Back from Bali

Hello to all-
We had a terrific week on the "Island of the gods." The holiday was a welcome relief from packing and unpacking one house or another. We were able to relax, enjoy the beach, learn a great deal of Bali culture, food, history and people. We loved the white water rafting down the Ayong River and horseback riding along the beach and through a village. Although the people and setting are so beautiful, we were saddened to see the effects of the bombings of 2002 and 2005. Tourism is still not back to the pre-bombing numbers, so the Balinese were so grateful to see us. Also, so many dogs, in such bad health, are seen everywhere. A tug on our heart-strings.

Traveling in this part of the world opens our eyes to such differences. We are lucky that in less than three hours we can explore such interesting places. We hope to do more and share it with you. Enjoy the pictures.

Although the vacation was great, we were eager to return "home" to connect (Skype) with our family and friends. We felt very far away. We were also excited to receive our new puppy today. We have a lot of work ahead of us with this little guy, but he sure is sweet, and the children have much love to give him, and he gives much comfort to them.

Lots of Love-
Lauren and Jed