6-8

As we sit here in JFK after leaving The Pines 31 hours ago, I thought I would take a final opportunity to update the blog. We were quite busy on Friday cleaning everything up from the week, but not too busy to spend some serious time with the kids.

I don’t have to tell you that the hardest part of leaving was leaving them behind. At the beginning of the trip, we talked about how we were going to schedule in a side trip to a lion park. Honestly, by the time we got to Saturday, I don’t think most of us cared.

We did go and in the end it was a good thing because it did not allow for dragged out good-bye’s.

The general consensus is that the flight home was better than the one going. Perhaps the first flight helped us prepare mentally; perhaps it is because our perspective about comfort has changed.

We are glad to be home, but we truly left a part of ourselves in South Africa. The picture includes all the kids except Boetie Boet. I have one of just him from the morning we left. I did get him to smile, and he said “yes” when I told him he would be bigger when we next saw him. Made my trip.