Ben Yehuda Street and The Church of the Visitation

Its been so crazy to adjust our schedules. Whenever we drive somewhere, someone looks like this. Such an awesome picture of our tiredness, I love that Jayne's mouth is wide open. The funny part of it was that Ellie was trying to keep Jayne awake and Jayne kept crying because she was so tired and wanted to fall asleep and as soon as we told Ellie to let Jayne asleep, Ellie fell asleep too. Cute white people. In Hawaii they called us Haoles (meaning white people). Here they call us Anglos. :) There is no avoiding the white people name for us. We have such little pigment. :)

We set out in late afternoon to go on an adventure. We didn't have a great map or a specific destination, we just knew we need some dinner and needed to get out for a bit. We headed toward the old city and then decided it was going to be too late to go there and ended up on Ben Yehuda Street. Its a great little outdoor shopping street. No one was hungry still, but I knew they needed to eat. Especially since the little ones woke up at 3 a.m. asking for food. So we found the familiar food of pizza. I thought this was another special picture of us- Jake with his famous pirate face and Jayne half eyes. 

The breeze was blowing and we all put on sweatshirts. It felt nice and kept us awake. It was so nice to be outside and walking around- like zombies. Ben Yehuda Street look the same as it did 17 years ago. Same cute guy (Seth) walking the street with me. :)

For breakfast we have replaced milk for Diet Coke. Trying to put some spunk in this tired bunch. Just kidding. But I came into the kitchen and found Jake snuggled up to a diet coke bottle. He had a swig of it and wouldn't share with the rest of us.

Jake and Ellie get a bit stir crazy and I found them playing tennis in the kitchen. I had to send them outside and they came in after they lost the ball. It was found later. 

The Church Of the Visitation

On the hike up to the church.

Before Seth's doctors appointment on Tuesday, we took our first real field trip just over the hillside to the village of Ein Kerem. There are two churches there - The Church of the Visitation and the Church of John The Baptist.  It was so exciting for us to take the kids to their first historical/religious site. We hiked up the hill to the Church of the Visitation- this is a church commemorating the visit of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. Both were expecting at the time, Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist. It says in the Bible that the babies leap in their mother's wombs when they meet. Below is picture of Janis, Jayne, and Jacob in front a beautiful statue of the two women.

Here is the beautiful church behind the kids. I am always blown away with the beautiful mosaics. Those little stones all put together to make such incredible art. 

I loved this poem on the way into the chapel.

Maybe you don't know this, but the arches of Israel are where Seth and I first sat and talked as college students. We always smile when we see them because they remind us of those first days when we met.

Even though we weren't interested in each other at the time, its wonderful to have build our friendship there. 

Here is a cute girl in an arch way. We could have never guess we would be here with this lovely little lady. Jayne had so many questions, like how did Mary get pregnant if God was his father? Good question Jayne. And then when we were in the chapel during mass, she asked if it was a funeral. Lots of questions- with relatively easy answers. 

 The Gate to the Church overlooking the Ein Kerem valley.

You can see we are up on a hillside. You can see behind the terraced hills- terraced by stone walls from years and years ago. 

Ellie got the camera and made Jayne pose. 

The desert in bloom.

 Sam wanted a picture of his sprite can in Hebrew that he bought at the bottom of the hill. I can't help but be in love with this mini Seth. He is such a great helper and is genuinely interested in the sites. I am sure he doesn't quite understand exactly where he is walking and who walked before him there. But I guess none of us really do. 

 Mary's Well

The Bible says that Mary and Elizabeth met at a well. Here is what they call Mary's well. The water system is fascinating and we loved standing right next to it where is was so nice and cool. 

Super Grandma Jannie and the rat pack of kiddos enjoying the cool air from the fountain.

After Seth's doctors appointment, we went to park and met up with an LDS family, the Vogelmans. Seth and I had met them in the fall when we had come to Jerusalem. Elizabeth invited us to play and of coarse the kids were elated to have some playmates and the giant slides.