We said goodbye to our friends at iThemba Lethu on Monday and boarded the jumbo jet that would take us home.

It was a long series of flights and more than 30 nearly sleepless hours of travel. Along the way, we were regaled by a chorus of crying children in the row behind us, and the airline managed to lose ALL THREE pieces of our luggage, IN DIFFERENT PLACES. Now any old airline can lose luggage, but let’s take a moment to recognize South African Air and United for their unique ability to carefully distribute a single group of bags, checked in together, to locations around the world. Bravo!

(As an aside, if you’ve never flown internationally, it’s actually quite nice. You get actual food–meals, not three smashed pretzels and a watered-down ginger ale that ensures an awkward visit to the lavatory–and your own personal entertainment device that allows you to watch any of dozens of movies, or the entire first season of Prison Break, for no extra charge.)

It’s wonderful to be home.

Our house, which sometimes feels small, felt palatial. We have so much.

Our bed is so comfortable. Kelly put flannel sheets on it right before we left, and I have never been so thankful for a horizontal place to sleep.

We are incredibly grateful for our friends and family here. We missed them. And they made us cookies.

And it’s Christmas season, for real. There’s just a smidge of snow on the ground, and the forecast promises more. We went out last night to fight the jetlag and hunt for a Christmas tree, and we had success on both fronts. The McPherson clan flies in on Sunday to join us for a week of Christmas festivities.

Thank you, again, for all of your prayers and support on our trip. We’re really looking forward to celebrating the holidays and sharing stories with everyone. Merry Christmas!