Sisters update

Rachel posted last week's update, which was our first after returning from the beach together. I'm slow to get this one up because I had to catch up on my vacation wrap-up blogging first. But the good thing about that is it's one more of last week's goals I can check off my list.

Anyway, here goes. This week I'll go in the order that people sent me their updates. Props to CZ!

CHRISTINE

Last Week:

• Spent Monday-Thursday in Jordan, exploring Amman, hiking all over Petra, and sleeping in the Wadi Rum desert
• Safely crossed the Israeli border on Thursday, all with very little drama. It was very interesting to see the place and to see first hand some of the affects of the never-ending Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Basically the Israelis do everything they can to make it difficult and uncomfortable for the Palestinians to cross the border, even if they live in Israel and are trying to return to their homes. And we get caught in the middle of it all having to go through the long, painful process as well. Everything they do, such as questioning people and searching bags and making people sit around, they really just do because they can, they don't really have good reasons for stopping people the way they do.
• Spent Friday-Monday in Jerusalem, visiting Hezekiah's tunnel, Jericho, Gethsemane, Bethlehem, the Old City and all the sites within it, etc, etc, etc....
• Spent time getting to know all the really great people that I'm travelling with, hopefully there will be some great, lasting friendships coming from all this time together.

Next Week:

• Float in the Dead Sea.
• Spend the night in Jericho.
• Spend a few days touring around Galilee.
• Say goodbye to half the group and continue on into Egypt where hopefully we won't die.

IE LI

Last week:

• Moved my cucumber plants. They died.
• Installed double curtain rod and hung sheers and drapes in our living room. Slowly but surely, it's coming together.
• Swimming lessons
• Dinner with the missionaries.
  
• Dinner at Anita's with Annee, Rachel, and Ken
  
• Celebrated Father's Day with grilled chicken sausages, grilled zucchini, and grilled corn. That day, Steve also got to pick the first cucumber off of our only thriving cucumber plant. It was delicious.

Next week:

• Finish up a few sewing projects
  
• Pool Time
• Mi Na's birthday and all that goes along with that.
• Continue to plan Mei Li's birthday party.
  
• Look for a mirror and a coffee table.

ANNEE

Last Week:

1. We accomplished perfect swim team attendance for the week! Were rewarded by going out to lunch afterwards on Friday at our local favorite, Elmo's Diner.
2. I did run 5 times! Including my longish run on Saturday on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail running through quaint downtown Vienna. It was so lovely. It's wonderful that the Fitzgeralds live right by such a charming trail. It was also kind of like running in a race, there were so many people that morning!
3. I made it up to VA for a two day, two night visit with the VA families and had such a blast touring the barn furniture sales. It was just what I needed!
4. Sewed two cute sun dresses, and started a 4th of Julyish yarn wreath. It's a starting point.

This Week:

1. Plan our July trip up to Northern NY including stops in Gettysburg, Hershey, Cooperstown, and Rochester, Palmyra, and culminating in a weekend fireworks display over Niagara Falls. I think we actually have a workable timeline put together. I'm really excited now. Departure date is going to be July 10th.
2. I need to keep running! Just keep running.
3. I need to email the cute couple in our ward who had a set of twin boys about nine months ago. My kids love those babies so much, that after church on Sunday, I asked the parents if we could babysit them this week. I need to follow up on that. We really, really need to get to babysit those babies this week. We just LOVE babies at this house.
4. You know what?! It's summertime. If I can feed four kids and a husband three meals a day, maintain the housework, try to be happy and have fun with them along the way, well then, I think that's all I'm trying to do right now. Seriously, I don't know what else to put on the list right now.

SARAH

Last week:

• We're loving the new swimming lessons at the country club! Way better program and nicer pool than the city-run lessons at the rec center, and I think the kids are actually learning something this time. Sitting on the side and watching is pure torture for poor Huck though, so we spend the time going on walks to look at trucks at the nearby construction site. This reminds me of my early mom days with little Brenden, but Huck is not nearly as interested in the trucks as Brenden was nor is he really very impressed with the fact that I still know the names of all of them.
• Thanks to this here Sisters Update, I got my blog updated about the end of our trip.
  
• Sent Brenden off to Camp Bigsprings for the whole week. He was nervous and I was kind of sad. The dynamic has shifted in our house. Unfortunately without his big brother around, Oliver has more time and energy to torment his little sister.
• Planted my window boxes, but haven't gotten to the garden yet. Got the whole yard weeded and pruned, but it's only because Scott finally made me admit it was kicking my butt and called in a rescue team. A crew of 6 skilled laborers spent about 4 hours here today. I'd like to think I could have caught up on my own eventually, but I have to admit it is really nice to get it done. Hopefully I'll still feel that way when the bill comes.
  
• Scott and I were judges for Velour's Battle of the Bands. Unfortunately it was not Provo Music's best showing on Saturday night.
  

Next week:

• Start cooking again
• Start exercising again - I've got to get back to Yoga and maybe even start running again. Scott has put it out on the table that if we as a family decided to put a team together to do a Ragnar Relay, he might consider participating. Should we do it?
  
• Plant garden - this is it. If I don't do it this week it's not going to happen. I did discover some volunteer cilantro growing out there today which is already big enough to harvest. Funny thing is I have one thing on my shopping list right now - cilantro.
  
• Bake some cookies to send up to Brenden at camp in the supplies truck that leaves Provo every afternoon.
• Rooftop concert next Friday - oh man I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that yet. Need to renew our insurance policy, organize the volunteers, hire a security team, figure out a new lighting scheme, decide how to handle sponsor advertising on-site, and make sure it gets adequately promoted. Scott is playing in the band this time, so he's pretty busy learning his parts, rehearsing, and planning. We've been listening to The Abbey Road album a lot around here lately.
  
• I've got to do some Lower Lights work soon - figure out their summer/fall schedule. Is it time to start charging wards/stakes for firesides? How do we make that transition?
  

RACHEL

Last week:

• Back to work except for Thursday the US Open day. I wore a floppy hat. No cell phones were allowed so we never knew the time. A. Kim almost hit us with his ball which he overhit into the foresty area we were walking through. Watching him hit it out of the trees was really exciting!
• Annee came to visit and left her old sewing machine with me to borrow!! What a fun surprise! I have quite a list of things to sew and can't wait to get started. I'm so excited!!
• We went to a barn sale where Annee found a dresser and we ate amazing pretzel dough food items.
• I taught 6/7 year old primary with Ken. It was hard. One girl seems to be autistic so she's crazy and will need special love. Need to think about how to reach her.
• Finally tried the Gel Manicures people talk about. One week later and still no chips!!
• We've gotten a lot of rain and so therefore we've had a lot of frogs around (???). One got in the house. Ahh!

This week:

• Buy Spalena sheets at Costco in Brandywine MD. My friend Kristen rave about them. They're on a "Road Show" so only available in a few locations.
• meet up with Annee in Richmond to hand off the dresser. Meeting halfway seems like the best solution right now. It'll be a fun adventure!
• Prepare for Ken's bday and the 4th of July. I have Friday and Monday off, his bday is Saturday. Where should we go??
• Dinner with Sazband and a fireside on Sunday.
• Finish my yarn wreath and start on my next project. Order the roman shade supplies from JoAnn's with a 50% off coupon.
• Prepare for a visit from Haley!

Ana has been traveling with Zack and Jack to see the sights in northern NY before their impending big move -- I'm still holding out hope she'll check in with us here tomorrow, so stay tuned.