The Weiss's visit over Succos

We finally got some good pictures from Aunt Gail's iPhone to share on the blog so here is the recap of the visit

Gail, David, Racheli and Zeidy came to Eretz Yisroel for Succos. (Zeidy is actually making Aliyah). They joined us for Shabbos Chol HaMoed Succos.

On Friday we headed to Ein Mabua, which is one of our family nature spots near Mitzpeh Yericho. Ima and Zeidy stayed behind to get us ready for Shabbos and the rest of us dressed for a water hike and came in two cars (even Tali came)

We somehow managed to fit everyone in the house for sleeping and for meals in the Sukkah. Racheli, Elazar and Ezra took turns not feeling well and that extra space in the Sukkah made a big difference. Over Shabbos we davened mostly at Yagel Yaakov as it was nearby for Zeidy, but on Friday night Zeidy made the walk up the big hill to the main shul to get a better feel of the people from the older neighborhood as well as to see the lookout over Jericho after davening. Uncle David entertained Elisheva and Ezra with jokes and riddles for much of Shabbos

On Sunday, Gail, David and Racheli took Elisheva to Ein Gedi, while the rest of us cleaned up from Shabbos and hosted the Zeevi's that afternoon for lunch in the Sukkah. Ask Gail for pictures of that (she took quite a few), especially her prized video of the walking crab.

We said our goodbyes on early Sunday evening when they returned back and we didn't think we would see them again, but then late on Sunday night, we were invited to join Eli at his sheep farm in Shilo for a barbecue. Rochelle took Eli, Zeidy and Gail in one car, and David and I drove the two other cars to Shilo. We also met David's brother Alvin along with other cousins from David's side. It was beautiful countryside that I would probably never otherwise see. The land looks like it hadn't been touched since it was conquered by Yehoshua, except of course for the modern sheep pen...

There was also a horse there and the kids were treated to horse rides. The wind started picking up in the late afternoon, when the sheep went on their twice a day grazing, and everyone tried to find whatever shelter they could from the wind. The one-bedroom house where one of the workers lives was not big enough for the thirty people who showed up for the barbecue so we took turns eating in the small Sukkah and sitting in the small house out of the wind. It was certainly a new experience for the entire family, to be in Shiloh and to see a community like that and I'm glad we went.