It's a . . .

We took Camille and Spencer to the Gender Discovery Appointment, so they'd be there when the big announcement was made. After leaving the office, Spencer said to Luke, "I'm a little bit mad." That should be hint enough. We're having a girl!

Dead Fish

Someone asked me if we ate the fish we caught. Well, we meant to. We don't know anything about fishing, so we ended up bringing home two live fish, swimming around in our cooler. I finally talked Luke into bashing their heads against some rocks outside because I could tell they weren't feeling very well (and because they kept trying to jump out, which scared me). We aren't in the habit of killing anything other than insects, but we did kill the fish, finally. I then put the fish in a bag of frozen hash browns because I never have ice in the house. After a couple of hours, the idea of the fish started to gross me out. A day passed and another. I threw the fish away. Spencer kept asking when we were going to eat the fish. The answer was always "dinner." He soon forgot about it. A few days ago I heard Spencer tell his friend about catching the fish, "We made it dead, so we could eat it. We're having it for dinner... I think."

Luke felt bad about wasting the fish's life, but I think no fish has given so much joy to anyone. A life well lived and well sacrificed.

Olá Portugal - Lisbon, part 1

We've been back for few weeks, but here is a recap of Portugal Revisited. That is, I was revisiting and poor Luke had to listen to non-stop mission stories. I'm serious. I think Luke knows as much about my missionary experience as I do. He was very patient, and if he got tired of my ramble, I never suspected.

Pedestrian-only street in the Baixa.

This is where we stayed, Pensao Geres. It was very typically Portuguese. The smell, the bed, the religious art, the low pressure shower, 100% tile bathroom. It wasn't super comfortable, but it was a great location and it was super fun to feel like I was really in Lisbon again.

Luke and I are in front of Marques de Pombal which was part of my second area. My companion and I used to run around this park. It was so fun to be back in my old areas. Definitely my favorite part of the trip.

The church I went to in my second area. Luke was kind enough to tramp all over Lisbon in search of the church. I forgot to bring the address and couldn't remember how to get there. The mission president used to live above the church, but they've made that floor part of the church now. Strange.

In Belem with Cristo Rei in the background.

Belem monument memorializing Portuguese great discoveries. Go medieval Portugal.

On top of Belem tower.

Metro!

Lisbon is pretty in a sort of shabby way. I think the way they build their buildings makes them fall apart really fast or something.

In Alfama. It's a really old, quaint neighborhood right in the city. There are no cars and no city noises. Narrow streets, plenty of old ladies looking out the window or hanging laundry and plenty of old men standing in groups talking about soccer. The smell of soup and freshly mopped marble entry ways. Portugal at its truest.

I thought the olive grove at Jeronimos was breathtaking. I wish I were a photographer.

On the walls of Jeronimos, a big old castle in Lisbon. The sister missionaries took this pic. P-day.

Gone Fishing

I'm not sure what got into Luke. A week or so ago, he started talking about taking Spencer fishing. The reason this is such a surprise to me is that Luke doesn't like to fish or destroy life of any kind. But today the fishing dream was realized. Spencer caught the first fish with his $10 Superman pole. It sounds silly, but it was an unforgettable moment. We all helped reel in the 8 inch whopper. Luke and I were completely surprised, not expecting to catch anything. Spencer was thrilled. Camille wanted to be held the whole time and kept saying, "I want to go home, mommy. I want to go home." My important role was baiting the lines, since I was the only one who would touch a live worm. From this experience, I've concluded that worms can feel. They squirm when being cut in half and they squirm when being stuck on a hook. We all have Luke to thank for our super fun new family hobby. Next time we'll try to catch fish big enough to legally take home.

Camille liked banging her Dora pole against the rocks. She quickly lost interest in her pole and fishing.

These are the fish we brought home. Anyone know what kind they are?? I've successfully identified the top fish as a bluegill, but I don't know about the other.