Make A Wish!

We are all safe and sound, back home from our amazing trip.  I am still reliving and processing the many experiences of the past week.  It was a wonderful family vacation and an intensely emotional time on so many levels.  As I reflect and remember, I am going to document our trip day by day.  So I hope you enjoy the ride as much as we did.  Here goes!

Tuesday, May 4 (DAY 1 GKTW)...

We were all awake bright and early the morning of our trip.  It was hard to believe the date we had been counting down since January was finally here.  Julia's wish to see beluga whales, seals, and dolphins and to swim in a pool became a week's vacation full off countless fun opportunities.  (Make A Wish, you are amazing!)   After much anticipation, we were heading to Florida!

When the limo pulled up Julia was amazed.  She's never seen one in person before.

It was much bigger than than the matchbox ones she's plays with :)

It was an exciting ride to the airport.  Julia loved the chasing rainbow lights...

Our sweet Make A Wish rep met us at the airport to help us check in and give the kids snacks for the flights.  Everyone was so helpful.  A huge thank you to all the people who donate their FF miles to MAW families.  And to USAir who waves the baggage fees for all the families.
 
She was so eager for the plane to take off.  This is the first plane ride she is old enough to remember.  She spent much of the flight opening and closing the window to see where we were and to tell everyone we were still in the air (good news!).

A welcome perspective to Carter who intently studies the safety brochure and wants a full explanation of the circumstances required for each maneuver pictured- fun times! I'm sure our fellow passengers loved us :) The 4 year old girl behind us was lightening the mood....

"Daddy, please tell me a really good story and talk loud because I can't hear a thing up here."

and to the businessman "trapped" in the window seat...."Is that your blackberry? It is very black.  Some of my friends at daycare have those.  I would like to get a purple one.  Do you know, if you hadn't slept on the plane you could have had a lot more fun playing with me."  :)

A Give Kids the World volunteer angel met us at the airport to help us find everything.  Thank you AVIS for the Chrysler minivan.  The kids loved it.  It was definitely a highlight of their trip having such a cool car with so many fun features.  By the time we loaded up, Julia was out like a light. 

Just a short drive away we came upon a little piece of heaven on earth....

I have heard nothing but incredible things about GKTW and it is all those things and so much more.

The village was founded in 1989 by Henri Landwirth- a holocaust survivor whom God is using in an amazing way.  In the 1980s he was working as a hotelier and regularly helped grant the wishes of sick children wishing to visit Orlando.  In 1986 he was helping arrange for a Amy, a 6yr old with leukemia, to see Mickey before she lost her battle.  Amy earned her angel wings before the plans were finalized.  Henri vowed this could never happen again.  He became a man on a mission from God.  He shared his passion with others through simple, heartfelt conversations and donations and volunteers started to pour in.  Three short years later the village opened it's doors.  

They have helped over 100,000 families from over 70 countries! They have 100 staff and 3,500 volunteer angels.  They are completely debt free and operate with 93 cents from every dollar given, going directly to the children they serve.  God continues to move in the hearts of thousands of individuals.... from the lawn mower to the toilet paper supplier to Mickey Mouse himself.... all the parts come together in an amazing dance, choreographed by God, that you have to experience to fully grasp.

GKTW hosts some of the world's most special children- those with life-threatening diseases, those who have fought cancer, and those with severe disabilities.  The village is completely handicap accessible and medically capable.  Some of these children never leave the hospital in their lifetime except to GKTW.  Many families cannot take vacations because of their children's needs, but they make it happen here. And they not only serve the wish children, they cater to their siblings and give them priceless memories.

At check-in we were greeted by a sea of smiles.  Carter received a Shamu and Julia, a Mickey Mouse.  She was also presented her magic button.  Each wish child receives a button with their name and told they are in charge for the week.  Let the fun begin!

While we waited for our keys, the kids enjoyed the rides on the porch.  The simplest pleasure but a thrill to every child I know.

When we walked into the courtyard we were greeted by the Amberville Station and instantly you know the fun has begun.  This station houses the ride-on train, the working train display, the teen game room, the putt-putt course, and remote control boats...

Then we headed to the Garden of Hope- a serene oasis of beauty from beautiful flowers, to the waterfall, to the koi pond... 

to the playhouse "home" of Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry (the resident rabbit hosts) complete with miniature furniture and its own vegetable garden.

Julia's next stop was the Ice Cream Palace who serves Friendly's ice cream all day long!

Julia wanted to give Mickey the first bite...

After our yummy snack we headed outside where Carter discovered a basketball court, just his size.  Can we say hoop dreams?

In no time Arman was calling us over to jump in the golf cart and head to our home away from home.  Such a treat!..

Every family stays in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath villa with a kitchen, living room, and laundry.  The village is like stepping into a storybook.  We felt instantly welcomed and at home.  After some quick unpacking, we strolled back up the street, where we met Ol' Elmer, the perpetually sleeping, snoring tree...

...took a spin on the carousel (the first of dozens!).  By the end of the week, Julia had named most of the animals and had stories about each of them.  The carousel sits right in front of the Gingerbread House where we eat which makes frequent rides so simple...

Then we headed into the Gingerbread House for delicious food, amazing service, and a superb chef (thank you Perkins for providing ALL the food and ice cream for the past 20 years!)...

After dinner, it was time to swim.  Only here a few hours and one of Julia's wishes has already come true... "to swim in a nice warm pool everyday"...

which was soon followed by a pool party! There is a different party every night at the village...

 
Just a few short hours into the trip of a lifetime...

...coming soon!...

BIG UPDATES and PHOTOS galore coming soon!!

Tomorrow (Monday), we head home from Julia's Make A Wish trip of a lifetime!

We have spent the week at Give Kids the World in Florida and had the time of our lives :)

See you all again soon!

Relay for Life

This past weekend we headed east to participate in our first ever Relay for Life event.  Relay is a nationwide fundraising event for the American Cancer Society.  My sister's dental office (Drs. Armstrong & Tant) entered their team in the event in honor of the lives in their families touched by cancer, including Julia's.

There were 143 teams participating and over 3,000 people.  The night was kicked off with several speakers sharing their emotional journeys. Then all the survivors gathered around the stage in a sea of purple.  It brought tears to my eyes to think of all these battles fought and being won. 

Julia was rockin' her Survivor tee.  They didn't have children's sizes so we cinched her up.  Child survivors were conspicuously absent from the event.  There were only a handful in the group of hundreds. Of the dozens of children being honored at this event, the majority had already left us and earned their angel wings- one just last week.  It was a glaring reminder of the differences in pediatric and adult cancers.  There are wonderful treatment options for adults, due largely to events like these.  For children the options are limited and outdated.  And 80% of pediatric cancer have already metastasized at diagnosis, only true for 20% of adults.  And they only receive 3% of the research dollars.  This HAS to change.  It only fueled the fire in me make a difference for pediatric cancer research.  Our kids all deserve a chance to fight.   

Julia walked her survivor's lap.  It was really emotional seeing all those cheering people lining the track.  Thinking back about everyone who supported us this past year and whose lives have touched ours.

And remembering those we've lost for whom we now carry the torch of HOPE forward. 

The relay started at 4:30 on Friday and continued until noon on Saturday.  The team members took turns walking throughout the night.  As Julia and I did our laps I took a moment to really thank God again for every battle He has fought for us this year.  As I carried that precious cargo around the track, getting all her sweet kisses and hugs along the way, my heart overflowed with gratitude.

Every team at the event set up their site to continue their fundraising- selling  food, jewelry, tshirts, games, raffles, etc.  We were selling Krispy Kreme :) The kids made a great crew.  Who can resist those faces?

They made great quality control, too...

And who could resist the free cotton candy being handed out by the Marines next to us?

Good thing we had our dental team in the house :)

The kids had a blast sliding, running, jumping, and playing games.

When the sun went down it was time for the luminary displays and the silent laps to honor and remember those who fight cancer.

We lit Julia's to celebrate six months NED! It feels so good to say that!

We headed back to the house with the kids around 10:30pm.  The party continues all night, but we knew at we needed at least a few hours of sleep.  The next morning we were back bright and early.  Julia was asked to help kick off the Kids Walk.  The speaker for the morning was a young girl whose brother battled cancer when they were both toddlers.  He won his battle twice, but lost when it returned again.  Having a brother with cancer had a profound effect on her childhood.  To this day she looks back on her experience and all the positive effects it has had on her life.  Spending time at Duke surrounded by pediatric oncology patients she was inspired by their perspective, courage, strength, and faith.  She has been blessed.  

Julia and her new little friend, Abby were recognized up on the stage.  Then they cut the ribbon to start the kids' event.  They did a great job being so young in a crowd full of strangers.

As we walked, Abby's mom and I had a chance to talk.  It turns out Abby is battling the very same cancer as Julia.  We ask for prayers for her as she continues to fight.  She is halfway through her treatments at UNC hospital.

We couldn't have been more proud of these two.  The boldly led the pack all the way around the track waving as they went.  This picture melts my heart!

We are so thankful for everyone who worked so hard to make this event happen.  Before the relay even started they had raised over $250,000! The final numbers have yet to be counted.

Marine Moments

Anyone who knows Carter knows he is all about all things Marine Corps.  His knowledge on the subject continues to amaze me and he takes it all very seriously.  He wears his uniform on a regular basis.  He loves to read books about the Marines and he watches documentaries on the Military Channel about boot camp and training.  He is learning the history, value, and traditions that make the Marines unique.  

A few weeks ago I picked him up at from his class at church.  the kids had decorated crowns as part of their craft.  Carter's had large letters across the front... "CTM".  I was stumped.  "Carter, what is CTM?"   His matter of fact reply, "Carter The Marine." Of course, I should have known.

Here he is "on duty" on our front porch...

He is in his role pretty much all the time.  Most days when we get in the car he has to bring a bag of gear.  When I ask why.  He reminds me that he never knows when "they" will call or email him with orders and he has to be prepared.

He recently received a book on the Marine Corps- history, training, values.  He loves this book.  So much so that he asks to sleep with it.  So why is it on the floor outside his door? 

A place for everything and everything in its place.  Since he was very young, whenever he would take something to bed with him, we would later find it outside his door.  He cannot stand the thought that an item is not in the room where it belongs, so he leaves it out to be put away.  I've always loved that quirk about him. 

Now his gear on the other hand, makes it back to the bag (he keeps at the end of his bed), but not always in it...

These are some of his most cherished possessions.  As he's gotten older Grandpa has given him his gear to use.  Much of this stuff is the real deal.

When we were in PA for Easter, Grandpa and Crater shared many special afternoons out in the empty fields and hills behind my dad's boyhood home.  They had their very own field exercises in the same spot my dad played when he was a boy.  Carter was in hog heaven.  It doesn't get much better than this- gear on, scaling walls, setting up command posts, calling in ground cover....

We spent this past weekend visiting my sister's family near Camp Lejeune.  As the east coast hub of the Marine Corps there is much to see.  Carter hasn't been since he was two, but has hoped for a visit.  As we were driving to their house, we passed a convoy.  He was in awe. I thought for a moment he was going to ask me if he could get out and join them.

The very next day, his dream came true.  Grandpa called some old friends and set up a visit for us with Maintenance Battalion.  Just through these red doors was...

....every little boys dream....

The building houses dozens of tanks, trucks, tools, vehicles, and equipment.

And it was all theirs to touch and explore.  The Marines were amazing and hospitable.  They went above and beyond to make this happen for him.  They gave demonstrations of all the gear and let him try it out.

He was able to dry fire all the weapons.  A few seconds after this picture both Carter and the gun went over just from the dry kickback, so funny...

He was able to try out some of the newest technology in night vision...

and they both jumped right in to all the tanks and personnel carriers.  They are massive pieces of equipment...

And what happens when one of these breaks down or gets stuck? Call AAA? No, you pull out one of these...

The crane on this vehicle almost reaches the ceiling! Huge.

Carter loved all the hatches and would pop from one to the other.

which turned into a really funny game of hide and seek...

Then we went into the tool room where they keep all their equipment.  They have wrenches as tall as Carter! Everything was impeccably neat and organized, and of coursed packed to move at a moments notice.  Then we headed up to the COs office.  (It used to be Grandpa's, 16 years ago!) Carter tried on the COs helmet and vest...

It was all a dream come true.  His face was priceless.  I think it will be a while before it all sinks in.  It was just too good to be true.  When we left to eat lunch at the exchange, he was fascinated by the hundreds of Marines everywhere he looked.  What was second nature to me growing up is so novel to him now.  He kept saying, "This place is like a Marine city!" He's exactly right, a city of it's own- 48,000 Marines and sailors actually (and all their dependents).

He was in his element.  I truly think this kids blood runs red and gold.  Ooh-rah Marine!