Miss Emily's Baptism

In May our family had the opportunity to travel to Israel where sweet Emily Jane was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by her father in the Jordan River.   

It was Ben's idea. 

 For months leading up to Emily's 8th birthday (Eight is the age in the LDS church when children are baptized) he had expressed the desire to travel to Israel to perform this special ordinance for her.  Since he worked on the Israel desk for three years and had traveled there a number of times, this place had become near and dear to his heart. And obviously, baptizing her in the same location as Jesus Christ was baptized added special significance. 

  

At first I wasn't too jazzed about the idea… the expense, time, and the fact that I was going to be seven months pregnant during the hot month of May just didn't appeal to me.  Plus we had already been there.  Why not baptize her in Utah this summer, when all her cousins and grandparents could attend?  But Ben was persistent and since he's always been such a great sport to go along with my ideas, I couldn't really stand in the way of something he really wanted to do.  

So he made it happen.

And now as I sit on the couch in my mom's basement in Orem, UT it seems surreal to me that we actually did this.  I'm so glad we did.  It was such a beautiful and unique experience.

Both his parents and my mom were able to travel with us where we spent ten fabulous days in the Holy Land.  Even though our little family had traveled there two years earlier, this trip felt like a completely different one… we were able to see and experience things we hadn't before.  

Anyway, I hope to blog more about the trip later, but I did just want to post about the baptism.

Since the LDS church has a very tentative presence in Israel, Ben had to go about getting special permission to perform this ordinance.  The LDS church has an agreement with the Israeli government, that even though the church owns property and has a study center in Jerusalem, they will not proselyte or do anything to openly display our religion.  Ben was able to work with the church leadership at the Jerusalem Center in order to get the necessary paperwork and permission needed to do this.  Fortunately, I knew a member of the branch presidency, Dave Heiner, who is serving as a volunteer with his wife Chris at the Jerusalem Center.  Ben was able to work with Dave in making all the necessary preparations.  So cool that we had that personal connection.  

Dave and Chris used to live on our street in Price, UT.  My parents go back with them over thirty years, and I was close friends with their daughter Kelsey.  We were so glad that they were able to attend the baptism… Dave presided and also served as a witness along with Grandpa.   

From what I understand, there are two designated baptismal sites along the Jordan River.  We went to the one in the Dead Sea region. 

We arrived at site at 9:30 in the morning and it was already hot, Hot, HOT.  The site was peppered with a few tourist groups as well as the foreboding presence of security forces patrolling the area with guns… just across the river is the country Jordan.   I was worried that there would be too many tourists, but the larger groups left and we had a slight lull before more tour buses arrived… we found a quiet, shaded pavilion that overlooked the site where we had a short service.  

I loved the spirit during the service… Mom and Nancy gave great talks, and then everyone else ended up sharing their testimonies and feelings… it was very special. 

Chris talked about what a unique experience this was for Emily and the only other baptism they had attended at this site was of a boy who was from Palestinian controlled Bethlehem.  She spoke of  the dichotomy of such a sacred beautiful site having the off-putting presence of armed police forces patrolling the area since Jordan was literally a stone's throw away.  She mentioned that the river is much smaller today then it was when Christ was baptized in it.

Dave talked about the geography and climate of the country, and how Jesus must have been a very physical, strong man to have traveled so many miles on foot to the various places of his ministry. He also spoke very highly and tenderly of my father, who he knew very well.  I was so happy he remembered him.  I know he was there in spirit.  

Nancy shared an experience of when the Holy Ghost helped her show some compassion and love for a classmate in the 3rd grade who didn't have many friends.  She's so sweet.

Ben, Pat, Mom all shared great testimonies, and I shared mine last, expressing how full my heart was and for my love of Emily, my family, and the Savior.  

It really was such an awesome experience.  
  

The actual ordinance was beautiful.  I got teary eyed as I watched her be immersed in the water and then up out of the water with a huge smile on her face.  She said,  "I want to do it again!" 

Dave and Chris Heiner

Why don't I have any pictures of Pat and Nancy??  Pat, if you have any, will you send them to me??

And just a few meters from the site... a stark reminder of the conflict that is part of this country's history...

Happy 3rd Birthday James!

This little guy of mine turned 3 on July 2.  

I was just two days shy of my due date, so his birthday had the potential of being overlooked… but we were able to throw a little celebration together at my mom's house.

He had cousins from both side of the family attend… Jack, Caroline, Natalie, Emily, and June! 

Impressive cake, right?  Thank you Pinterest.  

James has a very special place in my heart… maybe because he's the only boy, I don't know.  But he is so sweet and just has a gentle, mild soul.  And his cheeks and smile are irresistible.  He loves everything trains… totally obsessed.  So, that's basically all he got for his birthday. He is really taking off with his speech… saying complete sentences and quite expressive.  He especially loves Emily, they get along so well and play happily together.  He has more of a rivalry going on with Caroline, hopefully that will work itself out.  And he can't get enough of his Grandpa!!   

Mama's Boy and proud of it!

Happy birthday sweet James!  We love you so much!!

Introducing...

Cosette Fae Shaha

I know I am woefully behind in my blogging, and I have every intention of catching up some day, but I really can't let this special time go by because there's nothing much sweeter than the births of my babies.

Cosette is number four!  I can't believe I have four children.    

And I can't believe I named one of them Cosette.  

So, a little background.  In December we were notified Ben had been nominated for the attache position in Madrid, Spain.  Of course we were elated at the prospect! This position requires five months of attache training in D.C. starting in August 2016… so we knew this summer would be our big PCS (permanent change of station) summer, and that we would be having a baby smack dab in the middle of it.  Yeah, we like to roll that way.

We've experienced some hiccups along the way, but long story short, we did not receive orders to JMAS (Joint military attache school) in D.C. until June 2 (we're supposed to report August 15). Our orders were taking so long that Ben had the foresight to get an EROD (early return of dependents) approved.  Essentially, the kids and I were authorized to return to Utah early on EROD orders so that I could prepare to have the baby there while Ben tied up all the loose ends in Stuttgart.  

So, on June 2 at 35 weeks and 3 days I flew back to Utah with the girls.  Pat and Nancy who had been visiting us in Germany flew back with James a week earlier so I wouldn't have to fly solo with the three kids.  Flight was smooth except that the inflight entertainment system was down… grrrr...

I was grateful to be able to deliver in Utah, considering my last German hospital experience (no epidural).  I found an OB online who came highly recommended, Dr. Wayne Young.  His office is at an Orem clinic, just minutes from my mom's house… directly behind the clinic is Orem Community Hospital where Cosette would be delivered.

My first prenatal visit went smoothly and it was fun to watch Dr. Young pour over my "mutter pass," which contains the impeccable German record of all my prenatal visits. I had an ultrasound and found that Cosette was 6 lbs. 10 oz., and was able to get some adorable pics of her in the womb.  At that point I was mentally and emotionally ready to deliver, I just needed my body to cooperate.  All the subsequent visits went smoothly as we discussed the birth plan and I expressed my desire to go into labor naturally instead of being induced.  This would be my second VBAC.

June was packed with cousins and old friends and swimming pools and finishing up my online college class and even though we were constantly busy, time stood still for me.  I don't know how it happens, but the days and weeks preceding birth are so painstakingly slow.  Ben worked hard in Stuttgart selling the car, preparing the house for the movers, painting, and then checking out of housing. I was so grateful I didn't have to mess with all of that stress and headache.   He arrived in Utah June 29.  

Cosette's due date was July 4, and I so badly wanted her to be born either on July 2 (James' bday) or the 4th… but both days came and went with no delivery.  On July 5 I visited Dr. Young and he was happy to report I was dilated to a three!  He stripped my membranes and made an appointment for me to be induced on the 7th.  I had very mixed feelings about this, but he said that it was his professional recommendation. I was sad because I really wanted to go into labor naturally.  We stopped by Macey's on the way home to pick up some grocery items and I felt strong contractions… I was getting so excited… this may be it!  But, then when we sat down to dinner at home with my mom, the pains stopped. That night before bed labor pains resumed, but that wasn't anything new, since I had been having pre labor contractions every night for the past couple of weeks.  I went to sleep next to Benny Boy, so grateful he was here in time for the delivery.  In the middle of the night James woke up.  I helped him to the bathroom and then he wanted me to stay near him as he fell back asleep.  I laid on the couch next to his little bed, and then eventually made it back to my bed.  At 5 a.m. I woke up to use the bathroom and immediately felt contractions.  I circled the family room trying to determine if this was the real thing.  I knew they were because the pain was stronger, it was in my back, and it was regular… I timed the contractions, every three to four minutes!  Wow, they came on fast. I started doing the last bit of packing and by 5:30 I was waking Ben up telling him it was time to go to the hospital…  He got up and gave me a priesthood blessing, so grateful I've been able to receive them with each delivery (except Emily when he was in Afghanistan). We drove to the hospital in my mom's car, I had two strong contractions on the short ride over there…that's how close they were.  The receptionist seemed to be taking her sweet time as she made copies of insurance cards and got us all checked in.  I was pacing the floor in quite a bit of pain.  They finally let us back and they took me to the pre labor room where they ascertain that I'm really in labor.  It didn't take the nurse long to see that I was. I was dilated to a five.  

She put me in wheel chair and pushed me to the delivery room.

At this point it was 6:00 a.m. and it was the staff's shift change.  I was already insisting on an epidural because the contractions were quite painful (all the memories of my last birth flooded over me and I was adamant I was not going to go through that again).  But the anestheiologist was no where to be found because he was checking out, and the new one hadn't arrived yet.  The nurses were calling his cell phone, leaving messages, etc. It was close to 6:30 or 6:45 before he finally arrived with everything prepared.  I wasn't happy at this point… Ben had been helping me through the contractions by pushing my knees against the back of the chair.  When the pain doc came, he was surprised at how fast I was advancing, and he administered the medication efficiently and with great care… I could tell he was very experienced and I was very happy for that.

Once the relief came, I was much happier.  It only took maybe two to three hours before I was 80% effaced and dilated to a ten.  But the problem was that the baby had not dropped yet.  The nurse, Stephanie, had me try various positions with a peanut ball to get the baby to drop.  After doing this for a couple hours, Dr. Young came in and checked me and said, "Oh, the reason the baby hasn't dropped is because she is positioned brow forward."  Instead of her head pointing down, it was tilted up so she didn't fit so snuggly down into the birth canal.  Her shoulders were also slightly twisted.  The doc gave me the option of pushing or using forceps which carried more risk, so I opted for the former.  After pushing for over an hour to no avail, the doc came back in and said, "Let's use the forceps."   I have to admit I was a little uneasy when I saw exactly what forceps were… they looked like huge salad tongs. He did his magic, and I'll tell you what, it was NOT comfortable, but after repositioning her, I only had to push through maybe three contractions and out she came!  All 8 lbs 7 oz of her… screaming her head off. So relieved and so happy, tears immediately sprung to my eyes. She was probably the least eventful of my deliveries considering Emily was induced with Ben on the webcam from Afghanistan, Caroline was an emergency c-section thanks to a prolapsed cord, and with James I felt every ounce of pain associated with delivering a 9 lb. 6 oz. baby.  So, yeah.  This one wasn't so bad.  

 8

One of my favorite pictures ever of Ben

At home… little chicken legs!

One week old!

Malta!

For Spring Break this year we went to Malta… 

Go big or go home, right?

Well, actually, we are going home, back to the states in just a few short weeks… our time in Germany is coming to a close. So we decided to go out with a bang.  I had heard from a few friends how great Malta is.  I was attracted to the fact that it is a small island with lots of history, culture, kids activities, and beaches so you didn't have to drive very far from one destination to the other.  And it's sunny.  What's not to like?

We were able to get really cheap tickets out of Zurich.

Overall the trip was very good.  

Here are some of the lowlights/things that were hard

1.  Food.  Keeping my family fed and happy is always a thorn in my side while traveling.  That's why I would love to do with a cruise with the kids, because as Ben says "they spray food in your face all day long." No worries about where your next meal is coming from.  Since we flew to Malta I didn't pack any snacks or food whatsoever.  We were completely dependent on what Malta had to offer, and for picky eaters like Caroline, that prospect can be very dismal. The tuna sandwich with green olives they offered on the plane was a bad start of a continual trend.  Of course Caroline didn't like any of the snacks… Malta's versions of granola bars, crackers, etc. were just too different for her.  We stayed in apartments so no breakfasts were provided.  The first place we stayed at didn't even have a grocery store nearby.  I felt like every night I had to go out foraging for food.  Restaurants were expensive, groceries were hard to come by and expensive in the heart of the old town, and there wasn't much fast food/street food like you find in other places.  So, we did cereal and toast for breakfasts, usually ate at a restaurant for lunch, and then either ate leftovers or did something really simple for dinner…. always eating in because the kids are trainwrecks at that time of day, and the last place you want to be is in a restaurant with them. So, basically the kids lived off cereal, pizza, and chicken nuggets the entire week.  When we travel to Israel in a few weeks I'm going to be better prepared… every place I've booked includes breakfast and I plan on taking a jar of peanut butter and some healthy snacks.

2.  Driving in Malta.  We debated about renting a car or taking public transpo everywhere.  We opted for the rental car because it was so inexpensive and we wanted the freedom to come and go as we pleased.  Well, driving there was stressful because obviously we were unfamiliar with the place and we forgot to pack our GPS  (too cheap to pay the 10euro/day to rent one) and the big clincher was you had to drive on the left hand side of the road, in the right side of the car (UK style).  Oh, and it was a clutch.  Ben adjusted alright, but he did keep drifting over to the left side and I always had to yell at him to not hit the curb… or a parked car… or a person!  We used google maps on his phone so I was his navigator while he drove… and I'm sorry, but I guess I'm just not that great of a navigator.  More often than I'd like to admit we missed a turn or took the wrong one because I couldn't read the map right… there were way too many roundabouts!  So, yeah, Ben lost his cool a few times... just being honest.

3. Not as scenic as I thought it would be.  The guide book talked about how lovely spring time was with all the wildflowers in the countryside and all… well, it seemed to me that everything was DEAD.  The land seemed so parched and colorless and as we drove around the island, it just wasn't all that scenic/beautiful like so many places we've been to in Europe.  So, I looked up average rainfall in Malta, and of course they receive very little, but I guess this last rainy season was the lowest amount of rainfall on record in 95 years… so hence the lack of vegetation/color. I guess we've just been spoiled with the greenery further north, which we pay dearly for with rain all the time. Sigh. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Ok, so for the good parts

1.  Sunshine!  Except for a couple cold windy days, we had sunshine and temps in the high sixties and low seventies.   And it was so bright!  We were not used to all the sunshine… had to have sunglasses on constantly! It was a welcome change from the dismal cold days we've had for so many months in Germany.  

2.  Spending time together as a fam…   Now that the girls are a bit older, they were pretty much champs on this trip (except for Caroline constantly whining about food).  The girls walked without complaining and even James did pretty well even though he was on Ben's shoulders for a lot of the time.  This was our first stroller free trip! And diaper free!   Of course, that will all change again in a couple months :)  But the girls were happy on the trip, they loved Malta, and enjoyed most everything we did.  They kept saying, "I love Malta!" and "I don't want to go back to Germany." We kept an itinerary, but were also relaxed about it and moved at a relaxed pace.  Happy kids=happy mama.  

3. All the cool places… more to come!

 Our fist day exploring Valletta was one of my favorites.  Valetta is a beautiful and unique city… perched up on a hill overlooking the harbor.  I absolutely loved the Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens that we visited… stunning views and the kids just ran around chasing each other and having a ball.  We also took one of those lame tourist trains that take you around to all the sites… hands down James' highlight of the trip.  He LOVED that train and threw a huge fit when we had to get off.  He asked for it over and over in the subsequent days.  As we explored the beautiful alleyways of Valetta with their top-heavy, colorful balconies, we stopped for ice cream and the kids played in a splash-pad fountain area.  They had so much fun.  Ahhh, so nice.  

On the steps of our apartment

View from our balcony

Upper Barrakka Gardens, my favorite place in Valletta:

Chasing pigeons, a favorite pastime

The fortification protected by the Knights of St. John. 

Wandering through Valletta… fun town!

The fountains were a HUGE hit

Lower Barrakka Gardens:

Walking back to our apartment:

The next day was Sunday and we went to the one and only very small branch in Malta… it is part of the Rome, Italy mission.  I love little branches!  The members are like a close-knit family (with all the drama and bickering that comes with a family too)… they were all so kind and welcoming.  Lots of missionaries, including a senior couple.  It was fast and testimony meeting and the spirit was so strong as this very diverse group shared their feelings about God and the restored gospel.  The branch leader said he has never seen so many kids attend church… our kids made 8!  I also like branches because your presence really makes an impact… you feel more special, kind of like celebrities or something,

After church we went and explored the nearby walled city of Mdina.  Beautiful city but a cold and windy day!  Did not dress appropriately for the weather and we froze!

A wedding taking place in the church… can you see the bride and groom at the alter?

The playground right outside the wall was a huge hit!  

James holding up the line

Then we went to visit the coastline, also not far because nothing is far in Malta.  These are the Dingli Cliffs, the highest point in Malta. 

This pic was taken just moments before Emily fell really hard on some rocks and got scraped up on both knees, both elbows, and her hip.  Needless to say, we were done for the day.  She howled as Ben carried her all the way back to the car.  Poor Em!  At least she didn't break anything.  By the way she was screaming you would have thought so!

The next morning we took a boat ride to the Blue Grotto… a beautiful place with caves and azure water.

That afternoon we went to a fishing village, Marsaxlokk. We ate ice cream, did some shopping at the outdoor market, and enjoyed the views of the bay.

That night was our last in Valletta… so we went back to the gardens one last time… loved that place!

The place Napoleon stayed when the French invaded

The next morning we left Valletta for another area of Malta, but first hit up St. John's Cathedral since it was closed the first time we tried to visit.

Then on we went to St. Paul's Bay.  On the way we stopped at the Malta Marine Park… ok, huge let down.  First, it took us an hour to find it.  Had a hard time finding it since it was such a rink-a-dink tiny hole in the wall.  And it was hot.  And the entrance fees were expensive.  BUT, the girls had fun watching a dolphin and sea lion show, and also going to a reptile show where they got to hold snakes.  That was cool.  James just jumped on the little trampoline the entire time.

No fear, this girl

After settling into our new apartment, we went to the beach at Paradise Bay the following day.  This was my other favorite day.  Perfect temperatures, sunshine, relaxing little bay… it was crowded but we carved out our own little space and that's all we needed.  The water was freezing but the kids had a blast wading in it anyway.  This is what a vacation is supposed to be like!  We spent five hours here… I would have stayed longer… so relaxing and fun to be with the kids.

Em even went swimming!  Super cold!!

We spent our last day at the nearby island of Gozo.  It was another cold, windy day.  And it was a pain getting around the island… google maps took us off-roading… you should have seen where we ended up!  Only ATVs should have been on the roads we were on.  Was glad we made it out alive!  Highlights of this day included the Azure Window and a delicious lunch at a picturesque little restaurant.  One of the very few positive dining experiences the whole week!

Taking the ferry, yes, I'm seasick. 

The Beautiful Azure Window

Em looks thrilled, right?

Random place we stopped at to eat… so fun!

The kids played in the booth for most of the two hours we were there.

Some other sites of Gozo:

This beach was awesome but it was way too cold and windy to stay long.  

Skipping Rocks:

And that's a wrap… we flew out the next day!  I was very happy to come home.  Very happy to be able to prepare our own meals and work out of my own kitchen… something easily taken for granted!