Pinewood Derby 2008

The 2008 running of the Pinewood Derby was another exciting event at RAF Alconbury this year. Christopher put in a lot of hard work on his race car, how would it fare this year against the competition?

And They're Off

The cars all look pretty close coming out of the gate, but which car will be the fastest to the finish? Christopher's car is the red, white and blue one on the far lane.

The Finish

Christopher watches as the cars cross the finish line, but who's crosses first? Christopher's reaction hints at the outcome.

Christopher Wins!

Christopher won first place in his Den and went on to win first place over all the Alconbury Pack for the second year in a row....way to go Christopher!

The Winners!

Christopher with the other top finishers from his Den.

Christmas 2008

Christopher really wanted Call of Duty 4 and was jumping for joy when he got it. After three hours he had completed all the missions.

Christmas Eve

We get ready to pick out a present to open after church on Christmas Eve.

Christopher Opening a Present

 

What I Did for Thanksgiving

Sheila Christopher and Tom spent Thanksgiving on the Red Sea this year. In Egypt it is easy to forget that Thanksgiving was occurring back in the USA. We had a great week in Egypt/Israel/Jordan and will never forget the great places we saw.

Christopher on a "Snorkeling Pier"

We all snorkeled together on 4 of the 7 days we were at our resort. The water was incredibly clear and there were many varieties of fish to observe.

Chris and Mom

Chris and Mom pose together next to one of our pools. The weather was excellent the whole time we were in the Red Sea area and the scenery was very beautiful.

SCUBA Kid

Christopher tried a free SCUBA lesson in the pool one afternoon. He liked it and wanted to pursue qualification but we didn't have the time required to complete it. Maybe next time.

Beach Games

We are not sure what this game is called but we tried it anyway and enjoyed it. Our hotel is pictured in the background.

Rock Skipping Lesson

The Red Sea and more specifically, the Gulf of Aqaba provided an excellent venue for practicing rock-skipping. The evening this was taken the Gulf was particularly smooth and we got many a good skip from the rocks we flung. Pictured in the background is Saudi Arabia, only 7 miles across at this location.

Camel Ride on the Beach

This local Bedouin leases his camel out for rides along the shores of the Red Sea. Christopher is just finishing up his ride as this shot was taken.

Dead Sea Resort Area

This was taken along the Dead Sea in an Israeli resort area. People come from miles around to bath in the "healing waters" of the Dead Sea to cure all manner of ailments.

Christopher with "Proof of Elevation"

Christopher poses with our GPS that shows us on the south side of the Dead Sea (see the map on the unit) and our altitide which is shown as -1247 Feet below sea level. This was taken on our bus as we proceeded north through the Negev Desert of Israel on our way towards Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, Israel

This picture taken overlooking Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa Mosque (black dome) as well as the "Dome of the Rock" (gold dome) show just how hilly the terrain is. We took a long day trip from Egypt, by Masada and the Dead Sea to Jerusalem and back again. It was a memorable trip that we all enjoyed.

The Wailing Wall

Sheila and Christopher pose in front the famous "Western" or "Wailing" wall, outside the temple of Solomon that was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD in the first Jewish-Roman War.

Mortuary for Jesus

Sheila and Christopher pose in front of the slab where Jesus was prepared for burial following his crucifixion.

Tom Outside Old Jerusalem

Tom reflects on the day of sightseeing in the wonderful city of Jerusalem.

Day Trip to Petra

We took a long day trip from our resort in Egypt across the Red Sea to Jordan and visited the ancient city of Petra.

The Petra Crown Jewel

The beautiful facade at the bottom of a narrow canyon. This structure was carved into soft sandstone and known as the treasury. It was used as rifle target practice by Bedouins since the time of gunpowder. Many of the carvings vividly bare the scars of this activity.

End of the Valley at Petra

Christopher and I climbed to this fine view over the bottom of the valley of Petra. Behind him are a multitude of ruins from before the time of Christ.

Horse Ride Out of Petra

Horse rides were included in our tour price so we took advantage. It was a steep up hill climb but the horses seemed to know there would be a end to the agony of carrying us up the hill. As the picture shows, it was a beautiful day in Jordan.

Horse Ride Complete

Christopher completes his horseride out of the canyon that leads to Petra. He refused to gallop, so his minder lead him at a slow pace.