Leaving for the Dominican Republic!

HI GUYS!!!!!!! First off, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping out financially for Cam and my trip to the Dominican Republic! You guys have NO idea HOW helpful you all were!!!! I am SO humbled and appreciative of your financial support and prayers!!!! If there is EVER I can do for ANY of you, please let me know! Until then, I have kept each one of you and your families in my prayers.


That said, I am letting you all know that we are leaving first thing tomorrow (Thursday the 21st) morning!! We are VERY excited….but also a bit anxious! Okay…A LOT anxious. I can’t fib…my dad is reading this….he knows how much of a basket case I have been! It isn’t so much even the trip as it is the preparation for the trip….making sure I have everything I need for myself and Cam, etc. You know…if we are going on vacation somewhere and forget something, we go to the nearest Walmart….if I forget something on this trip, I just have to do without and that scares me!! On our packing list it said, “Toilet paper, optional.” I called John Alford and asked him, “John…do we really need to bring our own toilet paper?” He said, “Well…it says optional on there.” I said, “And what is the other option?” He said, “Leaves.” Um…I am thinking I am packing toilet paper! It’s not like I have never camped and used leaves before…but I don’t want to do it in a third world country where I don’t know what kind of leaf I am using! :-~ That’s the LAST place I need a rash!
I also have been concerned for Cam….well, and I guess me as well. Jake and MaKenna had a cold this week. It was only about a two day cold…but one of those days was pretty miserable for them. Cam tends to get colds and they never stop there. They turn into something a lot worse because he has immunocompromised lungs. Soo….I called the doctor, and even though he has no symptoms right now, they put him on a preventative antibiotic and then I will bring the nebulizer and hope I have an electrical outlet to plug it into should we need it. I am worried about getting sick too…because I am also more sickly. I tend to get a cold and have it turn into more also….BUT….as a mother, I am more concerned about my babies then me! So…if you would keep Cam and I in your prayers for health and well being that would be FANTASTIC!!!

So….we will be flying into Santo Domingo after a LONG day of flying. We fly to Chicago, then to Miami and then into Santo Domingo around midnight. We will stay in a “hotel” in Santo Domingo the first night since we get in so late, then first thing in the morning we will head by van to San Juan, which is about 4 hours away. There we will hike to the village we will be at. Each day we will hike another 45 minutes to the actual village that we will be doing Vacation Bible School at and helping lay concrete slabs in some homes, fetching water at the well for people and doing home visits with evangelizing. At the end of each day we will hike another 45 minutes to our base camp. We will be there 10 days. On Saturday, the 30th we head back to Santo Domingo for another stay at the “hotel” and then on Sunday the 31st of July we have another LONG day of flying…but should be home by 6:30pm or so Sunday night.
It will be an exhausting 10 days, but one I am sure Cam and I won’t soon forget. Jeff if you are reading this…I know you have been with the other 3 kids for 10 days and will be ready to hand them off to me…but I could sure use some rest when I get home I think! At least Sunday night!  Speaking of which, if you would all keep Jeff in your prayers too as he will be providing for the kids, working from home, and being “mom” and dad. Thanks to Deana Ramsey who is keeping the kids two of the nights I am gone, and Scott and Melissa who will also be taking them from time to time. Also thanks to Dad and Jan who MIGHT take them camping one night! I know they’ll enjoy that…the kids anyway! 
I will update when I get home…and hopefully have pictures!
Thanks again!! Love and Hugs!!

Tonya and Cam

Friends

When school is out, I have a number of kids at my house.  Which is great!  The more the merrier.  Yes...it can get messy...yes...it can get noisy...but the kids...for the most part anyway...play really well together.  So...summer time I have my niece's and nephew....and anywhere from 2-4 more neighbor kids that I watch for friends either on a continuing basis, or once in awhile. 

Well...during the school year, I have littler people.  Usually it is just Major and I...and of course, my friend Deana and Allyson and I switch off so that we can make appointments or what not....but once in awhile I get kids over on a regular basis.  Here are some of the pictures I took this Winter/Spring.

Here is Major's friend Brooklyn and Duke playing in the sand.

 Here is Brooklyn's little sister Campbell!  Isn't she cute???

 Then we have Kaili.....she was actually in a good mood that day...but they were all tired out.

 Here are Kaili's little brothers, Toby and Noah.

 Major was plum tuckered out too!

 Here is Toby at lunch time...what a ham!!!

Best Friends!

May was Emily Jackson's birthday month.  There are five of us who go out for birthday months....and this was no exception.  The birthday girl gets to choose the location.  This time it was Wheatfields.  In the picture is Allyson, me, Michele, Emily, and Deana and Lydia.

MaKenna's Kindergarten Graduation DAD's Day

Some of you know that Jeff was gone for about 30 days in May/June.  I won't get into why now....I'll talk more about that later....but since he wasn't home, and papa was also not home...he was hanging out in Oregon....MaKenna asked her Uncle Tanner to go!  Here is another picture of Mrs. Kite and MaKenna.

 Here is Uncle Tanner and MaKenna.  I can't tell you how the day went....because I wasn't there...but the pictures were awfully cute!!!  :-)

MaKenna's Kindergarten Graduation

MaKenna's Kindergarten Graduation was such fun!  They had a Mom day and a Dad day for graduation.  This is the Mom day!!!  Here is MaKenna just before they sang the Mom song!  It was so sweet!!!

 My baby girl and I!

 We made these really cool necklaces together!!  Such fun!!!

 MaKenna and her teacher, Mrs. Kite.

MaKenna did VERY well in Kindergarten!!!  She EXCEEDED expectations for her age and grade!  She is such a smarty pants!!!  She gets that from my side of the family!  :-)

Randomness....

Cam had one final choir concert of the year!  He really liked choir.  I am surprised!  He played piano for awhile...then moved into Violin in 5th grade.  In 6th grade he didn't want to do any instrument...so I said, "Great...I can teach you piano some more!"  He said, "NO!  I'll sing in choir!"  So...he only joined choir to get out of piano...and he ended up really liking it!  Funny how that works!  Anyway...the show choir is a very prestigious choir to get into....you have to audition and be chosen.  Only 7th and 8th graders can do it.  HE WAS CHOSEN!  He was VERY excited!!  So....as of next year...he'll be in show choir!  Cam is in the front row in the red shirt with grey pants.

 Here is Mr. Cool himself!!!  Keepin' it real.....

 I never quite know what is going through this one's head....

 MaKenna and Major playing together.

 My Duke.  Such a sweet puppy....well....10 year old puppy....

 The fort Jeff made for the boys.  He is working on MaKenna's fort now.

 MK and Major by one of my favorite plants.  It only blooms once a year and only for about a week.  Such a waste of beauty! 

 My Monkey Angel...

 They are painting together...not arguing or anything!!!!

Easter Egg Hung!

Here is Major doing his Easter Egg hunting!

And MaKenna...

 The dad's just standing there taking it all in....

 My niece Brooke, Cam and my sister Rhonda.

 I....uh....really don't know what to say.....

 MaKenna and her kitty...Chocolate.

 Daddy got down and girlie with MaKenna one night...he washed and brushed her hair and then proceeded to paint her toenails and fingernails for her!!  What a daddy!!

Easter Morning

Here is the family after church...before we changed our clothes for the hunt!!!

 Major and MaKenna....the prettiest little kiddos at church that day!  I know...I am biased...

 Major...no he did not wear sandals to church.

 Major chasing the kitty....the kitty ultimately won.

 The Easter Bunny brought a lot of really nice things....but one of those things was MaKenna's new roller blades!!!! 

 The kids were also thrilled to see that Cam and I caught the Easter Bunny!!!!

After we played around a bit with our new toys, Jan and dad came over, Rhonda and Mike and the kids, Tini and Matt and Dixie and Tanner!  Here is what Grandma Jan brought over for the kids!  Great idea!!!!  When you pulled the "carrot" out it was full of all sorts of goodies...and the bag was shaped like a carrot!

Easter Eggs!!

I am usually very leary about dying easter eggs every year due to the allergies in two of the kids....but this year I thought we would give it a try.  We all had a great time!!  I needed to buy more eggs though.  Everyone was fairly disappointed that they each only got to die like 3 eggs.

They had a great time though!!!!!!

Susan G. Komen, Putting on the Pink Party

Every year as you know, my sister and I do the Race for the Cure.  If you are interested we have started our team up for this year.   It is called Mama's Family.  We would love to have you join us in the walk, or donate towards the walk.  Whatever you can do would be SO helpful.  But...my point I am making is this.  Every spring, they have the Putting on th Pink Party to celebrate those who were the highest earners.  My sister gets free tickets every year because she is always one of their top earners.  So we are always able to go.  This year, Mama's Family came in 3rd for the whole state of Nebraska...but Rhonda Flanigan...my sister.....

 came in as TOP FUNDRAISER for the ENTIRE state of Nebraska!!!  SOOOOOO very proud of her!!  She got the above bag full of goodies as well as a plaque that was presented to her by one of our local celebrity's, Dave Webber.

 She also was congratulated and thanked....and even hugged by another local celebrity, Carol Wang.

CONGRATULATIONS RHONDA!!!  I AM SO PROUD OF YOU...AND I KNOW MOM IS TOO!!!!

Bounce U

Another Spring Break FUN day we had was at Bounce U.  We spent 3 hours there...MORE than enough...but tons of fun.  I got all sorts of "rug" burns...and I even took enough breaks that I got some of my book read!  Here is Major taking a dive.

 Cam and Jake coming out of the obstacle course.

 MaKenna, Major and Jake...

 Jake and MaKenna.

 MaKenna.

 Major...