Dominican Dreams: Punta Cana

At the beginning of March our family did the craziest thing.  We traveled.  To the Dominican Republic.  With our child who was in critical care eight weeks earlier.

Why?  I'm sure you're asking.  Trust me, we asked ourselves this question as well.  This was not a decision we took lightly.  Well, the most straight-forward reason is because the tickets had been purchased eight months prior.  The housing was already arranged.  And this surprise trip was our children's only Christmas gift.  (I'd wrapped a puzzle announcing the surprise, and fully lacked the bandwidth to come up with something else while Annika was in the hospital.)  For years we'd wanted to take our kids somewhere Spanish-speaking to celebrate all of their hard work with dual immersion, and this felt like our last chance before Brooklyn's graduation.

On a deeper level, we went because Annika was doing okay and we wanted to cherish the time together.  Jason and I talked about one of us going with the older kids, but we both knew that the trip would feel empty and incomplete without her.  Even if it meant cutting out a couple adventures like the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, we wanted to be together.  You know, when your child's doctor approaches you about a referral to Make-a-Wish, it really causes you to re-evaluate your priorities.  Was the trip a bit risky?  Probably.  But life anywhere is a bit risky, and we want to make the most of it.

Plus, we'd miss that spunky smile!

The timing of the DR trip corresponded with my spring break, but unfortunately not for my children.  So here they are diligently working on homework in the airport.

Time for a nap break.  Our Senior Brooklyn was so exhausted!

Raise your hand if you love to fly!  Here's Annika showing off how she'd just been cleared to lift her left arm above shoulder level.

Our first flight took us to Dallas.  We arrived fairly late, but our journey became later still when we hopped on the wrong shuttle and ended up at a Holiday Inn that was 13 miles from the one with our reservation.  Oops!  Definitely my bad.  It took forever for an Uber to show up and shuttle us to the place we needed to be.

When we got to our Holiday Inn, the room only had one king bed for the six of us.  Since none of us are giant people, we squished together and figured it would be a fun adventure.

WRONG.  Oh my goodness, what a hard night.  Even though it was 1am and we were all super tired, Annika tossed and turned and tossed and turned.  She started sobbing about how her jaw hurt and she was scared and wanted to go home so she could be close to the hospital.  (Jaw pain is really scary for Annika because that is what she experienced right before her collapse.)  At that moment, this whole journey seemed like a terrible mistake.  I wished that I could snap my fingers and teleport home.

Jason and I prayed with her, and I explained how sometimes worry can cause us real, actual, physical pain.  I confessed how at that moment, my stomach really hurt, not because I was sick, but because I was scared.  Annika grasped that exhaustion and anxiety might similarly be the root of her symptoms.  So, she settled down and finally went to sleep.  Realizing that six in one bed is far too many, Jason and I moved onto some blankets on the floor.

In the morning we asked Annika if she'd like to fly back to Salt Lake instead of continuing on, but she was feeling great and wanted to keep going.

We made it to the Dominican Republic in the late afternoon.  By the time we shuttled into Punta Cana and checked into our AirBnB, it was dark.  Starving, we chose a Mexican restaurant just around the corner for dinner.  

Pastrata turned out to be super delicious--perhaps the best meal of our entire trip. The chef came out to explain how he brought many of the ingredients from his home in Puebla. Plus, who doesn't appreciate a tropical drink!

 

Perking up for taquitos.  Delicioso!

When morning dawned, we finally got a good look around our apartment complex.  Pretty spectactular!

We all enjoyed the pool, whether swimming laps, relaxing, or horsing around.

Talia and I also went for a long walk around town in search of breakfast.  We found the beach and then got completely lost, but luckily recognized some tennis courts by our apartment.  After regaining our bearings, we set out a second time with better directions before coming home with French pastries.  The pastries were totally worth it!

That afternoon we set off for the beach as a family.  With perfect sand and turquoise water, you can see why tourists flock to Punta Cana in droves.  While our experience renting a car and staying in AirBnBs felt far more autentico, the resorts are certainly more relaxing for those wanting a rejuvenating beach vacation.

Annika insisted on wearing flippers for about sixty seconds before realizing that they are nearly impossible to walk in.

Water time!

Oh, how I love these teens!  Spending time together is my dream come true, far better than any lounge chair.

Other beach highlights--Annika got to hold a monkey for a moment.  I'm sure the monkey owner was hoping we 'd take a picture and give him money, but I just watched from a distance until he decided she must be a stray and moved on.  Annie also spent her souvenir money on a couple of brightly painted parrots that now hang in her room.

Back for one final swim.  Annika made quick friends with a retired Canadian couple who resides in the DR during the winter months.  They even brought their cat downstairs in a carrier so that Annika could say hi.

For dinner that evening, we walked a mile through the palm groves and along the main city road to this local restaurant that came highly recommended.  We learned that it's super important to watch where you are going because people will steal the manhole covers.  If not careful, you could plummet straight down to your death.  

Everybody was pretty exhausted by the time we arrived.

But once again, food was amazingly restorative.  Check out the size of Talia's plate of mofongo, made out of mashed and fried plantains.  Brooklyn really enjoyed her empanadas as well.

Unfortunately, our time in Punta Cana was too short. After two nights at our AirBnB, it was time to move on. Here's one last view from our apartment on Sunday morning before heading off to church.  While the Punta Cana branch may be tiny, their fast and testimony meeting was lovely with a very special spirit.  We thought Annika might be overwhelmed by the language, but when the service was over, she immediately connected with another little girl and insisted we stay for Primary.

I love the faith of this family!  I look at this photo and feel like I'm peering into a crystal ball showing future missionaries.  Brooklyn has started the process of putting her papers together.  Whether in the Dominican Republic or here at home, there is so much light to share!

February Fiestas

If ever there were a month needing extra oomph, it's February.  It may be the shortest month, but the continuing cold and short days make February feel like it will last forever.  I'm so glad our family has some birthdays to make February special!  First up, Mr. Anders!  Our little man turned six!

Papa Kay and NomiAnn drove out from Omaha for the special occasion.  Looks like Papa Kay has stories to tell and love to share!

Eila is all smiles for the birthday boy as well.

Most of the family may may be delighted to see Anders, but is his mama?

Of course!  Callie's just helping him put on his new scuba gear.  Snorkeling's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.

Next task: crack open the llama pinata before your fingers freeze.

Last but not least, the sugar fest.  Happy birhday, Anders!  We love you like crazycakes!

Ruby also celebrated a milestone birthday in February.  This beautiful girl turned eight!

We celebrated with a rainbow spread of colorful foods.

Ruby even helped the make the cake!

She comes from a long line of culinary talent.  Our family specializes in the consumption of said talent. :)

Working off the extra caolories with a game of fussball.

As exciting as Ruby's birthday was, her baptism was even more special. This sweet girl made the beautiful choice to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized by her father.

Ruby, you are a beautiful inspiration to us all, especially Violet.  It's heartwarming to see how much she looks up to you and how tenderly you watch out for her.

All of the cousins singing "I am a Child of God."

Soul-warming soup in the cultural hall after.  Thanks, Brianna!

Naturally a post about "February Fiestas" needs to include Valentine's Day.  Jason cooked a delightful breakfast of pancakes and eggs.

Of course, Annika went straight for the syrup.  (And no, we do NOT endorse such table manners.)

Breakfast was tasty, but what my kids really wanted was Cupid's Crazy Cafe.  This tradition of mixed up menus and surprise culinary delights is time-consuming and exhausting.  Yet the kids love it so much that we haven't let it go.  Instead, they've really stepped up to help with all the preparation and presentation.  This year we went with an Indian theme.  We indulged in samosas, naan, chicken tikka masala, mango lassis, gajar halwa (a carrot pudding), and the most delicious raita that Christy brought.

While certainly an atypical meal, I think Christy and Ben enjoyed sharing our goofy tradition.  We certainly owed them a meal!  Christy lovingly cooked for us every Tuesday night all winter.  It was such a tender blessing, not just for the food, but for the friendship and connection.  Now that is love that beats any Valentine's schmaltz.

So hey, let's honor the heroine with some pics I found on Jason's photo roll.  Christy, you are radiant!

As perfect as those pictures, I think I like the goofy shots even more.

And since February is all about love, a final photo of Eila with a giant heart.  As she climbed up on back of the couch, we realized that she coordinated with the artwork perfectly.  To borrow the Yiddish, it seemed bashert, or meant to be.