small for how far along I am supposed to be).

Brian's reason's for supposing it was a girl are: 1) I've been moody (more so than my pregnancy with Jackson) and 2) I am still dealing with morning sickness. I can't disagree with him too much here. This pregnancy has been so different than my last (and I here that they ALL are different), but I would have been really shocked if it was a boy!

We'll keep you posted as things progress! I'm excited to decorate her room and go shopping! I wish I just had the time and finances to do both!

Jackson and the Giant Peach

Ok, last post for the day, I promise! Scroll down and read them all, I said I had some catching up to do! I know a lot of these posts are about Jackson, and yes, Brian and I do have a life outside of Jackson. But most of that life lately consists of working on our house. So unless you want to see pictures of the new light fixture, or the texture we decided to put on our walls, or the lawn getting cut, be happy with the ones of Jackson!

Back to the story....yesterday, I was going to eat a peach. Jackson wanted a bite, so I let him dive right into the whole peach. After the first bite, he wouldn't give it back. He wouldn't even let me sneak in a bite, he kept it right next to his mouth and just went to town, juice spilling out of his mouth and running down his hands...the whole bit!

Anyway, I took a series of pictures because it was the funniest thing. He got so mad when I took the seed away and there was nothing left. About 3 hours later, I had the diaper of a lifetime! But it was all worth it.

Beutler Reunion

We had a family reunion this past weekend (June 26-28) at Yuba reservoir. Thank you Liz and Scott for all of your planning and effort in pulling the get-together off this year!

We each had meal assignments, and everyone did a great job at planning and preparing great meals (I still want the dutch-oven coffee cake recipe!!). There was always more than enough food to go around. I think great meals while camping makes the whole experience better.

Brian and I were in charge of dinner both Thursday and Friday night. Because of Brian's great love for grilling, we had smoked salmon with fruit salad and a veggie tray with rolls one night, and tender rubbed rib-eye steaks with dutch oven potatoes, spinach salad, rolls and veggies the next (we also had a watermelon, but never got around to eating it!).

Thursday night was a challenge to get Jackson asleep. It was well after 10pm before he finally sacked out. That night was also a hard night's sleep for Brian and I. Because the weather had been in the 90's, I didn't think we'd want more than a sheet to sleep with (we've camped at Lake Powell before, and it stays hot at night there, so why not here?). That night was cold, we used our sheet and the dry beach towels to cover us, then cuddled all night to keep warm! It was only when morning came, and Jackson was awake, that I pulled out his bed pad, which happened to be a nice big flannel blanket! Brian was so irritated with me! At least Jackson slept great! The next night was a lot better. Not only were we all wiped out from the days activities, but the weather was also warmer, and we kept the flannel blanket!

By Friday morning, after breakfast, we had enough of the sun and were ready to head back home. The last picture sums it all up for us. Jackson conked out about 5 minutes into the car ride, and we all felt the same!

First words!

Jackson is starting to speak these days. I mean, he's always communicated to us before, we just couldn't understand him. Now, he's starting to pick up little words, and knows when to use them. His first words were "wow!" and "whoa". He'd say these when he saw something really fascinating, or if we did something that he couldn't, like whistle.

His next word was "ball", but it sounded more like "bowl". We have a ball that he's taken a liking to, and he looks for it every morning. First thing, before a diaper change or breakfast, he has to have his ball. Now he's picked up on "hot", "hi dad", "grandpa", "amen", "me" and some others he uses a lot but we can't understand.

Other than that, he gets our attention and points to what he want. It surprises me how much he really understands! He's such a smarty! That comes from me....

oh, you might be thinking, what's with the water pics? Well, Jackson kept saying "wow" over and over when we were playing in the hose. I love it when he says this word, because he keeps his lips puckered forever afterwords. I tried to take a few pics of this, and the camera is never as quick as you want it to be, but you get the idea. First word caught on film!

Like Father like Son

The old saying "the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" is so true! Jackson is, in many ways, a mini Brian. In fact, despite my relatives thinking he's a mama's boy, he really wants to be like Brian in so many ways. He loves following him around the house fixing things, and of course, he loves to offer his help. So many times, I catch him copying Brian and it cracks me up. I wish I had a camera in my back pocket each time these things happen. Here are just a few precious moments caught on film.

The last picture, with Jackson and the oven mitts, reminded me of a picture when Brian was baking bread in the kitchen when he was little. Jackson looked so much like Brian at that moment, that I had to snap the picture, and Jackson was kind enough to smile for me!