Coming Soon

I am trying to get day 4 posted. It takes a while to go through the pics, choose which ones I am going to post, edit, crop, and compress, and then upload them. Plus I have been spending way too much time with my wireless guitar hero guitar.

The People have spoken.

At least that is what I told Rick when we were discussing the price of the Sea World photos. In true Rick fashion, with his Southern Manness and his MANwiches, he said all in one breath, "The people can't tell us what to do, What did they say?" And then we discussed the benefits of asking complete strangers for advice. (I did post the question in more than one place.) So we both agreed with 'The People', and $68.39 later, in 4 to 6 weeks we will be receiving 10 pictures on a CD. Plus one print. They asked me what print I wanted, and because I couldn't see the thumbnails very well, I asked them to choose the one that had the boy in the grey hoodie looking the happiest.

Also, you're not fooling me honey. You might drink the beer, but I know you prefer the girly drinks when I break out the blender.

Woo-Hoo!!! (I hope)

Guess What?


Sea World found our pics! Well, they found 10 of them. I know that there were more, but oh-well. They are very expensive, $60 for a CD with the 10 pics, plus S&H. Also, I can't see them very well because they sent little bittie thumbnails to preview. But, I think we should get them. This experience just meant so much to us. What do you guys think?

Make-A-Wish trip, Day 3, Part 2

Dear People,
So I don't know about you, but my computer is getting really slow to load with all of these pictures. I have decided to compress the pics. The good news is that the page should load faster. The bad news is that some family and friends are saving these pics, and although they should look fine compressed on the webpage, they wont look that great when you use them for anything else (Mom). So if you are reading this, and would like to use the pics, just e-mail me what picture(s) you would like, and I will send it(them) to you in their original size. The pictures I have already uploaded to this point are in their original format.

Thanks,

Heidi


Day 3, Part 2

So after our Dolphin Encounter, and my break-down of tears of joy, we had to wash our hands of the lovely smell of the fish we were feeding to the dolphins. Well, they did. I didn't, because I was taking pictures the whole time. Don't worry though, I did take time out of my picture taking to take advantage of our amazing opportunity and pet the dolphins. I just didn't touch the nasty stinky fish.

From there, we went to check out the manatees. This was Kyley's special thing, she actually has manatee posters in her room, and they have a special place in her heart. We all have a lot of pics of the manatees, and there is really no need to post them all here, but I will show you some of my favorites.



Just to show how close we were



I like this picture of the boys, and their reflections



Three of my 4 favorite guys. Yes Rick is looking at his phone, but that is because he was taking pictures with it. He did an incredible job of leaving business in North Carolina during this trip. He was completely child-focused, and as the boss, I know how hard that must have been.



Apparently I am not the best map reader, plus Sea World's map is a bit hard to navigate. We waited for the Shamu show for an hour, only to find out that the show we were watching was not Shamu at all. Actually, that sounds worse than it was, because I am the only one who waited for the show. The kids and Rick took the opportunity to finally spend some of their money in the gift-shops. Plus, I was glad for the wait. I took advantage of Andrew's wheelchair, and just sat. After the continuos running of the last 3 days, it was nice. Turns out that it is a good thing that I am a bad navigator, because we saw an amazing show that we may not have seen if we had been in the right place. It was called "Blue Horizons", and starred (very cool after the morning we had) dolphins.






After the show, we were hungry. Those of you who know us well, know that Kyley and I enjoy healthier foods, while the rest of the family likes, well, junk. Sea World offers both, so we seperated. Unfortunately, we then spent an hour trying to find the others, and poor Rick had SIX by himself. But this was a good lesson, and we didn't seperate again during the whole trip, except for the times the boys were not big enough to ride.

After lunch, we went looking for the real Shamu show. We were hoping to get there early, and try to explain that this was Andrew's wish, Sea World not disney, in hopes that he would be chosen as the kid. But, because of my mess-up with the stadiums, and spending so much time at the wrong one, we got in with just enough time to get good seats. We all loved it!







Now for some rides. The Polar Express Experience at Sea World was cool, but we had been spoiled by the amazing 3 and 4-D adventures at Universal Studios, so the kids rated it pretty low. Also, we didn't get to see any polar bears, they were hiding.



On the other hand, the Journey to Atlantis ride was very highly rated for the kids. One of their favorites of the whole trip.





There were some kiddie-type rides, and because of the silly guilt Rick and I had about the whole line-jumping thing, only the younger kids rode these. It just seemed nicer for us to say to the ride-operator 3 or 4 than it was to say yes NINE of us want to be put on the ride in front of everyone who has been standing here for an hour. It was a silly guilt thing, and I know that without the line-hopping we would not have been able to do even half of what we did, and we know that this may have been Andrew's only trip to the Orlando attractions, so I am forever greatful that we had it.

Anyway, there was a lot more that we could have done at Sea-World. We were all dying to get back to Universal Studios, so we bowed out after making sure we did the shark exhibit. Our excitement and big rush to get back to Universal is also the reason that we didn't stop to view/purchase our professional dolphin encounter pics. I am still waiting to here back from Sea World about those.

So when we got over to Universal, after using the van as a changing room, (Some of us, me and Josh especially, were soaked after the Atlantis ride) we went crazy. I did not take a lot of pics of our final evening at Universal, mainly because I was like the kids, loving every minute of it. Who can be bothered with taking pictures in this amazing place?

I will just reiterate that Universal Studios was INCREDIBLE the rides were better than Disney, and they were so great with our VIP pass. We were able to jump on all the rides without any wait, ride them as many times as we wanted, and it was not obvious, they back-doored us. WE LOVE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!!!



We laughed, we played, we skipped and jumped. There is a reason Day 3 was so special for us. We were just all in the best of moods, and soaking in every second of it.

A funny story about this Jimmy Neutron ride, by the time we got on it, we had been riding so much, with no waiting, that we were actually super comfortable on the rides. They were becoming second nature to us, and when this ride broke out into a 4-D chicken dance, complete with throwing us all around, while other people on the ride were holding on for dear life, I looked over at Brooke, and then Kyley, and saw that the three of us were totally chicken dancing. We weren't riding the rides, we were living them!



So I'm not going into all of them, but the best rides according to our kids are The Simpsons, and Revenge of the Mummy





We had already decided that we were going to make it a late night, and not be back in time to have dinner at the village, so when the park closed, we spent some time at City Walk. It was crowded, it was neon, and it was exciting.







We got back to the village in time to order pizza. Yes, they also have free pizza delivery, until 10:30 every night, which they deliver to your villa. A few of the kids actually fell asleep on the way back to the villa. Good thing we ate a late lunch. But the ones that were awake for the pizza, all said it was the best they had ever had.

Also, might as well mention it now, The village is a gated community, and you have to be approved for entry to the gate, so when we got back every evening, we had to be buzzed in, and state who we were. It was always so cool to here "Welcome home McQueen's!" or "Yipee, so glad you're home!" Give Kids The World truly had every little detail covered. Amazing.

Make-A-Wish trip Day 3

Possibly the best day of our trip? Certainly the day that made me cry with the incredible awe of what we were experiencing, and how this was something we would never experience again.

Before I start this post, let me tell you my regret of the whole trip. I know that we had a trip of a lifetime, and we handled it well. I know in my heart that we did everything we could possibly do in the time alloted to us, and that there will never be a "wish I would have done this" moment. That said, I do have a regret on day 3. What turned out to be the experience of a lifetime was photographed by the pros at Sea World, and we did not go to the photobooth to view or purchase the pics. I have since contacted Sea World, and they are looking for our pics, and there is a possibility that they haven't been deleted, so keep your fingers crossed for us. In the mean-time, I took my own pics that day, and of course I will share them with you.

Day 3

We had decided that because Sea World was Andrew's main wish, we would set our alarm for this day, get up early, and be there when the doors opened. So some pics of the Gingerbread house, empty. Every other time we went in here, this place was packed.




This place, as you can see, is absolutely incredible. You can barely see it, but in the left-hand corner here is a white player-piano. It plays itself for lovely ambiance while you are eating. lol.




So you can't really see it in this pic, but in these tables are thousands of peppermints, yes, they are real. Also, I don't know if I have mentioned it, but all tables and chairs at GKTW are child-sized. Not baby sized, where they would be uncomfortable to sit in, but child-sized, so that adults look quite funny sitting in them.



After breakfast, we excitedly headed out to Sea World.



Just as we planned, we were there waiting when the gates opened. First up, the Stingray Lagoon, where the kids got to pet the Stingrays.

Now, onto what I consider the highlight of the whole trip. What I am hoping Sea World will find pictures of. Bare with me as I post these pictures that you may or may not find as amazing as we do. I took a lot of pics, and I am so glad that I did.



Our Dolphin Encounter!!! Thank-you Sea World. Thank-you Give Kids The World. Thank-you Make-A-Wish Foundation!
























This is where I cry. I hid my face in Rick's shirt and just bawled. I had to hide myself from the crowd that had gathered to watch our experience. Throughout the whole trip I saw it. The question marks in people's faces, the anger, the disgust as we cut in line for rides, to meet characters, and got the VIP treatment everywhere we went. What the people just didn't understand, what they couldn't comprehend, is how difficult it has been for these kids. ALL of them. How so many nights we have held eachother and cried not knowing whether or not we would have a son, a brother tomorrow. How Rick's girls had to leave the only home they had ever known and move in with me when Rick and Andrew went to the hospital. Their young lives turned upside down, scared, lonely, sad. They lost their brother, their Dad. As it was, they had already lost their Mom. How my kids had to suddenly accept this whole new family, share their rooms, their Mom, and adjust to me not being able to give them what I always had.

Our kids have spent so much of their lives without us, and not just physically while we are at Drs. appointments, or living in hospitals, but emotionally, when we are so scared and confused ourselves that we simply cannot provide the attention, the love, the peace that so many take for granted.

And poor Andrew. If only the people who looked at us with anger when we jumped in front of them while meeting Spiderman knew how many nights he had spent in ICU, fighting for his life. How he had to learn how to walk, at eight years old. How the Drs. wouldn't give him a CT scan for two years because he didn't have insurance, and so he was simply slowly dying. There is just no other way to put it. He was just so sick, withering away to nothing, and in so much pain. His body fought so hard for him, as the cancer took over and slowly tried to kill him while we went to Dr. after Dr. and no one would help him.

If they knew that he has been picked and prodded more at 11 years old than most adults are in their whole lives. And how it still hurts so badly every single time. How the statistics say that he has a 50% chance to be alive at 18. What the hell does that mean? Or how because of his vision disability he will never drive a car.

So many nights we have prayed together, been brought to our knees in fear and pain, asking God for one more miracle. And on this day, he gave it to us. One more miracle. And it was one that we never asked for. One that I never would have known to pray for. So on day three, and every day, thank-you God, not just for answering our prayers so many times, but for giving us amazing blessings that we don't ask for.

So yes, people with the dirty looks, I am sorry that you had to wait in such long lines, that you didn't understand why we didn't, why we got VIP treatment. We DID all look healthy after all. And you didn't get to see my tears. I hid them in Rick's shirt. But they came, and they came down hard, because of the joy my kid's got to experience on this day. And I can guaratee that as you look at these close-ups of their faces, you will not see in a single one of them fear, loneliness or pain. On this day, they got to experience pure JOY.












And the picture that makes me cry every time I look at it:



So I will need to write the rest of day 3 later. I am emotional, and it takes a long time to upload photos. Stay tuned.