Last Days

Getting down to the wire.  We leave tomorrow starting with a 5:45 am wake up to get to Ben Gurion Airport for our 9:40 am flights.  I am on El Al non stop to NYC, Michelle, Susan and the kids are on Turkish Air through Istanbul.  (Shorter flight for me, better food/plane for them.)

Gabriella and Buddies

Toby and Gabriella have had lots of farewell parties at their school, which has been totally nice.  And not to be too boastful an Abba, but they also got glowing report cards. The teachers told us they loved having Toby and Gabriella as their students. (They even described Toby as 'civilized' which amazed me, because he seems to have become so argumentative and aggressive since being here.  But maybe he saves that behavior for us. Gabriella was just all around great.)  I am so proud of how the kids met the challenge of a difficult learning environment, adjusted, made friends, improved their Hebrew and weren't wimpy Americans. :)  It has been fun to watch the growth.  And it is sad that just when all of us are feeling comfortable, we have to leave.  But I suspected that it would be like this.

With Alejandra, her teacher

Today we took a last touring day to Caesaria National Park (amazing ruins on the coast north of Natanya) with the Roths. We are really going to miss them!  It has been so nice to have been in Israel with them - the best tour guides in the country and wonderful friends!

Soon it is back to reality for all of us.

PS.  Everyone safe and sound in New York as of the evening of 12/29.