First, as you all know we had the honor of hosting cousin Ari for a week. What a week it was!! Shloimie and I picked him up with his Savta Pittsburgh from the Bet Shemesh train station. they came back to our house for some lunch then Savta went back to her Mother. By the way, i forgot to mention that when we first saw Ari he gave me the BIGGEST hug- it was so great to see him. he grew so much. He is almost as tall as me! and he looks so mature in his new glasses, and boy can he do such cool tricks with those glasses!!
So, we waited anxiously for Yosef to get home from school. I watched for Yosef down the block and when i saw him coming, Ari stood behind the front door to scare him as he walked in. it was so nice seeing Yosef's face when Ari jumped out from behind the door! It was as if they've never been separated! Shira and Ariella were just as happy to see him come in, i don't know if it was him that they were happy to see or if it was the Entenmann's donuts that he brought!!
That was on Tuesday. ..On Wed, Ari and I went food shopping together. I showed him around the store.I bought him some tic tacs and he liked to see the Fruity Pebbles written inn Hebrew.
By the time we got home, Ariella and Yehuda were getting home so he was busy with them for the rest of the day.
Thurs. i had some things to do around the house so Ari hung out and did some reading/hw. Then Shloimie and I took him to the candy store in town. He saw a sour spray candy that he said his Mother would NEVER let him have that. so I, being the good aunt that I am, said "Great, let's buy it!!!" so we did and i think he enjoyed it.
Friday, Ari went to school with Yosef. I packed him lunch, drink and snack like Yosef and he went off to learn. He said it was fun. He liked the fact that Yosef gets "so much recess." He liked it so much that he decided to go back again with him on Sunday, which was a short day bec. it was Lag Ba'omer. We had a fun time here for LAg Baomer. everyone was making Medurot (bonfires) all over the neighborhood. Motzei Shabbos we all went out to light the one that Yosef and his friends' have been working so hard on. We brought hot dogs, marshmellows... We all had a fun but but boy did we smell like fire when it was over!
Also, on Friday when the boys came home from school, Ali and Rechi came over to visit. They wanted to see Ari. We decided to go on a little tiyul with them to Beit Guvrin. They had fun going thru all the caves. Even Ali and Rechi did it. then they left after a little while bec. they needed to get back for shabbat.
Monday, we gave Yosef the day off so he can spend it with Ari doing something fun.
Shloimie got an email that morning that moshe feiglin was going up to the Har Habayit in the afternoon so Shloimie took the boys to the Mikva in the morning then we took them and Yehuda into Yerushalayim. I took Yehuda to the kotel and they did their thing with Moshe.One of Yehuda's friend's from Gan was having surgery that day bec. they found a brain tumor. B"H she is totally fine now but it was very scary so when Yehuda and i went to the kotel, we said some Tehillim for her. He said Tehillim every day for her in Gan so he knew the whole perek by heart. I hope his davening helped her get better!
After the Kotel, Ari only wanted to go bowling but i explained to him that he can do that in America, he didn't come to israel to go bowling! It was Shloimie who recommended it originally but then when it was a choice of Har Habayit or bowling, we opted with bowling, sorry Ari!!
Then we went to Talpiot to a mall there which had the most incredible ice cream. We've haven't tasted ice cream like that since we're here so we all got ice cream then walked around the mall for a while. Yosef and Ari had fun trying on all different kinds/colors of kippot.
tues, Ari was already going back to his Savta. so Shloimie and i drove him back to his Savta Rabba's assisted living in rechovot. the place is GORGEOUS !! they were all sitting down for lunch and Shloimie only wanted to eat there but we decided not to.
On the way there we stopped off at the cemetary for Ari to see Oma and Opa.
It was very hard saying good bye to Ari and his savta. We had such a great time, We hope he comes back to visit us again soon, hopefully with his parents and siblings. and by the way, whoever else wants to visit, please feel free. we have room for everyone.
Thank you to Yael and Naftoli and Ari for sending all the great presents/snacks.. We LOVE it all.
By the way, i asked Ari what the best part of his trip was..... He said "going to the mikvah!!" i guess he really likes swimming.
On to our next visitors-
Mom and Dad arrived here on Wed, morning. The kids (and us) were waiting eagerly for them to arrive. The kids were all in school when they got to our house and then Savta came with me to pick Yehuda up from Gan. He was SO happy to see her.
when the kids all came home, they all got their goodies that Savta and zayde brought. and they were, of course, so happy to see them.
On Thurs. they spent the day in Jerusalem and then on Friday we all packed into our car and headed up north to Kibbutz Lavi for shabbos. We haven't been away for shabbos in so long that i forgot what/how to pack! and I was the queen of packers in NY!!!
Shabbos was so nice in the hotel. Not having to cook or clean off the table was well worth it for me! The food was very good and plenty of it, the kids went to the hotel's playground on shabbos afternoon with Savta and I took the girls swimming after shabbos.
On Shabbos afternoon, the hotel gave a walking tour of the kibbutz. It was so interesting to see how people live so differently on kibbutzim. It reminded me of when we were in Camp Lavi. I kind of feel that we live like that here but in a little more civilized fashion.
Sunday morning we went on a jeep ride for about an hour. Ariella has been BEGGING us to go jeeping for a while so i'm glad we were able to fulfill her wish- FINALLY! Zayde got to sit in front with the driver and the rest of us sat in the back bouncing around. It was really a lot of fun- The breakfast that we had just eaten also enjoyed it but thankfully didn't come up on anyone:)
We were able to see the land that Dad's Father bought many,many years ago. there was (& maybe still is) a discrepancy as to how much land they really own. Nobody was able to figure it out- don't ask me why. but we took pictures of it and Shloimie only wants to build a tzimmer on that land and make lots of money. Too bad there's no running water or electricity there so I don't know how much of an attraction it will be for vacationers!
After the jeep ride the driver dropped us off at the Kibbutz Lavi furniture factory. they made furniture for over 4500 shuls in America, as well as across the world. they make the benches that people sit on in shul. Next time you're in shul check the back of the bench to see if it has a "Lavi" logo. They do beautiful work.
On the way home we stopped off at a place where they show you how bees make their honey and make silkworms. the kids were rather bored and VERY hot and uncomfortable. Dad seemed to have enjoyed it. we ate a small picnic lunch there and Mom and Dad bought us a jar of honey to use for Rosh Hashana-Thanks!
After a nice long weekend, we headed back home and the kids had school on Monday. Mom and Dad went back into Jerusalem and i prepared for shavuos, which was the next day.
Shavuous was very nice. The weather was beautiful. Dad and Shloimie stayed up all night learning in one of the local shuls nearby. Dad was impressed with the Rav, Rabbi Danny Myers, who i happened to go to camp Raleigh with, So i find that funny.
Anyway, when Yom Tov was ending for us, Mom and Dad were preparing for their 2nd day, so we have on video us making havdala and Dad making kiddush.
I guess that's a first in our family. Shloimie and i went out a little after out chag was over and when we came home, the Fass's were here visiting mom and dad. They live in Bet Shemesh now and since yom tov was over for them, they came over to visit.
Isru chag for us (2nd day for them) Yosef went to school for half a day and the other kids were around. We joined Mom and Dad while they ate their lunch. While they were in shul in the morning i did more food shopping for shabbos. we were having Ali, Rechi, Sara Epstein, and chaim Heinemann. So i spent the rest of the afternoon cooking for shabbos,
Dad went to see Yosef learning in Yeshiva
Shabbos was really nice. We were a packed house and B"H we had room for everyone. Chaim slept by his friend who's a neighbor of ours but everyone else slept here and it was so nice getting together with them. We felt bad that ali and rechi have never been to us for a shabbos yet and we hope they will come back again soon.
After Shul, Ali told me that he likes our bungalow colony very much!
Dad sponsored part of the kiddush on shabbos by our local shul across the street since it was his Father's yahrtzeit that day.
Shabbos afternoon Mom and Dad wanted to take Yehuda to the park across the street but Yehuda insisted on finishing his davening. He took out his little siddur and proceeded to daven for about an hour, going thru all the tefillot that he says in gan everyday. He's already got the "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" down well, like a real israeli. Dad was quite impressed that he would rather daven than go to the park..what a tzadik!
Motzei Shabbos, some of ali and rechi's kids came to visit Mom and dad. Aviva, Ahron, and Chaiki and their spouses came. We sat outside on the mirpeset, since the weather was gorgeous.
Sunday, mom and dad were leaving back to NY so Shloimie and i went out with them for a little brunch, It was the first time that we had some time alone with them. We enjoyed our brunch except the waitress was having a hard time getting us the water that we asked for about 100 times, other than that the food was delicious. We went to Cafe Ne'eman, which is a favorite of ours.
Mom and Dad left to the airport and B"H had a safe flight home. We hope you come again soon. We always look forward to your visits! and zayde's Hop-a -raytas!!
Now, we are back to normal life (whatever that means.) The heat is slowly creeping up on us. Mom and Dad gave us money towards buying a pool for Yehuda's birthday present. Shloimie decided to upgrade and get a bigger pool that we can all use since it will be a HOT, LONG summer.
Leave it to Shoimie to do tons of research as to which pool to buy and we finally got a nice one that we can all go in.
the kids are enjoying it a lot. It's not as big as shimmy and Rachel's but it's a close second. We put it on our front mirpeset and the kids' suddenly have so many new friends!!!
Yesterday, Shloimie put up a tarp across the front of the mirpeset so that no one can see in.This way the girls and I can go in also.-Thanks Shloimie!!
i think i've just about covered it all until now. Forgive me if i bored you or left any pertinent info out. i've been working on this for 3 days already.
Wishing you all a safe summer. Have fun and stay cool!!
Regards from RBS-
Elkie
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