After an amazing, whirlwind three weeks back in the states seeing family, eating, skiing, drinking, seeing friends, eating, shopping, drinking, and did I mention eating and drinking we are back in Africa and more or less back in our routine.
Did you know that the flight from Johannesburg to Atlanta is the longest multi-class flight in the world? In other words, it is the only way you can have the privilege of sitting in coach for 17+ hours! Other flights are longer in actual distance, but because of the headwinds this one takes longer in time, and there are a few business class only flights that are also longer but suffice to say this one is certainly up their as far as winning some sort of award for surviving it. Let me put it this way: you get on, eat dinner, go to sleep and even if you sleep for 6 or 7 hours you still have 8 more hours of flying to do before you get there! Doesn't that make you really want to come and visit! But we survived and the girls were as good as an almost 4 year old and 1 1/2 year old could possibly be under the circumstances.
Overall they were both great little travelers and really enjoyed the trip. K had a few moments when she would ask to go home, and then I would ask her which home she meant and she was just confused, poor thing. But I think they are both happy to be back and in their routines. We only suffered through a few nights of T being totally jet lagged and going to bed at her usual time only to wake up at 10pm thinking she had just finished a nap and it was time to play. Not cool! But it did not last long, luckily.
Being back has been interesting. It is always nice to come home after traveling and not be living out of suitcases. At the same time, we came back to a broken distiller, and some other assorted household repair issues which just made us sigh. It is also hard readjusting to the grocery situation after the bounty of U.S. stores. I know it is probably really great to live seasonally and only eat what is in the market and all of that, but wow it was nice to walk into a store in Utah in February and find strawberries, blueberries, you name it!
But we are back, back at work, back at school, pushing through the end of the rainy season and heading towards "winter"(if you can really call it that). We have some exciting trips coming up and hopefully the girls and I will finally get to see lions so I look forward to sharing that with all of you.
I went to a coal mine. It was awesome! Amazing the things they let you do when you are wandering around a mine in Africa as opposed to what would be allowed in the U.S> You want to walk up and get a photo with the drag line bucket? Sure! Want to take lots of photos of the waste coal that is smoldering and has been slowly burning for years? Go for it!
Girls in snowsuits. While they don't actually look all that happy in this photo, they both really enjoyed the snow. 
T, the seasoned traveler, in yet another airport.
Punch children on a plane! Sort of like snakes, but worse!! For the record, this was after we had landed and were waiting to deplane, at which point I feel that all bets are off and the kids can jump on the seats and squeal a little if they want to. I generally do not let them do this in flight as I don't want to totally torture those around us.