Galilee Adventures, Part II of III

But before I do that, I want to capture a few thoughts


My kids amaze me.  Of course any mother thinks this of her children, I recognize that.  It's just overwhelming to see their little personalities (or big personalities) develop and strengthen.  Also, now that Ceci is communicating and running about, she and Jacob can actually play together and I rejoice in the moments they squeal with delight at some silly shennanigans.  

Speaking of Ceci communicating, she is developing quite the vocabulary and animal impressions.  She currently says:

            'nana      (banana)

            Dada

            Mama

           Dayknnng (Jacob)

           Nawnaw (no no)

           Daaaow (down)

           Nahi Nahi (night night)

           Bah Bah (bye bye)

Animal Sounds:
elephant, tiger, cow, cat, dog, fish

Body Parts she identifies:
Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Belly

Oh, 
        just one little more tangent, ok?


History:  The first time Ceci discovered a belly button, it was Kevin's, so whenever she sees a belly button, she points and says, "Dada!" 


Tangent:
Ceci is obsessed with this lift-a-flap book that was actually Jacob's (thanks Aunt Madeline and Uncle Mark), and she runs over to (most of the time) Kevin or Jacob or me to read it to her.   The animal page is favored, although she does enjoy the fruits and vegetables. 


When they come to the apple, Ceci points to the small concave of the apple from which the stem protrudes, then pulls up Kevin's shirt and points to his belly button and back again saying, "Dada!"


Girlfriend, only your little mind would find the yet observed similarity between apples and belly buttons.  Seriously, y'all, go to your nearest apple and belly button and observe!

200 points for creativity, 2 million points for randomness.  That's our girl!!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, where were we?  Ah, yes.  Back in the Galilee.


After Mass at Loaves and Fishes, we decided to go in search of food and then a national park called Gan Hasholosha which has natural springs, waterfalls and water temps of 80-some degrees.


We stopped at a gas station which looked deserted but was staffed by this spacy dude who tried to sell us the same unleaded gas at 2 different prices, depending upon which pump we used.  After a good laugh, we opted out and went to a nearby restaurant for salads, hummus, pita and drinks.  It was an Israeli version of a diner, complete with random gnome figurines and tchockes.  


With full bellies, we made our way to Gan Hasholosha.  The drive was about an hour, and we dozed, soaked in the sunshine and splendid views. 

With it being off-season, the parks close at 4, so we only had about an hour and a half there.  As we drove in, I couldn't contain my excitement.  Jacob and I, already in our bathing suits, ran down the hills to see this:

 

 

AMAZING, right ?????   

I pretty much could have spent all weekend there.  Because it's technically winter, we basically had the entire place to ourselves aside from one other tourist family and a few bundled non-swimming Israelis.


There was a friendly lifeguard who welcomed us heartily saying, 
"Welcome, welcome, this is our second Eden." 


Yeah, buddy, I'm pretty much gonna have to agree..... 








 
 The water was sublime, like tepid bathwater which sounds horrid, but with the warm air temp it was perfect.  We went below the waterfalls where the water was shallow, reveling in the fact that we were swimming in waterfalls in the middle of March.  After a bit, we moved to deeper waters, as I kept getting nibbled by itty bitty fish.


We stayed to the last minute, rode home in the dwindling sunlight, managed traffic and got back to the Inn in time for early bed for the kiddos and food foraging for the rest of us.  Aside from a short wake-up from Ceci, the kids slept really well again.


On Monday morning we woke to the delicious traditional Arab breakfast that came with our stay.  Our bellies filled up with fresh fruits and veggies, fresh pita, salty cheese and the like.  


After packing up our things, dropping them at the car, our next stop was the Church of the Annunciation, but that's a story for another day.  :)   


Oh, I suppose I'll give you a sneak peek to leave off: