Moroccan Kasbas & Deserts

Several travel tidbits

Internet in Casablanca provided one session of General Conference.  Amazing!!

our diverse group - 

6 Americans, 2 Argentinians, 1 Canadian, 1 New Zealander, 1 Belgium, 1 German

Horsing around at King Mohammed V mausoleum in Rabat

Fellow travelers (Argentine flight attendants) 

Lane has an admirer who nicknamed him "white heart" (pure in heart)

Sahara desert rats

 (riding the 2 center camels)

Excursion into the Sahara

The medina in Fez is famous in Morocco...a huge "mall" of over 9000 tight alleys.  Cars are forbidden, donkeys and carts transport supplies in and out.  Whatever you need, you will find it in the souks.  We had to be guided in...and out!

 Medina Souks meat market--auuuggghhhh!!

Huge vats of die in the tannery, specializing in leather goods.  

Men die hides while standing in the vats

 Unloading our duffle bags at this unique hotel, deep inside a canyon  

Lights out/generator off at midnight

   At 1:00 a.m. we receive a cell phone call from Sam

He reads our mission assignment:

Philippines San Pablo Mission!!!

(We report July 11, 2011-June 11, 2013)


How wonderful!!!  


Our homeless days are numbered...
Now we can set the end date on our European trip.

 Carolyn grinds argan kernels into oil

The two of us wandered in Marrakech for hours.  

While resting in a city park we enjoyed people watching

Our smiles to a mother-daughter prompted the small child to release her mothers hand.  To our pleasant surprise she approached us, giving us each a kiss on the cheek.  This also happened elsewhere.  Our guide said these children are well educated.  (Interesting, in the U.S. well educated children DO NOT approach strangers.)

 The traditional dessert throughout Morocco is an orange.  Sliced and sprinkled with cinnamon, or whole.  Other traditional dishes are tagines and couscous.  We recommend them all, but we hesitate to admit that the two of us ate at McDonalds twice!  For variety and sanity.

 Spice and grain markets included endless bag displays and dates & nuts all lined up in military-style (no photo)  Only 30 of 500+ photographs are posted here, perhaps still too many...

Lane & Carolyn sitting in front of a wall with a painting and an ad for a "Hotel"

But we will accept the edit

 Speaking of hotels...or lack thereof...

This night we board the overnight train from Marrakech to Tangier

Next stops: 

ROCK of GIBRALTAR

SPAIN  

PORTUGAL

Love, Momma & Dad

Carolyn & Lane 

Why ICELAND?

Why ICELAND?

Because ICELAND is a 'free' layover when booking your own flight to Morocco!

Because ICELAND is full of surprises...it's so cool, it's HOT stuff!

(so is my honey!!!)

Because ICELAND is more than ICE; it's fish-n-chips, it's colorful rooftops...

 it's fascinating churches...

Because ICELAND's Blue Lagoon is deliciously warm and inviting...

Because ICELAND Scrabble games allow a minimum draw of 15 tiles...

Because we stopped in ICELAND we can spell R-E-Y-K-J-A-V-I-K!

The best part of this April Fool's Day is that this one is not a hoax!

Morocco, here we come!

We are ready for some heat!!!

Love,

Mom & Dad

Carolyn & Lane

NEW YORK revisited...

 4 days...

Times Square...2 Broadway plays...Wicked (fourth time) & Spiderman

Harlem Ward & friends...

 Revisit our apartment building (rooftop view overlooking angel Moroni and Lincoln Center and Broadway)...

 Manhattan Temple...lunch w/ Ahmad & friends...

 Staten Island Ferry...breakfast w/ great Brooklyn friends...

 It was a blast to return to the city we lived in for 2 years.  We repeated a few of our favorite things and finally visited the mysterious 5th NYC borough - Staten Island.

This was so fantastic!  Let's go again.  We'd move back there in a minute...if we weren't on a budget, or waiting for a mission call.  Wouldn't you?

Even so, this was just a precursor to the real trip...Europe!

But first, 2 more preview trips to get us warmed up...Iceland & Morocco!!!

We love you!

Dad & Momma

Lane & Carolyn

Thank You!

Dateline: Saturday, N.Y.C., 6:45 a.m.

Hi Wonderful Kids,

You are still all asleep, and we are back in New York City!  Six hours ago we were treated to a farewell piano duet by Tom and Shalaun and already we are across this marvelous country, flying in over the Empire State Building and taxiing through Central Park. The sun isn't up yet but it is now getting light and we have been dropped off at our hotel on 103rd and Broadway.  We feel strangely at home, even though we are officially homeless.  It is almost like a dream.  

Thanks to all of you, our belongings are stowed away for a few years, and some favorite furniture has found a new home.  Rayson, Meredith, the Hills, and Kim (surprise coincidence that she was in town!) came earlier in the week to help us haul stuff away.  Callie and Jami came by on Tuesday to help complete an important project.  Wednesday was moving day.  Hard work, heavy lifting by the moving crew (Greg, Jenna, Steph, Tom, Sam, Jamie, Jerry, Jami), Big Kahuna Pizza, ongoing packing (thanks Meredith for "laboring", barely avoiding the real thing...), endless cleaning by Jami, vacuuming--thanks, Jerry (the carpet specialist), Jamie and Jenna hoisting a chest of drawers, temple door maneuvering, a flying mattress, and more plastic bins than we could have imagined.   Amanda and Tagg came along to observe the action.  They transformed an empty closet into a movie theater with G'pa's iPad.  Interspersed throughout the week were phone conversations with Cam, Lincoln and Britni who offered encouragement and loving support.  (We revisited the plastic totes Thursday and amazingly we were able to locate the item you requested, Katie X.  Tom has it.)  

 Leave no trace...

Hummm...

Have we told you lately how special we feel you are?  Maybe we're feeling a bit of nostalgia, or just the emotions of leaving Salt Lake for points unknown, but our reflections have been of you.  All of you.  We just are so proud of each of you and hopeful that you will be able to achieve your greatest dreams.  

Irony...our choice of Manhattan lodging, the Marrakech Hotel (Moroccan) is a one floor walkup, with an entry that is only 4 feet wide.  No elevator to the remaining four floors above.  And a bit third world.  We crustily asked for an "early arrival" at 6:45 in the morning!  After checking our luggage we walked out on the street to find a nearby Dunkin' Donuts.  Then to our amazement, we were standing right in front of Mama Mexico, an out-of-the-way restaurant RayDean and Jon visited with us back in 2008.  And there we were, back in time, remembering mariachi singers, great food and a special time with two choice "kids".  This is a wonderful life we are experiencing!

Once again, Thanks! For all you have done to support and encourage us as we begin a new gypsy adventure.

Much love,

Mom and Dad

P.S.  We suggest you find a minute to email your sister, Sister Randi.  We have emailed her mission address.

Good bye

To everything there is a season....

Tis the season for good-bying.

Good-bye Eagle Gate.  4th floor, corner.
Good-bye downtown SLC, Temple Square, Brigham Young home.
Good-bye walking to Gateway, Jazz games, church at the JSMB.
Good-bye parades on South Temple, and conference crowds.

Good-bye apartment.  I remember meeting you just like this.
Good-bye friends, neighbors, Eighteenth Ward. 
Good-bye swimming pool, social room, underground parking, tunnel.
Good-bye tapioca nights.
THANKS to our kids who helped with our move!
The packing, sorting, dumping, storing, cleaning.
Thanks Jerry, for selling our i-phones.
Thanks Sam, for storing a 'few' boxes (50?)
Thanks Tom, for selling the cars.

Good-bye comfortable, fast, dependable, and sporty car.
Good-bye road trips, GPS, heated seats.

Good-bye uncomfortable, slow, undependable and antique car.
Good-bye rumble seat, "aw-oooh-gah" horn,  repairs. 
Good-bye exercise loops around the capitol.  Good-bye snow.  
Good-bye seasons.

                                                                                                                    

Good-bye Disneyland.  Good-bye USA.

But mostly, we wish a fond farewell to

X, KC, Jami, Randi, Callie, Rayson, Raylie,  Meredith, Tyson, Taggart, Britni, Brian, Dalia, Tesila, Jerry, Erin, Ava, Brennan, Sam, Jamie, Tom, Shalaun, Emeline, Audrey, Lincoln, Carrie, Matthew, Scott, Luke, Maggie, Stephanie, Jerel, Caden, Carlie, Josh, Amanda, Cameron, Kim, Anissa, Justin, Greg, Kylie, Samantha, David, Danny, RayDean, Jon, Michael, Darren, Robert, Sarah, Joseph, Stephen, Dad & Mom, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews.

We fly away March 25th. 

          We await a mission call.

                 We await 3 grandbabies.

                                 Adventures await!!!

 Our love to you~ Mom & Dad

 (Carolyn & Lane)

                                                                                                    

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Today I sang in the

MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR...

...seats!

The Ensign Stake Conference is held in the historic tabernacle.

It was fantastic!

A favorite scripture shared from conference:

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

D&C 6: 36-37

Love, Mom
Carolyn

February 2011

Incredible!!!

South for the winter. Palm trees. Clear blue skies. Warmer weather.
WRONG!
Well, to be honest, it was warmer. We left Salt Lake in 5 degrees and heated up to 12 degrees in St. George. Records lows followed us. We set out to find a 'new' old temple. Randi, Lane & I entered through it's doors for the first time. Incredible!

One week later Randi enters the MTC wearing my name tag "Sister Howell". I guess I'll have to get a new one...

Lane and I submitted papers to serve a 23 month mission. Our start date could be as early as July (with some assurance of returning for a key family event in the Fall)!

Baby-no-more-Brennan invited us to a celebration marking ONE year.

Kim came for a sleepover and shared a glimpse into her Egypt memoirs - a bound book of personal photos.

And we succeeded in escaping the cold on our next try...

10 days in the Caribbean
Wow! Incredible!

Home again. It is always sweet to return to our family.
Thanks for the airport transport, house sitting and dinner Sam & Jamie.

My last ward newsletter was also my last. That calling has been my favorite one.

Time to organize, declutter, downsize, and pack up again. We have moved 8 times in 14 years. It would appear that we are due.

I feel a tapioca night coming...Mom & Dad
Carolyn & Lane