Celiac Disease: A New Diagnosis

So, as I always try to remember is true for everyone I interact with each day, there have been some things going on in the background of my life.

One of them is continued stomach aches and GI issues frequently and urgently popping up at inopportune times and seeming without regard to what I've eaten or how I've acted before. Also the chronic yeast infections I fought for years, while MUCH improved since going off hormonal birth control (and thus initiating a chain of events that ended in a tubal ligectomy + ablation and then a full hysterectomy), are not entirely gone despite doing ALL the things you are supposed to do to prevent them. In addition, the occasional heartburn and bloating remain present, along with brittle nails, random patches of eczema or psoriasis, and rosacea.

Thanks to an abdominal CT scan during an executive physical last year, it was discovered that my gallbladder was "packed full" of gallstones. This came as a shock to me since I'd never felt any pain from the stones or had many of the expected symptoms from them. However, after discussing it with my doctor and a surgeon, and noting that I did indeed have GI issues, heartburn, and bloating, and taking into account that a gallbladder as "packed full" as mine can become gangrenous and necrotic and cause a far more emergent situation, particularly while traveling, we decided to have it removed and that surgery was done last fall. And yet, my symptoms haven't really changed? If anything, they recently got worse.

Which brings me to the GI specialist initial appointment I had two weeks ago. The doctor who oversaw my executive physical strongly recommended a colonoscopy as early as insurance would cover given my many GI concerns and the sharp rise in colon cancer among young adults. He recommended a particular doctor in Dallas, who I then failed to contact for many months, and then had a many month waiting list once I finally did.

My appointment was May 8th. I liked the doctor very much. He was attentive, asked a lot of questions, and listened to all my answers. He showed me pictures and charts to explain what he was telling me, and as a fully visual learner, I appreciated this very much. He let me know that 1 out of 100 gallbladder removal patients experience bile acid malabsorption which could be the cause of my recent increased issues. There's a daily pill that often works to fix that, so we're giving it a try. Then he ordered a few tests to rule out other things while we wait to see if the pill fixes the potential bile issue.

One of the tests was a celiac blood panel. It was a relatively small blood draw, done immediately following my appointment, and the results were back in two days. My result for Gliadin AB IGA and IGG were high. My Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody IGG result was normal, while my Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody IGA result was well over 100, more than 10x the normal upward limit.

In other words, I almost certainly have Celiac Disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disorder where your immune system attacks the tissue of your small intesting when you eat gluten, causing damage to the villi, leading to malabsorption of nutrients and numerous other issues (issues like literally everything that's been wrong with me). The only real treatment is to stop ingesting gluten in any form.

While my blood work values are such that a definitive diagnosis could be made based on them alone, my doctor is concerned about certain additional conditions I could have and wants to do an upper endoscopy, take duodenal biopsies, and do a colonoscopy to get a look and a baseline. I'm scheduled for June 12th and have been told to NOT change my diet until after that procedure.

Honestly this is something of a relief as I feel like I have some times to mentally adjust to a big change and permission (indeed, an order!) from a medical professional to spend 30 days saying goodbye to my favorite glutenous foods. A gluten farewell tour, if you will. So I've been eating normally (i.e., not going carb crazy), but very intentionally savoring every bite of the perfect bagel I ate in NYC, my very favorite pizza for dinner last Friday, and the best grilled cheese in Dallas while my mom was here to shop. This is also why James surprised me with the reservation to our favorite Italian restaurant and that small plate of Cacio e Pepe was everything I needed it to be.

I was going to wait to write about this until after the June 12th procedures so I could be certain, but the truth is the blood work is pretty conclusive and my brain is busy processing this now and writing has always helped with that. If my biopsy comes back with a different result after June 12, then I'll process that through writing too. After I got the panel results back I asked my doctor how likely it was I did not have celiac (i.e., can I spend this time researching the disease and mentally preparing myself?), and he said there was almost no chance I do not have it and if research brings me more comfort than anxiety then I should feel free to start.

So I think we all know I IMMEDIATELY dove into research (which I would have done anyway, but I was curious how my doctor would handicap my chances of a "nevermind! continue eating all the gluten forever!" end result). And it has brought me some comfort. It has also answered MANY MANY things that have been problematic and/or mysterious about my body for the last 20+ years.

Like my chronic yeast infections and the painful allergic reaction that developed in response to them, my frequently shitty immune system, my lifelong GI issues, my surprise gallstones, my headaches, my frequent mouth sores that constantly appear even though I barely eat any sugar or candy anymore, my skin rashes, my frequently low levels of vitamins in my blood work, and more. It's so much that I alternate between relief at the idea of future improvement and fury that I never had this simple blood test before. I have seen so many doctors for so many years. Relief and fury, indeed.

I am comforted by the close friends I have who have been living a gluten-free life with Celiac Disease for years. I know it can be done and I know there have never been more gluten-free options than there are now. But I'm also in mourning. I know it will be fine, but I also love Cheez-Its and bread and pizza and pasta and cookies and CHEEZ-ITS and I will miss them.

It made me feel better when, during our dinner date at Nonna on Saturday night, I mentioned to James that I was a little sad to be eating my last plate of classic Cacio e Pepe. "Oh I'd be devastated," James immediately replied, holding my hand and giving it a squeeze. "I'm being positive for you, but all the best things have gluten. I would be so sad." And I felt seen. This man who seems to be able to adjust his diet at will- to cut out foods he thinks make him feel bad, to add in foods he doesn't like because they make him healthier, to stop drinking alcohol for a decade at a time because he wanted to see how it would feel- this man who cut out all candy and desserts when he decided to get back into competitive swimming as an adult, who stopped eating most gluten a year ago when he decided it made him feel better. THIS MAN would be emotional, devastated, depressed... I really did feel better.

So that's where I'm at. I'm truly largely just relieved and excited about how much better I think I'm going to feel in the future. I'm energized by the challenge- I love change, and I love all the reading and thought and work that goes into one. I'm aware of how small a change like this is in perspective to the health issues of so many others. But I'm also sad? There are alternatives to all my favorite things (well, maybe not cheez-its), but those alternatives are just that- alternatives. Stand-ins. By definition, not the original. Everywhere I go I look at the menu or the conference room food service station and assess the gluten-free options. Sometimes they aren't great.

James is all in on support. He does nearly all the cooking will adjust our menus accordingly. The kids are on gluten watch and constantly telling me when they come across it in the wild (constantly, this is constant). I'm reading and learning and mentally adjusting every meal I see to what it will need to be in the future. I'm bracing myself to have to answer "yes" when the server asks if there are any allergies or sensitivities they need to be aware of, and having to potentially turn down well-intentioned food or treats made or served to me (this is more horrifying than almost anything else). I worry a little about all our future travels and the additional awareness and research that will need to go into all of it and the fact that I will not be able to dive face-first into the fluffy pita plate like I did when we finally got to eat after landing in Egypt.

But! I am largely relieved and optimistic. I'm currently on a plane flying home from a trip to DC (my take on the airport's gluten-free options was they were few and unimpressive) and would love to know any stories, resources, recipe blogs or books, and/or anything else that might be helpful. I've got 21 days until my biopsy and I would like to have read the entirety of the trustworthy part of the internet and feel more prepared by then!

[hand waving hello emoji]

It was 101 degrees today with 110% humidity and school is about to be out, so I guess summer is here.

This makes me very crabby, but James made me a surprise reservation at our favorite Italian restaurant in Dallas last night and I wore this beautiful new Rag & Bone vest I bought at the underground Marshall's for $69 (price tag still on it for $425) and turns out, if you don't put a shirt under them, vests can be date-night-classy-sexy and I had no idea.

Also, I cut many inches off of my hair and I think I love it? The kids and James are unsure, but it feels sharp and sassy and I like that for me. Especially in summer when I hate almost everything else.

In summer I enjoy having big kids who don't need camps and who make their own meals and sleep in and let me get ready for work in serene calm with only my cup of tea and a snuggly cat. That is nice. I also enjoy having friends over to swim or sit by the pool and drink a frozen margarita. I also enjoy the lack of school events and deadlines and times I have to say to one of my children "oh, and what is your plan to prepare for that?" I enjoy the summer program at the firm where dozens of bright eyed and bushy tailed law students descend upon the firm for fancy events and free lunches and a little bit of work I don't have to bill my clients for.

But I hate everything else. Which I guess is really just the heat. I hate it. I hate it so, so much. I am already mad about it and it's just getting started. Why do I live here? I wonder this constantly from May to October. I will leave as soon as Cora graduates high school.

Anyway, that little rant was brought to you by how soaking wet and sweaty I was from sitting in my backyard, in the shade, under a fan to watch Cora and a gaggle of her friends swim for an hour. I had to change out of the clothes I had just put on before I sat down. The worst. But I'm inside now, post-2nd-shower-of-the-day and taking a few moments to blog, so things are looking up. Let's get to the good stuff, which is basically everything except the weather (and federal government. and state, if you live here, ANYWAY.).

A couple of weeks ago I took some clients on a retreat with a few of my fellow female partners to Lake Austin Spa & Resort and it was LOVELY.

Before I left I cut my hair (as mentioned above), which freaked me out a little at the time, and bought this amazingly soft denim maxi skirt that will be my new favorite travel item. (I put this outfit together all by myself and was so proud.)

The resort area is so beautiful, the weather was perfect, I had a fabulous facial, we rode on a boat along Lake Austin before dinner, ate great food, and drank too much wine.

I never, ever drink too much at firm events. I usually don't even drink at firm events at all. But give me some badass women in a small group and a fire pit with chairs and blankets along a lake and apparently I will drink all the wine ever. But I had no regrets. At least not until my alarm went off for the 8 am Cardio HIIT class I signed up for that was immediately followed by a 9 am Bootcamp class. My balance was crap for the HIIT and the jumps made me want to die, but I felt pretty good by the bootcamp!

We played Mahjong on the second night and I still loved it. I also still lost every game. But it was a wonderful two days! As always when I'm away, Claire kept me up on all her most important news.

When I got back on Sunday afternoon I went straight to Cora's final White Rock Games field day event. Her team raced their way to multiple gold medals and it was so fun. She's a fast little runner and I can't wait until she can start doing track with her school in 7th grade.

After a hot and sweaty afternoon, I treated myself to a full reorganizing of Cora's room and closet. Her stacks of books were growing out of control, so we bought her a little bookcase (the giant one we had built into the gameroom wall across from her room being "too far away") and she is so happy.

Ta da! It made me happy too. And my meticulous girl who is also somehow a hoarder and bookworm who is always reading five at a time may even keep it clean for a few days.

Landon spent the whole weekend completing his lifeguard training. He is now certified to blow this whistle any time he wants. And can also rescue adults and children, perform first aid, and give CPR. He is already working shifts at our local YMCA on the weekends between swim practices and I'm proud of him for jumping into the world of employment with very little nudging from me. My first job was also being a lifeguard at the YMCA between morning and afternoon summer swim practices in the summer. But hopefully he'll wear a lot more sunscreen than I did...

My mom came for a quick visit on Thursday. She was going to be in town for 22 hours and this is how she packed. In some ways we are very similar, but in other ways we are VERY different. [I'm now typing this from my hotel room in DC where I will be for 3 days and I only have my little carry-on suitcase and a purse.]

We had the BEST time doing some bargain shopping at the clearance Dillards, TJ Maxx, and Marshall's. I got a couple of really cute things for summer (like that vest!) and a dress to wear for our family pictures in Mexico- huzzah! I also put together this outfit all by myself to wear out shopping and immediately sent it to Bonnie and Ayron to let them know I'm blossoming under their tutelage.

Landon took his second of four AP tests while my mom was here and I snagged a quick picture of him when he got home from school. He is so big! And Gigi is so tiny!

That weekend was Mother's Day and it was lovely. I hung out with some friends, worked out (I've worked out EVERY DAY in April and May so far!), read, worked a little, lazed a lot... we went out for brunch on Sunday after Landon's swim practice and it was fun and delicious.

The kids all bought or made me cards and picked out thoughtful presents.

It's just a special sweet day. Man do I love being their mom. And it just gets better. Harder in some ways, but so fun and dynamic and gratifying in so many others. It's also just physically easier and that is nice.

When I got back from the client trip to Austin on Sunday afternoon we all went out to Gloria's for a patio dinner. Claire had been studying so hard all weekend for some tests she had coming up (she currently has all A's and is just KILLING IT in school and we are so so proud of her; it's been a journey), Landon had been at training all day for 3 days, and Cora had just finished her races, and we all met at the restaurant coming from different directions and it just made happy down to my toes. I used to worry that the wonderful family time we enjoyed when the kids were little would come to an end as they got bigger. But when we all converged on the patio that night, in perfect weather, with queso and guac and the best bean dip in all the land, a we laughed and talked and laughed and caught up, I was reminded that the big kid years are pretty great too.

I spent much of the next week in NYC and DC and now I'm in DC again, but I snapped this picture out my car window when I was driving down my street on my way home from work one day last week. A rainbow, right over my street and our home.

Even in 101 degrees, life is pretty good.

Hello!

Hi again!

I so enjoyed our last check-in. Your comments were just a shot of connection each time one popped up and they always made me smile or think or both.

It's Sunday morning. Milo is snuggled in my lap like the perfect little snuggle bunny he is, all three kids are still in bed (well, four, since Cora has a friend over), and James is making his breakfast before heading out to a swim meet with Landon later. Claire and I spent yesterday morning going to Marshall's and a consignment store to find her a dress for a birthday brunch yesterday afternoon. She babysat last night and today she is going to clean out her closet. Cora has a new bookcase she and James put together yesterday because I was tired of her stacks of books covering the floor, so she's going to organize that today which will 100% require my oversight and direction after she flounders for a while obsessively making one tiny part of the shelf perfect. I will do my treadmill walk in a little bit, then a video weights workout, then a shower where I have to wash my hair and then brunch with two girlfriends at 1. A brunch where we will laugh and chat and share about being professional women in this crazy world but where I will not drink the grapefruit juice mimosa I'm going to want because I have to come home and work for a few hours.

(Pic from a wine tasting/girl dinner I enjoyed with three friends a couple Fridays ago. The hostess, a badass CIO, printed out the wine tasting notes to read aloud at the table and let me tell you, finding friends as Type A as you is like finding soulmates. The number of amazing, smart, powerful, busy, ambitious, deep, real women I have met in Dallas has become one of the greatest things about our move here.)

As I mentioned at the last check-in we celebrated Easter a week early when we went to Houston for my dad's 69th birthday.

For the last several years we've celebrated Easter with my parents and they've done an egg hunt for the kids, so for us, Easter is whenever we're at Papa & Gigi's house. So we brought along the Easter baskets and a carrot cake and celebrated my dad and Spring and being together.

We spent Saturday out on the boat on Lake Conroe with my brother and his family. The cousins are so great together and the kids splashed and tubed even though the water was freezing. Saturday afternoon was the egg hunt, big family dinner, and more cousin time.

As usual, Landon was the last one trying to find his eggs. And his basket. Also as traditional, he abandoned all hope at multiple points in the search.

We headed back after breakfast on Sunday so Cora could make her soccer game (which they won!) and I could feel like my life was together before another week started.

Actual Easter weekend was great because the kids had Friday and Monday off school and we didn't have any plans, so we got to be lazy and productive in equal measure. Claire and I went to the mall so she could buy her favorite shorts on sale at Aerie and I could find a dress for our upcoming trip to Mexico. Because yes! We are going to Mexico with my WHOLE family: 8 adults, 8 kids, at the very end of May. We are so excited and I know it's going to be a blast, especially for the kids. All-inclusive resort + swim-up suite rooms + beach + cousins? Can't wait!

To thank our parents for this amazing gift and adventure, my siblings and I booked a photographer through the resort to do family beach pictures our second night there. I'm still searching for the right dress. I'm also trying to get my self in order so I feel confident on the beach. It's not going great, but I am doing some sort of physical activity and that feels good.

I've been trying to get a new swimsuit, trying my usual Amazon and Target sources, and just bleh. I like none of it. My chest (36DD) doesn't fit properly into the suits that fit me everywhere else and the one cute one-piece I found had cut outs that precisely framed my scars from my hysterectomy and gall bladder surgery and while I don't mind my scars, I don't need them highlighted while all my non-scarred skin is covered.

While at the mall last Saturday I wandered into Everything But Water with Claire- the fancy swimsuit store I admire from afar but have never entered. I had returned the beautiful but expensive purse James got me for my birthday and decided this would be my present if I found one I loved. And I did! I found two! And two cover ups! Oops?

The sales lady was so kind. I told her what I was looking for: a swimsuit that felt comfortable and secure, that I could wear around my children and parents without feeling weird, that was still a little sexy, that felt unique/expensive and involved bright colors, and that made ME feel good. I wished her luck with the last one.

She pulled many and Claire sat very patiently while I trid them all on. I discovered that when you buy swimsuits from higher end brands than I'd tried before they make "D" and "D+" size tops that actually fit the big boobed but not otherwise large framed person. The fit was just night and day different. I'm actually so excited to wear them both in Mexico and all summer. Happy Birthay to me! And thank you to James for spending enough of our money on me that this purchase still felt like a bargain.

Back to Easter weekend. We were going to brunch on Sunday but Landon had swim practice so we made brunch at home when he got back and it was delicious and fun.

We tried to go bowling at two different places, but despite what the internet promised, both were closed for the holiday. So we accidentally all went shopping together instead, which was greeted with various degrees of enthusiasm. Everyone got new shoes at DSW, spent some time in Old Navy and the Bloomingdales outlet, and then we got dinner at Gloria's. It was actually a really nice day and I'm glad Cora is no longer wearing athletic shoes with holes forming at her toes.

I need to wrap this up so I can workout before brunch. I got IPL laser treatments on my chest, shoulders, and upper back on Friday, so I can't do my outdoor weighted vest walks until my skin recovers a bit. When trying on swimsuits and summer dresses I realized that I've done such a good job of lasering and caring for my face that my chest, shoulders, neck, and back were basically an entirely different color and texture. So I'm catching them up. Also 2 of my 3 skin cancers have actually been on my chest/neck and not my face because those are the areas I sometimes forgot to do sunscreen (or forget to reapply) and have had more burns. I'm glad I did it, but oy that skin looks bad right now. The last IPL I did on my face had almost no peeling or brown spots because I don't have any sun damage on my face anymore, but the areas I just did? SO MUCH of the brown spots that will flake off in a few days. Will be interesting to see what I wear to brunch. And work. Hmm.

Anyway, in about 10 days it will look great!

I'm closing out with some of the new outfits I've worn from Ayron's last styling session. One of my favorite things about the ensembles she pulls together is thinking about how I got each piece and remembering their journey to my closet and reflecting on how glad I am they're there. Does anyone else do this? I can tell you the lineage of every single thing in my closet, and almost always, the price I paid for it. It is deeply satisfying to me everytime I wear something, like I'm getting the use out of it I hoped to when I purchaesd it- that it knows it's fulfilling its potential. Now that I've typed it out that sounds pretty weird... (Also, I love the casual outfits Ayron makes me as much as the work ones! I struggle in that area.)

Shorts: Loft sale two years ago (~$20)
Tank: Loft, same sale ($6)
Kimono: gift from my sister in law in 2022 that was handmade by a Brazilian friend of hers
Earrings: gift from my sister for my birthday many years ago
Shoes: Cole Haan from Dirty Dillards with my mom on our last trip when she told me you can't have enough shoes (you can)
Purse: Tory Burch bought with Nordstrom points when we lived in Fort Worth

Blazer: Veronica Beard from The Real Real online consignment site ($100)
Silk sleeveless blouse: Vince, bought on sale during our NYC trip Thanksgiving 2023 ($40)
Jeans: L'AGENCE, from their spring sale last year ($100); L'AGENCE and Frame are by far my favorite jeans and once you know your size, their end of season sales are pretty great
Necklace: The Limited in like 2010 ($15? I remember having to get it off a manequin)
Earrings: Express in 2007 (I was living in Chicago and pregnant with Landon when I bought them) ($10)
Shoes: Loft sale last month ($25)

Tee: Johnny Was last year (love their mesh tees, I have two and they're so fun) ($75; I remember that agonizing over this purchase in the Johnny Was dressing room at the mall)
Shorts: Loft sale last spring ($20; I have them in white and black too, the rare item I bought in multiples but they fit like a dream and are so classy but casual)
Shoes: flats from Target a couple years ago/wedges from a boutique in Savannah when James and I went for my coworker's wedding last year
Necklace: Nordstrom Rack for our family pictures in 2018 ($10)

Skirt: JCrew as part of new suit when I was interviewing for law firm jobs in late 2021
Blazer: same JCrew trip (there were NO suits for sale for women in the world of Covid 2021, I bought 3 from JCrew online in different colors and counted my blessings they existed)
Blouse: Ann Taylor many many years ago (like 2010?)
Vest: Loft end of the year sale this past December ($15)
Necklace: Chanel from The Real Real, gift from James for Christmas 2023
Earrings: from my godmother when I graduated high school to match the preal necklace she gave me when I turned 18
Shoes: Sarah Flint last year (loooove the kitten heels they make)

Blazer: same JCrew trip as above
Skirt: Vince, when Bonnie hosted an event there in 2023 and gave me 25% off; was still expensive (like $200?) but Bonnie and Ayron style it so many ways for every season
Top: Ann Taylor Sale 2022 (always a sucker for a yellow/white/grey print)
Necklace: Loft a couple years ago
Earrings: my Mom bought them for me from Marshall's for my 6th grade dance
Shoes: Sarah Flint 2022, the only pair I ever paid full price for, I wear them at least once a week

Blazer: same as above
Skirt: Loft sale a couple years ago ($9 - their patterned skirts are always incredible deals at the end of each season
Top: Ann Taylor Sale recently ($30)
Necklace: Loft Sale pre-Covid
Earrings: Chanel (from The Real Real) for our anniversary last year!
Shoes: Ann Taylor Sale recently ($30 - the shoes are their best buys on sale)

Egypt Day 9: New(er) Cairo

That's right, we're going back to Egypt! We left off on the day we saw the great pyramids live and in person and they were absolutely everything I hoped they'd be. I read some travel blog posts before we left and a lot of them were pretty down on Egypt, finding it dirty or unimpressive in person. Everyone gets to have their own opinions of their travels, but I can say conclusively that we absolutely loved it and have hyped it up so much that my parents are now going next year. So I'm glad I stopped reading the blogs and just dove into the experience with optimism and the knowledge that the five of us always have fun together, even if plans don't work out like we hoped (like when Cora and my flight got canceled to Aswan on Day 2 and we rolled with it and had great days anyway).

So, Day 9! This was our last day in Cairo and our final day of "learning things" on this trip.

It began with a leisurely breakfast (pretty sure this meant it was after 6 am, but probably still before 7?) at our hotel breakfast buffet, which is one of the best I’ve ever seen. We stayed at the Hotel Conrad in Cairo and it was absolutely fantastic. Great rooms, great facilities, GREAT food with a giant buffet breakfast and multiple on site restaurants for dinner (we loved adventuring each day but also loved the option to just stay at the hotel by the time dinner rolled around), and great service.

We met our guide and driver in our lobby and drove off to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities! It hadn't opened yet, but there was already a LONG line to get in. Built in 1897 by an Italian architect (the kids noted it looked like the museums we saw in Italy), the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is home to over 100,000 Egyptian artifacts over two floors, including the very famous Tutankhamun exhibit.

Even though King Tut was actually a pretty inconsequential pharaoh who died young, I feel like every school child knows his name and it was AMAZING to see his headdress, 450 lb solid gold coffin, incredible jewelry and accessories, and more in person. You aren’t allowed to take pictures so you just have to soak it in, which I loved, though does seem funny when going back through pictures and realizing one of the coolest things we saw isn't in the folder. It was every bit as ornate and gold-crusted as I imagined it would be. We are so lucky his tomb was found undisturbed in the Valley of the Kings- seeing its contents gives such a jaw-dropping view into what they all must have been like.

What was most interesting to us about the museum was how underwhelming it was? The King Tut room was amazing and the museum is crammed with treasures (also people; the most crowded experience of everything we’ve done in Egypt besides maybe Valley of the Kings), but even the King Tut room itself is very small, dark, and dusty. The rest of the museum is pretty spread out, but it's like walking around in a forgotten old attic.

Things are dusty, unlabeled, and piled together in hallways and on top of random pieces of furniture. There’s little lighting or no fanfare. James loved the treasure-hunting nature of it all, but I’m glad many of the items are being moved to the new GEM we saw on our first day. These precious treasures deserve context and lighting and space! Or maybe I just love an informational plaque? But still, our 2 hours there flew by.

Next up was Coptic Cairo! As our guide explained, the Coptic Orthodox (Christian) Church was established by the apostle Mark in Egypt in the 1st Century.

The Hanging Church, built in the 3rd Century, is particularly famous and believed to be where the Holy Family took refuge during their flight into Egypt.

It was fascinating to:
(1) not be at all impressed by dates that would have blown our minds prior to the trip (42 AD! Before the Roman Colosseum! But thousands of years after my pyramids so meh?); and
(2) to see the combination of ancient Egyptian and Islamic influences in the architecture and decor of the ancient Christian church.

We ate lunch at a local restaurant.

We really enjoyed the food in Egypt! Lots of yummy rice, grilled meats or falafel (I was OBSESSED with the falafel; I never liked it much because I don't like chickpeas, but in Egypt they make it with fava beans and it is SO much better and fluffier), grilled veggies, pita, and lots of dips. Oh and always a bowl of chicken soup. It was great and we always felt very satisfied but never heavy.

After lunch we stopped at the Citadel of Salah El Din (built in the 12th century, which is like SO recent) and the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (built in 1830, which might as well be yesterday).

It was our first time in a mosque and we found it incredibly beautiful.

You need to remove your shoes or cover your feet to enter and there are shoe covers provided. Covers that James and Landon's toes broke through a few minutes in due to the big athletic shoes on their giant size 13 feet, so they heel-walked back to the doorway.

All the places were visited were beautiful and rich in history and I’m glad we got to see this more “modern” side of Cairo. Also, you can see the pyramids from the top of the Citadel, which is such a trip.

Will never get over seeing those guys pop up in my view/camera lens.

The mix of old, new, sacred, and crowded was one of my favorite things about the city. We really, really enjoyed our time there.

Finally, we went to the Grand Bazaar of Khan El Khalili, one of the oldest markets in the world.

It is a maze of shops, scents, and merchandise. I’m SO glad we had our guide because I’m not sure we would have ever found our way out by the end.

Claire got a little lantern for her bedroom at the store in the above picture and it's beautiful. Our guide had a code with us - if we were interested in buying something and got the price from a merchant, if it was a bad price or product he'd say, "it's up to you." If it was a good price and something unique or well made he'd say "sure, yes, I like it." The lantern is the only thing we bought, but it was fun to look!

One other note on everywhere we went in Egypt- there were often loose dogs and cats running around, but we found them all to be pretty healthy and well-fed. Our guide told us cats are indoor "family pets" and dogs are "for outside." The cats did seem to be particularly well cared for, but even the "outside" dogs seemed to have food and water and care. Many had number tags which meant they were fixed and had their vaccinations. All were friendly and seemed to dodge the crazy traffic with ease and were generally received in good humor from the drivers and pedestrians alike.

At some of the temples we had to say things like "you have to listen to the guide for 5 more minutes and then you can go pet all the cats" or "you can pet one dog but then you need to come listen." It was an interesting negotiating point.

Once back at the hotel after our adventures in the non-ancient part of Egypt, the girls chilled outside, I sat on our balcony to read, and Landon and James went to work out. This fit all of our presonalities really. I snapped a picture of Landon swimming from our room.That's the Nile river you can see on the right.

James and I ate dinner at our favorite Egyptian restaurant on-site while the kids ate at the American restaurant one floor down (also on-site), as had become our tradition. I still miss the little bowl of veggies and olives and chewy cheese they brought when you first sat down and I will craze grilled haloumi cheese every day forever (I actually just had some at a Dallas mediterranean restuarant the other day and it was so good).

We went to bed early because the next morning we had to be up at 3 am to fly to the beach at Sharm el Sheikh where we would have absolutely nothing to do for our last 3 days!

Thanks for coming along with me!