High holidays

We changed things up a bit this year for Rosh Hashana and took the kids for an overnight camping retreat with the "Adventure Rabbi" in the mountains where the leaves were just starting to change.  The point of this holiday is to be contemplative about the year, and we wanted this to be meaningful and fun for the kids.  We met up with friends and pitched a tent before heading to the communal dinner and for an evening service.  The service was a little too traditional, and the kids weren't into keeping still and listening after a full day, so we ducked out early and roasted marshmallows instead.  We bundled the kids in two pairs of PJs, set up their sleeping bags, and tried to get them to sleep while we hung out by the fire and had some adult beverages to keep warm.      

Because it was so cold and quiet, I was very aware of the kids movement all night.  Caitlin seemed to roll out of her sleeping bag every 15 minutes and I got up and put her back in to make sure she didn't freeze.  Notwithstanding, the kids seemed to get a relatively good night's sleep.  Not so much on my part...but it was still fun.  When it got light out, the kids climbed into our air mattress for some snuggles and we all went for a mini-hike to the bathroom before meeting with the other families for a pre-hike breakfast.

Then we headed out, with about 250 other people for a hike and discussions about spirituality and reflections on the year.  The kids split off from the adults to do some arts and crafts, and walk around the lake, which was fun for them.  It was a beautiful day, and I think everyone had a good time.

After the hike, everyone threw rocks into the water in attempt to cast-off bad behaviors and habits that we hope not to continue in the upcoming year.  I think it was a great experience for everyone - s'mores and a focus on spirituality and nature and family.
Later that week we all went to Aunt Jen's for a delicious Rosh Hashana dinner with the rest of the family and the cousins had lots of fun together.

For Yom Kippur we took the kids to the Adventure Rabbi kids service for some songs and stories and then had 25 people at our house to break the fast - 12 kids!!  Everyone had a great dinner, but with that many kids, we were running around so much I forgot to take pictures!  Oh well, next year!

Finally, for Sukkot, we went to Bethany and Andre's house to eat a delicious dinner outside in their Sukkah.  It's been a busy fall!