Oh Galilee!

Just when I thought life in the Holy Land couldn't get any better we got to go to the Sea of Galilee for ten days. I feel so grateful on many levels for the time we were able to spend there. It was a time of relaxation, meditation and spiritual growth and I feel like I discovered a lot about myself there. So yeah, it was pretty amazing. :) I don't think my blog is the place to open my heart to some of the things I learned and felt there...so I thought I would just post some pictures and my list of the top ten secular things I learned about myself or loved about the Galilee.

1. I love living on the beach. Any beach. We went to a lot of beaches (around the Galilee and the Mediterranean) and I fell in love with the feeling of being by the water. I just might have to live by one someday.

2. I love ancient Roman ruins. Can't explain it, but my heart gets really excited when I walk through them.

3. Along with that, I discovered I love capitals (the tops of columns). Took quite a few random pictures by capitals.

4. I do not like eating a fish that still looks like a fish. It is a necessary activity at the Galilee for many reasons but it still difficult. See picture below.

5. I do not like spiders. Ok that is not a new discovery, just an affirmation of an already vehement decision. I especially do not like it when they decide to use your swim suit shorts as a place to hang out. Especially when the spider is the biggest thing you've ever seen and refuses to be killed easily. Don't worry, I took care of it.

6. I should have brought a better camera with me. I am grateful that I have any camera at all of course, but the pictures are not doing justice to the things I'm seeing!

7. Spending every evening watching the sun set over the Sea of Galilee should be something everyone gets to do before they die.

8. Speaking in the only dedicated chapel in Palestine and in the branch that Elder Holland called "The Savior's Branch" is an amazing and unforgetable experience.

9. Marshmellows in Palestine do not taste the same as marshmellows in America. Thus smores are also uniquely different.

10. I finally had a Tim Tam Slam and my life has forever changed. I kept hearing about these things but never thought I'd get to experience it myself. Kind of like the grasshopper cookie and hot chocolate thing but better. I will be bringing a box of these cookies home so more people can have a similar life changing experience.

Yes, magical things do happen here.

Friends!

I call this....Standing on a rock

See what I mean about falling in love with the beauty of the sea? This one is actually the Mediterranean Sea...amazing!

This picture really has nothing to do with anything except it reminded me of a movie quote and I wanted to take a picture of it for my family. "Agh! I'm like the crypt keeper!!"

A.N.T.M.!

One of my capital pictures. You have to admit...that thing is pretty spectacular.

More capitals. Even though they're smaller they still have a special place in my heart.

This starts the series of Fish eating pictures. Here we are...very unsuspecting and innocent.

Then they bring out the fish. I fondly named mine "Finny." Probably not a good thing to name your fish if you're already having a hard time eating it. I am trying to look concerned in this picture.

Ok this picture is dedicated to my mom and dad and to Garret and Adam because I think they would be the most proud of me for having a good attitude about the whole fishing eating thing.

I did it! Ok...I kind of did it! The fish skeleton in the picture is not mine...I'm faking history here. I ate a lot of my fish but not all of it. Seriously!

More photo ops on the Galilee at sunset.

Who wouldn't love these Roman ruins?!

This is post "slam" of the the Tim Tam Slam experience. I just wish my face showed more of the joy I was feeling at this moment.

Outside of the chapel in Tiberius.

I've got a few more pictures to post of my other favorite place on the trip...Caesaria...but I'll end for now. I can't believe how fast time is flying. We leave for Jordan in 4 days and we get home in 15 days! Yikes! Much love to all!