Christmas in Israel: We're On!

So our tickets to Israel have been purchased! We'll be leading a small tour consisting of one family (parents and five daughters, some of whom are close to my age), and perhaps a few stragglers. This will be our first time to Israel together, and I can't wait to return to the place that occupied so much of my mind and heart for several years.

The family wished to move the dates forward, so now we leave on December 22nd and return on January 1st. I was really disappointed to miss Christmas in Oregon, with my parents, the Fowlers, and Bobby. David will be staying with my parents while we're gone, and I'm sad to miss Christmas Day with him! Luckily he's still a little young to understand the holiday; next year I doubt we could miss such a big day with a little boy. I'm so grateful it will be my parents that he is with, however. My heart doesn't ache quite as much knowing he will be with them -- and with Pepper the Dog, who David makes me include in a bedtime song each night.