February 27th

All week I have been collecting sentences and thoughts to share with you this week, sure that I would have time before Shabbos to write them down.  And here I am, 12:45 am, about to go upstairs because the food is finally put away, the soup is up and I realize that the chances of my having time to write tomorrow afternoon are comically slim.   So I thought maybe best to jot down some highlights and then maybe expand on them later but at least have something:

Storm from last week:  It was great fun.  We did lose power a bit on Friday night and I feared for my mushroom barley soup in the crockpot with a beautiful #6 (that's how they classify meat cuts here -- by number!  There are several kind seasoned immigrants who have compiled a list of the numbers and what they mean in American...) but by morning it was back on.  Our Shabbat guests came on Thursday afternoon, they had a spirited snowball fight on Friday afternoon and the kids built snowmen.  Two days off school and very reluctant return on Sunday morning.

Our front walkway on Friday morning 

Shoshana took this one on Sunday morning.  Can you believe they still had to go to school!?  Just because the roads were clear.  Apparently kids were throwing snow into the street hoping to render them too unsafe to drive on... No such luck.  I will find and post the snowman pictures too, they're pretty cute.  

Sunday on Wednesday:  Twenty of the students in the Yeshiva where Judah teaches are on a trip to Poland run by the March of the Living people but as a result, the remaining students have day trips and Judah was granted Tuesday and Wednesday off.  Wednesday we kept the kids out of school and took a family trip to a hill near Beit Shemesh known for its beautiful wildflower bloom, and this is the season.  After that we went to a local mall that has a sushi place and the kids got pizza, sushi and ice cream.  Otherwise we hardly ever get days to do anything as a family because Sunday is a regular day and Fridays, when Judah is off work, are short days and generally consumed by Shabbos prep.

Hillel among the lupines.  I actually have loads of great pictures but this is the only one I emailed myself so far so I will have to post the others another time.  

Next year plans:  Aharon Akiva received his acceptances this week from the two schools he had applied to, so that was a happy relief.   He will go to Horev in Jerusalem next year, and needs to be at his bus stop at 6:30 am...

This week we have four Midreshet Moriah students staying with us for Shabbos and then the Rozens are joining us at Shimona's house along with one other family for Purim Seudah.  That is going to be lots of fun and we are looking forward!

OK, stopping now.  Shabbat Shalom :)