"Home, James."

How lovely to have an airline system to deliver you almost directly into the arms of your family from all the way across the world! Not that I have anything to compare it with- such as months of steamer travel, or cramped quarters on the yacht Coronet- but still, I am grateful.

We got home on the 4th of July, spent a week at Fairwood at the Family Convention (which is a lovely way to transition between cultures), and then traveled down to Georgia, taking Andrea, Melissa, and Kimberly with us. Thankfully we had two vehicles because with extra people (and minus Rachel) we had an even dozen. The boys were banished to the car for the entire two days, and the girls spent the majority of their travel time sleeping.

The past week has been very interesting- a mixture of homecoming, socializing, shopping, getting over jet-lag, a yard-sale in our front yard, a contiually messy house, and the wonderful relaxed feeling of a semi vacation!

One afternoon we watched the Incredibles only to be interrupted by a thunderstorm. At the first crack of thunder we evacuated the living room in two seconds flat- in favor of a grandstand view from the front porch. Pretty quickly it was irresistable- "OOh look at that puddle! Wouldn't that be great to jump in?!" Forgetting the fact that half of us are in our mid-twenties and completly mature adults, we were all out in the front lawn completely soaked and completely happy. We ran around shrieking, splashed each other in the puddle, and collected good Georgia mud on our persons by sliding in a specially wet and slidy-looking spot on the lawn. Melissa wins the most impressive sliding technique award as well as the prize for the ugliest grass burns on her knees.

After that we all showered and got into warm dry clothes and finished our movies. Isn't the cozy feeling of warmth after a complete soaking one of the most delicious in the world?

Going from the brown and white color scheme of Jerusalem to the jungle-like green of Georgia is an incredible contrast. I don't get tired of looking at trees or seeing the rain come down... and imagining the time when Jerusalem will be as verdant.

Okay, the library loudspeaker informs me that the computer will automatically shut down in ten minutes. Better get off.