On Thursday, our really close friends--the Sachses--who lived here for a year and went back to Baltimore last summer, made Aliyah and came back to us! This was very exciting because their presence increases the number American families in our group of friends by almost 100% and becasue we really missed them! And the alien that Asher drew in pencil on Simon's wall the day before they left is still there.
Anyway, we woke up at the crack of dawn on Thursday to go meet them at the airport. They came with Nefesh B'Nefesh so there was a whole big to-do at the airport and the whole thing is very cool. We got to the airport around 7 and were told that the plane wasn't landing until 8, so we just hung out and ate breakfast and the kids ran around like crazy people. At 8:00 they turned on the huge movie screens and we watched live as the plane landed and then they showed everyone getting off the plane as well. It was so much more moving than I thought it was going to be. People were kissing the ground and all that--kind of cliched, but also really nice. Of course I burst into tears as soon as I caught sight of Lauren getting off the plane! The new olim were then bussed from the plane to the terminal where we were all waiting for them. We went outside to wait and actually got a good spot where we knew they would see us and the sign we had made for them. It was soooooooo great to see them get off that bus! Lauren was holding a sign that she had made for us!! There were more tears and lots of exciting shrieking. We hung out with them for a few minutes and then we really had to leave because I had to go to to work, so we didn't stay for the whole welcome ceremony.
When they finally made it back to Ra'anana, David spent the day driving them around and helping them get settled. By "them" I mean Alan as Lauren spent most of the day asleep in my bed! It was so nice to come home from work to find them all in my house! Simon and Asher have basically been inseparable since they arrived and it's like no time at all has passed. Simon was sad when Asher eventually went home on Thursday night but we promised him he'd see him again on Friday and on Shabbos.
On Friday the kids didn't have camp so we had a somewhat lazy morning and then eventually went to the country club in the afternoon. We brought Asher with us and then Alan and Meirav met us there a little later on. It was about 110 degrees outside so being in the pool was very nice. Eli has decided that he doesn't need his inner tube anymore. He LOVES being in the water without it but sometimes forgets that he doesn't actually know how to swim so it's exhausting following him around and making sure he doesn't drown. The kids were in bed before Shabbos started--such are the benefits of an exhausting afternoon at the pool!
Today, David took the kids to shul and then they came home to get drinks before going to the park. Both kids then decided that it was way too hot to go to the park so we just hung out here until the Sachses came for lunch. Simon and Asher disappeared into Simon's room and we didn't hear from them all afternoon. Lauren and Alan and the girls left around 4 to go to the Moores and came back around 7 to get Asher, who really didn't want to leave and begged to sleepover. Since they don't actually even have beds yet at their house, it seemed unfair to say no so Simon and Asher were SO excited that they could spend even more time together. They were playing so nicely that we didn't want to make them go to bed and they stayed up until after 11...something tells me Simon will be quite late for camp tomorrow.
I suppose I should go to bed since it's after 1am and tomorrow is a workday. Yuck--I still hate not having a real Sunday!! Good night.
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