The Real Heisses

I’m a World-renowned Blogger!

2010-03-12T21:14:00.001-07:00

Today someone posted this comment on one of the blog posts from my South Africa trip:

I love this blog post and some of your others of your trip in South Africa. I run South Africa Travel Online and each week choose a travel blog of the week to showcase to our readers - and I'm pleased to let you know that this week it's yours. What's more, this puts you in line to win travel blog of the month. I've linked to this blog entry from our travel newsletter.

Click on the link to their newsletter and scroll down to read their synopsis of my trip and see a picture of my sister!

Monday, January 4 – Tuesday, January 5

2010-03-05T13:43:00.001-07:00

Today is actually March 5, so I’ve been home two months now. There are many reasons I have been putting off writing my last Egypt post, chief among them the thought that if I wrote about it, then my trip would really be over. I had such a fantastic time that I truly didn’t want it to end.

After crying so hard Sunday night (Jan. 3) just thinking about leaving, it was particularly difficult to wake up when Rachel came into my room at 7:15 Monday morning. She crawled in with me (Reid got out to make room), and we slept peacefully for three more hours! Oh, how I miss that!

The rest of the day was spent packing, playing, and trying to get in as much quality time with the family as we could. We took our last walk down to Road 9, with me taking pictures along the way so I could remember the scenery.

Andrew & Nancy’s apartment building

Road 12, with Andrew & Nancy’s apartment building on right

Walking down Road 12

Continuing down Road 12

Crossing Canal Street

Road 9 – notice the Cinnabon on the right!

More of Road 9

Of course, no trip down Road 9 would be complete without a stop at McDonald’s!

Where’s my food?

Aaah, that’s better!

Since our flight was scheduled for just after midnight, we didn’t have to leave the apartment until about 8:30 p.m.. Instead of scheduling a couple of blue cabs to take us, Andrew decided to snag black taxis off the street. (Note to Andrew and everyone else: NOT A GOOD IDEA.) There were three of us, six large suitcases weighing 50 pounds each, and three carry-on bags. One driver said he would tie the suitcases on top of his taxi, but he ended up not having any rope. I forced them to put most of the bags inside the taxis, but Reid’s taxi finally did have two of our big suitcases just sitting in the small rack on top of the car.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am horrible with goodbye scenes, and this was the worst. Even worse than when I left for my mission. I was bawling, Nancy was joining in, Andrew was yelling at the taxi drivers, and it was chaotic. Again, Rachel just seemed to know what I needed. She said “Grandma, you crying? That’s okay. Who’s tomin’ in June? RACHEL!” That made me feel better, but it sure didn’t stop my tears!

Andrew had made a deal with the taxi drivers for a set price to take us to the airport, so off Reid went in one car; Jacob and I shared the other. I don’t know exactly what direction Reid’s taxi went, because ours went places I had never seen before. To be honest, he was making me a little nervous. I felt better once we got on the main highway that goes to the airport, and I had a better feel for where we were.

Now, there’s a thing at the airport where the taxi drivers have to pay a small exit fee after they drop off passengers. Our agreed-upon fare included that fee so the driver could get out of the airport without problem. As we neared the airport exit (I could even see the exit sign), our taxi mysteriously had engine trouble. The driver pulled over and made gestures that made it seem the battery was dead. He even pretended to try and start the car, but I thought it was suspicious that his radio was still working, and so were his lights. He flagged down another taxi for us and then demanded the full fare we had agreed on. Since he spoke no English, it was pointless to argue with him (although I did let him know I was mad that we had to pay the full fare when he didn’t even get us all the way to the airport). So Jacob and I moved all the luggage into the second taxi and went on our way. Luckily, this guy didn’t charge us much, but I was still angry that I had to pay extra. My feeling is that the first guy didn’t want to pay the airport exit fee, so he kicked us out before he even went into the airport, thus avoiding the fee and pocketing the extra cash.

Airport security was tighter than usual due to the attempted bombing on Christmas Day, so we spent extra time in line being interrogated about who we were, why we had been in Egypt, and where we were going. Jacob got so flustered that when one guard asked, “Is your name Jacob?” he replied “No.” Reid quickly corrected him, however, and we were soon on our way inside the terminal to wait for our flight.

The flight from Cairo to JFK was smooth and uneventful, and I was able to sleep quite well. We had just enough time at JFK to get through passport control and customs, get a bite to eat, and catch our flight to Salt Lake. Matt and Grandpa Frank met us right on time. Grandpa loaded his truck with all our luggage and took Jacob home with all our stuff. Matt drove Reid and me to his house where we hopped into my car and drove home.

The weather was such a drastic change from Cairo; it took me a long time to get used to the cold again. I was so far behind on my work that it took me a couple of weeks at least to get caught up. I came home with what I thought was kidney stones, but it turned out to be a bladder infection (and no stones!). After that got cleared up, I went in for a long-planned-for surgery on my right thumb to correct basal joint arthritis and have been in a splint or a cast since Feb. 1. Other than all that, I’ve been missing Andrew and Nancy and my two precious grand-daughters. Sure, we talk on Skype almost every week, but it’s just not the same as being tackled by Rachel and having my “Grandma time” with her. I will just have to hang onto Rachel’s thought - “Who’s tomin’ in June?” THEY ALL ARE!

P.S. Andrew sent us this email on Tuesday, the day after we left:

Rachel misses Grandma big time. We went and bought a plank of wood to fix the broken couch. She held it in the stroller on the way home and pretended it was a piano. She sang the following song:

"We're on Road 9. I like Road 9. Grandma and me tamed to Road 9 lots and bought bread. Nummy bread. I miss Grandma. La la la. I like Grandma and her yummy bread. La la la. Road 9 and Grandma and bread."

Fun song :)

She also can't wait until June. She keeps reminding us that she's "tomin' to Mriita in June to play with Grandma"

Sunday, January 3

2010-01-21T22:38:00.001-07:00

With just two days left in Cairo, we all started doing our last-minute tasks. Reid wanted to see the AUC campus, and Nancy hadn’t been there yet, so they took off with Andrew & Miriam on a little adventure. Since it’s a secure campus, they weren’t sure anyone but Andrew could get in, but they did it and had a great time. Jacob had no interest in going; he just wanted to wander down to Road 9 for some final souvenir shopping. I would have gone, but Rachel just seemed too out of sorts to want to travel anywhere. I think she could sense a big change coming, and she didn’t really like talking about Grandma going back to America without her.

I had been trying for weeks to prepare her for my departure by talking about going on an airplane to America and telling her about Utah and Grandma’s house. Whenever she told me she wanted to come with me, I would tell her she could come to my house in June and that would satisfy her for a while. So Rachel and I just spent some precious time by ourselves, and we both had a nice late-afternoon nap.

After we all ran some errands (including a visit to the House’s to use their clothes dryer) and another shopping trip to Seoudi’s, we sent Andrew to our favorite Egyptian Mexican restaurant, La Sombra, to pick up dinner.

Rachel had a particularly rough evening; I don’t think she liked seeing everyone starting to gather belongings and pack suitcases. Reid and Jacob each brought a suitcase full of food and Christmas presents to Cairo, so now we had two empty suitcases for Andrew & Nancy to pack with their stuff to send back with us (in anticipation of returning to the U.S. in June). Poor Rachel didn’t like the fact that Grandma was leaving without her, and she was just antsy about everything. Bedtime was difficult, but she did ask me to “sing at her” again. I crawled into her mosquito net so I could lay by her side and proceeded to sing our favorite Primary songs. The more I tried to sing, the more the tears flowed. It’s a good thing it was dark, because I didn’t want to upset Rachel, so I just whispered the songs and kept crying. This was the last night with my sweet Rachel, and my heart was breaking. You’d think I could be stronger, but all my emotions just turned to mush. After I left Rachel’s room, I think everyone could sense my sadness, but I tried not to let it affect the rest of the family (I really did try!).

Saturday, January 2

2010-01-14T12:47:00.001-07:00

Again, I’m going to defer to Nancy for details on the day’s activities.

The Nilometer

Andrew & Jacob at the bottom of the Nilometer

ceiling over the Nilometer

Gayer-Anderson Museum

alabaster table top

Rachel: “Can I go under here?”

comfy-looking bed

looking from the museum to Ibn Tulun mosque

minaret at Ibn Tulun

view from Ibn Tulun roof

on the roof at Ibn Tulun

Friday, January 1

2010-01-14T12:32:00.001-07:00

Since we’d been so busy during the week, we decided to do a whole lot of nothing today. Attending church was very emotional for me because it was my last time in Egypt. I was glad for the opportunity to bear my testimony and thank the wonderful Cairo Branch for their friendship and support. What a great group of LDS church members! I’m happy I had the chance to serve in the branch by playing the piano for their small Primary; I’ll miss those cute kids.

After lunch and a little bit of rest, we started making potato pancakes for dinner. Now, this is fairly simple when you have a big kitchen and a Bosch mixer with a grater attachment. Not so easy in a small Egyptian kitchen. But I put everyone to work with a couple of peelers and one small grater, and before long we were busy frying up some delicious German potato pancakes. For the stew, we made do with beef bouillon, carrot slices, dehydrated potatoes, and spices. No beef; no celery; no onions. Oh, well, it still tasted fairly good.

Andrew’s friend Joseph came over after dinner to enjoy a game of Risk (the Arabic version) with all the guys. Andrew lost big time, followed by Jacob and then Reid. Joseph was thrilled to be the victor, and we all enjoyed our relaxing evening.

Thursday, December 31

2010-01-08T07:54:00.001-07:00

When will the madness end? We just had to get in another day of being tourists, but this time Nancy and Miriam wisely chose to stay home and get some sleep. The rest of us, however, were just crazy enough to go back out into the streets of Cairo. This time we headed up to the Citadel, probably the most recognizable site in Cairo’s skyline. The Mohammed Aly Mosque there is fairly new (1820s) and is quite stunning. There is also an old palace which has been nicely preserved.

The Citadel

courtyard of the mosque

ceiling in the mosque

gorgeous stairs

Down the hill from the Citadel is the Mosque & School of Sultan Hasan—very old (1300s) and one of my favorite spots.

The greatest Islamic building in the world

courtyard

prayer area

Next door to Hasan’s mosque is the Mosque of Al Rifa’i, a much newer structure (early 1900s).

beautiful woodwork

inside the mosque

To celebrate New Year’s Eve, we watched Harry Potter #6 and endured the loud sounds of a neighbor’s party (which didn’t end until 3 a.m.). Basically, we’re boring people, but we do enjoy one another’s company.

Wednesday, December 30

2010-01-08T07:31:00.001-07:00

One more time, off in a van to be tourists. This time we headed east to the city of Suez, which just happens to be the southern entrance to a famous canal by the same name. It was cool to see the Red Sea and to see all the ships in the distance awaiting their turn to use the canal.

Then we drove on to the resort town of Ain Sokhna where we were able to play in the Red Sea for a while. Nancy said the water was awfully cold, but I thought it was warmer than the water we experienced in San Diego last June. Rachel was more than thrilled to be out of the van and free to play. She loves to be in the water and sand.

Red Sea at Ain Sokhna

“Mom, this is not my wet suit!”

Wading in the Red Sea

Chillin’

Since we were home by 3:30, we decided to let Rachel get wet again by going to Maadi House. She loves the warm water of their swimming pools. We then enjoyed a nice American dinner in the restaurant before heading home. What a wonderful day!

Family fun

Tuesday, December 29

2010-01-07T07:06:00.001-07:00

Pyramids, pyramids, pyramids, and more pyramids! Again, go to Nancy’s blog for more details. We visited three separate sites: Dashur, Saqqara, and Giza. Each site has different types of pyramids, built in different styles and centuries, but all fascinating.

Dashur - Red Pyramid, steps to entrance

Dashur – Red Pyramid

Dashur – Red Pyramid, Jacob at base

Dashur – camels are cool, weird creatures

Dashur – Bent Pyramid (not allowed any closer)

Saqqara – Step Pyramid, Reid

Saqqara – Step Pyramid

Saqqara – Step Pyramid renovations

view of Giza pyramids from Saqqara

view of Dashur pyramids from Saqqara

Giza – Great Pyramid, Jacob on left

Giza – Great Pyramid

Giza – Great Pyramid, Jacob & Rachel

Giza – Jacob’s camel ride

Giza – the second pyramid

Giza – Sphinx and pyramids

Whew! What a day! It was so good to get back to the apartment and relax. Reid made the day even better by making his famous homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner. Some of the best times we’ve had here have been just sitting down to eat together or playing games in the evenings. More than being tourists, it’s just fun to be with Andrew, Nancy, Rachel, and Miriam and being part of their lives.

Monday, December 28

2010-01-07T06:38:00.001-07:00

Nancy has written much more detail about our day on her blog, so you can go there if you’re interested. We began by visiting Quaitbay’s Citadel, a very old fort that protected the harbor of Alexandria. Rachel kept calling it a castle, because it just has that look to it.

small mosque inside the Citadel

mosaic floor

Alexandria Library

Pompey’s Pillar

Jacob standing at bottom right

Sunday, December 27

2010-01-05T21:52:00.001-07:00

We were up early for a two-day trip north to Alexandria. We hired a van and driver because that’s the best way to get around. The drive ended up being a lot longer than the two hours I thought it would be, but it was still enjoyable. Along the way we stopped at the Baramous Coptic monastery and were given a tour by a real monk. It was cool to see this ancient, still functioning monastery out in the middle of the desert.

Twelve Apostles clock

Alexandria is on the west side of the mouth of the Nile River delta and is right on the Mediterrean Sea. Our travel agent booked us rooms in the Hotel Nobel overlooking the ocean. He said it was a three-star hotel, but there’s no way it was even close to three stars. We managed to suffer through our one night there, and just enjoyed the sights of Alexandria. The Mediterrean is absolutely gorgeous!

Reid and Miriam

view from hotel room

Saturday, December 26

2010-01-05T21:45:00.001-07:00

We spent the entire afternoon touring around Islamic Cairo, the area of the city containing some of the oldest mosques there are. Since Andrew is studying Middle East history, he’s the best guide to have.

Bab Zweila mosque

view of Cairo from roof of Bab Zweila

view of the Citadel from Bab Zweila

view of Cairo from Bab Zweila

Andrew and Jacob near the top of Bab Zweila minaret (on the left)

sign over top of gate at Bab Zweila

After a tiring day, we left Nancy at home with the girls (they were all exhausted) and had dinner at Lucille’s, once touted as the best hamburgers in the world by someone at Time Magazine. They are delicious, I’m told, but I don’t know if they’re the best in the world!

Perfect ending to a wonderful day – Grandpa and Miriam

Friday, December 25

2010-01-04T08:17:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas! What a wonderful way to spend our Christmas: in Egypt with Andrew & Nancy and our two granddaughters. Rachel was so very excited to see all the presents and also to see what everyone else received. She wasn’t too thrilled to leave it all behind to go to church, but she managed to survive.

Reid and Miriam

Reid and Rachel

After church we headed up to Coptic Cairo, a very Christian area of the city with many churches and crypts. Two of them claim to have been refuges for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus while they were in Egypt.

Mosaic at the Hanging Church

Hanging Church

Coptic Christian/Greek/Egyptian cemetery

Waiting for the metro

Thursday, December 24

2010-01-03T14:43:00.001-07:00

Both Andrew and Nancy had so much to do today that I decided to take Reid and Jacob out sightseeing by myself. Now that’s pretty brave for someone who really doesn’t know her way around Cairo. But I did go on the metro downtown to the Egyptian Museum last year with Nancy, so I figured I’d be able to remember the way. With help from Andrew’s directions, we took the metro, got off on the correct stop, and made it to the museum just fine. No photos are allowed in the museum, so I didn’t even bother to take my camera. The museum is jam-packed with stuff, so after a couple of hours we were all overwhelmed and headed back to Andrew & Nancy’s. To quote Sesame Street’s Grover: “I am very proud of me!”

Wednesday, December 23

2010-01-03T14:34:00.001-07:00

Since we didn’t get home until early this morning, we took the opportunity to sleep in – finally! Life is much easier when we don’t have to awaken Rachel (or Grandma, for that matter) to go on a tour. We took our time getting out of the house and going for another excursion to Road 9. For our evening activity, Nancy stayed home with the girls while I went with Reid, Andrew, and Jacob to see the Tanoura Troupe of Sufi dancers in downtown Cairo. The music and dancing were quite interesting, and it’s fun to soak in all that culture.

Jacob, Andrew, and Reid

beautiful old hostel-type building

I especially enjoyed the guy with the finger cymbals

one of the twirling dancers

What Are We Going to Talk About?

2010-01-02T10:32:00.001-07:00

One of the many endearing things Rachel has done over the past two months is come into my room right after she wakes up and climb in bed with me. She gives me a hug, lays down on my pillow, looks into my eyes and says, “What are we going to talk about?” We then discuss all kinds of things: Mommy, Daddy, Miriam, Grandpa, America, flying on an airplane, nursery, her friends, Cinderella, etc., etc., etc. I’m going to miss our special Rachel & Grandma time.

(Written 1-1-2010)

Say What?

2010-01-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

Reid has been struggling with his hearing for a few years now, and I love to tease him about the misinterpretations of what gets said to him.

This morning Andrew said the family prayer before we headed out to church. I heard a line that confused me a bit: “We thank thee for the funny thing we had last night.” I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what he was talking about! It took me a while to understand that he said “We thank thee for the fun evening we had last night.” So when the prayer was over, I laughed at my hearing “misinterpretation” and Reid confessed that he had heard exactly the same thing! I guess I’m going to have to be careful about teasing Reid because it looks like I’m heading down the same path!

(Written 1-1-2010)

Luxor – Tuesday, December 22

2009-12-30T15:05:00.001-07:00

Sorry these next posts are so late—we’ve been without internet for a few days!

Our last day in Luxor:

Reid & Rachel on our felucca ride on the Nile River

Jacob & Andrew

View of the Luxor temple from the Nile

Felucca ride stop at Banana Island

Jacob & Andrew on Banana Island

Enjoying an a-peeling snack on Banana Island

After all the tours and traveling around Luxor, we packed up and headed to the airport to catch our 11:55 p.m. flight back to Cairo. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed and we didn’t leave until around 1:30 a.m. In typical Egyptian fashion, no one bothered to tell us anything about the delay, so we just had to sit in the airport and wait. After finally arriving in Cairo at 2:30 a.m. and back to the apartment at 3:30 a.m., we all collapsed into bed (after I spent half an hour checking in on the BYU Las Vegas Bowl game).

Luxor – Monday, December 21

2009-12-21T13:25:00.001-07:00

Today we traveled two hours north of Luxor to the Dandara Temple, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. It was amazing! The roof is intact and the colors inside are vibrant. The carvings are beautiful and plentiful. I’m in awe of the effort it took to build these temples and wish I knew more about the people who built them.

Entrance to Dandara Temple

Beautiful carvings

Carvings and columns

Jacob and Andrew

Surrounded by a group of school children on a field trip

Carving on the ceiling, probably 30 feet high

More ceiling carvings

Notice the carved figures going up the stairs

Jacob being dwarfed by carvings

Carved outer wall

Rachel relaxing in the arms of a sphinx

Luxor – Sunday, December 20

2009-12-20T13:06:00.001-07:00

Long day – lots of pictures:

Two large statues

Valley of the Kings – sorry, no photos allowed inside tombs

Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple

Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple – view from top of stairs

Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple – Andrew, Rachel, Nancy – hot day

Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple – Rachel & Reid

Ramesseum Temple

Ramesseum Temple – Rachel & Reid

Ramesseum Temple – Jacob taking photos

Ramesseum Temple – top of column

Ramesseum Temple – Rachel being a pillar

Habu Temple – Nancy & Jacob

Habu Temple – Miriam in sarcophagus

Habu Temple – Reid & Rachel

Habu Temple – Andrew & columns

Habu Temple - column & ceiling

Whew! After all that we came back to the hotel for a nap (even Rachel). For dinner we went to McDonald’s across the street from the Luxor Temple and then got to see the temple with all the lights on – really beautiful!

I’m a Tourist – Finally!

2009-12-19T12:48:00.001-07:00

Reid & Jacob arrived in Egypt just fine, even though they were pretty nervous about getting to the airport, having their passports checked, finding their luggage, and meeting up with a car driver for the ride to Andrew & Nancy’s apartment. When Andrew reserved a driver to pick them up, he said it was for Mr. Reid. The guy said, “Ok, for Dr. Reid.” Reid was pretty excited that someone thought he was a doctor.

Reid made Jacob sit in the front seat of the car beside the driver—just for the culture shock value. Jacob thought he was going to die before they even got to the apartment (the traffic is a bit scary if you’re not used to it!).

Rachel was thrilled that Grandpa and Jacob had finally come to her house. We had been waiting so long! She gave Jacob a hug and then went into Grandpa’s arms—and that’s where she’s been ever since. I am no longer her favorite person; Reid has usurped my role. Perfect timing, too, because I twisted my back two days before they arrived, and I can’t pick Rachel up very well anymore (something she isn’t too happy about).

Friday morning we went to church where Andrew was able to give Miriam a name and a blessing. Such a sweet experience! And it was great to have Reid and Jacob participate, along with several of the branch members.

After church we hurried home for some lunch and then packed for our trip to Luxor. We needed to be at the airport at 4:00 for our 6:00 flight. This trip was another milestone Rachel has been looking forward to. We’ve been playing and pretending “we’re on the airplane” for weeks now. Rachel was so excited to finally be getting on that airplane. The flight is only about an hour—just about right for her attention span.

So anyway, today began our touring part of this Luxor trip. Andrew knows how to the use the local mini-bus system, which to me is quite intimidating. But for under $1 we can transport all seven of us pretty much anywhere we want to go in Luxor—lots better than getting ripped off by the taxi drivers.

We started out at the Luxor temple, an amazing complex of sphinxes, columns, temple buildings, pillars, statues, etc. This is Andrew & Nancy’s third visit to Luxor, so they were able to give us all kinds of information.

Avenue of the sphinxes

Rachel & Grandpa give the “thumbs up” on Luxor

Our next stop was the Karnak temple, an even larger complex of the same kinds of stuff. Reid and Rachel spent most of their time together, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Reid’s back hurts now, too.

entrance to the Karnak temple

strange heiroglyphics

original color on ceiling

Grandpa & Rachel having a look around

family photo

hungry Andrew & jet-lagged Jacob

Karnak temple

After a visit to the Luxor Museum (it was so nice to be inside an air-conditioned building; even though it’s December, it was pretty warm walking around outside all day) and dinner at the museum cafe, we arrived back at the St. Joseph’s Hotel at about 6:30. I was surprised it was so early, because it really felt like it should have been much, much later. What a wonderful, tiring day! Better get to bed early, because tomorrow we’re going to the Valley of the Kings!

The Past Week

2009-12-15T12:50:00.001-07:00

I returned to Egypt from South Africa a week ago, so it’s about time I got caught up on the blog.

All went well at the airport last Monday. It was rainy and foggy all day in Port Elizabeth, and apparently the weather wreaked havoc on the airlines' schedules because it was a madhouse. Because of delays, British Airways was just trying to get all the international passengers to Johannesburg on time, and they ended up putting me on an earlier flight for some odd reason. So I boarded a plane at 4:45 and we took off at 5 instead of having to wait until 6. That gave me a little extra time in Johannesburg, which was perfect because the check-in line was huge and they made me check my carry-on bag. I did have to claim my bag there and re-check everything. What a pain!

The flight was uneventful but a little late coming in to Cairo. I got to Andrew & Nancy's house at 7:45 Tuesday morning and decided I'd better try to have a little nap before Rachel woke up. She came in my room at 9:15 and said, "Grandma--you came back!" And she's been by my side ever since. It was hard to convince her to let me take a shower (and that wasn't until about one that afternoon). I brought matching shirts from South Africa for us--too cute!

So I had a wonderful vacation in South Africa with Dorothy and Raymond. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, and I’m so thankful I was able to do it.

On Wednesday we headed over to Maadi House to play, go swimming, and pick up some lunch to take home to share with Andrew.

Yes, that’s a fly on my thumb – they were everywhere!

On Thursday we had the chance to go to CAC (Cairo American College) where many of the children in the branch attend school. The school hosts an annual Egypt Festival where many traditional arts and crafts are demonstrated and displayed, and we were there in time for the “closing ceremony,” the twirling dancers. Rachel was fascinated with the dancing and music, and it was fun to look around (and even buy a couple of things).

Friday was church as usual, except that I had to give a talk. The branch is small, so it was inevitable that I would have to speak at some point. I’d much rather sit behind a piano or organ and participate in that way, but speaking in front of this branch wasn’t so bad. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know many of the people, and I appreciate the service they continue to give to Andrew & Nancy. The gospel is true everywhere!

Friday afternoon is nap time. This is what my newest granddaughter looks like at six weeks:

Saturday was the branch Christmas party. The winter weather here reminds me of growing up in Phoenix. It’s been around 70 degrees during the day and gets down to about 55 at night. So it didn’t surprise me a bit to have Christmas dinner outside. Different families were assigned to decorate tables, so it was all very festive. Santa even came, but Rachel was less than enthused about seeing him in person.

So now we are in countdown mode waiting for Grandpa and Jacob to arrive. They leave Salt Lake tomorrow morning and will arrive here late Thursday afternoon. Rachel reckons time in “sleeps,” so now we have just TWO MORE SLEEPS until they get here! We are so excited!

South Africa – Sunday, December 6

2009-12-11T13:23:00.001-07:00

Dorothy and Raymond wanted me to experience an all-black South African ward, so we drove 45 minutes to attend the Kwanobuhle First Ward in the township of Kwanobuhle. The townships look just like I used to see on the news when the world was trying to get the government here to get rid of apartheid: small government housing crammed together in fields and on hillsides, with garbage everywhere, and large areas with no electricity or running water. The township where we went to church wasn’t too bad; the people do try to keep their little homes cleaned up somewhat.

We arrived early in case Dorothy and Raymond needed to talk with any of their PEF students, so we had plenty of time to look around. It’s a pretty nice little building, and two wards attend there. Dorothy and I were the only two white sisters; Raymond and two young Elders were the only white men. These people love Elder and Sister Miller (although Raymond insisted it’s just Dorothy), and they welcomed me with open arms—literally. They love to hug! The sisters kept telling me how much they love Sister Miller because she is always happy and laughing. Some even told me they think she’s a little crazy!

Meetinghouse library – inside an actual safe

It was Fast & Testimony meeting today, and it was very touching to hear these humble people tell how much they love the gospel. English is the official language here, but many of the black members speak Xhosa (pronounced sort of like “cosa” in Spanish) and they’ll just start using that instead of English and then switch back and forth. So I didn’t understand much of what was said, but I could tell they were sincere. One young man, probably in his mid-20s, told of how he missed his wife but knew that she was okay and that she would want him to do a good job of taking care of their baby and that he knew they would be together again someday. Dorothy told me that his wife had recently died suddenly of unknown causes, leaving him to raise their baby. That just brought me to tears, and I was overwhelmed with the desire to help. So after Sacrament Meeting I got out all the South African money I had left in my wallet, introduced myself to this young man, and pressed my small offering into his hand. It was only about $8, and I wish it had been so much more, and he was so sweet and appreciative.

To celebrate my last night here with Dorothy and Raymond, we played cards again! It’s not that we can’t think of anything else to do, it’s just that we love playing Hand & Foot, Play Nine, and Shanghai. Raymond again beat us both at Hand & Foot (even though he complains that he never wins—hah!). Then we played Shanghai again. And the weirdest thing happened. On the last round. The one that’s impossible. Where you are only dealt 11 cards but need a minimum of 12 to “go out” with three runs. Yes, the one where I did it on Friday. It happened again tonight! Only this time it was absolutely perfect—not a single joker! And I got a picture to prove it. Dorothy and Raymond were both aghast, and I could hardly believe my eyes! A perfect end to a fabulous week in South Africa with Dorothy and Raymond. Thanks so much, Elder and Sister Miller!

South Africa - Saturday, December 5

2009-12-11T13:04:00.001-07:00

What a busy day! Instead of seeing animals, we went around Port Elizabeth to see some of the city and its historical and just plain interesting sites. Our first stop was St. George’s Park, which is home to a war memorial, a large cricket stadium, and a municipal pool, among other things—pretty much like any other big city: a park you wouldn’t want to frequent at night.

St. George’s Park

Donkin Reserve is a spot overlooking the port; there is a memorial to Elizabeth Donkin and an old lighthouse. The memorial is in the shape of a pyramid for some reason and was built in 1820 by her grieving husband. One of the plaques on the side of the pyramid says: “To the memory of one of the most perfect of human beings who has given her name to the Town below.” Can I have that on my headstone?

The lighthouse has 85 steps, and I don’t mean regular stairs. They were steep and scary, but Dorothy and I made it just fine. I didn’t know she was more afraid of heights than I am!

On the street next to the Reserve is a row of homes that were some of the first built by the Dutch when they settled Port Elizabeth. On another street is the Edward Hotel, originally built in 1903 and in the process of being restored. There is also quite a bit of street art in the area; one of the paintings even has a guy wearing Converse All-Stars high-tops! Fort Frederick was built in 1799 and offers a great view of the port.

After I’d had my fill of history, we headed down to the beaches to do some souvenir shopping. There was a large area with street vendors where I got some good deals and even bartered for Raymond so he could buy a fantastic carved Kudu horn. I was so proud of him for actually spending money!

We had lunch at El Greco in the Boardwalk shopping area. This whole part of town reminded me a lot of somewhere like San Diego—very touristy and upscale—but it was fun to look around. On our way back to the car, we went down to the beach just so I could touch the Indian Ocean. The wind was fierce all day, and I could barely walk straight, but I can now say I’ve been to the Indian Ocean.

Raymond drove us along the shore to the end of the road where there is a cannon, the last remnant of “The Sacramento,” a ship that crashed here in 1647. There were 72 survivors who came ashore and then tried to walk all the way to Mozambique—it took over six months and only nine made it.

We headed back to town and went to the famous Pick ‘n Pay Hyper to get Christmas treats and mosquito nets for my trip back to Cairo. Can I just say again how nice it is to shop in a huge store? Anyway, after a long day of getting wind-blown and sunburned, it was nice to get back to the apartment so we could play cards again. Dorothy’s not winning very many games this week, and I’m secretly relishing the fact that I have actually beat both her and Raymond a few times! Last night I even “went out” with just 12 cards on the last round of Shanghai (with a lot of luck and a couple of jokers), something I’ve never done in my life. I’m regretting the fact that I didn’t get a picture so I could prove it!

South Africa - Friday, December 4

2009-12-11T12:05:00.001-07:00

Today we headed over two hours east. There are 7-8 game reserves along this stretch of highway, so wherever you see an electric fence on the side of the road, you have to look closely for animals. We were driving along when Raymond suddenly stopped and we all gasped to see a herd of 13 giraffe right there along a hillside. That certainly never happens in Utah!

It was rainy and misty the whole way, and Dorothy keeps telling me that’s just not what the weather should be like. Oh, well. We stopped in Bathurst at The Big Pineapple, which just happens to be the largest pineapple in the world—a cute little tourist spot. Then it was on to Port Alfred where we went to lunch at Guido’s Restaurant with Elder and Sister Godfrey (from Logan).

beach at Port Alfred

On the way back to Port Elizabeth, we continued to look for animals and came across more giraffe right along the fence in one place. It never ceases to amaze me when I see this stuff. I kept thinking I was seeing animals all over the hills, but mostly I was seeing termite mounds. It’s hard to tell from far away.

Everywhere we’ve been, we’re close to the ocean, yet I can’t figure out why it doesn’t smell like the ocean. I’ve been to San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, and North Carolina beaches, and all those towns smell “oceany.” But here it doesn’t. There must be something different about the Indian Ocean.

When we got back to Port Elizabeth, we made a quick stop at the Pick ‘n Pay to get something to fix for dinner. Oh, how I’ve missed being able to dash to a store and get everything I need! We bought a loaf of French bread, a jar of pasta sauce, and some mozzarella cheese then came home and quickly made French bread pizza before heading to the Walmer chapel for a combined ward Christmas activity.

It was a wonderful presentation of the nativity. We were accompanied in small groups by a wise man who was searching for the Christ child and stopped momentarily in different rooms for a brief presentation along the way. First we saw the shepherds who told us what they had seen. Then we saw King Herod; he told us to come back and let him know where this baby was so he could go and worship, too. In the next room, the angels told us marvelous things about the Savior. And finally, we arrived at the manger and saw the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. It really was beautiful, and so well presented. The next room had a display of nativity sets from around the world, and the final room was decorated like a Bethlehem market and we were fed bread and water from the vendor stalls. So glad we went!

South Africa - Thursday, December 3

2009-12-09T15:33:00.001-07:00

We were up early to head three hours west. Dorothy was worried that she’s planned too much for me to do and has not given me any time to rest. So not true! This break from cooking, shopping, and playing with Rachel (even though I miss her terribly) has been great.

On our way to Plettenberg Bay, we saw ostrich and baboons along the highway, had ice cream cones at Steers (like Burger King) at the Storms River rest area, saw the world’s highest bungee jump at Bloukrans Bridge, and then stopped at Monkeyland to take a one-hour walking tour through the world’s first multi-species free-roaming primate sanctuary. We saw several different species of monkeys and lemurs up close, and even got to walk across a scary rope bridge through the treetops.

In Plettenberg Bay, we met Elder & Sister O’Dell (from Arizona) who are serving in George, even further west. After a yummy lunch at Sao Goncales, a sort-of Portuguese restaurant on the side of the road, all five of us headed to the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve, where we had a 3:00 reservation for a jeep safari tour.

This reserve was about 16 km north of the main road, and we saw zebra and springbok right after driving through the entrance. We arrived at the main lodge half an hour before our scheduled tour, so we walked around and saw all their skins and stuffed heads and such. The wind was blowing pretty hard, and I was getting quite cold. It’s supposedly the beginning of summer here, but you can’t convince me of that. I only brought two pair of long pants, so today I was wearing capris and was beginning to think that wasn’t very smart for an open-air jeep safari. So I broke down and purchased an expensive official Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve fleece jacket—and it’s a good thing I did. The tour was over two hours long. Dorothy and Raymond nearly froze to death; me only halfway.

This tour was amazing! The guide was able to take us around the park through all kinds of brush, forest, grassland, and ravines. Besides all the zebra and different species of antelope, we saw six hippos, three rhinoceros, three giraffes, four lions, eight or nine crocodiles, ostriches, a herd of wildebeest, and even an Egyptian mongoose. Except for the lions and crocodiles, everything was free-roaming and out in the open. It’s impossible to explain the feeling of being in Africa and experiencing it like this. The earth is an amazing place and supports so many different peoples, cultures, animals, and plants. I am so very privileged to have been able to experience so much in my lifetime.

South Africa - Wednesday, December 2

2009-12-09T14:53:00.001-07:00

This morning we headed off to Addo Elephant National Park, less than a two-hour drive to the northeast. Our first stop was at the grocery store, Pick ‘n Pay, to get lunch snacks for the day. I was giddy with excitement because it was an actual store with great lighting, wide aisles, regular shopping carts, and just about everything you need. The groceries may not be American, but the South African equivalents are pretty close. After living in Cairo for the past six weeks, this seems rather luxurious. In fact, everything I’ve seen so far in South Africa is cleaner and more modern. When you get out closer to the townships, you can tell there is more poverty, trash, and filth, but we don’t go there.

Anyway, Addo Elephant National Park is a massive drive-through reserve. It is large enough to support lions, which are free-roaming here, but we never saw them. We did get to see a herd of buffalo, warthog, kudu, bushbuck, red hartebeest, eland, leopard tortoise, the rare flightless dung beetle, and about 50 elephants. It is amazing to be driving along right next to the animals. What an experience!

baby elephant on side of road

Raymond living dangerously

dead Cape Buffalo

On the way home, Dorothy wanted to try and find taco sauce (nearly impossible here), so we stopped at Pick ‘n Pay Hyper, their Wal-Mart equivalent. This store had 40 checkout lines and was bigger than the Wal-Mart in Orem! Alas, no hot sauce, but we still attempted to make burritos with the green chilis I brought from home. Not quite the same, but good enough. After gulping down a delicious strawberry shortcake for dessert, Raymond had to head out for a High Council meeting, so Dorothy and I stayed behind and played—you guessed it—Hand and Foot. Her final score was more than double mine, so she was pretty happy. When Raymond got home, we played Shanghai and I got them both back by winning by a hefty margin!

South Africa – Tuesday, December 1

2009-12-09T13:01:00.001-07:00

Last night I flew from Cairo to Johannesburg, arriving at 8:10 a.m. and had a three-hour layover there, which was just about the right amount of time to get through customs and trek to a different terminal to catch my flight to Port Elizabeth. I arrived in PE at 12:50 p.m. and was greeted by an enthusiastic Elder and Sister Miller. It was so wonderful to see Dorothy and Raymond again! I know they’ve only been gone a year, but I just miss my sister.

We drove down to the waterfront and had lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking the bay. The water is a beautiful blue and the beaches are wide and clean. I will have to make time to actually go to a beach so I can touch the Indian Ocean. After lunch we headed to Dorothy & Raymond’s house so they could change into play clothes for the rest of the day’s activities. I think they have lots of great things planned for my visit, so I’m just along for the ride.

We drove about 10-15 minutes from their house to the Kragga Kamma Game Park. Absolutely amazing! I couldn’t believe there is a place like that so close to town. Dorothy says there are game reserves, parks, and sanctuaries all over the place. They’re serious about their animals down here. Kragga Kamma is home to many species, including giraffe, ostrich, white rhino, cheetah, zebra, warthog, springbok, waterbuck, reedbok, vervet monkeys, wildebeest, and so many others I can’t remember. In this park you drive through and look around until you see something. You have to stay in your vehicle but you can stop and look as long as you’d like. Dorothy was thrilled that we got to see most of the animals because others times when they have visited they haven’t been so lucky. She says it’s because I’m here and have brought them luck!

We came around one bend and the road led us directly to a group of 5-6 giraffe. We were able to get within about 20 feet of them—so cool! When we went through the cheetah enclosure (they aren’t allowed to run free through the whole park like the other animals), the cheetahs even ran near the car and stopped long enough for us to get pictures.

After all that excitement, we headed home for a delicious dinner of crockpot stew and homemade biscuits. After cooking for Andrew & Nancy for five weeks, this was such a nice break! And Dorothy is a wonderful cook. Their little missionary home might not be ideal, but she is doing a great job with what she has. But I’ve got to say, it’s a thousand times better than what I’ve been cooking in in Egypt! Their house has two bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen, and living/dining area, plus a one-car garage. Just about the right size for a missionary couple, but Dorothy says it can feel pretty cramped sometimes. I’m sleeping on an air bed on the office floor, and there’s barely enough room for me to walk down one side of the bed to get to the desk where my suitcase is laid out. No matter; it’s just great to be here!

Once dinner was done and cleaned up, we did our favorite thing—play Hand and Foot! Raymond is a real pro and beat us both royally. I think they’re just glad to have someone else around to play with.

Family Night

2009-11-23T13:45:00.002-07:00

Sometimes, you just have to get creative for Family Home Evening. Tonight we took a jaunt to the thread/yarn store and then to a wonderful Thai restaurant for dinner. On the way home, we just had to stop for some gelato on Road 9, but we realized that it was getting very late. So we held a very impromptu lesson while eating our ice cream/gelato outside the store. Nancy said we should go around the table and tell what we are thankful for since it's Thanksgiving this week. She said she was thankful for Grandma being here to help (aw, shucks). Andrew said, "No, you stole mine!" and then quickly said he was thankful for Miriam. Rachel said she was thankful for Miriam because she's in our family now. Then Andrew asked what Grandma was thankful for, and Rachel shouted out, "Her rabbits!" We have no idea how she came up with that one, especially since I don't have any rabbits and have never mentioned rabbits to Rachel; we all had a great laugh! As for my answer, I'm thankful to be in Egypt with this wonderful family and for the chance to get to know them better. I feel useful, needed, and loved -- thanks Andrew, Nancy, Rachel, and Miriam!

Girls' Night Up

2009-11-19T06:06:00.002-07:00

Rough night. Miriam decided to keep Nancy up most of the night. Rachel woke up screaming at about 3:30 a.m., so I got up to help her. She was soaking wet, as were her sheets and most everything around her. I changed her into dry pajamas and didn't know where to put her, so I figured she could just sleep in my bed, not really taking into account Rachel's aversion to sleep. She just wiggled around for the next three hours, sometimes pushing me off our shared pillow or moving the covers all over the place; I think she fell asleep at 6:30 or so. Even after that, she would cry out occasionally and I'd have to calm her down. Once she even said, "I want to sleep in Grandma's bed!" Andrew was the only one lucky enough to have a good night's sleep. So even though we didn't officially get up until 9, all four of us girls were extremely tired. Nap time!

Grandpa's Coming!

2009-11-18T13:52:00.002-07:00

This afternoon I decided it was about time we started counting the days until Grandpa and Jacob arrive. I cut strips of paper, and Rachel colored each one. Then we made a lovely chain with 29 links for the 29 days until they get here - such a long time! We're all excited!

The chain is now hanging in a place of honor in Grandma's room, and Rachel and I will remove a link each day. Oh, boy!

Maadi House - Finally

2009-11-18T13:34:00.003-07:00

After four weeks of playing pretend with Rachel, much of it pretending to go to Maadi House, I finally got to go there. It's like a country club where only members are allowed. However, guests are free on Wednesdays, so we had someone from the branch who is a member of Maadi House come and sign us in. This is one of Rachel's favorite places to go because of the nice playground and swimming pool. We had a great time being outside in the sunshine and open space of the playground.

Sightseeing

2009-11-16T13:41:00.003-07:00

I really haven't done any tourist things here yet, but this is one of my favorite sights to see:

Miriam!

Such a Deal

2009-11-16T13:32:00.003-07:00

I brought some string art projects with me, mostly to keep me busy but also to entertain Rachel. However, I was in need of a needle large enough to use with crochet thread. So off I went to Moudy's on Road 9. What a deal I came away with! This package cost a whopping 1 Egyptian pound--the equivalent of about 20 cents US. I knew it wasn't going to be great, but all I really needed from it was a needle. The tiny scissors didn't work at all and broke apart basically when I touched them. The needle threader didn't fare any better. Most of the needles' eyes are so bad that there is no way any thread at all is going to work. But the one needle I needed works just fine, so my 1 pound was well spent, don't you think?

My Exotic "Vacation" in Egypt

2009-11-12T14:32:00.004-07:00

Last week or so, Reid asked about my days and what I do. Basically, I try to get up before everyone else (yes, it is possible) and shower. Then I work for Harman until Rachel gets up. She has breakfast and sometimes a bath before getting dressed. Then we just play and play. Sometimes she asks to see a movie and we'll watch all or part of one. My whole purpose is just to let Nancy get as much sleep as possible.

As soon as Nancy and Miriam are up, Rachel's attention is focused on them. It's hard to keep her from squishing the baby, and she has tantrums whenever she doesn't get to hold the baby all the time. Nancy is very patient and tries to explain why it's impossible for Miriam to play, but Rachel doesn't like the explanations.

If the weather is nice, I'll try to take Rachel for a walk. It's hard to do, though, because the sidewalks are awful so we have to walk mostly in the roads. I don't want to have to carry Rachel because she's so big and hurts my shoulder, but we are able to walk in mostly quiet roads to get to any stores. McDonald's isn't too far away, so we've done that as a treat.

We have lunch at about 1:30 or 2:00 and try to get Rachel down for a nap. She's usually pretty good about it. Doesn't sleep all the time, but she is great about just staying on her bed and playing quietly. While she's down, I try to work for Harman some more. It depends on how much I have to do. Lately I've taken to going grocery shopping while she's down for her nap (if Andrew is home). The grocery store I usually go to is farther away than I'm comfortable walking to with Rachel because of the busy streets. When Rachel gets up, we play some more. We read books, play with toys, play pretend, and whatever else I can think of. Rachel's favorite phrase is, "Play with me, Grandma!" (and she's demanding, not asking). She has enjoyed doing the little crafty things I brought, especially the dinosaur diorama. Andrew was pretty jealous.

In between playing, I do the dishes, hang wet laundry, fold dry laundry, do my own laundry, fix lunch, clean a little, and do whatever else needs to be done. It was nice having meals brought in the first week after Miriam was born, because I didn't have to worry about that. But now I plan and cook dinner, too. I'm more comfortable using the stove and oven now, so it's working out fine. And Papa John's is a most excellent option (as I discovered tonight).

Rachel goes to bed at about 8:30 or 9:00. Andrew usually has to do homework every evening, so I just work for Harman some more or try to catch up on episodes of CSI or Survivor if the internet is working fast enough (my guilty pleasures).

So that's my schedule. Exhausting! I wish I could sleep better, but it's dusty and noisy and not quite as comfortable as my own bed. But I am getting more used to it. I'm going to need a vacation when I get home!

Egyptian Phone Stalkers

2009-11-09T15:18:00.002-07:00

It has happened. I've been stalked. Nancy has been through this, and now it's my turn. My phone rang this morning; thinking it was my alarm, I reached over and hit the button that turns off the alarm, but it kept ringing. Since I can't see well without my glasses, all I could think was maybe it was Reid calling me, so I said "Hello." A man started speaking to me in Arabic, so I quickly hung up. He called three more times in rapid succession, so I just turned off my phone.

Later in the day I turned my phone back on, and there were missed calls - from the original number and two different unknown numbers. I did like Nancy and put all the numbers on my screened calls list so they don't actually ring, but you can see on the phone when those numbers are calling. One of the ladies in the branch had mentioned that she always answers the phone in a low, man-like voice to avoid this problem, so when the guy called this afternoon, that's what I did. I thought my problems were over, but he started called again this evening. One of the calls came late enough that Andrew was home, so he answered it and was pretty angry with the guy. He hasn't called back yet.

Andrew says these dumb Egyptian men with nothing better to do just start calling random numbers until they hear a female voice. Then they just keep calling until they finally get tired of it or something. It's such a pain!

Renovation News From Home

2009-11-08T15:22:00.002-07:00

Jacob was kind enough to send me some pictures of the beautiful new stairs leading to our basement. I can hardly wait to see them in person!

Making Do

2009-11-03T13:37:00.002-07:00

Cooking here in Andrew & Nancy's Egyptian apartment is a challenge, to say the least. It took me a couple of days just to get over the fear of even walking into their small kitchen with its barely-hanging-onto-the-walls cabinets and old, scary appliances. However, I can now light the stove and oven with the greatest of ease. I even wash the dishes after almost every meal (because there aren't enough dishes for the next meal if I don't). I do miss my small appliances--my Bosch mixer, a hand mixer, toaster oven, blender, crockpot, electric frying pan, electric griddle, etc. Here I am, a 51-year-old grandmother, trying to make a batch of cookies without a mixer! Let me tell you, it ain't easy.

So for lunch today, I was craving toast. Yes, just a piece of toast. Can't just pop a piece of fresh bread in the toaster and then lather it with my favorite margarine and jam! Here's what I had to do: break off a couple of small slices of bread from the loaf in the freezer, light the stove, melt some lovely Lurpak unsalted butter in a small frying pan, place bread in melted butter and smash it down in the pan so it could thaw and then cook in the butter, turn bread over and repeat with the other side, put on plate and smear a little peanut butter and some strawberry jam on the toast, carry the plate out to the dining area so I could share with Rachel. It turned out pretty well, I thought. Andrew turned his head to see what I was eating and exclaimed, "How'd you get toast?" I said, "From the toaster." He looked at me with his endearing incredulous face and said, "But we don't have a toaster!" I just smiled back while he kept asking me how I did it. He even went to the kitchen to try and figure it out. What a sweet, gullible child I raised!

Miriam at 3 Days

2009-10-30T12:20:00.003-06:00

Miriam's first Daddy-Daughter dance

Daddy with his two girls

The Heiss Family - October 28, 2009

Too Much Computer Time, Andrew?

2009-10-27T08:07:00.002-06:00

Rachel and I were up before anyone else this morning. We were in the kitchen getting a little breakfast, and Rachel was asking about Mommy and Daddy. I explained that they were still sleeping, and so was baby Miriam. I said Daddy would be getting up soon and asked Rachel what Daddy was going to do when he woke up. I asked, "Is Daddy going to do some homework?" She replied, "No, he's gonna do Facebook!"

The Church is True!

2009-10-26T14:37:00.002-06:00

The kind Relief Society sisters in the Cairo branch began bringing in meals tonight. There is just something so comforting to have this kind of service rendered after you have a baby or are sick or whatever. We sat down to eat a wonderful meal of roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, vegetables, rolls, and ice cream, when Andrew sighed and blurted out, "The church is true!" My sentiment exactly.

Miriam

2009-10-26T14:15:00.003-06:00

Miriam al-Noor Heiss arrived on Sunday, October 25, at 7:45 a.m.! Andrew woke me up at 5:30 a.m. to tell me they were heading off to the hospital. I was so excited that I couldn't get back to sleep (bad idea when you need to babysit Rachel for the next 30 hours by yourself). Just two hours after arriving at the hospital, baby Miriam was born. You can get more birth details by going to http://www.heissatopia.com.

Sister Pam Cannon was kind enough to drive Rachel and me to the hospital later in the afternoon so we could visit Mommy, Daddy, and baby Miriam. Rachel had been anxiously awaiting the moment she'd get to meet Miriam, and she was totally enamored with her baby sister. Rachel didn't want to leave, but I don't think it would have been a good idea to leave her there!

Rachel can't get enough of the new addition to the Heiss family!

When we got home, we decided to celebrate Miriam's birthday with a few Rachel-drawn balloons and signs from Grandma.

Rachel was sad to hear that Mommy, Daddy, and Miriam wouldn't be coming home until Monday, but she understood. While we were at the hospital visiting, Andrew told her that Miriam couldn't come home until she pooped in her diaper. So late Sunday night when I was trying to get Rachel in bed and she was whimpering about missing baby Miriam, I said that Miriam had to stay at the hospital for the night. Rachel nodded in agreement and said, "Miriam haf to poop in diaper, then come home." I was so impressed that she remembered what her Daddy had told her. Rachel is very bright, and is so prepared to be a big sister.

In case you can't tell, the signs say, "Happy Birthday Miriam."

Hot Stuff

2009-10-19T13:22:00.002-06:00

Here it is, the 19th of October, and you'd think that even in Egypt the weather would be cooling off a bit. Not so. I arrived yesterday at about 4:00 p.m., and it was hot. I rode in a taxi to Andrew & Nancy's house, and it was hot. I was welcomed by a loving Rachel, and it was hot. I slept in "Grandma's room" with a fan on, and it wasn't quite so hot. Today we took the metro to see where the hospital is, and it was hot. We stopped at McDonald's for ice cream, and that was nice. We took the metro back to Maadi, and it was even hotter. We bought a cell phone for me to use while I'm here and then walked home, and it was hot. Can you sense a theme?

Marching Band 2009

2009-10-13T23:09:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to say how proud I am of my Emily. This is her second year as a member of the BYU Cougar Marching Band, and I enjoy attending football games just so I can see her perform. She loves being part of the group and has made many friends along the way. Thanks, Emily, for all your hard work and enthusiasm. Rah-rah, rah-rah-rah, gooooooo Cougars!

Emily, 2nd from left (wearing glasses)

New uniforms this year!

Family Room - Finally!

2009-10-09T23:25:00.003-06:00

Just a couple of shots of the new look in our family room. It's too bad I haven't got any money left for some new furniture, but that will come someday!

Getting There

2009-10-06T19:06:00.003-06:00

More of our work in progress!

* * * * *

Family room - replaced flourescent lighting with recessed lights.

Jacob's room

Paint job in my office

Tile floor in work room

New tub, vanity, sink, and tile floor in bathroom

Diana asked me where everything from the basement was put during this remodel process. Well, it was all transported to our already overstuffed storage room, upstairs to the living room, guest room, and Reid's office, or outside in the garage or on the back deck. In other words, we've been living in a disorganized mess, but we're slowly putting everything back in place.

Progress

2009-10-04T22:21:00.002-06:00

These are not really "before" photos; more like "in progress" photos.

Bathroom

Family room

Craft/sewing room

Laundry room

Stairs

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie . . .

2009-09-13T09:43:00.001-06:00

If you want to do a little tile in the basement, then you have to get new carpet, too. If you're getting carpet in the family room, you might as well get the bedrooms done, too. If you're getting new carpet, then you have to paint all the walls. If you're replacing the ceiling in the bathroom and Hyrum discovers an illegal dryer vent, you have to replace it. If he finds that the tub surround is cracked, you have to replace it. If you're replacing the walls around the tub, you might as well replace the tub. If you're getting a new tub, you're going to need a new toilet and vanity. If you're getting a new vanity, you'll need a new countertop and sink and faucet and lights and medicine cabinet and mirror. If you're getting new carpet in the family room, you might as well replace the hated ceiling lights with recessed lighting. If you're replacing the lights, you should replace all the light switches and outlets so they match. If you manage to get all this done in a reasonable amount of time (and not too much over budget), you can sit in your new basement and enjoy a cookie!

Last week before we left for Seattle, we ripped out the carpet and did prep work for all the painting that needed to be done. We left Jacob in charge, and he did a marvelous job, with fantastic help from Emily and Lauren.

I should have taken "before" pictures of the entire basement but forgot, and my dear friend Dorothy took these photos with her cell phone and shared them with me.

So we're in the process of redoing the entire basement (except for the storage room). It has turned out to be a much larger project than anticipated, but it will be worth it in the end.

Can you tell Jacob is proud of the work he's done? So are we!

This week the tile will be done and carpet installed. Then starts the process of putting everything back where it belongs. You should see the rest of the house! Stuff is piled everywhere in the living room, Reid's office, and the garage. It will be so nice to have it all put back in its place in newly remodeled rooms. I'll post photos of the results!

I Guess We Should Have Killed Our Pigs

2009-07-07T17:21:00.002-06:00

Maybe Egypt had the right idea (just kidding). We know that pigs have nothing to do with whether or not you get the swine flu. So I don't know what to blame. Jacob has been really sick since Friday, and no matter how much I begged him, he just wasn't getting any better. A quick trip to the doctor this afternoon brought some bad news - Jacob has swine flu. That means another week at home, resting and trying to get better. There's really nothing they can give him to make it better. However, they have given all the rest of us in the house (even Sarah and Emily even though they aren't living at home) a 10-day course of Tamiflu that will hopefully prevent us from getting the flu. Wish us luck!

February Vacation

2009-05-16T22:40:00.003-06:00

Let me tell you a little about our not-so-recent vacation (end of February) to Moab and the San Rafael Swell. The last time we were in Moab was about 10 years ago, and we did as much hiking as our young children could stand. Andrew wanted to hike to Delicate Arch (in Arches National Park), but the rest of the kids were whining and complaining, so we never did that hike. It's three miles round-trip, and you come right to the base of Utah's most famous arch. We said we'd just have to come back another time, but never got around to doing it with the kids. This time Reid and I came by ourselves for a much-needed break.

Part of the trail leading to Delicate Arch - pretty strenuous but doable.

Delicate Arch - notice the sheer dropoff on the other side of the base, and notice that I did not go anywhere near it!

The brave hiker - we hiked about 10 miles in 2 days.

The trail to Sand Dune Arch.

Sand Dune Arch

Landscape Arch

Morning Glory Arch - not actually in Arches National Park, but accessible from Highway 128 along the Colorado River.

Base of Morning Glory Arch - there is a stream of water coming right out of the rock.

On the way home from Moab, we took a dirt road along the north side of the San Rafael Swell that took us to The Wedge. This spot is also called Utah's Little Grand Canyon. That's the San Juan River way down at the bottom. In conclusion, fantastic time, great weather, good hiking, and fine company. I'm kind of liking this "almost empty-nester" life!

Spring Trees

2009-04-16T08:23:00.003-06:00

Thanks, but enough already!

2009-04-16T08:11:00.002-06:00

Today is April 16, folks! I love the look of snow, but this is ridiculous!

That's Sarah's car stuck in the road in front of the Freeman's house.

The ruler says 10" (measured on the front deck).

Anyone want to sit on the porch and chat?

I Hate Tax Day

2009-04-14T12:42:00.007-06:00

This happens every year. April 15 looms nearer and nearer. Reid asks how the taxes are coming. I say, "Don't talk to me about it." I hate doing my taxes. It's not that the task is so overwhelmingly difficult. I just hate doing it. So I put it off as long as possible. Last night (April 13) I decided the time had come. Armed with folders, papers, computer access (and a mint brownie), I just did it. And the outcome wasn't so bad--didn't make as much money last year, so I didn't have to pay so much. Since I work from home, I always have to pay self-employment taxes, so paying at the end of the year is no surprise. So why in the world do I put this task off so late every single year? If I think of it as having a splinter in my finger, why wouldn't I just pull it out right away and get the pain over with?

The Bucket List

2009-02-16T11:10:00.002-07:00

I don't usually do those goofy lists that get passed around on blogs and Facebook, but this one is more my style, so I'm actually participating. It's kind of fun to see how much I have been able to do in my half-century of life.

The Bucket List: things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Donated Blood
(x) Skipped school
(x) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
(x) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
(x) Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(x) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Hugged a homeless person
(x) Swam in the ocean
( ) Swam with Stingrays
( ) Been sailing in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Ran a marathon
( ) Sang Karaoke
( ) Volunteered at a soup kitchen
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(x) Seen the Northern Lights
(x) Been Parasailing
( ) Been on TV
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) Made prank phone calls (pardon me, but your cows are in my yard...)
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Fed an elephant
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Fired a gun
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
(x) Been to the Opera
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Serenaded someone
(x) Seen a U.S.President in person
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
( ) Driven a race car
(x) Been to a National Museum
(x) Been to a Wax Museum
(x) Eaten caviar
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone to the movies
(x) Been deep sea fishing
(x) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
(x) Lived in more than one country
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(x) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(x) Seen the Grand Canyon
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
(x) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
(x) Been on a cruise
(x) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(x) Been horse back riding
(x) Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(x) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(x) Truly believe in the power of prayer
(x) Been in a rain forest
(x) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
(x) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(x) Been water-skiing
(x) Been snow-skiing
(x) Been to Westminster Abbey
(x) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
(x) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Swam with sharks
(x) Been White Water Rafting
() Written a book or screen play

Nancy Jogged My Memory

2009-02-14T10:59:00.003-07:00

Yesterday, Nancy blogged (http://www.heissatopia.com/) about Rachel doing a face-plant outside and cutting her chin. That reminded me of the time Andrew (at about age 2), did the same thing on our cement steps outside the kitchen door. I tried to find a picture of his pitiful face, but the closest I came was this:

It's hard to tell from this angle, but the right side of his chin, right under the corner of his mouth, is still pretty messed up. I just thought this picture was cute because it looks like a "Rachel face." And that's me holding scissors on the right, trying to cut Andrew's hair.

Yucky Memories

2009-01-06T23:21:00.003-07:00

My oldest son, Andrew, complained on Facebook that his daughter just threw up and it was "yucky." That reminded me of the time I was driving from Chapel Hill to Durham with Andrew in the back seat right behind me, when all of a sudden he vomited about 10 gallons! I had to pull over and at least attempt to clean up, all the while trying not to get sick myself. Then there was the time he was feeling ill and wanted mommy to climb in bed beside him. He turned his head to look at me and (gross) proceeded to throw up right in my face. Such fond memories!

I Had a Blast . . .

2008-12-22T22:19:00.002-07:00

There's nothing like getting up at 5 a.m. just so you can be at the hospital by 6. But it really is much better to be first on the surgery schedule because it means you can get home sooner. My lithotripsy went well--both kidneys got blasted quite a bit, apparently, and the doctor put a stent in one to keep the ureter open. When the doctor got started, he discovered that both sides were blocked with stones, in addition to the stones sitting in the kidneys. So now I'm home, trying to recover quickly. The stone pain is gone, but there is the discomfort of the stent, and I feel like I've been kidney-punched multiple times. And to top it all off, it took the nurse three tries to get my IV in.

I'm grateful for the miracle of modern medicine and equipment, for skilled doctors, for kind nurses and hospital staff, and for a wonderful, supportive husband. And I'm thankful to be forced to relax these days before Christmas--so peaceful!

A Holiday Tradition I Can do Without

2008-12-17T16:44:00.002-07:00

December 22, 2006 - slipped on ice in work parking lot; drove self to hospital with broken shoulder; 3 months in sling

December 22, 2008 - scheduled for lithotripsy to blast 6-8 stones stuck in my kidneys and ureters

Have a holly, jolly Christmas--it's the best time of the year.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-16T12:17:00.004-07:00

This is what we were surprised with this morning! You can either feel sorry for me because I hate the cold and snow (only when I have to be outside in it), or you can be thrilled because I get to enjoy the beauty of winter in Utah.

Look at how much snow is piled on top of the deck railings. And you'll notice Reid's car at the bottom of the driveway--no chance of getting up our steep slab of concrete!

Heiss Happenings 2008

2008-12-15T17:20:00.003-07:00

With school now long over and our traveling all done,
Thanksgiving’s forgotten and the poem’s begun.
And oh, this past year has been filled with some drama—
A lot of it starts with a man named Obama.

I couldn’t resist. Yes, I tried to abstain
From bringing up this year’s presidential campaign.
But after eight years of George Bush and Dick Cheney
It was nice to see someone a little more brainy.

But no more Bush-bashing the rest of this rhyme,
For some of my readers may want equal time.
Enough of those matters about politics.
It’s time to review what we did just for kicks.

Each year, as I read your kind letters to us
I whine and complain and put up such a fuss.
I’m jealous. I know, it’s not right, I agree,
But most of you travel the world more than we.

Well this year with Karen, my wife, as you know,
To quite distant lands on this globe we did go.
She flew out to Egypt, to Cairo to stay,
So she and her granddaughter Rachel could play.

They laughed and they played and they saw many things
Like pyramids, mosques, and the tombs of old kings.
They traveled by camel and taxi and boat;
They walked past those shops sporting heads of young goats.

While she played in Cairo, I was far, far away
From Chicago through Delhi to a place called Pune (poo nay).
It’s a city just east of a place called Mumbai (moom bye)
That was once called Bombay, but I’m not quite sure why.

I was there for my work. At the end of my stay
Karen arrived and we toured for six days.
We saw Taj Mahal, temples, mosques, and old forts
But it felt great to return to the Salt Lake airport.

Besides travels abroad and some closer to home
The Heisses did more than just endlessly roam.
There were three graduations that took place this year.
Andrew’s was first and mine brought up the rear.

Andrew finished college with a bachelor’s degree
In Arabic language and Islamic studies.
And what do you do with a degree so arcane?
You fly off to Egypt with your wife on a plane

And not just with Nancy, they took Rachel, too.
So we went to the airport and bid them adieu.
With their luggage in tow and their stroller at hand
They flew for two days to that grand ancient land.

While Andrew’s at school, Nancy stays back at home
Where she’s caught a bad case of that blogger’s syndrome.
If you want funny stories and snapshots to see
Heissatopia.com is where you should be.

With one grandchild gone, we have one still quite near—
Katharine and Todd’s baby Kayl’s now one year.
He thinks about walking though he’d much rather crawl.
It’s safer that way ‘cause it’s a much shorter fall.

But walking and talking will come to him soon.
Like all parents of young kids they won’t be immune
To the crayons on the wall and sharp toys on the floor
And the little boy fingers that get caught in the door.

For part of this year Sarah lived on her own,
But now she is here with her cat and her phone.
Not really a phone, more a growth on her ear,
And she texts and she texts to all of her peers.

Besides texting and calling, she is now into school.
She’s a full-time student, which we think is cool.
While math is a struggle and science for geeks,
I am proud to announce that it’s history she seeks.

In May came the next graduation this year.
Emily finished high school (with not a few tears).
She had a great year with the band and her cello
And marching at games and performing her solos.

She is now at the Y and in marching band,
And like good little parents we sat in the stands
For all the home games, in the rain, heat or snow
So we could see Emily play her cute piccolo.

And speaking of watching a child while it’s raining
Jacob, our senior, spent half the year training
To run in St. George in the marathon race
Where he hoped he would cross the line in first place.

Well, he didn’t come first, but he ran to the end
In four hours and three minutes; not too bad, my friends.
So we sat in the rain and we sat in the cold
To cheer on our son who’s now 17 years old.

Diana and Richard, who started this year
As expectant parents, now have reason to cheer.
They had a new baby and Michael's his name.
But before we could know him, they moved—now how lame.

They live in Seattle where Richard attends
An art school and hopes that he soon will ascend
To the top of his class, to a job that will pay.
Diana just hopes that he'll finish one day.

Well, our last graduation, as mentioned above,
Was mine, and it’s one that I’m fairly proud of.
A Masters Degree in Public Administration!
In August I endured our third graduation.

I have written and said all I can in this rhyme.
Now I send it to you during this Christmas time.
May your season be joyous, your lives free from trauma.
My thanks to all who elected Obama!

Alarming!

2008-11-25T19:44:00.002-07:00

Does anyone else find this clock just a bit creepy? However, maybe it would work for Andrew!

Quirks

2008-11-17T23:55:00.002-07:00

Nancy "tagged" me a while back about quirks, and I've been feeling obligated ever since--but not overly enthused. She explained the rules: A - People who are tagged need to post these rules and 8 random habits, facts, quirks about themselves. B - At the end of the post you need to choose 8 people to get tagged and list their names. I'm going to be rebellious and only do part A. If anyone out there feels so inclined, go ahead and consider yourself tagged!

1. I like to stay up late. It became a really bad habit when the kids were younger and around me all day. Late nights were my only refuge from the noise. Reid goes to bed fairly early, so I get to enjoy a couple of hours to myself. Now that I have the house to myself almost all day now, I really should get rid of this habit!

2. I cannot leave a jigsaw puzzle unfinished. If I get one started, I will practically drop everything else until the puzzle is done. I've been known to work on puzzles all night long (again with the late-night thing). And I want to be the person who connects the final piece.

3. I handle all the power tools in our house. Reid doesn't know how and doesn't want to learn, and I learned from my Dad, so projects are up to me. You should see the great picnic table and benches I made. I'd go outside and take a picture, but (you guessed it) it's the middle of the night right now.

4. I tried playing the clarinet and the trombone in elementary school, but thankfully stuck with the piano and organ. I've wanted to take organ lessons for years but have never gotten around to it.

5. Two and a half weeks after I met my husband, Reid, we were engaged. And we got married just two months after that!

6. I can type 100 words a minute.

7. When I was young, a constant fight with my parents was over making my bed every day. I figured, what's the use? You're just going to get back in it that night! Now, however, it really bothers me if the bed isn't made. I guess it just feels better to have at least one thing in my house organized.

8. I'm an administrative assistant by profession/education and can organize and reorganize practically any office, but you should see the mess in my home office! I keep telling Reid that it's easy to organize for someone who's paying me to do it, but at home there isn't that tangible reward. You'd think he'd get the hint and start throwing a little cash my way.

There, Nancy, I did it.

Mission-Bound

2008-11-10T08:25:00.002-07:00

The reason Clark & Lynnea are visiting is to see our older sister Dorothy and her husband Raymond. They are preparing to serve an 18-month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the South Africa Cape Town Mission. We all gathered yesterday at their ward to hear them speak, and then had a wonderful time eating and chatting at their home in Wales, Utah. All six of their children were there, as well as our youngest sister Linda and many other relatives and friends. I'm very proud of them and excited about the opportunities they will have to serve others in Port Elizabeth, the city to which they have been assigned. I'm jealous, and I'm going to miss them!

Bon voyage, Elder and Sister Miller!

Hooray for Visitors!

2008-11-10T08:18:00.002-07:00

We're very excited to have visitors this weekend! My brother Clark, his wife Lynnea, their daughter Jessica, and Jessica's brand-new baby Leah are here from Colorado. Leah is just 6 weeks old, and it's so much fun to hold such a tiny baby again. Reid, of course, is in heaven to have a baby in the house again!

Sarah just had to find a way to get in the picture!

I Never Thought I'd . . .

2008-11-05T08:57:00.007-07:00

turn 50

use Facebook

ride a camel

love being a grandma so much

be a world traveler

see history being made (congratulations, President Obama!)

Pure Joy!

2008-11-04T12:42:00.003-07:00

Last Day in Delhi, Part 5

2008-11-01T22:21:00.006-06:00

This is the Parliament building. We were hoping it was open to the public like the U.S. Capitol or England's Parliament, but nothing doing. We did go through a security gate to a visitor reception center, which was just a glorified snack bar. There were some official looking desks on one side, and we asked about being able to go inside the Parliament building--no deal. Security is very tight here, or maybe it's just that they're not used to having tourists even want to see their government buildings. I was glad for the chance to rest for a little bit, especially since the reception center had a bit of air conditioning. I was getting hotter and hotter as the afternoon wore on.

After not seeing Parliament, we caught a rickshaw and asked to be taken to the National Museum. Uh-oh, it's closed on Mondays, too! With nothing else on our plan of things to do, we just headed back to Connaught Place, the shopping area near our hotel. It was only about 2:30, so we wanted to get some lunch and maybe spend the last of our rupees on some final souvenirs. We managed to find a McDonald's--that was the best strawberry shake I've had in ages, probably because I was so hot and tired. Then we just walked around for what seemed like forever. There was no way I could do that until 8 p.m., so we just gave up and went to the hotel, arriving there at about 4:00.

So what do you do while waiting in a hotel lobby for four hours? I sat and cooled off while Reid worked on his computer (he was lucky enough to find an electrical outlet near one of the couches) and then I did a little reading until he was done. Then we put in a DVD (a two-hour episode of Star Trek: Voyager). We had to share one set of ear buds in order to listen to it, so we must have looked pretty funny sitting there staring at a computer, each of us with a wire dangling from one ear. After the movie, we retrieved some clean clothes from our suitcases and were able to freshen up in the lobby restrooms. By 7:00, we were getting antsy and just asked if the car could take us to the airport early. They looked at us funny, but said it would be okay.

We arrived at the airport by about 8:15 and discovered that you can't even go inside the front doors until approximately three hours before your flight time. So we were technically an hour early and had to wait outside. Maybe that's why the hotel staff looked at us funny when we wanted to leave earlier than planned!

As my farewell to India, may I just say how much I enjoyed experiencing this country and its culture and people. It has helped me appreciate all I have; I am truly blessed. I will probably never be able to come back here, so I'm glad for the chance I had to make this trip. So goodbye, Delhi, and Happy Diwali to everyone!

Last Day in Delhi, Part 4

2008-11-01T22:08:00.005-06:00

The Presidential Palace (the equivalent of our White House), sits at the top of the hill. It looks a little like our Capitol Building, don't you think? Unlike the White House, there are no tours, so all you can do is look through the gate.

I just love the stonework on this gate post!

Last Day in Delhi, Part 3

2008-11-01T21:56:00.003-06:00

Next stop was over to the government buildings near Parliament and the Presidential Palace. They are set on a hill looking down the Raj Path towards the India Arch. (If you look closely at the last photo, you can see the arch far away in the smog.) We didn't see many tourists milling around; in fact, the only people I saw for a while were guards with their guns and rifles. We just kept walking up the hill and right past the buildings. We were waved away by a guard when we got close to the Ministry of Defense, so we just walked in the street instead of on the sidewalk next to the building. We did see some visitors when we got close to the Presidential Palace, but they seemed to be Indian. There certainly weren't any other Americans anywhere near!

Last Day in Delhi, Part 2

2008-11-01T21:41:00.003-06:00

After not seeing the Red Fort, we made our way by auto-rickshaw to the nearby Jama Masjid, which just happens to be the largest mosque in India. Massive!

This last photo is looking down the steps of the mosque at a very busy street. All of India was crazy this day because it was the day before Diwali, a huge annual celebration also known as the Festival of Lights. It reminded me of Christmas with all the lights, candles, and gifts. It also reminded me of New Year's Eve with all the fireworks and partying. The streets were packed with people buying presents and fireworks--kinda cool.

Last Day in Delhi, Part 1

2008-11-01T21:19:00.003-06:00

There was no rush to get up on Monday, our last day in India, since our flight wasn't leaving until midnight. It was nice to sleep in a little, enjoy breakfast, and finish packing. We had everything ready by about 11, so we checked out of the hotel and left our suitcases with the hotel staff and went out to see more of Delhi. We arranged to have a hotel car take us to the airport at 8 p.m., so that gave us eight hours of free time.

Our first stop was the Red Fort, another World Heritage Site. It's just too bad that it's closed on Mondays!

It looks like an amazing place, and I wish we'd been able to go inside.

Maybe next time!

Our Last Night

2008-11-01T10:15:00.004-06:00

The end of a very busy Sunday brought some much needed rest. We stayed in Delhi at the Hans Hotel, very conveniently located in the business district near Connaught Place. If you need to stay in Delhi, I highly recommend it for its location, cleanliness, and service.

The India Arch

2008-11-01T10:01:00.004-06:00

Delhi is the capital of India and has an impressive area that is very similar to the Mall in Washington, D.C. The India Arch is situated near one end of what is called the Raj Path. You can look far up the path and see the government buildings and the presidential palace (if it weren't so smoggy). This is the India Arch, a monument to their fallen soldiers. We just happened to be there on Sunday, a couple of days before Diwali (like New Year's), so it was very crowded with families, beggars, and vendors. We even got to see a man with a cobra. I didn't even want to get close for two reasons: I hate snakes, and I didn't want to have to pay the guy to take a picture.

The view through this side is to another monument nearby

One of many fountains along the path

Isa Khan

2008-11-01T09:56:00.003-06:00

Also part of the Humayun site is the impressive Isa Khan Tomb.

We were Ruined!

2008-10-31T11:33:00.002-06:00

On the grounds of the Humayun complex, we found this building. From what we could figure, it's some sort of garden building (maybe the gardener's living quarters?). Reid said climbing the steps reminded him of the Mayan pyramids--steep and narrow--which explains why I stayed at the bottom!

Humayun's Tomb

2008-10-31T11:12:00.007-06:00

Our next stop on Sunday's tour was Humayun's Tomb, the precursor to the Taj Mahal. This was a monument built by a queen for her husband and is 100 years older than the Taj Mahal but is almost as spectacular.

This is one of several gates leading to the courtyard and gardens before you actually get to the monument holding the tomb.

See the resemblance to the Taj Mahal?

Cool stairs leading up to the monument

Humayun's Tomb

Red sandstone with marble inlays

The Lotus Temple

2008-10-26T10:09:00.009-06:00

After church, we chose to see some sights in the area. We've figured out the auto-rickshaw taxi system, and it's by far the best way to get around town. It's very inexpensive, and you sure get up close and personal to every other vehicle on the street. The Lotus Temple is a very famous worship destination for the Baha'i faith. The temple is shaped like the lotus flower, something very important in India. It's massive! No photos were allowed inside. We also had to take off our shoes just to approach it, so we walked around barefoot for a long time. There is absolutely no talking allowed inside--it's a holy place for meditation and prayer. After the temple, we went through the visitor center and learned a great deal about this religion.

Going to Church

2008-10-26T09:52:00.004-06:00

Armed with just an address we got off the church's website, lds.org, we took a cab to find the Delhi 1st Branch this morning. I had a general idea by looking at a map we got from the hotel desk, and even the driver wasn't quite sure where we were going. We got off what could best be described as an expressway, and the driver actually got out to ask directions (what man does that in any country?). To his surprise and our delight, we were on the right road and just four houses away.

After my multi-national church experience in Cairo, I was expecting to see the same here in Delhi, especially since the Branch President's last name is Winter. Not so! We were the only white people there until another visitor showed up (a man from Cincinnati here on business). And then five of the six missionaries who came in were white. It was such a cool experience. These members of the church reached out to us and welcomed us to their little branch with open arms. All of the meetings were in English, but in Sunday School and Relief Society sometimes the teachers would speak in Hindi as well to accommodate some of the members whose English isn't so great. I got to play the piano in Relief Society because there are no women who know how. It took the sister in charge a couple of minutes to find the plug and turn on the piano.

After the meetings, Reid spent some time outside by the baptismal font just talking to President Winter. He joined the church just a year ago, and has been branch president for four months. He says there are about 300 members of the branch, but their Sunday attendance is around 80-90. This was a great way to spend our Sunday morning!

The Taj Mahal - One of the Wonders of the World

2008-10-25T11:17:00.005-06:00

I have never imagined myself visiting India, much less the famous Taj Mahal, but here I am--still pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming. This mausoleum was built by a grieving king for his beloved wife, who died giving birth to her 14th child. The queen is interred inside, and the king was entombed by her side later. Those are the only two things in the Taj Mahal. It is made of solid white marble, inlaid with precious stones and other colors of marble. It really is quite amazing (and every other superlative you can think of), and was definitely worth the long trip to see it.

When it was time to go, our "guide" proceeded to take us to a factory where they do marble inlays. We were subjected to a presentation on how this is done and then ushered into the showroom. We had no intentions of buying anything that expensive, but listened politely and got out of there as soon as we could. Then we were taken to a jewelry store where the same thing happened. Sometimes I hate being a tourist!

By this point, we were both exhausted and just wanted to get back to Delhi and our hotel (we had left the hotel at 6:30 this morning). We left Agra at 1:30 p.m., not even stopping for lunch (which our driver thought was very odd). Traffic became a huge issue, and it only got worse as we got closer to Delhi. Six hours and fifteen minutes later, we were back. It took us that long to go 125 miles--averaging about 20 miles an hour. Talk about miserable! I'm just glad the car had air conditioning so we didn't sweat to death.

We are going to try to attend church tomorrow; it all depends on finding the building. This ought to be interesting!

More Taj Mahal Entrance

2008-10-25T11:07:00.003-06:00

The entrance courtyard and buildings are made of red sandstone with all marble inlays. If you look at the previous pictures of the entrance building, you might be able to see the writing on the face of the building. From a distance it looks like paint, but it's all inlaid marble, and the detail is amazing. This monument took 22 years to build, and was finished in 1653.

Looking through the arch of the entrance building, you can see the Taj Mahal.

Entrance to the Taj Mahal

2008-10-25T10:57:00.002-06:00

Our driver picked up a guide for us, and "Sonny" took us to the ticket booth and into the Taj Mahal complex and then gave us a personal tour. The courtyard has three entrances and then a main building, through which you enter the gardens leading to the Taj Mahal.

Street Scenes

2008-10-25T10:43:00.003-06:00

On our long drive to Agra, we were able to see so much of Indian life. We saw cows, camels, monkeys, dogs, horses, donkeys, goats, wild pigs, and even an elephant, all right on the roads. Almost every time we stopped, beggars would come up to the windows and try to get our attention (and our money). The most striking thing to me was the sheer poverty all around us. It was just overwhelming to see what these people live like. I'm sure there are better areas, but everywhere we went today was just sad.

Notice the dried cow pies laid out on the side of the road (for sale, I guess).

Look, Emily -- Monkeys!

2008-10-25T10:27:00.003-06:00

Today was the big day of our trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Big day and long day. It is 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Delhi to Agra, so we rented a car and driver to take us there. He said it would be about 3 1/2 hours, but it ended up being more like 4 1/2. We actually got to see monkeys on the way! These guys on the side of the road ripped us off by making us pay for taking our own pictures of their monkeys.

Then the driver pulled over at a restaurant/gift shop/pit stop, where we found these monkeys in the parking lot. Nobody made us pay for these pictures! I took a package of Smarties out of my bag, and two monkeys came running before I could even open it. They knew they were going to get a treat. I wanted Reid to let the monkeys take the candy right from his hand, but he wouldn't even try. Something about being afraid of being bit (Andrew's friend, Beryl, warned us that the monkeys here are mean). So we just tossed the Smarties on the ground, and those monkeys grapped them and ate them up!

See the Smartie in his hand?

Everybody Loves Raymond

2008-10-24T11:05:00.004-06:00

After checking in to the hotel, we decided to be brave and walk around the area. We are in a huge shopping and business district called Connaught Place, and the hotel staff assured us this was a great place to visit and is perfectly safe. As we were walking, a kind stranger befriended us and showed us the way to some shops and restaurants before hopping on a bus for his home. We stopped at a restaurant called The Embassy and had some good old-fashioned chicken noodle soup (Reid's stomach has just about had enough Indian food). On the way back, we actually got in one of those little auto-rickshaws and enjoyed a 10-minute ride right through the middle of all the traffic. Those drivers aren't afraid of anything!

As we were out and about, we came across the most wonderful store. You see, Reid has always aspired to be like my brother-in-law, Raymond Miller. He can do anything--hike, ski, fix things, grow things, survive in the wild, etc. Reid has always said he wants to be just like Raymond when he grows up. Who knew we could just come to Delhi and go to the Raymond Shop? I'm not sure if you go there to buy a Raymond, or if they just have everything Raymond!

. . . and Hello, Delhi!

2008-10-24T10:53:00.002-06:00

I would have taken some pictures of our descent into Delhi, but the closer we got, the more polluted the air became. We are staying at the Hans Hotel in the business district of Delhi, and we're way up on the 19th floor. And I thought Cairo and Pune were smoggy!

Sunset (can you see it?)

Notice the birds right outside our window.

Can you make out the buildings in the distance?

Goodbye Pune . . .

2008-10-24T10:45:00.003-06:00

Getting to the Pune airport took over an hour this morning. Traffic was horrible (so what's new in India?), but we got there in plenty of time. As I mentioned before, this is not a tourist destination, so it's interesting getting through all the bureaucracy when they're not used to dealing with foreigners. We had a very helpful airport employee who basically took us through every step. Very nice! These are just some parting shots of Pune as we took off. They don't look fuzzy because of my terrible photography skills--it really is that smoggy and hazy, and this was on a pretty good day.

Now That's Tired!

2008-10-24T10:40:00.003-06:00

Reid got back to the hotel at around 3:30 a.m. after his final night at work here in Pune, India. Then we had to get up at 7:00 to get ready to catch our flight to Delhi. The minute we got on the airplane, Reid slumped forward and fell asleep--poor guy!

Wipro's Farewell

2008-10-24T10:10:00.006-06:00

Thursday night was Reid's last time to work at Wipro. The people there have been so gracious and hospitable to him during the last two weeks. He had fun getting to know them, and he appreciated their kindness in working with him, showing him around Pune, and teaching him how to eat Indian food. He took the camera to work with him to record the final feast they put on for him. Thanks, Wipro!

Cehtsing Temple

2008-10-24T10:01:00.002-06:00

The best way for us to get around town in Pune was to hire a car and driver right from the hotel. That's how we've been getting to see all these things. Just so you know, there are no other white tourists anywhere. This is not your typical tourist destination, so the people here just aren't used to seeing light-skinned (in my case, pale) people. They don't stare too much--just enough to get a good look!

After our visit to Sarasbaug Ganpati, we had a little extra time so the driver said he'd take us to another interesting place. Of course, we had absolutely no idea where we were going. It takes a lot of faith to be at the mercy of a stranger, but since he was a hotel employee we figured it was safe wherever he took us. So we ended up an this interesting temple. The driver wrote down the name for us: Cehtsing. At least that's what I can make of his handwriting.

Dairy Queen and Taxi King

2008-10-24T09:57:00.002-06:00

Not quite the real thing.

We still haven't been brave enough to take one of these taxis anywhere!

Sarasbaug Ganpati

2008-10-24T09:29:00.003-06:00

Reid was so tired from working all night that Thursday morning he slept in until 11. He didn't have to get back to Wipro until around 4, so we took another little excursion into Pune. This temple is called Sarasbaug Ganpati and is situated in the middle of a huge public park. The website says 10,000 people visit this temple daily, although there certainly weren't that many there at the same time we were.

The Shrine

Structure for offerings

Interesting architecture of adjacent building

Entrance to the park

Pond surrounding temple

Smaller shrine

View of other shrines in the city

Lemon Tree Hotel (Pune), Inside and Out

2008-10-23T06:48:00.002-06:00

Small, yet comfortable!

Sorry about the bad lighting on the camera.

We're Having WHAT For Dinner?

2008-10-23T06:45:00.001-06:00

My children will appreciate this:

Pune City Shots

2008-10-23T06:39:00.004-06:00

Shaniwarwada

2008-10-23T06:34:00.004-06:00

This the mansion/fort Shaniwarwada I mentioned in an earlier post:

Traffic and Auto-Rickshaws

2008-10-23T06:31:00.003-06:00

Where can I get one of these three-wheeled taxis?

Gandhi's Shrine

2008-10-23T06:17:00.004-06:00

Some photos of our visit to the Aga Khan Palace (see a previous post to get the link to more information about this location):

Some of Gandhi's meager possessions.

Gandhi's personal secretary died here, as did his beloved wife.

Their ashes are buried here, as are some of Gandhi's.

If you've never seen the movie Gandhi, I highly recommend it. To me, it was a moving portrayal and tribute to this great man. Being in this place where he was confined by the British government, where he worked, walked, and mourned, filled me with a great sense of history and respect.

Oh, Man, It's Oman!

2008-10-23T06:06:00.002-06:00

As far as I can tell from the map, we had to have flown over the coast of Oman as we left the Arabian Peninsula and headed towards Mumbai, India.

Today's flights were the only ones so far on this trip where the weather was clear enough to get any pictures. I felt so lucky!