Dear Egypt: I Love You.

Our flight from Madrid to Nairobi had a layover in Cairo and thanks to a suggestion of my cousin, Becca, Dad arranged it for us to spend an entire day in Egypt.

I have to admit that due to current events, I had a few safety concerns myself and so it was good that it was not until after we were safely settled in Nairobi that Dad told us that Egypt was still on the U.S.’s list of countries that its citizens are currently not advised to visit. I really am grateful for that and for the fact that we took the risk because Egypt was AMAZING!!!! And most of that credit we probably owe to Khaleed (our Egyptian homeboy who I will tell you more about in just a second).

The only sketchy thing that really happened while we were in Cairo occurred within the first 10 minutes of landing. After picking up our bags, we exited the security area and were greeted by more than 100 “cab drivers” one of which just basically came up to us, asked Dad which hotel we were staying at, grabbed my bag I was rolling and started leading us to a van around the corner. Luckily the van he hooked us up with wasn’t anyone too scary although it definitely was not a legitimate or legal taxi.

Of note: over the next 24 hours and actually within the first 60 seconds of being out on the streets of Cairo, I decided that it is a city that I would NEVER like to drive in. You could start by saying that they were fitting 6 lanes of cars on roads only built for 2, but even that does not begin to describe the chaos. No one even really tries to stay in a lane, it is just a mass swarming and you just try to stay on the side of the road that is moving in the direction that you want to go. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before. It made driving in Boston look as easy as driving around downtown Manti, Utah or something.

Anyway, we did arrive safely at our hotel, even if it was in some shady black market sin wagon. The hotel was lovely. It was the InterContinental CityStar Hotel. The lobby and rooms were so stunning that I almost instantly forgot about the worries that had so recently been occupying my mind. And a wedding was just about to start in the basement of the hotel and so we got to see a beautiful Egyptian bride and her father and maid of honor descend the stairs in the main lobby before disappearing into the ceremony. So cool.

Walking like Egyptians in the lobby of the hotel

I digress. Egypt was awesome and this is why: KHALEED.

My dad found out about this amazing young Egyptologist online and I am almost 100% certain that it is because of him that I think that I might be picking up Egyptology as a new hobby for myself. He was a wonderful tour guide. With him we felt super safe and were able to learn more about Egypt in the 12 hours we were with him than I ever did in the 3 months we studied it in 6^th grade or even from classes in college. It was awesome.

We first visited the Mit Rahina Museum.

 The fam in front of a sphynx at the Mit Rahina Museum

 Check out how ENORMOUS this thing is by scaling it to real size using that man down there.

Also, check out the Egyptian's incredible knowledge of anatomy by looking at the leg muscles. Awesome.

After the Mit Rahina museum, we went to visit Imhotep and Saqqara. Saqqara is likely the world's first pyramid or pyramid prototype as Saqqara is really more of a step-pyramid. And Imhotep was the genius behind the whole thing.



These are believed to be some of the first columns ever built.

They were built in approx. 8 inch layers laid on top of each other. Can you see that?

And then because they weren't sure if the columns would be able to hold themselves,

the columns are actually anchored to the walls.

 The family in front of Saqqara.

 Khaleed educating us about the evolution of the pyramid

 After Saqqara, we went to visit the Giza pyramids.

This is the guy that Sean tried to take a picture of him and his camel in front of the pyramids and within 30 seconds, the guy had Sean's (actually my Dad's) camera in his hands and was asking Sean for money, which Sean likely would have given him, along with just about anything else (his passport, his soul, etc.) had Khaleed not swooped in and rescued him.

 Pyramids of Giza

The Syphnx.

Until today, I didn't know that this was basically buried in sand up to its neck until only recently.

After Giza, we went to the Citadel, which was really awesome to go to with Khaleed because he is Muslim. And he helped us understand a lot more about the mosques and their decorations (or lack thereof in one of the mosques).

 Shoes off following Khaleed across the center of the mosque

My only regret is that we were not able to go to the Cairo Museum because it closed early that day due to some MILD MILD protests/demonstrations that were happening in the square in front of the museum.

 The small protests in the square.

Many of you will likely recognize this area from the shots on the news over the past month.

After being turned away from the museum, we went to the GIGANTIC open market. This was another time that I was glad to have Khaleed with us--both for safety and for help in bargaining.

 In a little local cafe Khaleed took us to

 In the market Khaleed told us to try to go for 25% of the price they were asking.

This is the scarab beetle bracelet I bought from a SUPER cute little boy for $1 USD

He initially asked me for 5 Egyptians pounds.

1 USD = approx. 6 Egyptian pounds.

125% of the price.

I am apparently not the best bargainer. And I will likely never hear the end of it from my brothers. 

And because we just couldn’t get enough of Cairo, after Khaleed and the driver dropped us back off at the hotel, we spent over an hour and a half just lounging around the lobby and roaming around in the COLOSSAL mall connected to the hotel, to arrive at the airport only 20 minutes before take-off, thinking that we were arriving 2 hours early. Luckily enough though both we and our bags (miracle of all miracles) made it.

Taking a quick nap in the lobby after a jam-packed day of Egyptian wonders.

Burgos, Holy Toledo and the Temple

Tuesday morning we left Pais Vasco and headed down to Spain. Burgos was the second city I served in in Spain and where I ended the mission. We arrived around noon and took a tour around Burgos' cathedral. The cathedral is HUGE for a town that is now fairly small.

 Chillin on the stairs to the side of the cathedral.

 Enjoying pepitos (a delicious pastry found only in Burgos) before entering the Cathedral.

After visiting the cathedral, I took the family on a walking tour of Burgos from the cathedral down to the other side of the city past the church and to where we lived.

Outside the church.

Please don't mind the fact that C.J. looks a little drugged up and all of the construction happening on the street outside.

It's funny how when you are a missionary you don't even realize how much walking/running around you do in a day because as missionaries we would make the rounds of that city multiple times a day and not even think about it, but just taking them down the strip once (roughly a 2-mile walk) had both of the boys asking "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" more times than I can even count. Although I have to admit that it didn't help the situation when after making the walk all the way down with a promise of the best Doner Kebab of their lives, we arrived only to find that it was closed down for the month of April (mind you it was MAY 10th, but that is just kind of how Spanish vacations and shop closings roll). So we went to the local Eroski and picked up some picnic food and ate it in the plaza where I used to run.

 Everyone whining when we found that the Doner was closed

 C.J. and Sean on the bench were they plopped down on and refused to move

until they were provided with nourishment from the "long journey"

After lunch we went back to the hotel (on the bus at Sean's BEGGING request) and relaxed for a few quick minutes before going out again to meet up with a few of my favorite peeps from Burgos for some more churros and chocolate and ice cream.



 Right to left: Lia (Sara's cute friend that we taught), Margarita (Sara's mom and the mom to all the missionaries who pass through Burgos), Sara (the most AMAZING member missionary ever), Jared (her husband of about 1 year), and you know the rest.

 This picture reminds me how GIGANTIC I always used to feel while around Spanish people.

The day was full of eating because after that, we headed over to meet Javi at the church and followed him out to he and his wife, Hedy's, new house in a little pueblo outside of Burgos for dinner. Hedy really made the boys in the family happy by serving them spaghetti, chicken nuggets (with barbeque sauce) and mashed potatoes. They are such a cute family and were such a great help to us with the missionary work while I was serving in Burgos.

 Hedy, Javi and their adorable son Marcos (their baby daughter was upstairs sleeping by this point)

Before going home we did a quick stop by the Abajo family's house (it was quick because the Barcelona vs. Madrid game was on and I didn't want to be the cause of interrupting that because I know that in my house that would have been like interrupting BYU's sweet 16 game or actually just about any other basketball game) and it was so good to see all of them. Their son, Jairo, only 23 years old (I think. He returned home from serving a mission in Ogden, Utah while I was there in the fall of 2008) is now the branch president there in Burgos. I can't even imagine having that kind of responsibility. They are an impressive bunch.

We left Burgos early Wednesday morning and headed to Toledo. I had never been to Toledo before and so that was fun. It is a small city but jam-packed with Spanish history, culture and architecture.

 Outside the gate to the inner city of Toledo

 Everyone super happy that we found them an OPEN Doner Kebap joint

 Mom & Dad outside Toledo's HUGE Cathedral

 Mom adding to her china colection in a cute store with an ancient basement in Toledo

 Outside the city about to head back to Madrid

We stayed in the temple housing that night in Madrid which was fun because the rooms are almost exactly like the ones that are there for the missionaries (it is in the same building as the MTC just on a different floor) and so it was fun little memory to relive (I was really only there for a week while getting my residency worked out when I made it over to Spain). And then we were able to attend a session at the temple the next morning before heading back to the airport bound for Cairo.

 eating dinner in the temple hostel's kitchen/dining room

 Jam packed into one room for the night.

(These bunks are the same ones the missionaries have there in the MTC)

The beautiful Madrid Temple

Land That I Love

Because how can you not love a land as beautiful as this??

I dedicate this post to: Pais Vasco (Basque Country)

I met up with the family at JFK on Friday afternoon and we flew overnight to Madrid. Upon landing in Madrid we rented a car and headed right up to Pais Vasco. (If there are still some of you out there that I have not yet educated about the difference between Spain and Pais Vasco, come find me and we’ll have a little chat and until then you can check this out.  

Anyway, after landing we made the 4-hour plus drive up north and stopped over in San Sebastian (a BEATUIFUL beach city that borders Southern France). I never served there because it is so expensive to rent an apartment there that the Church has only ever had elders there for as long as I have ever heard about so that they wouldn’t have to rent 2 pisos, but it is beautiful and was every sisters dream to visit.

And of course I had to introduce the family to Spanish tortilla

After visiting San Sebastian, we headed back down to Bilbao and arrived just in time to check in to our hotel/apartment where we were staying (I had forgotten that Spain has such crazy hours—that only the 24-hour/day services are the bars, restaurants and discotecas).

The next morning we woke up and went to church in Bilbao. It was so great to be back in that ward. I think that it will always feel like a second home ward to me. (And yes it is now a WARD which happened in September of 2010 and everyone is still pretty excited about it).
 

Me with Gilda and Patricia in 2011

 Gilda, Patricia, Hna. Carroll, Edid (Gilda's neice and Patricia's cousin) and Me (Hna. Thornton) in 2008

And after church and a quick bit for lunch (you better believe that the “quick bite” involved some DELICIOUS Spanish bread.  I swear I would be happy eating a sandwich for every meal of the day if it could be on their bread here) we went for a leisurely stroll around Bilbao.

 Mom and I in front of the Guggenheim

 I don’t know why brothers aren’t ever allowed to more than barely touch each other in pictures,

but apparently that's the way these boys roll.

 I don’t know when I became the “little” sister, but apparently it has happened as you can see in this picture and by the fact that I have had the” back middle seat with my feet on the hump”  reserved solely for me for the past 6 years or so now I think.

 showing Sean that I can still be the older/bigger sister when I need to be

 pointing to our old apartment from the park we used to run in every morning

 We ended our walk through Bilbao at Hermana Nieves’ house for a late Spanish dinner. 

She was the Relief Society President while I was serving in Bilbao and my Bilbao Mom if you will.

I love this woman.

After a fun run along the river Monday morning, we went for a hike to this old cathedral that is out on a little almost island/outlet. La Capilla de San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.

 Even though their faces don’t show it, Sean and Ceej are happy to be there I swear

a picture of the church at the top and so that you know that we did actually bring Dad with us—he is just usually BEHIND the camera 

 The view from up top

 The stairs and little land that connect it to the mainland

 The inside of the chapel

 are you sufficiently jealous yet??

And we made a quick stop through Guernica/Gernika on our way back into Bilbao. The real Picaso of this is in the Prado in Madrid (Franco's old backyard. . . .hmmmm. . . that hasn't ever really made a lot of sense to me, but whatevs)

Then we had a lovely “tapas bar” lunch with President (now Bishop) Gonzalez and his wife Zuleima. They are both wonderful and were always a lot of help with the missionary work in Bilbao.

And then finished off the night with churros and chocolate a Spanish favorite—especially necessary in the cold winter, but also a wonderful addition to just about any day of the year.

It was kind of heartbreaking to leave Tuesday morning, but I know that I won’t ever be able to stay away for too long. The country is just too beautiful and its people just too good that upon entering Pais Vasco you cannot leave without a piece of you also being left behind as well and you’ve got to come back to feel completely whole again.

But until then Pais Vasco—AGUR!



Bones

So this is a post that I meant to do a few weeks ago for my Dad's birthday, but obviously didn't get it done. But I am getting it done now so better late than never, right?

Anyway, "Bones" was the name of one of my brothers' and I's all-time FAVORITE of all favorite games to play with our dad when we were younger. We used to beg and beg for him to play it with us just about every Sunday summer evening.

The Rules of Bones:

We kids would line up along the rock wall we helped my dad build in our backyard and then my dad would stand about 30 feet away from the wall holding a nerf ball and yell "Bones!" and we would start running back and forth along the wall trying to guess where he was going to throw the ball and trying to fall to the ground or jump out of the way if it came hurling towards you. Because if/when the ball did hit you, you lost whatever limb (bones) it hit. So if it hit your left arm you had to hold it behind your back for the next round. If it hit your right leg, you had to hop around on just your left leg.
The 2 worst situations you could be in were: losing both of your legs (because then you had to just walk on your knees), or if you got hit in the head (because then you had to close your eyes and you were as good as dead in the coming rounds, although sometimes Dad would just leave you there dreading the inevitable for a few rounds before killing you off).

It is important that you remember that we kids used to beg and beg for him to play this with us because if the game sounds a little like abuse to you, you should know that it was abuse that we BEGGED for. :)

Nurse Katie

So I realized yesterday that I haven't told a lot of people about my new job. So here is the background on Nurse Katie.


Right before Christmas I quit my home health nursing job. It was defnitely a good and necessary move.
Anyway I came back to Boston in January without a job. About a week after I got here, I got an e-mail through our ward e-mail list or whatever about a nursing job opportunity at a private Catholic school. I figured, "Hey. Why not?" So I interviewed and the interview went really well. And they knew I was Mormon because the family that referred me to the job is Mormon. And anyway, they called me and offered me the job the next day but then I told them about the 1-month vacation I have planned with my family and that I would understand if they couldn't give me the job because unlike a hospital or something, there just isn't the same type of coverage built-in. They said that they thought they would have to give the job to the other candidate. Fine. I mean, I wanted the job, because I needed a job and I like kids (especially in cute little plaid uniforms) but it wasn't my dream job or anything or I would have considered cutting the trip short or something. But then they called back on Monday (the offer was made on Friday) and offered the job to me again and I took it.

I only work 20 hours a week. Usually 9:30-1:30 or 10-2. So I try to supplement that with doing 20-30 hours of work on this research project for the VA Hospital and University of Utah that I can do from home on the computer (kind of like the one I did last summer).

The school is great. It is K1 (pre-school) through 8th grade. They have uniforms. The teachers are all way cool and really care about the students. And one of them I think might actually turn into a real outside of work friend. (Which is good, because that was the only sad part about quitting my last job, was leaving the friends I had made behind.)

I mostly work with the younger kids (I mean, think about how many times you went and saw the nurse when you were in middle school) and they are SO cute. There is this TINY little K1-er that I love and that comes in every day for some medicine he has to take and then sometimes comes in other times because he misses his mommy and we get to read books together. There is another kid in 1st grade who I LOVE. He is black and has lived in England until last year and is SOOOOOOOOO cute. He usually comes by to tell me what good things he ate for lunch. And I know I probably shouldn't have favorites, but I guess I kind of do.

And yeah, that is pretty much it. They call me "Nurse Katie" or "Miss Katie" which I also love.

The actual nursing of it isn't exactly my dream. I mean, I was made for the ER, and so bloody noses, bumped knees and paper cuts don't really do much for me. But I do like the pediatric aspect of it. And I feel like I get to use a lot of creativity which is something that I missed about the ER. (For example, a little girl came in a couple of weeks ago that had been eating her crayons. (Luckily they were non-toxic) Try getting crayon out of those back molars without a toothbrush. Trick? Gum.)

New trick tried today: my rolling desk chair can serve as a perfectly great wheelchair for transporting wounded basketball victims