Hey Garrick

Glad to hear you are having a blast.  Wanted to let you know the 9th ranked Irish will be facing 11th ranked Minnesota Duluth on April 7 in St. Paul MN.  Then they will go on to face the winner of the Michigan(r. #6)/North Dakota (r.#1) contest in the late game.  If Michigan takes North Dakota that would be good for us, but if Michigan then beats us for the NCAA Championship (April 9), you know we'll never hear the end of it from Cassandra.  OH!  And the best news, she's working at DQ before she heads off to Ann Arbor.  We can't wait to go in to have her wait on us.  We're waiting for you to come home so we can go get Blizzards!  Love you, Mary is planning a scavenger hunt when you get back.  Hope to see some great footage.  Details, I need details...do I sound like Mrs. Smith?  xxoo to all, be safe.

To Erin...

Urgent!  Your editing assistance is needed!  In addition to spell check, do you offer filtering services on a certain other travel companion's posts?  With so many activities and adventures, I know you might not be able to fit a part-time job into your itinerary...but it pays really well!  Post back on the (in)appropriate blog entry if you are interested. (J) Love, a concerned mom.

Dear sam, i miss you

what up brother and his wonderful friends! I'm so very proud of you!  I makin a lot of people over here in southern cali super jealous about your trip! can't help but brag about what an awesome impact you are making over in Belize.  So much pride for you my man.  Be safe, make good decisions, and know that you are loved. I miss you every single day.

"Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.  You don't have to have a college degree to serve.  You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve...you don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love, Ashley

Hi Jeremy!

I was thrilled to see a blog message from you!  I was beginning to think you forgot how much fun it is to write to me.  I just got back from Connecticut with Bobbi.  We had a wonderful time. The place was amazing. Everyone there thinks we should be able to go once a year!  I agree.  Now we just have to convince Dad and Ed. Andrew kept Dad busy learing how to play Mario Kart while I was gone.

I showed the blog site to Bobbi and Ed and they loved looking at the pictures and reading all about the adventures you are having. Did you play soccer with the kids ? I hope you are taking picutures. Are you melting yet from the heat?  How are you and the bugs, spiders ect getting along?

Glad to hear you are using the sun screen. Use the aloe on your sunburn, it will help to cool off the heat from the sunburn and help prevent peeling.

I can't wait to hear all of you stories.  Have FUN!! and we are looking forward to seeing you next week.
Love, Mom

Hi Sammy!

Hey Sam, it's Liz.  I hope you are surviving in the hot, humid jungle of Belize!  It sounds like it is awesome there.  I hope you are taking a ton of pictures!  It's so weird to think you are so close to animals like monkeys and wolf spiders.  Also, I'm sorry I haven't blogged earlier, I couldn't figure it out at first (not everyone is as tech savvy as you).  I also have turned into an old person and have been passing out at like 8 or 9.  We have been thinking and talking about you a lot, wondering what your next adventure will be.    I'm glad you like the food, we were a little concerned about that.  I bet the students at the school you're at love playing soccer with you.  Dad has become our little nanny here in North Carolina.  I don't think we are going to let him come home---we like his cooking :).  Kevin, Liam, and Annie say "hi" and Liam can't wait to see you soon! Liam is going to love his uncle!! WE MISS YOU and have sooo much fun!  I can't wait to here all the stories.
Love you lots!
Liz 

From Claire (again haha)

Hey guys! It's been almost a week since you all got to Belize! I'm sure you have gotten a bunch done! It definitely seems like it from the posts and the pictures. It looks like you all are having an amazinggg time!! Nothing has really been happening in South Bend--I haven't seen any snow yet, but it definitely has been freezing! Everyone misses you all a ton! I can't wait to see you all and hear all about the trip--I'm sure you have many, many stories. Haha. (: It is amazing all of the work you are doing for the kids in Belize. It's really nice of you guys to do all of that! I'm sure they love everything you've been doing. Anyway, I hope the last few days are amazing, and I can't wait to hear about your trip! (:

Love, Claire :D

Hello Ro

The mom and two ninos are in Philly and New York.  Will is in school.  You are going to the beach.  I am working everyday.  What's wrong with this picture?  Hope you're still having fun.  Looks like you are working on your Irish tan.  We miss you and will see you late Monday night!  Have Fun.  Pop

Nicole & group

WOW!  Sounds like you are having a fabulous experience!  Holding scorpions, tarantulas, oh my!  How were the Mayan ruins?  I hope everyone has great photos of your time there!  As much as you enjoy receiving the blogs... I am sure I am typing for those of us which were not able to go in saying... we enjoy reading them too!  We are experiencing your trip vicariously through your blogs. 

I'm so proud of your generosity!  The photos are amazing with the amount of stuff you had packed!  It's hard to believe that all that fit in your bags along with your own clothes!!  I'm sure the kids will LOVE all the presents!  You will probably miss them!  Is there a way to stay in touch with them once you are home?

Enjoy the remainder of the time in the village!

Ich Liebe Dich!

John

HeyJohn,
     How did the kids like all the stuff?  I hope carrying  around the barbies was not too painful.  We are leaving the beach tomorrow( Fri) PM to head to Aunt Karens.  Going to dinner with Brogan and Courtney.  We will ck for more pics and hopefully a short note from you.  Love and miss you lots.   MOM

Peanut Post Vi

Hi Indiana!
We are very happy for you and your classmates. Now you are all off to a small island (key) it just keeps getting more exciting doesn't it! Major thunder storms have invaded Florida so we've kept ourselves busy today inside painting your room. We are writing this at Nancy's BBQ near Burns Court where the little movie theater is (Black Swan/Kings Speech). We just met Nancy and Mom predicts it will be a hit with you and others (it opened last week).
Mom, always thinking of you, has been her emotional self regardless of where we are. I may have to be permanently on blog duty as the iPad, though a wonderful contraption, is not water proof.
Wear your hat freckle face, Love you, Dad and Mom

maddy(:

I hope your having a fun time in Belize !.it looks beautiful there it seems alot warmer than here in cold michigan,its like thirty degrees!,i have homework and school...lets trade places,.ahah,(:
i like your new little friend in that one picture,it looks like you're having a good time(:
your doing a good thing for the kids,
i love you!(:
&cant wait to see you




hannah k(:

Final Four (Belize Style)

Samuel

Good blog message.  Will try to get the other two sisters to post for you.  So good to hear about the school, kids and soccer.  Perhaps you will come back with a few new soccer moves!  Nice bonus from your Belize Experience.  Love your comments about the earthly creatures.  This is soooo Sam.  Don't irritate nature.  It usually ends badly. 

Final Four is UConn vs Ky and VCU vs Butler.  Championship will have VCU or Butler....amazing.  VCU beat Kansas by 10.  Butler beat Pitt, Wisconsin and Florida.  All close games.  Saturday is preliminary games and Monday night (arrival at O'hare) is the final game. 

Great to hear you love the food.  This would be a huge tragedy!  We all love you Sam.  Liam says goo goo.  He wants me to coach his soccer team. 
Dad

Dear Uncle Sammy,

"Where Uncle Sammy at?"  Says, Taylor every day.  Explaining it to her is worthless.  She doesn't understand even though I have told her a million times that you are on a trip.  She sometimes says to me, "is he at the condo?"  She misses you so much!  David misses you too.  Now that soccer has started, he wants to play with you so as he says, "I can be like my Uncle Sam, the best soccer player ever!"  Ryleigh misses you too.  She will be so happy to see you and play with you once you get home.  We mention your name and she does smile.  I really do think she realizes that you aren't here.  You aren't missing out on too much here.  Nothing exciting going on unlike you.  Your trip sounds like so much fun and you are experiencing things you will only be able to experience once in a liftime.  I am so proud of you Sam.  You have really stepped outside your comfort zone to go on this trip and I think this will open many more opportunities for you in the future.  I look forward to seeing you next week.  I love you and mom says hi and she loves you too. 

Carrie (the only good sister you have)  lol

Local Adventure

Grace,

We are grateful for the pics, otherwise would have a hard time believing you are there!  Can see that you are maintaining your summer camp records, of "zero" correspondence!  Hopefully same excuse prevails; "having too much fun to write!"

Had our own adventure yesterday.  Went to Pauline's farm  for "lesson" in weekly (25 loaves) bread baking; only to discover her neighbor (1/2mi away) had a wood stove fire.  She enlisted men working in field to drag stove outside; Pauline, hearing of news from the men, immediately left on her bike, toddlers in tow, to help.  I found myself assisting them with the "scrub down" of the house, while they simultaneously baked 10 loaves of bread.  Mary was invited to join the older children at the Amish school (one room, grades 1-8) for the day.  They have 3 recesses, are "mastered" softball players, and never receive homework.  The ride home, via the pony and cart,  was a blast!  She mumbles something about "transferring."

Now, the Amish women are  insisting on coming to our house to wash my walls and ceilings.  If the house withstands "the shock," I told your father we need to "sell," it will never be that clean again.

Hope this finds you all enjoying the "gifts" of community.  Mr. Hunter and Miss Keim, words cannot "thank you" enough, for providing and supporting our children in this opportunity of growth; and the imprints it will leave on their hearts.

Safe travels.  See you State side!

Grace's Mom

P.S.  The washing machine died.  Please only bring home "clean" clothes.  Mary says you are on laun-dro-mat duty for a long time!

To Leigh

Looks like the fun is continuing! I bet the interactions with the kids and people of the community was really rewarding. Hope you guys take lots of pictures of the donations/kids/school so we can show them to the people back here who were so generous. The luggage should be a bit lighter now!

Have a great trip to Tobacco Caye. Remember to use the sunscreen and your sun-shirt as I bet the sun will be intense! I hope you are taking lots of pictures so we can see your adventures when you return. Hope the bug spray is

We are headed back to Indiana today (it snowed there yesterday!).

Write to us soon.

Much love, Dad and Mom.

Wow!

R u sure tht u hav 64 bug bites? If u do thts bad. Anway glad tht ur having a blast! U looked like u had fun in the waterfalls. Happy to see tht ya'll r luving the food! Remember to bring me back some Belizian dirt if u can or u can get me something else:) Say hi to everyone for me! Remember to take pics! Have a great time everyone! Miss u and T-Boy says hi!


Ur one and only sister,


Mary.

Day 6 in Belize

Day 6 is under way and the kids are busy finishing up our projects at the St. Jude School.  They completed the fence around the garden yesterday so today everyone is focusing on finishing the 2nd picnic table and getting them both painted.  After our work is done our team will have the chance to pass out all of the great things they brought for the kids.  They are so excited to pass their items out and we can't wait to see how happy it makes all of the school kids.

This afternoon we are driving about an hour from Maya Center to visit some Mayan Ruins.  Juan was talking to us a little bit last night about what we would see and our group is very excited to go.  There is a very small percentage of people in the world that will ever see these ruins so we feel pretty honored to be able to visit.  I'm sure we will have some fantastic photos to post next time.

Tonight we have the big task of packing our things up!!  The kids have made themselves at home in their rooms so there is quite a lot of cleaning up and packing to be done.  Tomorrow morning we will have the chance to do a little shopping in Maya Center before we head to Tobacco Caye.  Everyone has enjoyed their time in Maya Center but we are all really looking forward to getting to Tobacco Caye.  Last night when Mr. Hunter told the kids that the trip was half over they all looked shocked and saddened.  They are all having a fabulous time with each other.  Mr. Hunter and I are very proud of them all.  Not once have they complained about the heat or the bugs!  Everyone has remained healthy and applying bug spray and sunscreen has become part of our morning ritual.  It will probably feel weird to come home and not put on bug spray and sunscreen!

Thank you for all of your posts - we read them all together during lunch and it has become one of the kids favorite times of the day!

Miss Keim

Pictures from this morning...

Here are a few pictures of the massive amounts of stuff that the kids brought to give away at the school!!  Mr. Hunter said this is the most that any group has ever brought to donate.  Way to go team!!

From Indi...

Thank you for all the posts! I love hearing from everyone. Belize is sooo amazing, and we are all having the best time! The waterfalls we visit seem like something from a movie, and all of the children at the Maya Center are adorable! It’s so much fun talking to the kids our age, because they like some of the same stuff we do. Guys...I’m getting tan. It’s creepy! and I’m not getting sunburnt at all...its sooo super nice :) on Friday we are leaving for the Keys! I can’t wait to snorkel :) Thanks to everyone who wrote to us. miss you all and I can’t wait to tell everyone about Belize when we get back!

Love, 

Indiana :)

From Erin...

Hey people, It’s Erin! I’ve been having tons of fun. First, I want to ask for an update from my dad. Are Conor and Haley eating? How is Mom’s trip going? Tell her I said hi and I am having a great time. So, here in Belize we are having fun. It’s still hot (not getting any cooler). But, I bet the heat is better than the snow in Indiana. I have loved spending time with the kids at Maya Center. They are so nice; I taught a group of little girls how to play “Honey, I love you.” They were so happy and so was I. We also build and painted a picnic table. I certainly have been spending a lot of time in the classroom and with the kids. (Working is hard! Just kidding, it’s fun.) Tomorrow, we are bringing our gifts to the kids. Also, we are going to see the Mayan ruins. The fun will never stop!

Lots of love and miss you a lot!

Love,

Erin

From Sam...

Hey guys and other people reading this post. Belize is just amazing, even though it’s hot and humid, Belize rocks my socks. Playing soccer with the kids just makes my day. The kids here are so appreciative and respectful. It’s very entertaining teaching a class. The kids are so funny. Tomorrow we’ll be touring the Mayan Ruins. Anyway, thanks to all the parents who blog to us. I enjoy hearing them during lunch. Thanks to all the students who wrote to us. (Claire, Maggie, Amanda, Emily, and Isabela!) I miss you too Isabela and will definitely hang out together over spring break! Im wearing my sun screen but I’m still tan. :) I also love you to alot. Okay, here to mom and dad. Whose in the National Championship? My guess is Butler vs. UCONN. Shelvin Mack vs. Kemba Walker. Go Butler! Last but not least, thanks for giving me this opportunity. I never really thought about what I have. I know I want a lot but after staying here, I’m one lucky kid. Thanks mom and dad. I love you a lot. I miss you guys to. Thanks Carrie for blogging me. Your the only good sister :). I miss you Taylor Mack, David Wayne, and Ryleigh Morgan. I miss you too Sara and Happy Birthday whenever it was. Well talk when I get home Mom. Tell Dad I miss him to and NC is probably cool but not nearly as cool as Belize. I hope to come back one day. Juan is a ninja awesome guide who is the bomb diggity. Sleeping is no problem for me. Only showers. The food again is amazing. So far I’ve seen scorpions, tarantulas, wolf spiders, lizards, and so many birds. I bet you guys get to sleep in, waking up at 6 A.M to roosters for us. Anyway its time to go. I love you a lot. I’m so excited for Tobacco Caye. 

Love Sam

P.S Mom, please re-schedule my orthodontist, my mouth will hurt for the rest of Spring Break.

P.S.S Dad, say Hi to Liam for me

P.S.S.S Blog me again Isabela, Ill call you in Houston, Miss ya, and I love you

From Garrick

Hey people! I’m having a AWESOME time, catching geckos, finding scorpions n’ tarantulas then almost peeing myself when I hold them. Anyway I’m having fun and smellin’ funky (river water makes you smell like fish).

Love to all,

Garrick

From Jeremy...

Hey everyone who is freezing in Indiana and other places not in Belize. we spent a couple of days at the Jaguar Preserve and went on a couple of hikes up a hill. We are now at the Maya Center helping the kids at the school there. We have built a fence in their garden and built a picnic table. We have one more day before we go to the Caye. Mom, Dad and Andrew but mostly Mom because I know you are freaking out - I am still alive and only have one sunburn. As you have seen I have held a tarantula and a scorpion. Here I am a giant and it is more than usual. I really love it here but I still miss you guys. 

Love you all,

Jeremy

From Grace...

Hey everyone!(: I guess it is about time for me to start blogging, I have been having SO much fun that I have done everything BUT blog. I thought it would be a good idea to blog though, just so that my parents know that I am alive (thanks Dad for the post about the picture of Conner, it just happened to be read aloud to everyone at lunch! :P) Belize is AMAZING! Everyone in the village here is so nice! The food is amazing! I think meals are one of the #1 things that people look forward to. Ever since yesterday morning we have been going to the school and working on stuff there. So far we are making two picnic tables for the kids and putting a fence up in the garden. Also, we are playing A LOT of soccer (or futbol as they call it) so that makes this trip all the more worth while. It’s crazy here, because in America, being 5’4 is considered being short, but here, I’m am yet to meet someone who is taller than me! I am starting to realize how Jeremy feels on a regular basis. I am making lots of friends, and plenty of new bug friends! Unfortunately, they like to show up unannounced, resulting in screaming. Later today we are going tubing along the river! The heat here can be fairly hot, so that will be great. I have a total of 64 bug bites on my legs alone, but they don’t seem to itch much, so it’s all good. I have yet to be sunburned, and I hope it remains that way. Mom, Dad, don’t worry I have started to convert to wearing bug spray and sunscreen religiously. Right now, we are staying in Maya Center and are having a great time. Getting up at 6:00 practically every morning, is becoming a regular. I am having a great time, and everyone in the group has become so close. See you next Monday Mom and Dad!

Love,

Grace(:

Conner

Conner, it was great to hear from you.  Sorry it sounds like you're having such a terrible time (ha, ha).  Yes, I'm freaked out that you held a spider.  Can't wait to hear what you do next. See you soon.
Love, Mom

To Madeline...we have creatures!

Hi Maddy,
We are having an adventure here. We found
and caught starfish, hermit crabs and a
baby octopus. We are playing with them in our
room.
There are lots of stingray in the water and
we have to shuffle our feet so we don't get stung.
We are taking pictures for you. Will you take
some for us? We love and miss you. Have fun!

From Blaine, Isabelle and corbin.

Leigh

Hey, Sweetie,
It has been great to read about your adventures.  The pictures are fun, too.  We think about you and the group all the time and wonder what you're up to...we hope you're enjoying every minute of this week.  Aunt Kathy and I went down to Stanford today...the temperature was 80 degrees...a little warmer than Indiana!  I was proud to have helped Sidney with 2nd grade math last evening.

We fly home tomorrow, so we'll miss you from Elkhart.  We look forward to reading the blog.  Have fun and be safe...we love you.

Mom and Dad       

Wagers...

Okay, Garrick, there were two...one had to do with whether or not I'd see a blog post from you, and the other - I can't tell yet.  I'm definitely losing on the first.  Hellooooo?  Thank goodness for Miss Keim and your travelmates, we're thankful for the details they've shared that inquiring minds want to know!  We miss you and think about you all day, enjoy the pictures very much. 

Cookie wants to know when you are coming home.  The catbox is dreadful, and she really appreciates you now!  Ginger and Fat Cat keep looking for you, Brown Cat not so much.  He just wants someone to open a window (it's TOO COLD!).  Coldest final week of March since 1947/1975, the only other years when the temperature for the final week of March hasn't risen over 40 degrees F.  Not much sympathy for any hot weather complaints from this perspective.  It is sunny, however, which is deceptive when you go outside on Sherman's (um, Mary's) March (Across America).  We took Mary with her scooter and Gingervitis to the river walk in Mishawaka, and we saw a fisherman land a beautiful Steelhead, but we were lucky to come home with our ears.  (And all of those bridges are way more than 30 minutes, but that's another issue!) T has now trained Cookie to let him out of both the french doors and the back door.  Naturally, he runs promptly to whichever door he did not exit and paws frantically to come back inside once he realizes it really is still freezing outside.  Discretion causes me to pause further comment on this issue...

Miss you, take pictures, videos, etc.  My hope is that you are so busy thinking about everything you are writing and/or sketching in your book that you have forgotten all about blogging.  If not, you must be thinking you'll write it all for me when you get home.   :-)   Hope you are working as hard as your peers seem to be in the photos.  Good job crew!  We are proud of every one of you!  Thank you, Mr. Hunter and Miss Keim, even though I know those two words cannot convey gratitude enough for all you have done thus far.    Love from everyone at home.

To Little Maddy Moo Moo

Maddy - this is Dad.  from all the blogs and pics it looks like you are all having a wonderful time.  I looked at Tobacco Caye on the internet and it looks fantastic - like Gilligan's Island (do you know what that is??).  I was pleased to see pics of you painting and teaching the young kids their 3R's.  I am leaving tomorrow for Fort Myers.  I will pick you up at O'Hare Monday night.  I am proud of you and so happy you are able to have this experience.  We love you!  Dad

To Sam

Sam

Your turtles are alive.    I am relieved as each night when I checked on them they seem to always be in the same spot.    But today I checked and they had both moved rooms and were together.   And they had finished off last night's dinner of apples, romaine lettuce and chopped carrots.    

Sara and I miss you but are happy you are having such a good time.

Love Mom

To Nicole

How are you?  Looks like everyone's wearing their sunscreen!!!  Sounds like the kids from the school are great!  Juan seems to work very well with all of you!  Make sure you give him a big 'Thank You' from all of the parents @ home.

Well, I changed Thunder & Lightning's water... Thunder is molting... I guess that means he's getting bigger!  Good for him, he was on the smallish side anyway!

How was your float down the river?  Were you able to float a good distance?  Who picked you up at the end?  Were you able to see any interesting flora and fauna while you went?  Crocs?  Tapir?  Did you see any of the Howler Monkeys?  Red eyed tree frogs?  Take any photos?  Take some pics of your 'room'... we'd love to see your stunning accommodations!  How is the 30 sec shower?  Sounds like the garden & picnic benches are making progress.  What will they grow in the garden?  Have you seen any Macaw's?  Kinkajou?

We can't wait to hear more news!  Sending a big 'Hello' to all of your trip-mates!  I'm still jealous!

Ich Liebe Dich!

Mr. Hunter & Miss Keim... How are you two?  Just wanted to drop a note to let you know we are thinking of you as we..  Hopefully all of you are accomplishing what needs to be completed by our group.  Thank you for giving the kids the opportunity to experience such a unique adventure!  I'm sure it's tiring yet rewarding.  Hopefully the village folk enjoyed the kids as much as it seems they enjoy them!  How did the popcorn work out?  Thanks for the posted photos!

Peanut Post V-Message in a Bottle

Forgot in last Post to give you the headz-up on future creature comforts so you gals don't pull a 'lord of the flies' on the guys for having, right now, the premium sleeping quarters. I'm sure the cagey Hunter will have you gals sleeping like beauties and the guys snoozing in the open-air tree houses at the next venue. The guys will have better nite time stories I'm sure, but you gals will have it made-in-the-shade sipping iced lemonade, swinging away on your indoor downy silk hammocks. Always save (and hope) the best for last, Dad.

Madeline

I can't even imagine dealing with mosquitos in light of scraping frost off the car this morning; we might be able to tolerate them for a few days over 40 degrees.  From your posts, we can't decide what seems more interesting-the food or the animals down there.  It must be pretty interesting and fun teaching the 5-6 year olds as well.  We are thinking of you and hope you have a great trip.  Am sure you will have some great stories and better yet, some great recipes when we see you next.

Don & Hannah

PEANUT IV

Okay, got it. It's hot, mosquitos and sun are a constant, you're in the jungle dancing away with Mayan children, eating amazing tropical fruits and have familiarized yourself with the mafia. And you're having a blast!!!

To stay connected with you we've decided to bring our fresh squeezed orange juice and mangoes to the everglades (where it will be hot and mosquitoey - so we'll put on lots of OFF and sunscreen), take in the sarasota ballet (Balanchine),and join a gang (of onlookers watching,at a very great distance, the Seminole Indians wrestle alligators).

And we'll take a pic of us. If we are smiling half as much as you and Maddie, that will be a blast for us. Though THAT's always a pretty tough order without you.

Love and miss you, Dad

To Erin

Hi Erin,
Looks like you and the entire group are having a good time.  Plenty of kid time and plenty of play time.  Haley and I are discussing each day as it goes along comparing you trip with hers.  I can feel the warm air radiating off the pictures.  I am sure you are spending time in the shade.
Life has gotten pretty quite at home since mom and the little girls left for Florida yesterday.  We are looking forward to hearing from you when you return from the mountains and seeing some more pictures.
 Take care  Dad.

Day 5 in Belize

Day 5 in Belize and everyone is doing great!!  We are drinking tons of water, applying lots of sunscreen and lots of bug spray.  After breakfast we headed back to the St. Jude School to continue working on our service projects.  A group got busy burying the posts for the fence while the rest of the kids helped Juan work on the picnic table.  After a little while some of the group went into one of the classrooms to help them prepare for the National Exam they are taking next week.  Our kids jumped right in to help with some math problems and before we knew it they were talking about sports and music.  They couldn't wait until recess to play soccer with them and as soon as the bell rang they were on the field running around.  

After we finish up at the school today we will head back to where we are staying for lunch.  After lunch we are heading back up to Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve to tube down the river.  Everyone is very excited for some much deserved time in the water!  Tonight we will have some time to relax a little bit before our last day at the school tomorrow.  

Everyday goes by a little bit faster than the one before and we are trying to slow down time as much as we can.  The whole team is having a great time and they are getting along really well.  I can't even tell you how much your posts have meant to them!!  We all get together after dinner and read all of the posts together.  We also appreciate all of the classmates that have posted to us from back home!  It's great to know that we are being thought of!  

We will write some more posts this evening and try to get them up tomorrow morning.  Thank you for all of your well wishes and kind words!!  

Love from Belize, 

Miss Keim

A few pictures from Day 5

From Erin...

Hey everybody, it’s Erin. Now we are at Maya Center and it is great! The kids are so nice; I love all of the little kids that I have met. We began to build a picnic bench and fence (I spent a lot of time in the shade). Also, some of us even got to teach in the classroom. The weather is warm but nice. I’m loving everything!  The shrimp farm was awesome; I held two tarantula. Mr. Hunter was so proud (he didn’t. Miss Keim did). Tomorrow, we are going back to the school. It will be another work day of bench and fence building. After that, we will go tubing on a river. After Maya Center, we will head to Tobacco Key. Miss you all and hope to hear from you soon! I’m loving it! 

P.S: I edited Conner’s. His spelling is atrocious! 

From Connor...

Hi people, It’s Conner! Loving the 100 degree heat. Also, I love digging holes and tilling in it. While digging, we found a ginormous spider and our guide Juan picked it up. Juan is the coolest guy ever (next to Mr. Hunter) and he’s a total ninja. We went to the school and all the kids are complete beasts.  Mom, try not to have a heart attack, but I held a spider and it was awesome. Loving every minute I’m here. 

Conner

(Edited by Erin Luck)

From Rowan

Hello all this is Rowan and I am in Belize. It is fun here. Today we went to the St. Jude school to work for our first day. It was really cool because we played with all the kids. A lot of the kids are really cool and they taught us games.We also made parts of a picnic table.  We got to see a lot of wildlife on our trip and I even got to hold a spider. 

From John...

Hey it’s John! I went swimming in a really warm river and held a tarantula. It was pretty interesting. Our rooms are way better than the girls- we have working fans and a huge bed. Hope you are soaking up a bunch of sun on the beaches of Florida! Kelli- thanks for all the posts. Tell Blake and Olivia I said hi if you’re still there and have a good time! love you, miss you. 

From Indi and Maddy...

Hey guys it’s Indi and Maddy! We are having an AMAZING time in Belize! It is soo hot here, but it feels better than the cold weather in South Bend! HAH! Yesterday we left the Jaguar Preserve and came to the Maya Center where we do our service project. We went to the Mayan museum and made tortillas and Indi (me) danced a Mayan dance...(it was a lottt easier than ballet!!) After that, we went to a shrimp farm. We tasted all different kinds of fruits right off the trees that we had never tasted before, and drank coconut juice right out of a coconut!! We found two tarantulas and we held them! We have ALWAYS wanted to do that :) We had the most amazing meal afterwards, with mango juice, shrimp, egg rolls, chicken, beans, watermelon, pineapple, and a lot more! After that we visited the shrimp farms where they feed the shrimp. Then we went to the place we are staying and chose our rooms. Indi and Grace were in one room, and Maddy, Leigh, Nicole, and Erin in the other. The boys got the nicer rooms and we were pretty jealous, and Miss Keim got the Princess Palace (ugh..). Then we played Mafia in the dark and I (Indi) got pretty mad at Rowan and John cause they blamed Mafia on me...and Mr. Hunter was so convinced Mafia was Maddy before she got killed! haha but all in all, it was a pretty awesome day and Belize is sooo amazing. The food is great and we are doing a bunch of stuff that i never thought I’d do!! :) 

Today we woke up and ate breakfast and got dressed really fast so we could work in the St. Jude school before it gets really hot. We got to teach the little 5&6 year olds...they are SOO cute!! The boys wait outside and let the girls go in first to the classrooms...we wish the boys would do that for us instead of poking or tripping us! :/ We painted wood so the termites wouldn’t eat it and it was actually pretty fun because we worked in the shade. The only downside was we forgot to put on our gloves to paint and got it ALL OVER our hands! It was pretty funny trying to get it off :) Then we came back to the Maya Center and ate lunch. Now we are blogging and talking about tattoos and piercings with Miss Keim and John! haha we are LOVING Belize!

From Indi- love you mom and dad! thanks for all the peanut posts...everyones calling me peanut now :) miss you guys lots! Tell Erica I’m stretching down here!!

From Maddy- miss you guys! ill smile bigger in pictures for you! love you lots :)

BYEE! 

Conner

Dear Conner, I love you so much and I want you to come here to the yellow beach house and play with me, and see Gram and Va-Vu.  We are going bowling today.  I miss you. 
Love, Colleen

Better than Reading a Newspaper

Greetings to Jason, Elizabeth, members of class of 2011 (and 2012),

Your posts and pictures are amazing.  Checking out the 'Belize blog'.....what a great way to start a day....Conner, I must say that you look like the member of a highway road crew as you watch Erin and Sam working in the hot sun.  I am sure you were caught taking a (very short) break.  Another picture showed me a teaching technique that really seems to hold the attention of everyone, perhaps I can use it back at SCS.....use a machete to demonstrate a new concept.  After all, you do get more with a smile and a machete than you get with a smile.

If you are not keeping some kind of personal journal (digital or hard copy) do it and you will be glad you did.  If it is not possible to do in Belize because you are so busy, it is a great way to pass the time in an airport or on a plane.

Travel is the best education!

Mr. True

Leigh

It looks like you are having a great time. I hope the weather is good and you are not being eaten by skeeters/bugs/spiders! Is the food good? Beans and rice? I was glad to see you wearing gloves and a hat.

I am up in Napa with Uncle Scott today - pretty sun has replaced the rain.

  

Many thanks to Mr Hunter and Ms. Keim for taking you kids there. Wow, what an undertaking!

BFF - Arrgghhh!!!!

Love, Dad.

Peanut Alert 3

Hi Peanut,
Hopefully you are getting our messages...

Dad and I are doing great even though we miss you. (tear)
We often wonder what you are doing and if you are well.
You know...this is a bit more difficult for us than when you are away at Camp!
We don't get to drop off those treats each day for you and your cabin mates:(

We hope that you are finding the scenery and the culture as amazing as everyone else is. Now that you are on the painting crew (BTW Dad says you look like you have good technique!) give it your best effort so that the garden and the school are as beautiful as possible. Your hard work will certainly be rewarding for you and appreciated by others.

Mostly, I hope that you are taking good care of yourself. Miss Keim says that using the
sunscreen and bug spray have become second nature to all of you and I can see from the pictures that you thankfully have no sunburn:) Please remember to protect your head and eyes with the hat and the sunglasses...okay?

I hope you are taking a lot of photos...and using your journal for drawings and summaries of your days there....I know you will want to use them in your family project ;)

I love you and miss you so very much..Mom

From the Landrys for Grace and Everyone

Dear Grace and Everyone,

You all seem to be doing great.  The place seems beautiful and you all seem to be enjoying yourselves.  That is great to see and hear.

Grace - we have had your favorite for dinner every night:  grilled salmon!  We always have extra so we give that to T-boy and he sends you his regards.  He enjoyed your green beans tonight also.

Did you all get to any shrimp at the shrimp farm? Shrimp Tar-Tar?

By the way, we moved that poster of that ripped guy that you had up in your room.  I think his name is Conner.  Mary wanted it up in her room.  No big deal between sisters, right?!  So in its place, we put up that rolled-up poster you had in your room of another ripped guy.  I think his name is Bruno or something like that.  :)

T-Boy:  how big are the squirrels there?

Mama worked today so she is very tired and says that we have your bedroom door open and it is a good thing that you are out of the country.

In all seriousness, enjoy your trip and remember that you will find yourselves in giving yourselves away in service to others.

Love, Papa

To Nicole

How are you?  Sound like a wonderful experience so far!  Did the Village gifts survive the trip?  I'm sure your duffel is pretty empty now!  Did you get to hold a tarantula too?  Sounds like you are building a garden and picnic benches.  Is that instead of digging the foundation for the library?  How is the heat?  Can you hear all of the insects/animals in the evening?  I'm not sure what that face is in the photo @ the shrimp farm... disgust, fear, heat??  Pretty cool about meeting Grylls guide!  I hope you're taking lots of photos (and writing in your journal).  That was a hint.  What fruit did you like the best?  Have you met the children from the school yet?  Make sure you buy yourself something nice!  Is drinking from the bottle getting any better?  What is the river like?  Do you get to swim in it everyday?  Are your bug nets working out?  Found anything interesting in your shoes yet?

We miss you!  Can't wait to hear about more of your adventures!

Ich Liebe Dich!

To Madeline from Blaine, Isabelle and Corbin

Hi Maddy,
We had a great day at the beach today.
Saw lots of dolphins and found shells,
a HUGE snail and a live starfish. We miss
you and love you. Be safe and take pictures
so we can see what WE will get to do in a few
Years!
Mom and dad are proud of you and all
Your classmates- learning about
and helping others is a great thing!

We love getting the posts and pictures and
look forward to seeing all of you. Do good
and be good. Feel free to blog us back!(hint,
Hint)
Love, Mom, dad and kids

Sam

Sam

We were thrilled to hear from you and that you like the food.    All must be well for you then.    All the insects, spiders, etc must make you very happy.    Please don't bring any home with you.

Looking forward to hearing about your next adventure.    We all  miss you   ---- Ryleigh and Taylor send kisses.

Love Mom

TO Rowan

Hello Rowan.  Did you find a McDonald's?  It looks like an amazing place and and amazing trip.  I hope you are getting to use some of your constructions skills.  Yuu aren't missing anything at home - steak every night with baked potatoes brimming with butter, salad and root beer.  I know you wouldn't like that so we're giving Marty your portion.  Enjoy the trip and UGJ.  Love Dad

The St. Jude School - Maya Center

Day 4 in Belize

Good Morning from Belize!!  It's hard to believe it's already day 4 of our trip.  We have had a busy 4 days and the whole group has been amazing.  Yesterday we left Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve and headed to Maya Center.  We had a wonderful time visiting the Mayan Museum and learning about the Mayan culture.  After the museum we headed to the Shrimp Farm.  The property was amazing!  There were hundreds of different kinds of fruit trees all over the property.  Many of the kids tried fruits they had never had before.  We even drank coconut milk straight from the coconuts that we cut down ourselves.  The lunch we were served was amazing and we were all excited to have ice in our water.  After the shrimp farm we got settled into our rooms at Maya Center and had a some free time.  We took a swim in the river and got cleaned up for dinner.  We had some great team time after dinner learning about our leadership styles.  Bed time seems to be getting earlier and earlier :)

Today we are beginning our service work at the St. Jude School in Maya Center.  Our tasks this year include building two picnic tables and fencing off part of their garden.  As I'm typing this a few of the girls are painting the posts for the fence and the rest of the team is clearing out the garden.  We were able to take a look inside each of the classrooms and see all of the kids.  Our group can't wait to play soccer with them and give them the gifts we brought for them.

Everyone is doing great!!  We are applying sunscreen and bug spray all the time.  No one has gotten sick and everyone seems to be getting good sleep.  The kids really appreciate all of the posts we have been receiving.  They are anxious for me to get back so I can share them all.  We are definitely feeling the love and support from home.  Please know that everyone is great and Mr. Hunter and I are taking great care of them!

We love you all!!

Miss Keim

ROWAN!!!!!

Hi Rowan  that was Fiona and Marty yelling your name.  I bet you heard them from there, yes?  We know you miss them terribly.   We sure miss you.  Don't worry Nobody but Nobody has slept in your bed, touched your things or worn your clothes, ha.
We are off to Philadelphia then NYC.  But know that you are in a much more exciting place.  Good manners.
Love from LaPorte.
One more thing, could you please pack one of those instruments we see you playing on blog.  I think it will fit in your suitcase.
One more thing from MJ.  On the first day God said Let there be Light.  chuck norris said  Say Please.

Adventures at the Shrimp Farm

A few pictures from the Mayan Museum

From Sam...

Hey People! This is Sam. Belize is awesome so far. The second day we hiked about 6 km. Then we swam in an awesome waterfall. On the way there we saw many leaf-cutter ants, birds, spiders, and toads. The food here tastes amazing. We then took a night hike and saw a giant spider in front of us. It’s so hot and humid but I have no sunburn. The third day we took an amazing shrimp tour and ate gourmet food. There were so many fruit trees and it was amazing. I also held two wild tarantulas.

We are at Maya Center. At this moment I’m eating eggs, sausage, and biscuits. We are going to work now so I cant talk. I’ll blog on a later date if I can. I miss you Mom and Dad and we’ll talk when I get home. I miss you Fishy a lot. I love you too!! I promise to hang out with you on spring break!! I also miss you Ryleigh and David!!. And all of my sisters. Happy Birthday Sara! I can’t remember if you 15 or 16. Sorry! I also say it every hour. :) Belize is amazing and someday I want to come back. I also bought a hammock.

I love all of you

-Sam 

From Nicole...

Hey guys!! We’ve had a great time so far! After we got here, we hung out at the Jaguar Preserve. It’s really pretty. I’ve heard howler monkeys and lots of birds. On the second day, we took a hike right after breakfast. It was three hills to 1,500. It was hard, but we were rewarded with a fun swim in the waterfalls. It was nice to cool off. I learned that Juan was one of Bear Grylls’ guides when he was in Belize. The way back was nice because it was mostly downhill. Then, during the hottest part of the day, we just laid around and played Twister. That night, we took a night hike. Even though there were lots of spiders, we also saw some cool beetles, a tree frog, and heard twigs snapping. We slept really well that night. Yesterday, we packed up and went to the Mayan Museum. We made corn tortillas, learned about how the Mayans lived, and played Mayan instruments. Then we went to a shrimp farm where they also grow fruit. I tried a lot of new fruits. We also found two tarantulas. After lunch, we saw the shrimp. We came back, and after a while, we took a swim in the river. After dinner, we played Mafia and went to bed. Right now, I’m just eating breakfast.

Love you guys, miss you guys!

Nicole

Garrick - It's Gingervitis!

Hey Garrick - just checking in to let you know we're thinking of you.  Mary has us on a forced "March Across America", er, I mean, "Walk Across America" for Miss Mac/Mr. Clyne.  She decided dog walks were boring, so we got out Ginger's old training collar with the bell.  Voila!  Senior citizen dog becomes puppy in an instant.  Took her to the woods with the whistle, and with one blast she turned on a dime and came back to us.  Unfortunately, she had too much time to think on the run back and decided she could invoke her seniority and did a quick fake to the left and dove into the bunny bush.  The way she turned, though, you would have been proud, she definitely remembers her training.  Choosing to follow it, now that's another story!  I'm not sure how long Walk Across America lasts, but we'll see who is more fit at the end, me or the dog...if I have to keep chasing her, it may be a draw.

To the Group, Mr. Hunter, and Miss Keim - I hope from the length and frequency of posts from home to the group you all realize how highly esteemed and deeply loved you are by your friends and family.  Everyone here that knows or hears about your trip wishes you well and sends warm thoughts & prayers for a fun, safe and meaningful experience.  We are on the edge of our seats waiting for those blogs & photos from your end so we might live vicariously through your words and eyes.  Each of you has a unique voice and perspective to share, and we look forward to learning from your point of view. 

Warmly - Mary & Mom

Buenos Dias Maddy!

How's The Trip....You are having to much fun to be in school. Sent a message to you last night. You have to find it.... It's attached to your families post. I need to go back to SCHOOL. Do they have Blogging 101?
I ....Really.... Really....Really...Hope you see this message.

Miss Ya! 

Auntie Claire and Cuz Hannah

love you john

Hey John.
    Heading off to surprise Blake and Olivia today.  Weather not so good here but still enjoying ourselves.  Hope to see more pictures and missing you a lot. MOM -----John I hope you are have a great time because we miss you very much. Aunie------ Hey John its Kelli guess what we saw dolpins every day so far   i thought   it was a shark but mom told me it was a dolphin any way love yah Kelli

To Nicole

How are you?  We are anxiously awaiting new photographs and blogs from you and your travel-mates!  We are thinking of you often and hoping that you are relishing all of your new experiences!  The waterfall photo is fabulous!  Wish I was there!!  Could you slide from the top of the fall into the pool??  How's sleeping with the bugs/heat?  Are your host families as tall as me??  We can't wait to hear from you!

Ich Liebe Dich!

Love Ya!

Mama and Daddy

Mr. Hunter & Miss Keim... how are you holding out?  We hope all is well with you and that you are enjoying this year's experience as well.

Greetings to Leigh

Hey, Sweetie...
All the sea lions on Pier 39 waved a flipper today and barked at us, asking where Leigh was.  They were disappointed not to see you.  The sun has finally come out in San Fran.  Caroline is at a formal dance tonight--she looked beautiful. We miss you but we know you are having an amazing trip.

Write when you have a chance. we are enjoying reading about your adventures.

Lots of love,
Mom and Dad

From Amanda (again)

Forgot Mr. Hunter and Miss Keim! Mr. Hunter, I hope that everybodys having fun and everybodys not like totally spazzing. Miss Keim, No North Philly... Oh well... But anyway Have a great time!

From Amanda

Omg guys i hope ur having an amazing time and everything, while Im sitting here, at home, with no life, you know, the usual. Anyway. You go have fun, all the while knowing im bored as heck. Remember: Stay Alert! The world needs more lerts! okay. Im getting off track here. Erin, eh, Nicole, *spaz*, Conner, I hope u see a mutant alligator, Grace, dont get excited about peewee games, Leigh, Did u bring chompy? Maddy, I hope the zombie leaders not mad ur gone! John, hope ur having fun! Jeremy, Have a great time, Sam, I hope ur okay without ur xbox, jk jk, dont do something stupid please! Garreck, sorry if i spelled ur name wrong, but I hope ur not feeling to left out with all the eighth graders. Indi, have u seen any bananas :)? Rowan, I hope the accident isnt bringing back flashbacks.

From Claire Again

Sorry, I just realized I forgot to write a message for Mr. Hunter and Miss Keim. Ok here they are:
Mr. Hunter: I hope you are having a great time in Belize!! It is so nice of you to take 12 kids on this trip! I hope you have an AMAZING week and get a lot of stuff done!! Enjoy the trip!!
Miss Keim: I hope you are also having a wonderful trip!! The pictures look like everyone is enjoying themselves!! Thank you for going on the trip to supervise the students! It is so nice of you!! Have a great trip!!

Sorry again, Mr. Hunter and Miss Keim!! Have a fantastic time!!
Sincerely,
Claire Migliore

Hi Nicole

We love the pictures - they look great - the waterfall looked so inviting - AHHHHHHHH!  So much better then the weather here.  It looks as though you all are having alot of fun! Good for you and everyone else!  Can't wait to see all the pictures - take lots of them for us.  We will continue to watch and read the updates!


Love Uncle Bobby and Aunt Debbie.

From Claire :)

Hey everyone!! 

I hope you are having an amazing time!! I miss all of you!!! It looks like you are having a great time, and I'm so glad you guys get to spend your spring break in Belize!! That's so fun! I hope you have a great rest of your trip! Be sure to take a bunch of pictures!! 

Love, Claire :)

I'm going to write a message to each person:

Maddy: I hope you're having a lot of fun!! I have to tell you that I told my sister about the guitar under the blanket thing and she like died of laughter! :) I hope you enjoy the rest of the trip! It looks like so much fun!!

Nicole: Hey Prudz! I hope you are having a blastt!!! I have to tell you that my grandma was driving and a squirrel crossed the road and she shouted "SQUIRREL!!" I had to tell you that before I forgot. Haha. Ok have an amazing rest of the week!

Erin: Mittens!! I hope your trip is going great!! The pictures look amazing and I liked your post thingy. You are amazinggggg!!!! When you get home, make sure to call me and tell me all about your trip!!

Leigh: I hope everything is going well! I'm so jealous of you guys--it's like 35 degrees here right now! :( Haha. I hope you are having a bunch of fun! Have a great time! Be sure to tell me all about it!!

Grace: Hey Bass Grace!! I hope everything is going great! When you come back, Maddy, Nicole, you, and me are playing cards during study hall again. :)  Haha ok well I hope you have a great week!!

Indi: I hope you are having a bunch of fun!! You are so amazing! I hope you have a great week in Belize!!! Take a bunch of pictures for me :)

Conner: I hope you have lots of fun!!! When's your birthday? July schhhh-19?? Haha I just remembered that. Anyway I hope your week goes well, and have fun!

Rowan: I hope you are having tons of fun in Belize!! I miss the "HA" thing (Maggie reminded me of that...haha). It makes me laugh. :D Ok well I hope your week is amazing!!

John: I hope your week is going well!! It looks like a bunch of fun! Have an amazingg time!!

Jeremy: I hope everything is amazing!! I'm sure you guys have a bunch of activities planned for the week that are going to be so much fun! Enjoy the trip!

Sam: I hope your week is going well! I hope your trip is a bunch of fun! You'll have to tell me about it when you come back.

Garrick: I hope you have a bunch of fun in Belize! It looks amazing! Enjoy being the only 7th grader going on the trip!!

Sorry I sort of repeated things in that...anyway I hope you have a GREAT spring break!! I miss you guys!! Take a bunch of pictures!!!

Enjoy the trip!!!

Love,

Claire :)

haha Hey!!! from Emily

Heyyy you guys!!!! yup ur in a foreign country and im not. I hope you all are having fun and that none of u guys are living the reality of mrs. smiths weird snake story. So i love you guys so much and i am going to write something to all of you, so here goes:

Indi- i still love ur gingerly hair, and i thought u were invisible in the pictures, lol

Maddy- I love ur lifeguard bathing suit!! and we r blond buddies so thats awesome!!!

Leigh- ahhh leigh, im glad i put u down as a roomie for D.C. and also when u come home we still need to      have that toy story 3 party!!

Erin- I hope u are singing lots of songs for those children in belieze!!!! make them smile with ur awesome voice!!!

Nicole- i miss my sister in the play!!!!! hahaha i still wish i culd sleep on ur pillow butt!!

Grace- Grace thats a bible *beep* name!!!! hehehe god i miss u a ton!!! and also, isk but ya ur awesome!!

Conner- ahhhh i laughed when i saw ur first pic, i am only saying this cause im ur sister!! and dued if i babysit colleen im going to make sure she puts pudding in ur bed tehe :)

Sam- i dont miss u stroking my leg in english, but i miss u still. Ur still awesome no matter what. and i love ur random boxes of cheese its that u bring to school.

John- ahh John, i miss having u txt me wanting to know something for English, haha and John ur an awesome captain buddy, even though u didnt help with the laundry 

Jeremy- Jeremy!!!!! check ur facebook right when u get home!!!! I love u bunches!!!! ur my favorite tall person!!!!!!!!!! hehe I miss u lots!!!

Garrick- i love ur hat!! awesome for being the only 7th grader!!!

Rowan- oh god Rowan, ur just amazing. even though u stink at txting haha. Rowan i love how u hate ur blue house with a pink door even though i love it sooooo much!!! also, when u come back, we are so going paint balling again and i will destroy u this time :) and ya ur mom is amazing and so is the rest of ur family. and when u get homeu have to call ur mommy and tell her i love her.

Miss Kiem- sorry if i spelled ur las name wrong!!!! i love u a lot!! cooper says hi and he misses u!!!! and he is telling me alll about bald eagles (and so is cassum)

Mr. Hunter- Ur still the best History teacher ever and the best king of Hunteropolis!!! i miss history class!!! so ya!!

Alright so im done now!! nobody be offended that i wrote more for rowan lol

Love u all bunches!!!!!

Emily the Beachly Beast!!!

<3

to Miss K and Mr Hunter from Maggie(:

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOMEE.
and its pretty amazing that you take these 12 TROUBLE-MAKING kids to a foreign country.
wow. i admire you both for that.
Anyways, i miss you both! i cant wait to see you in 2 weeks when you get back! (if your alive) hahaha.
From,
Maggieee :)

FROM MAGGIEE(:

hey everyone! i miss you all SO MUCHH. i hope you are having a blasttt in belize! right now, i am at science olympiad, which is the reason why i'm not in belize with you all right now. :( tell everyone i miss them dearly! tell sam i will destroy his facebook wall, tell grace to call me right when you land, tell erin TO SINGGG, tell nicole i like her sweatpants, tell maddy that her lifeguard bathing suit is very stylish, tell leigh to be loud for me, tell indi that we are going to the pooool on the first day its open!, tell conner that i love him ALOT, tell john that im jealous of how tan he is, tell jeremy that he should shrink, tell rowan that I MISS MY TWINN, and tell garrick that i like his hat! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCHHH <3
i cant wait til you come backk! tell me ALL about it!
love always,
MAGGIE :)

Don't forget the bird eating tarantulas

Elizabeth - I am so proud of you.  Know that you are having a blast.  The kids all look happy and you look like it might be a little warm down there for a fair skinned red-head!!!
Enjoy - sorry I missed your call.
Love you,
Dad

What an adventure!

To all intrepid travelers in Belize,

Thank you for all the updates and pictures.  What a story!  I am pretty sure that I have lived my whole life without ever seeing my name and the word "jaguar" in the same sentence.  You should all be very proud of your willingness to live outside your "comfort zone" and to help others in need.  Until reading about your travels I thought "roughing it" was a hotel room without cable.

Keep up the high spirits and the blog posts.

Mr. True

Conner

Conner, hope you're having fun.  Just wanted you to know we were thinking of you.  It's cold in NC.  Wish we could have some of your warm weather.  Be safe and enjoy. Love, Mom, Dad, and Colleen.

Peanut Alert II

Can't wait to hear about your monkeying around with the jaguars last nite! We will be watching the much less exotic tigers and orioles today...after sitting at your savory st cafe table. We miss you and love you. Mom&Dad

Hike in the Mountains

Sam

Beautiful view from the top (photo on the hike).  Looks like its hot (sweat on the foreheads).  Butler beat Florida in overtime.  The bulldogs made to the final four.  Butler, UConn, VCU(beat Kansas) and Kentucky.

Liam is very cool.  Today is day one of Mr Mom.
Love
Dad

To Sam

Sam,

Happy to hear that you are doing well.  From the pictures, it looks like you are having a great time.  I am jealous too!  Wish I could be there with you.  Lots of hugs and kisses from your neices and nephew.  They miss you!  Love you - Your big sis Carrie

Sam

Sam

Dad made it to NC and is happily taking care of Liam.    Sara and I miss you a lot.   We have feed the turtles and they seem to miss you too.    Hope you continue to have lots of fun.    Love Mom

To Leigh

Looks like you're having fun! Enjoy everything. Use the "non-DEET" spray, it is less toxic to nail polish/etc and just as effective.

Rain all day in CA.

We miss you lots and wish we were there too.

Flat Stanley and Susanna are here and say hello (Sidney too)!

Keep up the reports/journaling - everyone loves it.

Love, Mom and Dad.

To Nicole

You're adventure has begun!  We miss you... but it looks like you're having a great time - maybe a little tired!  Why doesn't Erin look tired???  By now you would have completed your night hike.  Was it what you expected?  We were so glad to see some photographs!  Hopefully we'll see some more of you and your trip-mates soon!

We love you!

Ich Liebe Dich!

Lalalalalala

Go Irish Hockey!

Notre Dame 2, New Hampshire 1 

On to Frozen Four! 

To Sam From Bela

I miss you insanely bad! Oh my goodness tell Erin and Leigh that I adore them and their beautiful descriptive writing in their blogs <3 ha... (Oh btw..Mr.Hunter!~ I saw Lakin today (: and gave her a butterfly necklace) Sam, so far what I've read about Belize seems absolutely amazing! I'm completely jealous and hope you are loving it- don't miss your mom and dad to much(; Okay what else... hmm I know you'll shower because you do like 20 times a day at your house... ummm wear sun screen! I don't care if you've never been sun burned before! You will in Belize, it's like freakishly hot there I've heard. Okay now read this to everyone and tell everybody I miss them and love them. Tell Erin I miss her beautiful voice and to sing to the Mayan kids... Tell Garik that he has an amazing mother who I adore and that she probably misses him, so blog her and that I love his bandana hehe.... Tell Rowan I'm really excited for yoga in gym with his mom to smile and have fun and that I love my little English buddy(;...... Tell Conner to do great things there and that I love him dearly.... Tell Grace I miss her! And tell her to play guitar there!.... Tell Jeremy to set up a basketball game haha and show them his cool shoes(: ....... Tell Leigh she is sooo talented and to just keep being amazing and tell her I love her...... Tell Indi she is gorgeous even during a long hike and to teach the little girls some beautiful ballet moves lol....... Tell Nicole I love her and miss her funny stories a ton...... Tell Maddy that so many little girls probably love her there and that I miss her pretty face..... Tell John I love him dearly and that I hope to God he didn't bring any secret stashes of Monster (; haha miss u johnny! Okay I'll shut up now.... Okay well bye Khan Lon I love you very much and hope you make the best of every moment you have with the awesome opportunity.

<3 Bela

P.S.- We are hanging out when you get back.
P.S.S.- Wear sun screen!
P.S.S.S.- Have a breath taking time! I <3 U

Our Happy Camper...

Erin - We are loving the pictures of your smiling face in Belize!  Sounds like the trip is going well!  We sure could use a little of the Belize warmth and sunshine here in Indiana.  The girls and I did our annual Spring closet cleaning today.  Dosie and Boo were in their closet for two hours!  Boo still can't give up pink softy - maybe next year!  We miss you and we sure are looking forward to hearing about all your adventures!  Howdy to all!
Mom and Dad

tonight's gonna be a good night

If Jeremy ever sees this, VCU beat Kansas by 10!
Your little brother Andrew :)

Tigers looking for Jaguars...

Really excited and happy you are down there, glad to see you enjoying the heat of Belize and the cool water in the waterfall.  Great food?  Can we complain about warmed over pizza here or not?  How about little sister American Girl Doll sleep-overs?  More pictures!  Thank you, Miss Keim and Leigh for your posts...love to all...


p.s. Correction for Garrick:  Cassandra, not Mary is moving into your room.  Won't she be surprised when she can't find the ps3.  Smart move!  Also, some things never change, T is trying to dig his way through the french doors...wish you were here...in, out, in...can't make up his mind...driving me bonkers!

Madeline...We Miss You!!

Hi everyone! Thanks for the pictures-it's good to
see you all.  Looks like your having a great time.
Please take lots of pictures and video Madeline.
We are anxious to see all that you are experiencing.

If anyone, like me, can only see 1/4 of the posted photo,
click on it, and the entire photo will appear.

The Fultons

Peanut Alert

Hi Peanut!
We r thinking of u & all of your Blize buddies.
Keep your ears,eyes & heart open.
Love,Mom&Dad

A couple pictures...

To Jeremy

Hi Jeremy
Glad to hear you arrived safely. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures. Don't forget to take pictures.
Mom, Dad, and Andrew

From Erin

Hey Mom, Dad, and siblings,

I am having such a GREAT time. I hope things are going well at home. Girls, make sure you have tons of fun in Florida. I miss you all a lot! 

So, we have done a lot of exciting things! We did a hard, but super fun, hike, swam in a waterfall, and played lots of games. Down time is fun: we have thrown footballs and played twister. I even played Uno with Nicole and Mr. Hunter(didn’t win)!

We are currently at the Jaguar Preserve. It is certainly a lot warmer than Indiana! The cabins remind me so much of Tannadoonah! Our bus driver Juan is awesome! The scenery is so beautiful. 

I am having so much fun and I miss you a lot! All my friends and I are having a great time. It is one big camping trip! I will definitely blog again soon. Love ya!

-Erin

From Leigh

Hey guys :) We are having such a great time in BELIZE!!! woop woop :D Yesterday’s plane rides were hilarious....tons of fun :) Anyway, we got to Belize and it was sooooo hot!!!! (in a good way, though) The bus ride was really cool, and Juan is awesome! Oh, and the food is really good. And then we got to sit in the hammocks for a while, and ours broke, and there was this really cute puppy. And then we all got to our rooms after more driving, and they’re actually pretty cool. Except for I couldn’t figure out my mosquito net so I just kinda slept with it wrapped around me. It actually worked, except I still got a couple bites. I’m also using deet religiously. And it apparently also takes off nail polish. Dinner was yummy and we all hung out afterwards. It was good to have a cold shower, even though we found a couple of huge spiders in the bathroom. The birds and monkeys are pretty loud outside our rooms, but it’s kinda cool. Then we all got up and hung out and then we had breakfast. Then we went on this awesome hike- the jungle was AMAZING! Ahhhh! After a long hike (exhausting but super fun) we went swimming in two different waterfalls. They were so cool- and the water was really cold. We swam and laughed and had such a great time. Anyway, we hiked back and had lunch and then we all just hung out and played football and twister and frisbee for a while....it was really hot but we all had fun just hanging in the shade. And...now we’re blogging! Yayyyyyyy :) Mom and Dad- miss you and love you lots <3 Hope you’re having fun in California, because I’m loving it here. For everybody else....love you too <3 Ok byeeeee :D

Leigh :)