Ice clouds and whatnot

So, I made it....I'm here sitting at Michelle and Erik's computer, in their house -- in Germany. It is weird to be here, and yet seems really normal. It doesn't feel like I flew half way around the world to get here. Many things are familiar -- I recognize a lot of their things that have always decorated Michelle's spaces and it smells like them here. It is the first time I have ever been in a place they call home. It is so nice to be with them and get to play with Jack and Ian.

Gemma did fabulously on the flight here....sleeping almost the entire time. I didn't sleep much though because I was trying to keep an eye on her in her special airline bassinet that she could easily crawl out of if she woke up. When I was at the airport in Chicago I called and talked to Joseph and the kids. I told them about flying through the clouds and getting higher than the clouds so that I could look down on them. Ezra said, "Watch out that you don't fly through an ice cloud." It is confusing learning about weather. They learn that snow and sleet and hail come from clouds....so there are ice clouds right? The boys wonder how a cloud made of ice would float. And I imagine, it sounds pretty dangerous to fly through one. I told him the pilot would be careful.

It isn't an exciting picture to the many people who fly often, but I thought it looked pretty neat and wanted to show it to the kids. It was beautiful watching the sun set over the vast blanket of fluffy white clouds....but it was happening outside the window of the guy across the aisle from me and I didn't want to take a picture of him and the sun setting....so maybe I can get one on my way home.
I'm feeling kind of jet-lagged-dopey so I didn't take many pictures today, but I caught a shot of the sweet nephews who are a bit under the weather. Jack showed me a bunch of his favorite toys and we cooked in his kitchen and read a few books. Ian gave me lots of high fives and let me help him with his dinner.