Viva Las Vegas Baby!

A bunch of my friends and I are all headed down to Las Vegas tonight for my bestie, Katie Palmer's wedding! (don't worry, she is from Vegas-- she is not eloping or getting married in a drive thru or anything like that) Tonight is New Years eve and we are all staying in a suite in a hotel on the strip for her bachlorette/new years eve party!

Has anyone ever been on the strip in Vegas for New Year's Eve?

I'm scared.

VEGAS BABY!

1st week of Christmas break!

My first week of being home from Jerusalem has been so stellar! I have LOVED being with my family and just hanging out with nothing in particular to do! We have gone skiing, hot tubbing, played games, saw Sherlock Holmes (which i am not going to lie, i loved! plus- i kind of have a thing for Robert Downey Jr.) been out to dinner, hung out with the cousins and of course had Christmas! this is our first Christmas in 4 years we have had all the boys home! sadly, Ju, Mike and Kate were not with us this year :( but its alright because they are in Belize this year for Christmas staying in a beach house with the Nixon's! lucky.

Doing some shopping at Gap

It is tradition every year we all go to Magleby's Grill on Christmas eve and help serve the homeless. one of my favorite traditions, and we get to see all our friends there! (Smith's and Parcell's)

Christmas Eve new PJ's party

Dead Sea mud masks! I brought it home from Jerusalem and made my brothers do one with me. they loved it ;)

Ichatting with our FAVORITE people on Christmas! wish you could have been here!

Gingerbread Houses

We have a serious skills when it comes to constructing gingerbread houses. I know it is so easy to tell what we built, but for all you who are architecturally challenged, I will just tell you...

It is Dr. Seuss' dream get away home in the south of France

birds eye view

(ok it was originally supposed to be the Eiffel Tower... but it only lasted about 3 minutes)

The choice is yours...

AT CHUCK-A-RAMA!
Sure is a great selection at this rootin' tootin' place! This also happens to be my sweet 99 year old Grandma's favorite place to eat. we have been going there on the day before Christmas eve with all the cousins for about... 18 years now I think.

Even with 4 bars of buffet, I Still can't find the choice I like.

Christmas Break

So Christmas break has been totally awesome so far! It is SO fun being home with the family! and today when it started snowing, i started dancing. I have a total of 1 friend who actually lives here in Provo with me, so she and I get pretty creative with our sources of entertainment. Here is our entertainment for Tuesday night... epic :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF0pivv8Tq0

Blog... continuing.

So i decided i will continue to blog. Blogging may be the best thing ever anyway, i don't think i could give it up.
So THIS is my new blog. Changing your blog background is like getting your hair done... very exciting :)

I have been home from Jerusalem for about 4 days now... and it is weird. My days have been planned for me the last 3 1/2 months, I was never by myself, meals were prepared for me 3x daily, and the world as i know it did not exist. I LOVE being back with my family though! Being away from your family makes you realize how amazing and blessed you are to have them.

I have MAJOR jet lag. Jerusalem is 9 hours ahead of Utah... so I walk around my house at about 5 in the morning and i feel like i got hit by a mac truck at about 9 at night. I sure get a lot done being up 3 hours before my family though :)



(my roommates came in one night and found me asleep on my bed like this in Jerusalem.... don't ask because i don't know)

Just curious

QUESTION:

I am now home from Jerusalem...

and have a dilemma.

Should I keep going with my blog, and blog about my new adventures in Provo.

Or

Pause it and continue it when I am married... because that is what I think maybe you do. i'm not sure? what do you think? anyone...

Jerusalem, If I Forget You...

Today was my last day living in Jerusalem. Definitely bittersweet. We leave for the airport in Tel Aviv tonight at 2:00am. we went out into the city all day today for one last time... and it was definitely emotional.
I have grown to absolutely LOVE this place over the past few months. My life has been changed forever because of my experiences here. The friends I have made are some of the best I have ever known, The people here are some of the greatest people I have ever met, and the teachers and faculty will never be forgotten. There are no words to discribe my life changing, epic adventure in Jerusalem. I will NEVER forget this city and this center for as long as I live. This has been the most incredible experience thus far in my life. I feel like a completely changed person, and I am SO blessed to have been able to come here! Jerusalem will always have a piece of my heart.

This is a poem that my friend Jordan wrote and It describes how i feel about this city perfectly:

Lord, I am living in the land where you once lived. —
I am standing where you stood;
I am wandering the paths you walked,
Though I cannot hear your voice teaching at the temple,
I can hear the testimonies of your pupils.
I cannot feel you in these erected holy places,
But I feel you in sweet hymns that lullaby my heart.
I cannot see you in the icons of lavish churches,
But I see you in the faces that surround me.
I cannot touch your pierced hands and feet,
But your mercy touches and pierces my soul.
I will not taste the slightest of thy burdens
But you have tasted the bitterness of mine.
I cannot comprehend your tender mercies,
But I know you comprehend the paths I’ll walk.
I cannot forget you, I will not forget you.
Not here, or anywhere.
-Jordan Caroll

My life be like ooh aah

This is where I walk...

This is what we eat (falafel)...

(and wear... very stylish)

This is what I experience...

(separation wall)

This is what I do...

This is where I live...

(view from my bedroom balcony)

This is what I see...

This is where I stand...

(King Herod the Great's palace in the West Bank)

This is what I like...

("hot chocolate" in West Jerusalem)

This is what I LOVE...

(sacrament meeting room of Jerusalem Center)

And THIS is how I feel...

Christmas Choir Concert

We had our Christmas Choir Concert last friday night and it was probably one of my very favorite things I have done in Jerusalem. We sang to an audience of mostly Muslims on friday, and all Jews on Sunday night. People loved it! especially Sunday night. The 8th floor was so packed outside the auditorium because people did not want to leave. they kept requesting songs for us to sing and then recording us. Oh yeah, surprise! I am in the choir here :) didn't know I could sing did ya? well I can't actually... but that is the beauty of a choir.

A Jewish man in the audience filmed the entire thing and put us up on YouTube if you want to hear how awesome we were! My absolute favorite was "Breath of Heaven" sung by Lizzie, Anna, and Chelsea; with Piano by Amy Ellertson. watch it, it will blow your mind.

http://www.youtube.com/ramitelaviv#p/u/7/vTF13c_LcC4

Shabbot Shalom

On Sabbath day we are asked to stay in our church clothes all day.

But I come home from church and I am always SO COLD.

So this is what I do...

once a sweats on sunday girl, always a sweats on sunday girl :)

This is what happens when you try to be a good student, study at a desk, take a short break to reach your arms up high over head and lean back to stretch, fall backwards out of your chair, and hit your hip on the open closet door corner.

Ouch.

not kosher

(Warning: post contains graphic image)

Yesterday while we were walking in the Old City

we made a turn down a road I have never been down before...

and I now know why I have never been there before.

I felt liquid splash onto my foot after only taking a few steps

I look down and see that this was no ordinary liquid... but a pool of blood.

suddenly a horrible, unbearable, potent stench filled our nose and

I looked up (screaming the whole time) to see this:

Lining the sides of the ENTIRE street!

and if you know me at all, you know that there are about 3 things in this world I can't handle.

This is one of them.

GROSS!

Shelley caught us on camera as Jane and I took off at a dead sprint and high tailed it out of there, while Arab men yelled, "eh what is de madder?"

not kosher.

Bethlehem

Yesterday we spent the entire day in Bethlehem, which is located in the West Bank. We went to Bethlehem University, got a tour, talked with a panel of Palestinian students and asked them questions and heard their stories. It was shocked to hear their point of view and experiences with the Israelis and being a Palestinian. They told us about an average day in their shoes, and what they have to go through just get to class on time. It was unbelievable.

They got to ask us all questions too and they were also very surprised with our responses to some of their questions. For example, the view that an average American student has about Palestinians, how much we really know, how much our education system teaches us about the conflict, etc. It was so interesting, and a very unique and enlightening experience.

We went to the church of Nativity where Christ was born, and we ended the day with a Nativity Pageant under the moonlight, in Shepherds Field (field where the Shepherds were watching their flock when the Angel appeared to them and told them that Christ is born). Lets just say the Nativity story will never be the same for me again, it was amazing.

View of Bethlehem at night sitting in Shepherds Field

(sorry its blurry)

Bethlehem neighborhood where the separation wall runs right through

Fall 2009 Jerusalem Talent Show

For the talent show last night, we did a sweet gangsta step routine!

We are thinking of trying of for America's Best Dance Crew next season maybe...

Thanksgiving dinner in Galilee!

A bunch of us here were playing the game "would you rather" and this one got asked:

Would you rather have multiple encounters with aliens and no one believe you

OR

Your best friend be invisible. 

Just picture both options in your mind... I was laughing my head off.

which would you chose? 

Galilee

We are back from Galilee and home to Jerusalem! Galilee will always have a piece of my heart that is for sure. It was an unbelievably amazing experience and everyone who reads this must know it is VITAL to visit Galilee at least once before they kick the bucket. It is a tropical, wet, stunningly beautiful place! we visited Nazareth, Capernaum, The Mt. of Beattitudes (sermon on the mount), Mt. Hermon (mount of Transfiguration), went on a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, rafting down the Jordan River, hiking to waterfalls, bonfires on the shore, and much more! Can life get better? 

oh how I love these girls!

We had a photo shoot at one of the piers :)

found these in a hole in the wall, extremely random tiny shop in Haifa. Maybe we bought some... maybe we didn't.

Fish dinner on the Sea of Galilee. This is how they serve it to you! Richie and Megan ate an eyeball! gross.

Flossing on the boat ride across the Sea. There is no wrong place for good dental hygiene. (Tell Dr. Perry I said that) 

Snorkeling in The Red Sea

A few weeks ago we all went snorkeling in the Red Sea at the most southern end of Israel. It was awesome! It was a very windy, sunless day, so the water temperature was warmer than the air! Burrrrr! We saw fish with feathers, huge schools of fish, and even a deadly poisonous Lion Fish! I LOVE THE OCEAN!

yes I am in sweats on the beach

My girls: Lauren, Me, Jane

Unreal...

We are leaving to The Sea of Galilee tomorrow for 11 days!

we are staying in a Kubbutz right on the shore,

where Jesus taught.

It just doesn't get better than that.

Party on Ben Yehuda Street

My bestie, Jane’s birthday was this past week and since we were done with finals and it was a night we were allowed to go out, we partied for her 21^st birthday!

ALL our girls went out to West Jerusalem Jewish quarter, which is the only place we are allowed to go after dark.

We got “Thai” food. I put that in quotation because since Thai food is my absolute favorite kind of food, I am a critic. Thai food in Jerusalem = Chinesse food in Mexico. At least they try J

Then we all went to our favorite Gelato place called “Aldo’s” to get a chocolate waffle with ice cream on the side. YUM! And ok, since I have already embarrassed myself enough on my blog by telling all the culturally very wrong things I do, I might as well continue my streak and keep blogging about them right?

So we were all sitting there eating our waffles and my friend Brooklynn took a large bite of chocolate and gets it on her upper lip, only in the middle, like a little square mustache… Got in mind who she now somewhat resembles? Well so did I- and while we were all laughing about the chocolate on her face, I yelled across the table, “YOU LOOK LIKE HITLER!”

 In the middle of the busiest street

In the Jewish quarter

In the largest Jewish city

In the world…

 Needless to say, all my friends’ jaws dropped as they all looked wide-eyed at me, poorly attempting to muffle their laughter. I’m pretty sure the Jewish man playing the piano RIGHT NEXT TO ME skipped a note or two. Embarrassing.

Michael Scott (from The Office): “One day I hope to be the first one to make a funny joke about AIDS, or maybe the Holocaust. But no one think its funny yet.”

Regardless, it was a blast! And for some reason, every time we go out, we always end up dancing in the streets. Dead give away that we are American. 

notice Brooklynn's mustache (2 girls to my left)

We all got Laffy Taffy's and filmed a music video in the street :)