I am going to Virginia

At the end of July, Monika's good friend Becky from Gymnastic was moving to Virginia.

Becky's family told us that they would love to have us visit.

Budget wise, I knew it wouldn't happen (if happen) for years down the road as it would be very exspensive for all of us to go.

Monika said, I am going and started to plan.

She started to put most of her allowance in a Envelope and had me hide it so she wouldn't spend it.

When Thanksgiving started to get closer, Monika gave us her Christmas list.

1. Money for Virginia

2. Pickles, she is a pickle lover

3. a crank flashlight so she won't waste batteries as she likes to play with it at night.

I notified everyone that gives gifts to Monika of her wish list.  The flashlights were going to be from her Dad and I, so that left pickles and money.

As I written in the previous post about an Angel giving money towards her trip, she also gotten money from her Godfather, her dad's side of the family and Dave and I.  She was close when we went up to my parents to celebrate Christmas.  I knew what my sister and bother family along with my parents were giving her.  She was going to have enough to go.

We decided to surprise her after the gift opening.

 First Monika was given her money evelope to put all the money she just received in there.  Jenny then handed her a note saying "you need to hand your greens and silvers to mom"  She figured it out right away what Greens and Silver were.  She handed the envelope to me and in exchange I gave her this.

 She hasn't seen this book yet.  I made this book of the going away party that we had for Becky in July.  The girls on the front of the book were at this party.

She turned to the first page and started to read what I wrote

A piece a paper fell out of the book

 Koudai had drawn the picture of a plane and we wrote the dates that she was going to Virginia

Monika just figuring out that she is going

 She was very excited.  She was jumping up and down and get teary eye.  She thanked everyone.

 

video of her finding out she is going.  This was taken by my nephew.  Dave also recorded on my phone but it didn't turn out as nice.

 

Another surprise came that I didn't even know about.  We had decided that she was going to have to have an escort as we weren't comfortable having her fly alone and try to make sure she didn't get lost or anything. 

After Monika open this gift and found out she was going, my dad asked my mom if she wanted to go on a trip with Monika.  My mom said yes.

I asked Becky's parents if she could come and they said yes.  Now my mom and Monika are planning to go longer then originally and stop in DC too.

 

I am very proud of Monika, she usually spends her money as fast as she gets it, and since August, she put at least 1/2 or more of her allowance away for this trip.  I am also grateful for my dad surprising my mom and Monika with her going too.

God is great