The boys come home!

The boys made it back from Israel bearing gifts!

Empty 

 because you can't bring liquid on the plane, right?  

But an Israeli Fanta bottle is pretty cool!

There was jewelry for each of the girls and Jill too.

Al had a necklace for me too and also a Christmas ornament, because we get 1 each year!   And how neat to have one from Bethlehem, right?

***

Sunday was Adam's birthday, so after church, we celebrated!

Birthday pie for the birthday boy!

Just what he wanted!

Jet lag was setting in.  Adam went on to bed very early, but Al didn't want to do that.  He thought he'd get over jet lag faster by trying to adjust to the schedule.

Jill tried to wake him up with some music.

We finally shook him and got him involved in an Uno game.

Then we played table football.  You make a "football" by folding paper into a triangle.  You flick it across the table to the other side.  The goal is to have it stop with it partially off the table.  Score like regular football if it does!

If you make a point, you try to make a field goal!

If it stops on the table, or goes off the table, it is the other players turn.

Jill was clearly the winner -

SHOWOFF!

 Pictures with the grandchildren the night before we had to leave as we would be getting up at 4AM to make the 12 hour trip home!  What a marvelous time we had.  Or as my mother would have said, "It was tremendous!"

While they were gone...

While the guys were in Israel...

we also had fun!

We went shopping,

 

We packed shoeboxes for Samaritan's Purse.






 Their church is a collection site and with other churches, they packed and loaded about 9,000 boxes onto trucks!

 we made a trip to the library,

Hannah and I had our hair done, 

I had never had this done professionally before!  I've always done it out of a box.  But now that I'm turning grey, I thought perhaps I should try it.

 all 3 girls got recognized for accomplishments,

Claire received the kindness award.  She was so surprised and her mouth dropped open.  She was so very happy!  Jill and I had heard that this would happen so we went to school without her knowing.

Sophia was honored for her work on Student Council




 Sophia is a school crossing guard also!  Some days the weather in Wisconsin is brutal so kudos to you, Sophie!!

Hannah got an award for National Jr. Honors Society!
 

We stopped to see the girls at school over their lunch hour -






 

Here we were Marco Polo-ing with Daddy 

(we video chatted with Daddy and Papa daily! sometimes more than once!)

We went out to eat a few times.

My dish lasted 3 meals worth!   Crazy helping sizes!

I was privileged to attend a Bible study that Jill leads!

 Also, during the day while the kids were in school and Jill was doing things, I kept busy going through some old letters from my parents and sewing for Dress A Girl.

Jill and I grocery shopped - you know you are in Packer country!

One evening, Jill and I attended a Youth for Christ event with some friends 

We laughed and laughed!

and to have lunch with them too.  These Wisconsin folk are so nice!  One thing I noticed is that almost everyone I met would shake hands.  We don't seem to do that in Kansas anymore.

The girls were ready for Christmas, even though it was still November.

Claire got a little tree for her room and Sophia and Hannah also decided to decorate their rooms!  I always wait until after Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays!) but these girls just couldn't wait!

It DOES feel like Christmas in Wisconsin! 

Brrrr!

Adam's parents invited us over to decorate gingerbread men.

 Sandi is the Dress A Girl coordinator for the state so she showed me her set-up.  It is AMAZING!!

 I had so much fun with the girls!   They are growing up!

 Always fun to put Claire to bed, read and sing songs with her.
 

 A favorite we sing is "Oh _________, do you love Jesus? 
I sing this part filling in the blank with every member of the families so it takes a l-o-n-g time!!
and she replies
 "Oh, yes I love Jesus"
 Then I sing:  "Are you sure you love Jesus?" 
And she replies   "Yes I'm sure I love Jesus"
"And why do you love Jesus?"
"I'll tell you the reason"
And we both sing
"Because He first love me.
Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus, because He first loved me!"

"We love because He first loved us."  1 John 4:19

My two plus weeks in Wisconsin seemed to fly by!