Saying Good-bye from 7,440 Miles Away

Chata is very sick.  She is our beloved Boston Terrier.  She has had a problem with her kidneys for a few years and is now in kidney failure.  It is so tough to be 7,440 miles away from her.  I wish I was there to comfort her and love her up to the end of her life.  I feel so badly about not being there.  Bless my parents hearts...they are there for Chata since we can't be.  They are loving her and making her as comfortable as can be.  I am so grateful for them.

It was tough to leave Chata behind when we made this move to Egypt.  We needed to do what was best for her and bringing her here would have been too tough for her.  I still know that she was happier back in the States with a yard and doggy-door which she often used.  In the past year she couldn't even go all night without needing to go out and pee.  We have lived temporarily in apartments with her before and it was tough when she was in good health.  I can't imagine how hard it would have been in an apartment here in Cairo for her.

We have had Chata since she was a baby back in 2004 (over 10 years ago)! We found her through a Boston Terrier breeder just outside of El Paso, Texas.  She used to fit in my hand.

Chata is in my right hand and her twin sister in my left.

I didn’t want a dog but my silly husband convinced me that we should get one.  He had this thing where he wanted to first get plants to see if he could keep them alive, then a dog…then kids.  So we researched breeds and fell in love with Boston Terriers.  Chata has been such a good dog and member of our family.  She was a joy to come home to in our first home in El Paso.  I would teach 2^nd grade all day and it was nice to come home to her, no stress and quiet! 

Then she went with us to Puerto Rico for 3 years.  It was probably her favorite home because of the weather and lizards.  She loved to chase lizards!  Little ones were like toys, but iguanas were more challenging.  I still remember the stand-off she had with one wily iguana that kept trying to whip Chata with her long, spiky tail.  Chata would play outside all day long and sleep with one eye open – always looking for those lizards.  She developed awful allergies in Puerto Rico’s humid climate that caused her to lose her hair in patches.  We spent a lot of money addressing her allergies, her narrow nasal passage, hypoallergenic foods, etc. but she was worth all of it.  

Chata loved the beach.

She loved catching lizards.

She was always on the hunt.

She was my baby when I went through infertility.  When I went through procedures or surgery she was there to comfort me.  Then when I became pregnant and was on bed rest, she was happy to be on bed rest, too. 

Since a puppy she always "nursed" on her stuffed bear.

We temporarily moved to my parents’ house for the rest of my pregnancy and for a couple of months after my twins were born.  My husband had to continue to work in Puerto Rico but Chata stayed with me.  Then after having my twins she was really sweet with them.  I remember one of those first nights when I was sleep deprived and my babies were crying.  Chata was up with me and I remember her looking at me almost asking me “who are these creatures and why are you taking care of them?”  I cried as I pet her because I didn’t know what I was doing – I was so out of my element as a new mother of twins.  Chata was there to support me.  

When my twins were 2-months old we moved to Albuquerque, NM.  I remember holding Chata on my lap and crying most of the drive.  I had no idea how I would care for my babies without my mom’s help and with my husband at work all day.  We stayed in a corporate apartment for a couple of months while we looked for our house.  Apartment living with a dog and babies was not easy.  Chata needed to go outside periodically, but without a fenced yard to open the door to, we had to bundle everyone up in the frigid winter weather and venture outside as a group.  I did enjoy the fact that Chata needed a walk each day; it gave us the excuse to get out of the house.  We had great walking paths at the foot of the Sandia Mountains.  After a few months we found, bought and moved into our home in Albuquerque.  That was over 6 years ago.  Chata loved the yard there.  It was my favorite home out of all the places we have lived.  Our third child was born during this time and Chata and she became fast friends.  In fact, my little one couldn’t get enough of Chata.  Sometimes I would have to rescue Chata from my toddler’s incessant, tight hugs! 

My twins 1st birthday!

Watching Daddy work in the yard.

Chata loved playing frisbee.

In the middle of living in Albuquerque, we spent 17 months in Virginia while my husband took a temporary duty assignment at his headquarters in Washington, DC.  Chata came with us.  She has always gone with us and has been there for every transition.  Chata even dictated our housing choices.  Apartments are tough when there are 3 little girls that can’t be left alone.  We tried out an apartment for several weeks and it was quite the thing for mom, Chata and 3 energetic munchkins to suit up and head out into a big city several times a day.  So we ended up choosing a townhouse more in the suburbs because it included a fenced-in patch of grass that made it so much easier to accommodate Chata’s potty schedule.  But Chata has been an integral member of our family and a best friend to me, my husband and our 3 daughters.  They loved her so much.  And she loved them.  They entertained each other.  They kept each other active and playful.  They spent hours together each and every day.    

 

My youngest had such a special bond with Chata.

We moved back to our home in Albuquerque for another 18 months before moving to Egypt.

Chata would sit like this looking at the fridge each night as she waited for her medicine.

As we debated whether or not to bring her with us to Egypt, we knew it wouldn't be good for her here.  When we returned to Albuquerque following my husband’s TDY, Chata damaged her kidneys by eating several grapes off of our grape vine.  Grapes are toxic to most dogs.  We had to rush her to the vet where she spent a few nights in the vet hospital on IVs.  She came away from the ordeal relatively okay, but it was expensive and she would now be on a daily medication and a new prescription diet.  The vet explained to us that her lifespan would be cut shorter and she would need the medicine to keep her kidneys as healthy as possible for as long as possible.  I worried about her health and the quality of her life would be poor in Egypt.  In our current location, we don't have a yard or any grass nearby, walking her would be difficult, people often poison food and throw it on the street to kill strays, there are too many strays on the street, poor vet care, and just flying her here would have been stressful for her.  The only reasons to bring Chata with us were because we loved her and she was part of our family.  We decided that we needed to love her enough to leave her in the loving care of our family.  It was the right decision.  Chata has been happy.  We had the privilege of spending about 6 weeks with her and my family this past fall.  It was wonderful to be with her.  Chata was doing well and enjoyed playing and cuddling.  When we said good-bye to Chata on 1 November 2014, we didn't know it would be the last time.

On the drive to Arizona from New Mexico.

 

In December 2013 when we left Chata with family in preparation for our move to Egypt, I wrote in my journal, "I think about Chata every time I come home because I am used to having her greet us.  I think about her while I am making dinner and no one comes running when I cut up a chicken.  I think of her when I sweep the floor each night…not something I am used to doing since she was a good crumb eater.  I think of her as soon as I wake each morning because I am used to letting her outside.  I think of her each night when I watch TV because she was my cuddle bug.  I miss her a lot.  More than I thought I would.  I hope she is happy.  I hope she is being treated well.  I hope she behaves as she should.  I hope she is safe.  I hope she is still here in 21 months after we get home."

My heart is broken.  We only have a few months left here in Egypt, but Chata won't last.  She is no longer eating or drinking and is very weak.  My mom brought her to the vet and there is nothing left we can do except try and say good-bye. 

The Mummification of Barbie

We have really enjoyed learning about Egypt. It has been not only educational but fun living in Egypt and experiencing the culture first hand. A while back I wrote about our experience seeing real mummies at the famed Museum of Antiquities. As I am homeschooling my daughters, I wanted to teach them more about the mummification process and I knew that I needed a hands-on lesson. After coming across this blog on Pinterest, I knew that my kindergarteners and preschooler would enjoy "mummifying" their Barbie doll. We followed along with the help of this website as we embalmed and wrapped Barbie.   

First, we washed and rinsed Barbie with "water from the Nile." We live only about a block away from the Nile and can actually see it from some windows in our apartment. But since the water in the Nile isn't that clean - especially as it passes through downtown Cairo - we just pretended. The next step is removing the internal organs from the body. C used a toothpick to "smash the brain and pull it through the nose."

Then, we pretended to stuff the body with natron to dry it out. After 40 days the body is washed again from the Nile. Of course we weren't going to wait that long to finish this little project, so my girls jumped 40 times to represent 40 days.

Depending on the type of mummification (processes changed over time), vital organs (stomach, intestines, lungs, liver) were either removed and stored in canopic jars or they were dehydrated, wrapped in linen and put back in the body. The canopic jars were entombed with the mummy. We cut out and colored our jars and drew pictures of the wrapped organs that belong in each one.

Next was the wrapping of Barbie. Ancient Egyptians would use fine linen. We used strips of old cotton clothing. The head and neck were wrapped first, followed by the fingers and toes, each one wrapped by itself. Arms and legs were wrapped separately after that. Based on our studies of the ceremonial process, one of my daughters pretended to be a priest(ess) and read out spells that would keep evil spirits away in the afterlife.

If this were a real mummy, the arms and legs would be tied together. Royal mummies' arms were usually crossed across their chests. Scarab (beetle) amulets became very popular and were often placed over the heart of the mummy. Of course we had some papyrus lying around our home (no, really; we did), so we were able to write some spells from the Book of the Dead on to little pieces and then we placed them in the hands of the mummy.

Many ancient Egyptians were buried with their beloved pets. So we mummified Barbie's cat, too. Notice that C is wearing some of the white clothing that we were using to cut into strips for Barbie's mummy wraps.

During the real mummification process, even more linen strips would be wrapped around and glued together. Then a large cloth would be placed on top of the mummy. We didn't have pure gold from which to make a real death mask, so one of my daughters drew a death mask for Barbie.

After the mummy was fully wrapped, it would then be placed in 2 coffins - one inside the other - and a funeral would be held. From there, the mummy and coffins were placed in a large box (or series of boxes) called a sarcophagus - often carved out of massive stone. Some mummies were placed inside pyramids, but many more were hidden away in massive, elaborate, ornate, man-made tombs. The most famous complex would be the Valley of the Kings near modern day Luxor (read about our family's trip here). Everything the mummy would want in the afterlife was placed in the tomb: jewelry, food, drink, furniture, clothing, art, etc. We placed things that Barbie would need in the next life in her tomb.

In all, the entire mummification process typically lasted approximately 70 days. By the time we were done with our little exercise, Barbie was ready for her journey through the "underworld." If her deeds were good on earth, then she will live for all eternity in the beautiful "Field of the Reeds."

This was a fun lesson and my girls enjoyed participating in the mummification process. We also talked about ancient Egyptian beliefs regarding life & death and compared them to our own beliefs. We know that we will not be bringing tangible, physical things with us into the next life, but we do believe in life after death. We take great comfort in knowing that the relationships we enjoy in this life will carry on in the next, and we're especially grateful that our Heavenly Father's plan includes the blessing of families being sealed together throughout eternity. In some ways similar to Ancient Egyptians, we have temples today to help make this powerful blessing possible. I am so grateful to be sealed to my family forever.

McDelivery

January 7 is Coptic Christmas and a local holiday in Egypt.  My husband had the day off of work.  We stayed home due to dreary weather, and by dreary weather I mean a frigid sand storm.  There's no way to go outside and have fun in the cold when you're getting sprayed with wind-blown sand.  So we hunkered down, played games with the kids, watched movies and worked on this blog.  By lunchtime we felt like ordering some scrumptious Lebanese food.  Since I knew that my kids would not like Lebanese food, I decided to treat them with a McDelivery - call it a little Coptic Christmas present.  In the full 12 months that we have been in Egypt, I am happy to say that this was our first delivery from McDonald's.  They had Happy Meals: 4-piece chicken nuggets, tropical juice and a milk shake.  Since we didn't want to go out in the sand storm and because I can pretty much have anything delivered to my door step with a simple telephone call, I had our groceries delivered, too.  We were feeling pretty lazy (probably in part from all the food and also because most of us were still in pajamas) and I didn't feel like making dinner either so we had pizza delivered.  Seriously, you don't even have to leave your apartment here.  ;-)

The McDelivery Man was happy to let M take his picture after he explained that in America McDonald's doesn't deliver in the cities where we have lived.

Happy Meals = Happy Girls.  If you are wondering if the french fries were still hot...not as hot as if you were in the restaurant but still warm and delicious.

Kids got McD's; Mom & Dad ordered from our favorite Lebanese Restaurant - Taboula.  We got shish taouk and hummos with meat shawerma.  The homemade flat bread was delicious, too.  And Taboula's to-go bag is almost a work of art.

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Making good on a promise I made months ago, I'm contributing a guest post to my wife's blog sharing some thoughts and pictures from my trip to the amazing land of Jordan. Although I was there for a business conference, I was fortunate enough to see many of Jordan's exquisite treasures.

DEAD SEA
I've always known about the unique characteristics of the Dead Sea and its significance in history, but I never thought to add it to my bucket list. I was lucky enough to visit because of my business travel. Our conference was held at the spectacular Kempinski Ishtar Hotel on the Dead Sea. The property is very large and vertical. There are several different buildings and villas and access to each sometimes requires climbing lots of stairs. But the property is breathtaking. It sits right on the Dead Sea. I looked out across the Sea to Israel for amazing sunrises and sunsets. The food was out of this world delicious. So much of it, too! I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner here. Sometimes at the Obelisk Restaurant, and sometimes in the main structure. I probably gained 5 pounds in 5 days! The infinity pool is spectacular, among the several other pools on site. From this hotel I launched day trips to Mt. Nebo, Madaba, Jordan River and even Petra (the day I checked out). And then of course the Dead Sea. Now that I've had the experience of floating effortlessly at 420 meters below sea level, I can honestly say that the Dead Sea experience should be on everyone's list. This hotel would be perfect for it. Had I brought along my little family, I might consider neighboring properties such as Movenpick or the Marriott, as I have heard they are little bit more family-friendly.

View from my hotel room of the sunrise over the Dead Sea and Israel in the distance.

Effortless weightlessness, a truly surreal sensation.  Warning: the salty water ruined my flip flops; I could never get them to dry out!

Our hosts put on a show with some of the Royal Bedouin Dessert Police Force dressed in traditional Bedouin uniforms.  Yes, that's a falcon, too.

MOUNT NEBO
Once the daytime business wrapped up, we set off for a tour of Mount Nebo and Madaba.  Mount Nebo is as far as Moses got to the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the deserts between there and Egypt.  From the peak he could look over the Dead Sea and see Israel, but he never made it.  For centuries, a small church has rested on top.  During our visit it was undergoing significant restorations, but there were still plenty of wonderful things to see: ancient mosaic floor tiles, beautiful modern stained glass, a small museum and other outside sculptures. But still no sign of Moses' sepulchre (Deuteronomy 34:5-6 and Alma 45:19).

Stained glass portrayal of Moses - inside Basilica atop Mount Nebo

Standing atop Mt. Nebo with a northeasterly view behind me (Amman about 15-20 miles away, but about an hour's drive).

MADABA 
Night had fallen by the time we left Mt. Nebo and arrived in the town of Madaba.  Jordan is well known for detailed, intricate mosaics.  The Greek Orthodox Basilica of St. George is world-famous for the floor mosaic remnants thought to depict the oldest-known map of Byzantine Jerusalem and much of the surrounding area.  Sometimes this church is referred to as the "Church of the Map."  The mosaic map itself points out some significant locations such as Jerusalem as the "Holy City" and the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.  

My wife and I collect nativities from each country we visit around the world.  I was thrilled to pick up a beautiful, contemporary set made of rich olive wood.  The star above the manger doubles as a music box.

Greek Orthodox Basilica of St. George - Madaba, Jordan (picture borrowed from user Sweethomehu on Panoramio)

Jerusalem - "HOLY CITY" - as depicted on the floor mosaic map.

The map indicating the spot in the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

City of Jericho

Beautiful mosaics are a regular staple at all gift shops and tourist spots.  One particularly large store I visited includes a section where visitors can watch artisans working on their next masterpieces.

Olive wood nativity set purchased from the gift shop at the St. George Greek Orthodox Basilica in Madaba.  Turning the star clockwise activates a hidden music box that plays "Silent Night".

JORDAN RIVER
The Jordan River was far different from how I imagined it.  I have no grasp of what it might have looked like 2,000 years ago, but during my visit the water level seemed low and the flow was almost nothing.  The water was murky, too.  I think modern-day irrigation siphons off much of the water upstream.  The landscape is pretty dry and desolate.  No trees to speak of, but lots of twisty, gnarly bushes rising up well overhead.  Not many structures in the area, but those that rise prominently on the horizon are churches, synagogues and mosques.  We were taken to "the spot" where John the Baptist baptized Jesus - at least on the Jordanian side according to many.  One impression I had was that "the spot" wasn't nearly as important as the fact that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and the reasons for that act.  More impressive to me was just knowing that this area had been frequented by the likes of The Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.  It was neat to develop a personal connection to and familiarity with the present day area that I read about in the scriptures.  Although not essential for my own religious beliefs, visiting prominent locations of significant historical events has strengthened my faith.  Reading the scriptures and hearing the stories don't seem so long, long ago in a land far, far away . . . .      

I'm standing on the Jordan side with Israel on the other bank.  Across from me were many pilgrims being baptized on the Israeli side.

"The spot" where Jesus was baptized - no water when I visited.

PETRA
I really don't have words for how overwhelmingly spectacular Petra is!  It was about a 3-hour drive from our hotel on the Dead Sea down to the entrance of this absolutely-must-see destination.  There were plenty of tourists, but not so crowded that it was obnoxious.  At various times throughout the lengthy walk down the narrow gorge called the "Siq," I found myself alone for a moment or two.  That made it nice to pause and reflect on just how stunning Petra is.  And there is lots of walking.  The majestic sites are quite spread out, with at least a few miles between the iconic "Treasury" and the lower "Monastery".  But there are horse-drawn carriages to hire for the trip down or back.  Seemed to me that many folks picked up rides for the trip back into town, which wasn't a bad idea.  More strenuous hikes are possible for those willing to climb in and around the different spots.  It's just hard to comprehend what effort it took to carve these immaculate structures out of stone.  Anyone planning to visit Petra should expect to spend a full day exploring everything.  Between the visitor's center at the entrance, midway through the tour and again at the museum at the end of the main tour, there are places to stop, shop, eat, and use the restroom.  So if you haven't already, add the incomprehensibly wondrous PETRA, JORDAN to your bucket list. 

The walk through the canyon is a long, meandering albeit easy walk.  Notice the engineering brilliance on the left where they carved out gutters to channel the water down the canyon on the rare occasions when it rained.

Here is the first breathtaking peek you get through the canyon as you approach the Treasury.

Amazing! Spectacular! Awesome! Unbelievable! Stupendous! Incredible! Marvelous!