Yesterday, we gathered at the cemetery, as we’ve now done for three years, to remember Chanan Sivan (Chanan Yitzchak Chaim ben Pinchas and Tzipporah). Chanan was Yehuda’s first friend in Israel, and he died at the age of four, three years ago. It has been amazing to watch this family rise from such an incredible… Read More Chanan’s Memory

So, it’s certainly been a long while since I’ve posted and I’ve missed noticing interesting things in everyday life. Well, at least I’ve missed writing about them. When you are shlepping five children under the age of nine across the world for two weeks, there isn’t always a lot of time to admire things. And… Read More Hashem Speaks In Mysterious Ways

Yesterday, the birds were all aflutter. They were flapping their wings all morning and strutting back and forth on the little perch where they were born. From where they’ve hatched, there is a two story drop to the ground, and I had to laugh as I watched them peering warily over the precipice contemplating flight.… Read More On a Wing and a Prayer

I’ve been watching the birds and enjoying their progression. While a few days ago the little birdies were just sleeping fuzz balls, they’ve come to life now. The mama keeps leaving them to get more food, and then she comes back to their excited little beaks. She feeds them by regurgitating her food and they… Read More Birds, Groceries & More

Yesterday, I went to say hello to mama bird (I guess I should have named her by now, huh?) and I thought I saw something poking around under her wings. I spent a few minutes watching her and realized that….her babies had arrived! I was so excited and I tried (tried…I really did) to call… Read More Welcome Baby Birdies!

I’ve recently made a new friend, and I’m enjoying getting to know her. She’s actually teaching me a great deal about myself, and about how to be a good mom. Here is a picture of my friend: She arrived on our windowsill about two weeks ago and began building her nest with the male partner.… Read More My New Friend

This morning, five years ago, we awoke in a friend’s house in Potomac, surrounded by 12 duffel bags. We packed the car, and drove up the hill to our recently sold house, where we would pick up our friend who was taking us to the airport in New York. Everything in the world that we… Read More 21 Amazing Things About My Life in Israel

Josh and I have tried to commit to doing something fun and different with the kids each Friday during the summer. This week, our friends invited us to spend Shabbat with them at Kibbutz Tirat Zvi. Our kids LOVE going there – what could be bad about kibbutz life for kids? They have free reign… Read More Our Golan

I can’t help but sit here feeling sentimental today. This morning, while Josh was at the arrival ceremony as part of the Nefesh B’Nefesh staff, the boys and I sat in front of the computer watching the live pod cast of the landing of the first plane of the summer. I imagine I will be… Read More Sentimental at 5

Yehuda was in a chess tournament last night and he came home ebullient! In his hands he grasped a chess t-shirt, a certificate saying he had completed the course and….a third place MEDAL! At the beginning of the year, Yehuda announced that he wanted to join an after-school chess class. “Chess?” I replied, as someone… Read More Building Their Confidence