Held gently by neighbours, she sinks into a chair outside her home, holding a cup of tea.
Her little boys Joash and Jotham run in and out of the house, as their friends shout out for biscuits.
Forty-eight hours earlier, 40-year-old Julie was awaiting deportation in a detention centre to her native Uganda.
But in a remarkable show of strength, friends and neighbours banded together and fought to win the mum-of-two an 11th-hour stay of execution.
With tears welling in her eyes, Julie looks around at the people who helped bring her home to Sulgrave, Washington.
She said: "When I left here, I never expected to return, never. It makes me feel very happy. I am back home with my people, to the people who know me, who care for me and my boys."
Julie arrived at her home in Sulgrave Road two years ago after fleeing Uganda in 2002.
Her husband Serwadda Katenta, a former army officer, is still in prison accused of joining a rebel group. Three years ago her brother was murdered.
Julie said: "I knew nothing about this place. I had been in London, but it wasn't difficult coming here. My neighbours were really friendly to me.
"I have got to know mostly everybody and in September last year I started going to the Bethany Christian Centre in Houghton and they have been very good to me. They love my boys. They care for us. That's important for me, as a mum.
"Bethany Church is like a family to me, because they love my children so much and Washington Asylum Seekers project are like my parents, because they are always there for me, like my neighbours. I am so lucky."
At four Joash Serrwadda, is already a popular pupil at his nursery at Usworth Grange Primary School. Mum hopes two-year-old Jotham Naggenda will follow him.
But she is trying not to think too far ahead. The experience of deportation is still raw.
Less than a week has passed since Julie was dragged from her home in handcuffs when immigration bosses refused her application for asylum.
Julie said: "Before they came, I knew they had rejected my appeal and I was just waiting for a letter to let me know. It never came, even though I knew I was going to be removed. In the meantime I just got on with my life.
"The boys realised something was wrong. Three weeks ago a woman from immigration and a police officer came to the house, they said they were updating their records. My boys asked me why the police were here and I told them that I thought they wanted to take us away."
"My friends around here have always looked after me. Next door, David Dixon told me: 'Julie you are a good neighbour, we will fight for you to stay'. That was eight months ago. They were as good as their word."
* Defiant neighbours and friends are today petitioning Home Office officials to let Julie and her sons remain in Britain permanently.
Mum-of-four Shireen Fowler, 46, watched as a terrified Julie was dragged out of her home.
"They let me give them a hug and a kiss and that was it. They shoved her in the back of a prison van and put the children in cars 20 minutes later. I was devastated. From then on the whole street has fought to get her back here," she said.
Bethany Sunday school teacher Jean Scott said: "We have praying for them and have made numerous phone calls. We are just hoping it will be made permanent."


Rodney's mercy dash

AFTER spotting her across the terminal, Rodney Thomas could see the relief etched on Julie's face.
She, he says, is one of the lucky ones. Few managed to come back after being bundled out of their homes.
"We have still got a big fight to go," he said.
"Coming back is not typical. It's usually quite an experience, but this is the worst I have seen. People should be shocked, leaving a mother with two children in a terminal with no money, just left there."
Rodney, who left his Columbia home at 11pm on Wednesday for the 10-hour round drip, added: "I was just glad to see she was safe. She is really relieved to be home. There are a lot of legal barriers to overcome."
Julie volunteers to teach English to other asylum seekers at the project and has known Rodney since she arrived in Washington.
The Christian minister said: "She is very quiet really. She is always trying to help people, working as a teaching assistant in some of our classes. Julie always has a smile on her face, if there is anything that needs to be done, she is always there to help. She doesn't have to be asked."
Rodney praised the part played by Houghton and Washington East MP Fraser Kemp in winning Julie's reprieve.
He said: "Fraser is always quite attentive. He is very helpful. Without an MP, the Home Office won't even take your phone calls.
"It also helps that so many people have gone out of their way to raise her case. That makes a difference."