Is the Bellyflop an Olympic Event? Assisted Diving? What about Floating?

So you are probably wondering: Who posts about swimming in December? Well, we do. The weather here permits us to swim this time of year, and the kids--mostly Emma--beg to go to the pool about weekly.

Since it's Christmas time, there haven't been any other people at the pool lately and we have enjoyed having it to ourselves. It also makes it easier to take pictures. It's a little awkward taking pictures at the pool, because lots of people there would rather not have their pictures taken by strangers. Know what I mean?

Sam is the lone non-swimmer in the family. Hence, the "floaties." Maybe someday he will prefer the big pool to the baby pool.

These are two views of the same race: in the first frame, you see me looking for Megan, only to see that she is not winning. In the second frame, you see Megan winning. I think she was toying with me.

Emma has been trying to dive, but was only getting as close as the bellyflop. The Egyptian lifeguard made several attempts to teach Emma...

...but to no avail. So I helped her find out what headfirst was really like.

Jessica chose to go online instead of getting in the water. Apparently something on Facebook is really funny.

Next come the throws and flips. Sometime about 3.7 seconds after I get in the water, Emma begs for a flip or a throw. Megan and Jake will usually settle for one or two as well. Here are some shots Sara took mid-throw:

Megan,

Emma,
and Jake.
Ohhhh, cute. If you can't tell, this is posed. But it's no surprise that Jake has sneaked up behind me. He's smiling because he's thinking about how he is going to throw a choke on me when I least expect it.


When Emma gets the diving figured out, I'll show you.

Tunisia Day 1: Trunk Passengers, Fancy Doors, and Opera

So Sara and I took a little trip to Tunisia...because we could. We have stories and pictures. This is the first of a few Tunisia posts.

We knew we were going to have a great trip when we saw this on the way to the airport here in Cairo, from our taxi. If your car is already stuffed full of friends and loved ones, but you need room for two more, maybe you can try this:

Our first afternoon in Tunis, we walked around the old city, through narrow, winding alleyways. The doors are the fanciest things about the buildings, and we saw some good ones. Here are three pictures from the old city.



The archways on the bigger buildings--mosques and schools mostly--were intricately designed. Also from the old city:

On the main street in Tunis, I stopped the car and got this picture of the national theater. There is more than a little French influence in Tunisia and the theater/opera house definitely shows it.

There are more installments, and I will let Sara do some writing. She has better stories.

Sinai, Part II

After we wore ourselves out climbing mountains, Jake and I spent the morning visiting a monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai. No great stories or magnificent descriptions, just pictures. Consider this a reader's day off.

Bell tower and adjacent domed tower:

Adornment on the entryway of the chapel:

Detail of the wooden doorway leading into the chapel:

Old water pump on the grounds:

Pictograph of Moses and the Israelites at Sinai:

Local worshipers in an outdoor corridor:

Wood and stucco living quarters attached to the brick-fortified outer wall.

There you have it. Sinai, without the long bus ride.

Sinai, Part I

So Jake and I we went to Mt. Sinai with the scout troop. As you might guess, we had a blast, and it was just a little chilly: 0 degrees celsius the first night. We climbed Mt. Sinai, and Mt. St. Katherine, the highest peak in Egypt, coming in at 8,632 feet. Not a lot to someone from the western U.S., and less than half of what our friend Robin climbed on Mt. Kilamanjaro this fall, but hey, we live at sea level, and it was a hard hike and something to be proud of. These pictures are in no specific order.

Here's Jake at the "actual" place where Moses drew water from the rock with his staff...so they say. Supposedly, early in the morning during high tourist season, locals pour water down the face of the rock. It keeps people coming back, I guess.


These three were hanging out at this well, taking a break from herding goats. It must be tiring business herding goats.

Here's Jake taking a break at around 7,500 feet while climbing Mt. St. Katherine. It must be tiring business climbing tall mountains.


While you're stuck here reading, the short version of St. Katherine is this: She was the mother of Emperor Constantine, of early Christian fame. She is said to have been a devout Christian who made a pilgrimage to the Sinai peninsula and identified all the holy spots. There was the plain where the Israelites danced around the Golden Calf, the watering rock (see above), and other sites mentioned in the Old Testament. She identified Mt. Sinai as the mountain whereunto Moses went to commune with God and where he was given the ten commandments. If this is not ringing any bells, you can check out Exodus, or view the movie The Ten Commandments. So, there you have the story of St. Katherine. Interesting how she got her own mountain out of it, and it's the tallest one around. Hmmmmm.

Here's Jake again, on top of Mt. Sinai, with Mt. St. Katherine behind him.


Jake and I took a break near the top of Mt. Sinai, just before the final ascent on the famous "600 steps of repentance." One scout who counted the rock steps reported that there were actually 650 steps. Either way, it makes my legs hurt.

I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but it was surviving in what has to be one of the driest places on earth. And it looked kind of cool, so I took its picture.

Another picture of Jake and me, with Mt. Sinai in the background. We are feeling pretty good here because we had just been up on top and were descending. Ahh, there's the oxygen I have been missing.

At this moment Jake was the highest man in Egypt, showing us the altitude on the GPS: 8,632 feet!

The sun was coming up in Sinai town and as it peeked over the mountain in the east, it highlighted the remains of an ancient fortress to our west.

Late in the afternoon during our descent from Mt. Sinai, the moon rose over the rocks. Cool, huh?

This bird was flying around the peak of Mt. Sinai, and I thought if I didn't put a picture up, Robin would be disappointed. So, Robin, here is your unidentified Sinai bird:

Coming soon: Sinai, Part II.

If You Give a Six-Year Old a CD Player...

...chances are, she's going to spend the afternoon like this:
(Tell me again why didn't we give her one sooner?)

Happy Birthday Megan!

Well, Megan is no longer five years old. As you can see, she is quite happy about that. Of course this is her standard posed smile. Pretty funny Mags.

Sam saw the camera and had to get in on the action. Of course this is his standard posed smile.

Birthday decorations at our house include the balloon-dalier: balloons hanging from the ceiling. This scene was a common site throughout the afternoon.

Ready, aim...

Fire!

Now observe the mayhem.

Once again, Sam follows Megan's lead. Must...get...taller!

This is the face of present anticipation.


And even though this is really dark, I love her face here. And the cupcakes.

And also...Fire!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!

Great Mosque, Abu Dhabi

I visited the Great Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It was amazing. The most striking thing about it was the combination of simplicity and intricate detail. In that regard, the building itself reminded me of LDS temples.

Here are the pictures.

In this view from the highway you can see the ongoing landscaping construction.

From the courtyard looking toward the side wall.
Domes above main hall.

Inlay detail of one of the smaller domes along the courtyard.

Chandelier and dome inlay in the atrium to the main hall.

More ceiling detail.
Stained glass window between the main hall and the atrium.
Vinework in the atrium to the main hall.
Pillars surronding secondary domes in main hall.
Handy prayer clock that flashed the name of each prayer and the time it will begin that day.Reflecting pools on the exterior.

Me standing in the courtyard. Proof that I was really there.