Camp Sunshine

So I am a little late on updating our blog, but in mid-July we had the incredible gift of attending Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine for a week. Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org) is a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, providing support and respite for a week! Every two years, one week during the summer is dedicated to Diamond-Blackfan Anemia. From the time Bailey was diagnosed and we got connected with the DBA community, we have been looking forward to our week at camp. It was well worth the wait!!! We spent the week connecting with other families and learning more about DBA. The 10 hour road trip was LONG, but the week at camp flew by. We are already looking forward to Camp Sunshine again in 2012!

Here are some pictures from our week. It was hard uploading them in the right order but I tried my best....

Our welcome, after the long drive...

With the Buckmasters-Jacob & Scarlett

Ben playing a little soccer with some other campers, Bailey got to cheer him on

We spent a lot of time on the playground...

Team building games with other parents & adults with DBA, and the winner was Kathy Bell

Bailey LOVED checking out the bunkbeds in our room

Arriving at camp, Bailey entered through the "little" door...she'll get to go

through the bigger doors as she gets older

Getting some lobster in town with Scarlett & Jacob and the

Garretts-Lindsay, James, & James Thomas

Bailey getting some hugs from Kylie Jae & Eran

Dr. Alter (from NIH) spent time at camp helping us learn more about DBA research and the genetics surrounding bone marrow failure syndromes

Lizzie Bell, Andie, and other DBA friends

Lizzie is currently preparing for a bone marrow transplant & is in need of a match. Please consider joining the bone marrow registry! Ask me if you want more information! You may remember Lizzie's name from The Extreme Makeover Home Edition. http://www.kvoa.com/news/catching-up-with-lizzie-bell/

The Garretts! We'll be planning a trip to Texas sometime in the future b/c we loved meeting them and who wouldn't want to visit TX! God blessed it afterall, right?

Our family pose in front of the fountain

Bailey's little sweet friend Maggie

Tommie and me at our dinner, right before Ben took the stage for karaoke

(I'm still waiting to get ahold of that video!)

Some fun time in the lake...she really was having fun...

not sure about the look on her face

In town in Naples, ME after our lobster lunch

Need I say more????

The DBA bookshelf painted & hand-printed that week and

made for the library at Camp Sunshine

Bailey Bean and Lola

Bailey and one of the camp volunteers Maureen

Sailing her wish boat...