Children of the Same Family...

Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply... ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814

I only had a week at home so I conned my dad into building us a campfire...not once...not twice...but pretty much every evening. I've never been our family mascot when it comes to camping...in fact, I really don't like it much at all. But I got the biggest kick out of sitting around the fire every night and laughing with friends and family. In this pic I have a cup of coffee in each hand so life truly is beautiful.

When we weren't sitting around the fire in the backyard, we were lounging on the back porch. My hat is off to my brother-in-law Steve for letting my sister Karen and the kids come up for the whole week and to my sister-in-law Sherri for schlepping her kids to Mom and Dad's place all week long. We were literally together every evening and the memories keep me going when I'm sitting here in my Jerusalem apartment a bit homesick and wishing I had been with everyone for the July 4th fireworks last night. And for the record...don't ever tell me that Americans don't know how to kick back. Sure we work hard. But we play hard too.