Thursday, Day 6
Paul & I woke at around 5am to watch the boat dock back at Port Canaveral and have some coffee. To our surprise, we were already back at port, and we realized it was all over. We woke the kids because we had a 645a seating assignment for breakfast, where we were able to see our awesome wait staff one last time! We ate and prepared for disembarkation. It was hard to leave for all of us, but the hardest on Gabriella. She took the end of the cruise VERY hard... she was definitely not ready for it to be over. She had some moments of quiet, some of crying. That cruise was WAY too short and time went by SO fast. The kids enjoyed every moment on that boat and at our ports of call. We spend good, quality time on this cruise together as the 4 of us, and met some great people as well. It is something we will save for and peruse again in later years as the kids get older, most definitely. The experience was phenomenal and probably the most fun we have ever had, individually or together! We feel so blessed to have a strong, vibrant 6 year old daughter in her 2nd chance at life and healthy, hilarious 4 year old boy, that we could enjoy that with. We live for today, never banking on tomorrow, and we made the most of that on this cruise!!! THANK YOU MAKE A WISH!
Once we got back to land, we took the Magical Express to the Disney World Resort. We asked Make a Wish to fly us home a few days later than they originally planned, and with a combination of saving and some pixie dust from some kindhearted friends, we made plans for 2 days at Walt Disney World at our expense! One of our amazing friends helped us to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge on property, and this place was PLUSH! The decor was amazing, and our room was an outlook room over the savanna, where the zebras and giraffes and other animals roamed around. It was breathtaking how gorgeous this resort was. Once our room was ready, we all settled in for a much needed nap. On the cruise, there is such a great schedule that they leave out room to sleep, so we were all beyond exhausted!
After waking from our nap, we headed down to the busses and rode into Downtown Disney to have dinner. I had made reservations at an Irish place down there and boy was I glad I did! The food was amazing and they had a live band! We roamed around Downtown Disney, which is probably 15 times the size of ours in California! There was so much going on and the shopping.... oh the shopping. I was wishing I would instantly win the lottery so we could have gone crazy down there!
We got back to our resort that night and to bed at a decent time. We were all ready for part 2 of the fun!!!
Our "off" day photos! (remember the captions!) https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay6DisembarkationDisneyWorld?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKG30ber6r7T6QE&feat=directlink
Friday, Day 7
Another touch of pixie dust from a friend covered half of our 2 day tickets to the parks, so on Friday we made our way to Magic Kingdom! We also were given the gift of preferred seating for shows, tickets to the Not So Scary Halloween party and parade seating from someone who didn't even know us but works for Disney and wanted to help out!!! So much magic around us before we even got into the park! Pulling up to Magic Kingdom was breathtaking. Our passion for Disneyland is something you would only understand if you too felt it, so seeing the place created off of Disneyland's image but "improved" was like a dream for us (although I was a bit worried I would be critical, lol)! Everything was bigger and brighter! In front of the park is a huge lake, and the ticket stations were so spacious. The train station was HUGE! We even got there in time to see the opening ceremony where the animatronic Mickey opened the park! As we walked down Main Street, everything was so similar but so different, but nothing was more unique than looking at the massive structure that is Cinderellas Castle. That thing is breathtaking! We got some pictures and walked with our jaws open until we found the bakery. The bakery is a universal must for us... Land or World, we must stop at the bakery! We ate some breakfast and started to explore!
Because we wore our Make a Wish buttons, we were taken to see the characters without waiting in line, which was a HUGE blessing! The kids got to see SO many characters and we got to ride almost EVERY single ride in the park. Gabriella even became an honorary pirate with Captain Jack in his show!! The park closed at 7pm for the Halloween party, so we switched the kids into their souvenirs they got on the cruise and they were all decked out for Halloween. More rides, more characters, an awesome parade and FANTASTIC fireworks! As we were exiting the park, we stopped by a location that was housing some very important characters. Only at Halloweentime can you find princesses with their princes, so we got to meet Rapunzel, Cinderella and Snow White, all with their princes! We also got to meet Mickey and Minnie in their Halloween garb. Gabriella was in pure bliss meeting Minnie in this costume, and you can see the excitement in her eyes!!! Flynn Rider showed the kids the crown in his satchel and Cinderella gave Gabriella the sweetest squeeze ever. It was a wonderful way to end the night!!!
14 hours later, my kids were troopers! They walked all day without a complaint, without strollers and with minimal breaks. Being able to experience Disney World with them was just another thing we never thought we would be able to provide them with!
Magic Kingdom pictures! https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay7MagicKingdomHalloweenParty?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOeA5MOhy6yAjAE&feat=directlink
Saturday, day 8
Our last day of magic, and exhaustion was evident. We headed to Animal Kingdom for our last day, which worked better because they closed at 5pm, and it gave us time to go back and pack. Animal Kingdom is nothing like I thought it would be! Divided into different countries, it was a LOT bigger than I anticipated! It is like a zoo gone Disney... well, I guess that's exactly what it is! We went right to the Nemo Show since we had VIP seating for the first showing. It was SO cute and it totally made me realize how much I am like Marlin with Nemo, me and Gabriella! After such a traumatic experience in life, I feel a need to completely control her safety and well being, just like Marlin with Nemo. After Nemo, we decided to go into Asia and ride Expedition Everest. Paul and Gabriella went on the ride since PJ was too small, and none of us were anticipating what this ride actually did!!! Gabriella came off of it shaking, but she LOVED it. Just not enough to ride it one more time with mommy. I rode it alone, next to a 12 year old boy who was trying to be so cool.... it was hilarious. This ride is no joke, my friends. That is all I will say.
It seemed a million degrees warmer this day, and I started to feel really sick. Turns out I was beginning to get dehydrated and the heat was making it worse. (That 24 hour drink station on the boat caused me to drink too much soda!!). I took a rest while Paul took the kids on a Jungle Trek. We did some rides, lunch and headed to the Lion King Show. I think the tickets into the park were worth that show alone.... it was AMAZING! We were given the opportunity to meet some of the cast afterwards, which was such a neat experience!! We saw the parade and then made our way to the Safaris before the park closed. The Safaris are rediculous.... so cool. We rode in a jeep out into the savanna and these animals were just feet from us! We even had to stop for a biit while 3 giraffes crossed the road! It was our favorite ride in the park for sure! The kids could hardly believe all of the animals so close to us!!
That night, we ordered pizza and took the time to pack and just sit. We got to see the truck come and fill the giraffe feeder which was RIGHT outside our room, and we watched the giraffes eat their dinner. Bedtime came quick for us all, as the excitement was wearing down and the kids had their fill of short nights of sleep.
Pictures from Animal Kingdom! https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay8AnimalKingdom?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMXfq-C55NimOg&feat=directlink
Sunday, day 9
Another early morning! We took the Magical Express to the airport, got all checked in and started our 5 hour journey home. The kids did really well given the length of the flight and how early it was. When we arrived back in Phoenix, our Wish granters were waiting for us and got us into our ride home.
Going home photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay9Home?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNuXrcLb4datsgE&feat=directlink
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NoTHING lasts forever, but the memories will. We had the time of our lives! Gabriella's wishes came true and she was given an experience that she so deserved after fighting so hard! PJ had an amazing time, and deserved everything just as much for being patient and a great brother to Gabriella and all she has been through. And Paul and I... well, just having Make a Wish bless our family so much satisfied our desire to give our kids the world for those 9 days. Many times, we kept saying that even though it was an experience we will never forget and cherish so closely in our hearts, we would trade every second of it in exchange for our daughter to have not had to go through all she has nor face all she will have to. But that is not an option, so we embraced and will take pride in the fact that we are a Make a Wish family with a medically fragile child who God gave us this opportunity to experience with.
Thanks for reading!!!!!!
Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts
Friday, September 23, 2011
A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes pt 1
Saturday, day 1
The morning started early! The limo was outside and waiting for us at 6am, and the kids had no idea we were riding in a limo! We made it to the airport in great timing where our wish granter Brian was waiting for us. We managed to fit everything into 4 suitcases, avoiding any charges, but we were so happy he was there to help with baggage check. We said our "bye"'s to Brian, got through security and to the most essential place of them all... Starbucks. After we finished our breakfast and coffee IV's we made our way to our gate. The flight to St Louis was full of excitement for the kids! The Stuard was so kind and gave Paul a free Monster drink and kept checking in on us. We had a 90minute layover so we grabbed some lunch at the STL airport before catching our connecting flight to Orlando, of which the kids slept the whole time! I guess the early day caught up with them!
When we landed in Orlando, it was so hectic! I think 10 other planes landed at the same time! Outside security was a Make a Wish sign but for another family. We made out way to baggage claim and ended up running into the other Wish family, going on the same cruise!!! We got our bags and headed to the Hyatt hotel located INSIDE the airport. It was SO nice and convenient!!!! We checked in and got our instructions for the next day and went up to the room to organize our things. The airport/ hotel also featured what was like a mall, so we wandered around the shops and found some dinner at Chilis. We all CRASHED that night! It's amazing how exhausting sitting on a plane all day could be!
Day 1 photos (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay1Travel?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPK0m7rL-fetLg&feat=directlink
Sunday, day 2
Florida is 3 hours later than Arizona time, so the next morning 6am wake up was like 3a to us! We got up and got our bags ready to go, as they had to be ready and against our wall with Disney Cruise tags by 830a. I made another Starbucks run (it's 24 hours in that airport!!!) so we could keep our eyeballs open. Our bags would be taken by the bellhop and the next time we saw them was outside our stateroom on the boat later that day! We went down to find breakfast, when we decided none of us were hungry. About 9am we headed to the transportation level of the airport where Disney Magical Express has their own setup. We got all checked in for our cruise, documents processed, transit boarding ticket and our Key to the World cards.
A Disney cruise line bus took us from Orlando International to Port Canaveral, which was about 45 minutes. Every mile we passed, Paul and I were in awe of how gorgeous Florida is!!!! The bus showed us a video about the cruise that had Gabriella and I practically screaming! We were all so excited we couldn't stand it! We passed Nasa from a distance, and came over a hill where our boat sat there in enormous majesty. ** Lets just pause for a moment and remind everyone reading that we are in the group of the most hardcore Disney lovin family out there. We love anything Disney. My house is mainly decorated in Disney something, and you can find a Mickey Mouse in every room. So I will be preferential and passionate about how I speak about anything related or pertaining to Disney. :) ** We were speechless. The boat was GIGANTIC, clean and gorgeous. After I took a moment to take a few pictures of the cruise terminal and boat, we went inside the terminal. Since we did the check in at the airport, we only had to wait in the terminal for boarding to start and our group 3 to be called! Of course, in natural Disney fashion, Characters started to appear in the terminal and we caught Mickey Mouse before his line got 2 miles long and got the BEST family picture! We got the lo-jack bracelets for the kids (not really, but they were tracking devices for them when they went into the kids clubs). Gabriella was getting VERY impatient and wanted on the boat NOW. I can't blame her, I was kinda feeling the same way.... lol. We went out onto the outlook, where even there it was impossible to get a picture of the whole length of the boat. Before we knew it, they were loading people onto the boat at about 1130a. We had some issues as they printed 2 cards for Paul Sr and none for Paul Jr, but once we got that squared away, on the boat we went! We entered the lobby where a big group of crew members waved and clapped and we heard over the speaker "The Disney Dream welcomes the Vega family!"..... yeah. I cried. One of them walked aside with us to point us to a few places and even asked if I was ok since I had tears down my face.
After standing in awe in the lobby for goodness knows how long, we headed up to main deck to EAT. We hadn't eaten breakfast so by now we were starving. Little did we realize, we would never starve again being on that boat!!! We went to Cabanas on the main deck, which is a 18 station buffet style walk up self serve restaurant. That's right, grab a plate or 4 and see how heavy you can make them! The Disney cruises also have drink stations with 24/7 free soda, tea, water and coffee, unlike other cruises where you buy a soda card or pay for drinks. We stuffed our face, and then changed into our swim gear that we carried on with us! The main deck is amazing.... with a deep Donald pool, shallow Mickey pool, Nemo splash pad, a smaller water slide and of course the Aquaduck water coaster, and an enormous LED screen that showed Disney movies or trivia! Gabriella and Paul headed right to the Aquaduck, which ultimately was Gabriella's wish. She wanted to ride the water slide on the boat more than anything else!
We headed up to the room at around 2p, and you would have thought we were all little kids seeing it for the first time! It was spacious in comparison to what I was expecting and the veranda was AMAZING! Waiting for us was a fruit and cheese platter, one of many gifts to come from our Make-a-Wish cruise hostesses Ana and Valentina. Our bags showed up shortly after and we took a few minutes to unpack. The bed was high enough to store suitcases under and the storage was great for our things. I even read ahead and bought an over the door organizer for the bathroom, so we didn't feel cramped up in the room at all! We got a visit from a lady that I connected with before the cruise that made us a hanger for outside of our door, called a Fish Extender among avid Disney cruisers! Another sweet lady with her gave me the BEST Minnie Mouse bag that I have carried everyday since then!
We headed to the safety drill, which was miserable for all the kiddos on the boat, but as soon as it was over we went up to get ice cream from the all day ice cream bar and prepare for our sail away! Of course, in Disney fashion, Mickey and the gang threw a huge bash as we left port, and my most favorite part of the whole boat happened. The ships horn went off to the tune of "A dream is a wish your heart makes". It was my most favorite part of the boat, but I wasn't able to get it on video! I did however, find a video online of it, and you MUST watch. (yes, I am crying hearing it!) http://youtu.be/JJ0CEN-hoj0
We got early seating dining, so we had to go get ready by 545p for dinner. The boat has 3 rotational dining restaurants, and while you change locations every night, you stick with your table number and waiter. We had the best service duo on board (this is my opinion of course), with Delyan as our main server and Katarina as his assistant. The first night, we ate at a restaurant called the Animators Palate, where dinner starts off as plain colored and transitions into a multi colored and bright palate! There are multiple screens around the room where Crush swims around and interacts with people. This is one restaurant from the original boats that Paul and I remember seeing on Travel Channel shows years and years ago! Dinner was amazing. Gabriella had Mickey noodles and cheese while PJ had steak. Paul enjoyed Veal and I ordered some YUMMY black bean cakes! Our waiter not only brought us an appetizer, soup/salad, entree and dessert, he also brought us a dessert appetizer so we could try them all! I blame him for coming home 4.5lbs heavier!!!!!
As if the day hadn't been exciting enough, we caught a show that night after dinner. The Golden Mickeys show was AWESOME and so exciting!!! The boat was a tad rocky that night as we were travelling fast towards Nassau for the next mornings port of call, but none of us had any issues with sea sickness, thankfully! Upon returning to our room, we had a swan sculpture on our bed via towel and a bunk bed magically appeared from the ceiling while we had been out!! I'll admit, I've missed turn down service since we have been home!!! We spent a little bit on our balcony, enjoying the ocean air breezing past us and listening to the waves steadily hit the boat. It was bliss.
First day on board (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay2BoardCruise?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLbf_vrf4_6SEQ&feat=directlink
Monday, day 3
We woke to a call from Mickey Mouse, telling us there were some exciting things in store for the day! Mickey was on to something! Our Fish Extender outside had been stuffed with awesome goodies from various generous people (of whom I connected with on FB and Disboards before the cruise). Since proper cruise and Bahamian attire would be SWIM, we got our suits on and headed up to Cabanas, since we had not yet stuffed our face with their breakfast spread. We could see Nassau, Bahamas appearing in the distance during breakfast, and I was able to snap a lot of great pictures as our boat turned and backed into its parking spot. (yes, I say that like it was a VW Bug because that's the precision it had!). We even had a great view of Atlantis from our rooms balcony! We had an excursion planned that took us on a boat to Blue Lagoon to the Dolphin Encounter, so we had to meet in the Buena Vista theater (their movie theater) for our wristbands and instructions for the encounter at 9am. We followed the guides off the boat and on a 10 minute walk through the shops along the dock in Nassau, Bahamas. It took us to another boat that took us 30 minutes off to another island. As we ventured further from port and closer to Blue Lagoon, the water turned into this AMAZING aqua color.... something I doubt could ever be recreated. It was magical, really.
After getting off the boat in this private little cove, we went right to the dolphin encounters area where we went through a quick training. After the educational portion, we all got our things put in lockers and found spots around the encounter bay. We got to meet the trainer and our dolphin for the day, Salvador! They started by doing family shots with the dolphin kissing one member of the family. We, of course, had the dolphin kiss Gabriella, and it was AMAZING!!!!! After family shots, the trainer brought down groups of 8 or 9 people to interact with the dolphin. We were the last group, so we got to see everyone else do it first! The dolphin danced with each person, everyone got to pet his back and belly and even touch his teeth, everyone got a hug and a kiss from him and everyone got to feed him. When it was our time up, PJ was hesitant and Gabriella was VERY concerned about the fish swimming by our feet. It didn't take long though before all 4 of us were in dolphin heaven, enjoying our encounter with this amazing creature. Gabriella hugged him like he was one of her baby dolls.... it made me melt. Gabriella got 2 kisses from Salvador. I like to know that one is for her and one was for Abbie, since Abbie loved nature so much! At the end of the presentation, the other party got out of the water and the trainer asked what we thought. I expressed my gratitude and shared Gabriella was a Wish Kid. She then had Salvador give Gabriella his tail fin. She told us about how doctors come in every 6 months from Animal Kingdom and they test out the animals to make sure they are healthy. They get blood drawn from their tail fin, so allowing someone to hold it showed great trust. She showed Gabriella all of his scars from blood draws, just like she had! It was probably the sweetest and most personal part of the whole encounter, for Gabriella to see how her and Salvador were alike in a small way. It was an experience like no other, and something I couldn't be more thankful to Make a Wish for giving to my kids.
We got some time after the encounter to play on the beach at Blue Lagoon before heading back to Nassau. The sand was soft and white, the water clear and the landscape paradise. The kids were SO ready to finally get their toes in some sand and ocean! We only had an hour or so before heading back, but Paul and I indulged in a Bahama Mama before leaving. We couldn't go to the Bahamas and not have one, right?!? When we got back to the dock, we ended up buying 2 huge conch shells from a local as souvenirs and headed back to our boat. While I am sure it is an amazing place, it was best to get back on the boat before it got dark.
Waiting in our room was a plate of cookies from our hostesses! These cookies, my friends, are the downfall to my existence. If I could eat them for the rest of my life, I'd sacrifice all other foods. They were SOOOO yummy!!! Gabriella watched a movie while PJ quickly watched the backs of his eyelids. Paul and I got ready for the 2nd night of dinner, at the Enchanted Garden. Dinner was again amazing, and we ate enough for a week. The kids persistently begged us to go to the Oceaneers Club and Lab, so after a quick stop to meet some characters in the family lounge, we took them. They practically ran away from us, and Paul and I were left with nothing to do! We didn't plan on taking the kids there, so we didn't research the adult sections of the boat. On our way to figure out what to do, we met the captain of the boat, Captain Henry, and snapped some pictures with him. We explored some of the lounges and bars, but decided we are just way too cool for that boring adult stuff. We ended up making friends with a bartender at one of the locations and learned about the crazy schedule those cruise ship worked work. I had wondered why everyone was from somewhere else in the world, and it is because they work for 6 months straight and go home for 2 months. I give them so much credit for what they do!!!!!
We got the kids after a while in the club and we all headed back to the room to catch some much needed rest!
Photos from Nassau! (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay3NassauBahamas?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLDhztXXscKM1wE&feat=directlink
Tuesday, Day 4
We knew we wanted to get up early and be ready to get off of the boat this day, so we had room service delivered bright and early to our room. Again waking and changing into beachwear, we looked out and saw we were docked at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. It was something I have known about for a long time but never thought I would have the honor to see, and here I was, waking up and looking at paradise. The kids were SO excited to spend the day at the beach, nonetheless Disney's beach!! We got in line downstairs and were one of the first to get off the boat and onto the island. It was a 10-15 minute walk to the family beach, but we got a great resting spot right along the waterside. The sand was still freshly raked because no one had made it to the beach and I think my kids were the first ones in the water that day! They saw a ton of fish and a crab before the waters got a little busier. Thanks to our hostesses, we got a complimentary getaway package with tubes and rafts and snorkel gear! We spent a while just enjoying the beach. Gabriella was my brave one, going out in the water and letting fish swim around her feet. PJ was hesitant, not travelling much past 4" deep. Time seemed to speed by before it was time to send Paul and Gabriella for their stingray encounter! We got them all signed up and to the learning hut to find out more about rays. After that, into the ray pool they went! They got to touch and feed the rays!!! Gabriella was concerned about the big fish by her feet most of the time, and was too scared to feed the ray, but she was still able to touch them! Paul and Gabriella spent some time after that snorkeling in the ray pool. I couldn't BELIEVE my daughter was snorkeling!!!!!!!
Castaway has 2 big restaurants, which are walk up self serve BBQ places. We hit lunch after the ray encounter and went to soak up some more time on the beach. We had gotten an invitation the night before for a special appearance in the family D Lounge at 245p, so we headed back a bit early to the boat for that. It was starting to get to be a little much with the sun at that point, so we were ok to head back, but it would have been soo nice to have more time at that island! My kids thought it was the bees knees!!! We got changed and somewhat freshened up (as much as one can after a day in sand and salt water) and headed for our special invite event. It was a Make a Wish only meet and greet with Pluto and Mickey! We got to see all the Wish families on the boat and even met a 17 year old boy who was transplanted at Loma Linda!!! More amazing than that was meeting Desiree, the mom of a 3 year old cutie, who lives in the neighborhood we used to live in about 25 miles from our house now, also on their Wish trip! The kids ate some of those amazing cookies they had out for the families, and we got some pictures with the characters as well as out Wish cruise hostesses. It was a great little treat to spend that time with other Wish kids!
Returning to the room, we had another yummy fruit and cheese plate waiting for us. It was good, but we had more important things to think about.... like PIRATE NIGHT!!!! Something all 4 of us were VERY eager for!!!! We all got cleaned up and changed into our pirate garb and headed down to a restaurant WAY too pretty to be filled with a bunch of scuurvy scoundrels! We ate at the Royal Palace that night, but it featured the same pirate night menu as the other restaurants. We both had the steak, and it was probably the yummiest meal in my opinion! Immediately after dinner was a short Mickey's Pirate Party on the main deck we went to. PJ went into meltdown mode, but it quickly passed. The kids spent some time in the Oceaneers Club again while Paul and I did some souvenir shopping for all the things that would bore the kids. We went back a short bit after to get them so we could grab our place for fireworks on the main deck that night! The fireworks were AMAZING, partly because it is Disney but mainly because we were watching fireworks from a majestic piece of machinery in the middle of the ocean. Amazing. After the fireworks was a dance party that Paul and I were amped for, but the kids were not having it. We headed back to the room to rest for the night and prepare for our day at sea!!!
Castaway Cay day pictures! (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay4CastawayCayPirateNight?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI_W5_HD8NjWKw&feat=directlink
Wednesday, Day 5
Today was a big day! Paul turned 30!!!! This was our all day at sea, so we got up and headed for a sit down buffet breakfast at Enchanted Garden. The spread was great, and we took no break from shoving our faces! We took the kids to do their souvenir shopping, where we had to convince Gabriella to get something OTHER than what she already had! She wanted to get this Marie stuffed animal from Aristocats, of which she already has! They ended up with great souvenirs. Gabriella got a Rapunzel dress and a sailor Minnie plush. PJ got a Captain Hook costume and a pirate gun. At the end, Gabriella told me she made a good decision getting her dress. Stay tuned for pictures of them in their garb!!!
I did not take a ton of pictures during the day. We spent all day lounging at the pool, letting the kids go on the waterslide over and over, and talking to new friends. We grabbed some yummy lunch from Flo's V8 Cafe that is poolside and just enjoyed the ride on the ship! They sounded all the tunes on the ships horn, and my heart melted at the top notch thinking it took to make such a marvelous boat.
We dressed up this night for Daddy's birthday and went back to the Royal Palace for their traditional dining menu. It was bittersweet knowing it was our last night, and Gabriella was already struggling with the idea of the trip ending so fast. We spent the evening together.... attending a character meet in the family lounge, going into the kids club with the kids and meeting some very important characters in the main lobby. We went down at 10p to the main deck to enjoy some ice cream and watch UP on the big screen. Looking over at my fancy dressed kids and husband, eating their ice cream and enjoying that moment is something I will cherish forever. As many beautiful things that we saw on this trip, that moment took the cake for me. I am one lucky and PROUD woman to know God entrusted me with all that He has given me in my family.
We returned that night to one last special gift from our Wish hostesses. A signed Mickey Mouse plus that now sits proudly on the shelf in the living room. A precious reminder of the time we had!!!!
A day at sea, (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay5DayAtSeaPaulS30th?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIvBocCb-KjXyQE&feat=directlink
to be continued.......
The morning started early! The limo was outside and waiting for us at 6am, and the kids had no idea we were riding in a limo! We made it to the airport in great timing where our wish granter Brian was waiting for us. We managed to fit everything into 4 suitcases, avoiding any charges, but we were so happy he was there to help with baggage check. We said our "bye"'s to Brian, got through security and to the most essential place of them all... Starbucks. After we finished our breakfast and coffee IV's we made our way to our gate. The flight to St Louis was full of excitement for the kids! The Stuard was so kind and gave Paul a free Monster drink and kept checking in on us. We had a 90minute layover so we grabbed some lunch at the STL airport before catching our connecting flight to Orlando, of which the kids slept the whole time! I guess the early day caught up with them!
When we landed in Orlando, it was so hectic! I think 10 other planes landed at the same time! Outside security was a Make a Wish sign but for another family. We made out way to baggage claim and ended up running into the other Wish family, going on the same cruise!!! We got our bags and headed to the Hyatt hotel located INSIDE the airport. It was SO nice and convenient!!!! We checked in and got our instructions for the next day and went up to the room to organize our things. The airport/ hotel also featured what was like a mall, so we wandered around the shops and found some dinner at Chilis. We all CRASHED that night! It's amazing how exhausting sitting on a plane all day could be!
Day 1 photos (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay1Travel?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPK0m7rL-fetLg&feat=directlink
Sunday, day 2
Florida is 3 hours later than Arizona time, so the next morning 6am wake up was like 3a to us! We got up and got our bags ready to go, as they had to be ready and against our wall with Disney Cruise tags by 830a. I made another Starbucks run (it's 24 hours in that airport!!!) so we could keep our eyeballs open. Our bags would be taken by the bellhop and the next time we saw them was outside our stateroom on the boat later that day! We went down to find breakfast, when we decided none of us were hungry. About 9am we headed to the transportation level of the airport where Disney Magical Express has their own setup. We got all checked in for our cruise, documents processed, transit boarding ticket and our Key to the World cards.
A Disney cruise line bus took us from Orlando International to Port Canaveral, which was about 45 minutes. Every mile we passed, Paul and I were in awe of how gorgeous Florida is!!!! The bus showed us a video about the cruise that had Gabriella and I practically screaming! We were all so excited we couldn't stand it! We passed Nasa from a distance, and came over a hill where our boat sat there in enormous majesty. ** Lets just pause for a moment and remind everyone reading that we are in the group of the most hardcore Disney lovin family out there. We love anything Disney. My house is mainly decorated in Disney something, and you can find a Mickey Mouse in every room. So I will be preferential and passionate about how I speak about anything related or pertaining to Disney. :) ** We were speechless. The boat was GIGANTIC, clean and gorgeous. After I took a moment to take a few pictures of the cruise terminal and boat, we went inside the terminal. Since we did the check in at the airport, we only had to wait in the terminal for boarding to start and our group 3 to be called! Of course, in natural Disney fashion, Characters started to appear in the terminal and we caught Mickey Mouse before his line got 2 miles long and got the BEST family picture! We got the lo-jack bracelets for the kids (not really, but they were tracking devices for them when they went into the kids clubs). Gabriella was getting VERY impatient and wanted on the boat NOW. I can't blame her, I was kinda feeling the same way.... lol. We went out onto the outlook, where even there it was impossible to get a picture of the whole length of the boat. Before we knew it, they were loading people onto the boat at about 1130a. We had some issues as they printed 2 cards for Paul Sr and none for Paul Jr, but once we got that squared away, on the boat we went! We entered the lobby where a big group of crew members waved and clapped and we heard over the speaker "The Disney Dream welcomes the Vega family!"..... yeah. I cried. One of them walked aside with us to point us to a few places and even asked if I was ok since I had tears down my face.
After standing in awe in the lobby for goodness knows how long, we headed up to main deck to EAT. We hadn't eaten breakfast so by now we were starving. Little did we realize, we would never starve again being on that boat!!! We went to Cabanas on the main deck, which is a 18 station buffet style walk up self serve restaurant. That's right, grab a plate or 4 and see how heavy you can make them! The Disney cruises also have drink stations with 24/7 free soda, tea, water and coffee, unlike other cruises where you buy a soda card or pay for drinks. We stuffed our face, and then changed into our swim gear that we carried on with us! The main deck is amazing.... with a deep Donald pool, shallow Mickey pool, Nemo splash pad, a smaller water slide and of course the Aquaduck water coaster, and an enormous LED screen that showed Disney movies or trivia! Gabriella and Paul headed right to the Aquaduck, which ultimately was Gabriella's wish. She wanted to ride the water slide on the boat more than anything else!
We headed up to the room at around 2p, and you would have thought we were all little kids seeing it for the first time! It was spacious in comparison to what I was expecting and the veranda was AMAZING! Waiting for us was a fruit and cheese platter, one of many gifts to come from our Make-a-Wish cruise hostesses Ana and Valentina. Our bags showed up shortly after and we took a few minutes to unpack. The bed was high enough to store suitcases under and the storage was great for our things. I even read ahead and bought an over the door organizer for the bathroom, so we didn't feel cramped up in the room at all! We got a visit from a lady that I connected with before the cruise that made us a hanger for outside of our door, called a Fish Extender among avid Disney cruisers! Another sweet lady with her gave me the BEST Minnie Mouse bag that I have carried everyday since then!
We headed to the safety drill, which was miserable for all the kiddos on the boat, but as soon as it was over we went up to get ice cream from the all day ice cream bar and prepare for our sail away! Of course, in Disney fashion, Mickey and the gang threw a huge bash as we left port, and my most favorite part of the whole boat happened. The ships horn went off to the tune of "A dream is a wish your heart makes". It was my most favorite part of the boat, but I wasn't able to get it on video! I did however, find a video online of it, and you MUST watch. (yes, I am crying hearing it!) http://youtu.be/JJ0CEN-hoj0
We got early seating dining, so we had to go get ready by 545p for dinner. The boat has 3 rotational dining restaurants, and while you change locations every night, you stick with your table number and waiter. We had the best service duo on board (this is my opinion of course), with Delyan as our main server and Katarina as his assistant. The first night, we ate at a restaurant called the Animators Palate, where dinner starts off as plain colored and transitions into a multi colored and bright palate! There are multiple screens around the room where Crush swims around and interacts with people. This is one restaurant from the original boats that Paul and I remember seeing on Travel Channel shows years and years ago! Dinner was amazing. Gabriella had Mickey noodles and cheese while PJ had steak. Paul enjoyed Veal and I ordered some YUMMY black bean cakes! Our waiter not only brought us an appetizer, soup/salad, entree and dessert, he also brought us a dessert appetizer so we could try them all! I blame him for coming home 4.5lbs heavier!!!!!
As if the day hadn't been exciting enough, we caught a show that night after dinner. The Golden Mickeys show was AWESOME and so exciting!!! The boat was a tad rocky that night as we were travelling fast towards Nassau for the next mornings port of call, but none of us had any issues with sea sickness, thankfully! Upon returning to our room, we had a swan sculpture on our bed via towel and a bunk bed magically appeared from the ceiling while we had been out!! I'll admit, I've missed turn down service since we have been home!!! We spent a little bit on our balcony, enjoying the ocean air breezing past us and listening to the waves steadily hit the boat. It was bliss.
First day on board (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay2BoardCruise?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLbf_vrf4_6SEQ&feat=directlink
Monday, day 3
We woke to a call from Mickey Mouse, telling us there were some exciting things in store for the day! Mickey was on to something! Our Fish Extender outside had been stuffed with awesome goodies from various generous people (of whom I connected with on FB and Disboards before the cruise). Since proper cruise and Bahamian attire would be SWIM, we got our suits on and headed up to Cabanas, since we had not yet stuffed our face with their breakfast spread. We could see Nassau, Bahamas appearing in the distance during breakfast, and I was able to snap a lot of great pictures as our boat turned and backed into its parking spot. (yes, I say that like it was a VW Bug because that's the precision it had!). We even had a great view of Atlantis from our rooms balcony! We had an excursion planned that took us on a boat to Blue Lagoon to the Dolphin Encounter, so we had to meet in the Buena Vista theater (their movie theater) for our wristbands and instructions for the encounter at 9am. We followed the guides off the boat and on a 10 minute walk through the shops along the dock in Nassau, Bahamas. It took us to another boat that took us 30 minutes off to another island. As we ventured further from port and closer to Blue Lagoon, the water turned into this AMAZING aqua color.... something I doubt could ever be recreated. It was magical, really.
After getting off the boat in this private little cove, we went right to the dolphin encounters area where we went through a quick training. After the educational portion, we all got our things put in lockers and found spots around the encounter bay. We got to meet the trainer and our dolphin for the day, Salvador! They started by doing family shots with the dolphin kissing one member of the family. We, of course, had the dolphin kiss Gabriella, and it was AMAZING!!!!! After family shots, the trainer brought down groups of 8 or 9 people to interact with the dolphin. We were the last group, so we got to see everyone else do it first! The dolphin danced with each person, everyone got to pet his back and belly and even touch his teeth, everyone got a hug and a kiss from him and everyone got to feed him. When it was our time up, PJ was hesitant and Gabriella was VERY concerned about the fish swimming by our feet. It didn't take long though before all 4 of us were in dolphin heaven, enjoying our encounter with this amazing creature. Gabriella hugged him like he was one of her baby dolls.... it made me melt. Gabriella got 2 kisses from Salvador. I like to know that one is for her and one was for Abbie, since Abbie loved nature so much! At the end of the presentation, the other party got out of the water and the trainer asked what we thought. I expressed my gratitude and shared Gabriella was a Wish Kid. She then had Salvador give Gabriella his tail fin. She told us about how doctors come in every 6 months from Animal Kingdom and they test out the animals to make sure they are healthy. They get blood drawn from their tail fin, so allowing someone to hold it showed great trust. She showed Gabriella all of his scars from blood draws, just like she had! It was probably the sweetest and most personal part of the whole encounter, for Gabriella to see how her and Salvador were alike in a small way. It was an experience like no other, and something I couldn't be more thankful to Make a Wish for giving to my kids.
We got some time after the encounter to play on the beach at Blue Lagoon before heading back to Nassau. The sand was soft and white, the water clear and the landscape paradise. The kids were SO ready to finally get their toes in some sand and ocean! We only had an hour or so before heading back, but Paul and I indulged in a Bahama Mama before leaving. We couldn't go to the Bahamas and not have one, right?!? When we got back to the dock, we ended up buying 2 huge conch shells from a local as souvenirs and headed back to our boat. While I am sure it is an amazing place, it was best to get back on the boat before it got dark.
Waiting in our room was a plate of cookies from our hostesses! These cookies, my friends, are the downfall to my existence. If I could eat them for the rest of my life, I'd sacrifice all other foods. They were SOOOO yummy!!! Gabriella watched a movie while PJ quickly watched the backs of his eyelids. Paul and I got ready for the 2nd night of dinner, at the Enchanted Garden. Dinner was again amazing, and we ate enough for a week. The kids persistently begged us to go to the Oceaneers Club and Lab, so after a quick stop to meet some characters in the family lounge, we took them. They practically ran away from us, and Paul and I were left with nothing to do! We didn't plan on taking the kids there, so we didn't research the adult sections of the boat. On our way to figure out what to do, we met the captain of the boat, Captain Henry, and snapped some pictures with him. We explored some of the lounges and bars, but decided we are just way too cool for that boring adult stuff. We ended up making friends with a bartender at one of the locations and learned about the crazy schedule those cruise ship worked work. I had wondered why everyone was from somewhere else in the world, and it is because they work for 6 months straight and go home for 2 months. I give them so much credit for what they do!!!!!
We got the kids after a while in the club and we all headed back to the room to catch some much needed rest!
Photos from Nassau! (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay3NassauBahamas?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLDhztXXscKM1wE&feat=directlink
Tuesday, Day 4
We knew we wanted to get up early and be ready to get off of the boat this day, so we had room service delivered bright and early to our room. Again waking and changing into beachwear, we looked out and saw we were docked at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. It was something I have known about for a long time but never thought I would have the honor to see, and here I was, waking up and looking at paradise. The kids were SO excited to spend the day at the beach, nonetheless Disney's beach!! We got in line downstairs and were one of the first to get off the boat and onto the island. It was a 10-15 minute walk to the family beach, but we got a great resting spot right along the waterside. The sand was still freshly raked because no one had made it to the beach and I think my kids were the first ones in the water that day! They saw a ton of fish and a crab before the waters got a little busier. Thanks to our hostesses, we got a complimentary getaway package with tubes and rafts and snorkel gear! We spent a while just enjoying the beach. Gabriella was my brave one, going out in the water and letting fish swim around her feet. PJ was hesitant, not travelling much past 4" deep. Time seemed to speed by before it was time to send Paul and Gabriella for their stingray encounter! We got them all signed up and to the learning hut to find out more about rays. After that, into the ray pool they went! They got to touch and feed the rays!!! Gabriella was concerned about the big fish by her feet most of the time, and was too scared to feed the ray, but she was still able to touch them! Paul and Gabriella spent some time after that snorkeling in the ray pool. I couldn't BELIEVE my daughter was snorkeling!!!!!!!
Castaway has 2 big restaurants, which are walk up self serve BBQ places. We hit lunch after the ray encounter and went to soak up some more time on the beach. We had gotten an invitation the night before for a special appearance in the family D Lounge at 245p, so we headed back a bit early to the boat for that. It was starting to get to be a little much with the sun at that point, so we were ok to head back, but it would have been soo nice to have more time at that island! My kids thought it was the bees knees!!! We got changed and somewhat freshened up (as much as one can after a day in sand and salt water) and headed for our special invite event. It was a Make a Wish only meet and greet with Pluto and Mickey! We got to see all the Wish families on the boat and even met a 17 year old boy who was transplanted at Loma Linda!!! More amazing than that was meeting Desiree, the mom of a 3 year old cutie, who lives in the neighborhood we used to live in about 25 miles from our house now, also on their Wish trip! The kids ate some of those amazing cookies they had out for the families, and we got some pictures with the characters as well as out Wish cruise hostesses. It was a great little treat to spend that time with other Wish kids!
Returning to the room, we had another yummy fruit and cheese plate waiting for us. It was good, but we had more important things to think about.... like PIRATE NIGHT!!!! Something all 4 of us were VERY eager for!!!! We all got cleaned up and changed into our pirate garb and headed down to a restaurant WAY too pretty to be filled with a bunch of scuurvy scoundrels! We ate at the Royal Palace that night, but it featured the same pirate night menu as the other restaurants. We both had the steak, and it was probably the yummiest meal in my opinion! Immediately after dinner was a short Mickey's Pirate Party on the main deck we went to. PJ went into meltdown mode, but it quickly passed. The kids spent some time in the Oceaneers Club again while Paul and I did some souvenir shopping for all the things that would bore the kids. We went back a short bit after to get them so we could grab our place for fireworks on the main deck that night! The fireworks were AMAZING, partly because it is Disney but mainly because we were watching fireworks from a majestic piece of machinery in the middle of the ocean. Amazing. After the fireworks was a dance party that Paul and I were amped for, but the kids were not having it. We headed back to the room to rest for the night and prepare for our day at sea!!!
Castaway Cay day pictures! (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay4CastawayCayPirateNight?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI_W5_HD8NjWKw&feat=directlink
Wednesday, Day 5
Today was a big day! Paul turned 30!!!! This was our all day at sea, so we got up and headed for a sit down buffet breakfast at Enchanted Garden. The spread was great, and we took no break from shoving our faces! We took the kids to do their souvenir shopping, where we had to convince Gabriella to get something OTHER than what she already had! She wanted to get this Marie stuffed animal from Aristocats, of which she already has! They ended up with great souvenirs. Gabriella got a Rapunzel dress and a sailor Minnie plush. PJ got a Captain Hook costume and a pirate gun. At the end, Gabriella told me she made a good decision getting her dress. Stay tuned for pictures of them in their garb!!!
I did not take a ton of pictures during the day. We spent all day lounging at the pool, letting the kids go on the waterslide over and over, and talking to new friends. We grabbed some yummy lunch from Flo's V8 Cafe that is poolside and just enjoyed the ride on the ship! They sounded all the tunes on the ships horn, and my heart melted at the top notch thinking it took to make such a marvelous boat.
We dressed up this night for Daddy's birthday and went back to the Royal Palace for their traditional dining menu. It was bittersweet knowing it was our last night, and Gabriella was already struggling with the idea of the trip ending so fast. We spent the evening together.... attending a character meet in the family lounge, going into the kids club with the kids and meeting some very important characters in the main lobby. We went down at 10p to the main deck to enjoy some ice cream and watch UP on the big screen. Looking over at my fancy dressed kids and husband, eating their ice cream and enjoying that moment is something I will cherish forever. As many beautiful things that we saw on this trip, that moment took the cake for me. I am one lucky and PROUD woman to know God entrusted me with all that He has given me in my family.
We returned that night to one last special gift from our Wish hostesses. A signed Mickey Mouse plus that now sits proudly on the shelf in the living room. A precious reminder of the time we had!!!!
A day at sea, (please be sure to read captions!!): https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishDay5DayAtSeaPaulS30th?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIvBocCb-KjXyQE&feat=directlink
to be continued.......
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Journey to a Wish...
Everyone is anxiously anticipating our Wish Trip pictures! No internet, and no time, have both hindered a prompt update.... but I am almost ready to post everything!
Our journey began long before the day we left for Gabriella's wish trip. August 2009, Gabriella was visited by her wish granters and wished to go to Disney World. Two weeks before going on her October 8th trip, she suffered her massive stroke and her trip was cancelled.
Fast forward to January 2011, where after countless hours of therapies, endless doctors appointments, and most importantly a life saving heart transplant, Gabriella was approved by doctors to travel again and was able to re-wish. This time, wishing for what she originally wanted but could not do due to medical limitations.... the Disney Cruise.
Because it takes a while to plan, our trip was scheduled out into September 2011, which gave us plenty of time to prepare and anticipate. Gabriella was chosen to be a recipient in something called "The Big Give". Not sponsored by Disney or Make a Wish, the Big Give is just a humble group of giving and talented ladies who shower certain wish kids with gifts to get them ready for their trip. Thanks to this Big Give, both of my kids had plenty of airplane activities and snacks, cuddly blankets, beach towels, bags, and clothes for every single day on our trip with accessories to boot! Paul and I even scored with some great shirts and goodies as well! We couldn't have been more blessed to receive 25 packages over the course of the couple months leading to her trip!!!!!
Little did we realize when becoming a wish family that not only would we end up with an experience of a lifetime with memories that are priceless, we would be so blessed in relationships. We have connected with numerous people along the path, but our wish granters take the cake. They were so much more than just a liaison between us and the business end of Make a Wish. They have become friends, family even. They were there through Gabriella's stroke, transplant and rejection. They kept touch in those tedious waiting periods between treatments or transplant. They made sure to treat us every couple months or so to dinner, just to catch up. And you could see how they went from meeting a "poor little girl" and wanting to do everything right for her wish, to being people who genuinely love my kids and our family and shared so much joy in seeing Gabriella finally fulfill something we were all unsure would ever happen. They are forever stuck with us, poor things.
I put together an album of our pre-wish journey.... from the first visit, through all of the Big Give packages and into our send off party. Oregano's in Chandler went above and beyond in their generosity and compassion to make Gabriella's send off party a success, and her wish granters Brian and Ama threw the party of all parties for the special Princess.
Enjoy the pictures!! LINK: https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishTheBigGive?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNaH26O5iInVtAE&feat=directlink
Be looking for my next entry! I am breaking the actual trip into 2 entries!
Our journey began long before the day we left for Gabriella's wish trip. August 2009, Gabriella was visited by her wish granters and wished to go to Disney World. Two weeks before going on her October 8th trip, she suffered her massive stroke and her trip was cancelled.
Fast forward to January 2011, where after countless hours of therapies, endless doctors appointments, and most importantly a life saving heart transplant, Gabriella was approved by doctors to travel again and was able to re-wish. This time, wishing for what she originally wanted but could not do due to medical limitations.... the Disney Cruise.
Because it takes a while to plan, our trip was scheduled out into September 2011, which gave us plenty of time to prepare and anticipate. Gabriella was chosen to be a recipient in something called "The Big Give". Not sponsored by Disney or Make a Wish, the Big Give is just a humble group of giving and talented ladies who shower certain wish kids with gifts to get them ready for their trip. Thanks to this Big Give, both of my kids had plenty of airplane activities and snacks, cuddly blankets, beach towels, bags, and clothes for every single day on our trip with accessories to boot! Paul and I even scored with some great shirts and goodies as well! We couldn't have been more blessed to receive 25 packages over the course of the couple months leading to her trip!!!!!
Little did we realize when becoming a wish family that not only would we end up with an experience of a lifetime with memories that are priceless, we would be so blessed in relationships. We have connected with numerous people along the path, but our wish granters take the cake. They were so much more than just a liaison between us and the business end of Make a Wish. They have become friends, family even. They were there through Gabriella's stroke, transplant and rejection. They kept touch in those tedious waiting periods between treatments or transplant. They made sure to treat us every couple months or so to dinner, just to catch up. And you could see how they went from meeting a "poor little girl" and wanting to do everything right for her wish, to being people who genuinely love my kids and our family and shared so much joy in seeing Gabriella finally fulfill something we were all unsure would ever happen. They are forever stuck with us, poor things.
I put together an album of our pre-wish journey.... from the first visit, through all of the Big Give packages and into our send off party. Oregano's in Chandler went above and beyond in their generosity and compassion to make Gabriella's send off party a success, and her wish granters Brian and Ama threw the party of all parties for the special Princess.
Enjoy the pictures!! LINK: https://picasaweb.google.com/vegaangel82/MakeAWishTheBigGive?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNaH26O5iInVtAE&feat=directlink
Be looking for my next entry! I am breaking the actual trip into 2 entries!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
First day of school
Well, we did it. Gabriella went off to her first day of school today! Only 5 weeks into the 1st grade school year, but she didn't miss any time after having our homebound teacher coming to keep her on track.
Gabriella wasn't the least bit nervous. She was ready. She was excited and eager to move onto this new chapter in her life. I'm not surprised because that is what we have focused on since day 1. We have carried the burden of struggle or difference FOR her, encouraging her to keep her mind on normal things for her age. Because we did focus on that so strong, she was in the right place mentally to start school.
Of course, that meant something different for me.
Sending your baby to school for the first time carries a universal emotion. Excitement, tears, sending your baby off. It's hard. But today was brutal for me as the mom of Gabriella, stroke survivor, heart transplant recipient. The day I learned she was in heart failure and had the possibility of not surviving, I went into war mode. I fought within every boundary possible, and sometimes outside of my boundaries, for her. I spoke for her when she couldn't speak, I have tended to her basic needs since she lost her right arm function, I kept a strict account of every medical appointment, medication, insurance issue and service to ensure she had the best care possible. My job, my life, my goal has been her in a way unlike the typical parent since May 2009. I have fought to keep her. Today felt like in those cartoons when they try and rip the soul out of Daffy Duck and it smacks back into place like a rubber band. When we took her to school and watched her go into line with her class and walk into her building, I felt like my soul was stretching around the building into the door and down the hall, as she walked further away. I was severing that 100% connection we have had. That total control I had over making sure she was always breathing right or had good coloring. Of knowing exactly what she was being exposed to, touching or how often she was cleaning her hands. 7 whole hours of handing her over to a classroom, and to her independence.
But thank God for the classroom, school and independence. My saving grace and why I did not end up in some Country mental institution was because her Sped teacher was holding her hand walking her to class this morning and checks in on her frequently, her godmother works in the front office, the principal and teacher are great and understanding, the nurse is on my speed dial and I on hers, and her cousin is in her class. On top of it all, I will humbly but proudly pat myself on the back for instilling good habits and hopefully god decisions into Gabriella.
This is what we fought for. This is what we begged God to give us. This is what we eagerly anticipated to honor Abbie and those first days of school she would not see but from heaven.
So though I shed more tears than I can count, and the minutes ticked by like a slow leaking faucet, she did fantastic at her first day. I am so proud!
Gabriella wasn't the least bit nervous. She was ready. She was excited and eager to move onto this new chapter in her life. I'm not surprised because that is what we have focused on since day 1. We have carried the burden of struggle or difference FOR her, encouraging her to keep her mind on normal things for her age. Because we did focus on that so strong, she was in the right place mentally to start school.
Of course, that meant something different for me.
Sending your baby to school for the first time carries a universal emotion. Excitement, tears, sending your baby off. It's hard. But today was brutal for me as the mom of Gabriella, stroke survivor, heart transplant recipient. The day I learned she was in heart failure and had the possibility of not surviving, I went into war mode. I fought within every boundary possible, and sometimes outside of my boundaries, for her. I spoke for her when she couldn't speak, I have tended to her basic needs since she lost her right arm function, I kept a strict account of every medical appointment, medication, insurance issue and service to ensure she had the best care possible. My job, my life, my goal has been her in a way unlike the typical parent since May 2009. I have fought to keep her. Today felt like in those cartoons when they try and rip the soul out of Daffy Duck and it smacks back into place like a rubber band. When we took her to school and watched her go into line with her class and walk into her building, I felt like my soul was stretching around the building into the door and down the hall, as she walked further away. I was severing that 100% connection we have had. That total control I had over making sure she was always breathing right or had good coloring. Of knowing exactly what she was being exposed to, touching or how often she was cleaning her hands. 7 whole hours of handing her over to a classroom, and to her independence.
But thank God for the classroom, school and independence. My saving grace and why I did not end up in some Country mental institution was because her Sped teacher was holding her hand walking her to class this morning and checks in on her frequently, her godmother works in the front office, the principal and teacher are great and understanding, the nurse is on my speed dial and I on hers, and her cousin is in her class. On top of it all, I will humbly but proudly pat myself on the back for instilling good habits and hopefully god decisions into Gabriella.
This is what we fought for. This is what we begged God to give us. This is what we eagerly anticipated to honor Abbie and those first days of school she would not see but from heaven.
So though I shed more tears than I can count, and the minutes ticked by like a slow leaking faucet, she did fantastic at her first day. I am so proud!
 |
| 1st Grade! |
Monday, September 19, 2011
Birthday celebration!
I am behind on posting, but for good reasons.... After PJ's 4th birthday, we loaded up and went on Gabriella's Wish Trip and had an AMAZING time! I am in the process of writing a trip report and uploading 1000 pictures, literally.
Until then, here are pictures from PJ's FroYo birthday party at the end of August and his birthday lunch at Benihana on his actual birthday!
Until then, here are pictures from PJ's FroYo birthday party at the end of August and his birthday lunch at Benihana on his actual birthday!
Monday, September 5, 2011
GREAT few weeks!
Since Gabriella's biopsy that proved she overcame rejection, she has been doing great! Labs are stable, her energy is perfect and all seems to be well. She is still on all of the heart failure medications, increased levels of immunosuppressants and other random meds, but they seem to be working cohesively to keep everything calm. We visit clinic again this Thursday and will hopefully formulate a game plan for medications!
We are working up close to Gabriella's Make-a-Wish trip! The anticipation the kids harbor everyday is SO exciting to watch! Gabriella was even chosen to be a recipient in the Big Give, an independently formed group of crafty and loving women who shower certain Disney wish kids with gifts and hand made goodies. Receiving these packages for the kids (and occasionally something for Paul and I) has been better than any countdown calendar we could make!
Gabriella is also SO excited because she will be starting school soon!!! While this is VERY hard on me, I can't help but feel her joy. School started already, but she has been receiving homebound services so she is on track with the classroom. Knowing my godson is in her class, and my comadre works at the school... I know they will be my eyes while she is there. Sending her off is not the hard part, it is EXCITING knowing she is growing and thriving and alive. It is the fact that for 2 years I have had 100% control, or at least 100% involvement in everything this has been through. To relinquish that and trust other people with the smallest details of her existence that can affect her whole life is a BIG thing for me. For her it will be learning to independently operate. She relies on me so heavily because of the trust we have built in our bond through her journey, and I worry about her confidence and spirit being pulled away.
Here are a few pictures I wanted to share of my amazing babies!
We are working up close to Gabriella's Make-a-Wish trip! The anticipation the kids harbor everyday is SO exciting to watch! Gabriella was even chosen to be a recipient in the Big Give, an independently formed group of crafty and loving women who shower certain Disney wish kids with gifts and hand made goodies. Receiving these packages for the kids (and occasionally something for Paul and I) has been better than any countdown calendar we could make!
Gabriella is also SO excited because she will be starting school soon!!! While this is VERY hard on me, I can't help but feel her joy. School started already, but she has been receiving homebound services so she is on track with the classroom. Knowing my godson is in her class, and my comadre works at the school... I know they will be my eyes while she is there. Sending her off is not the hard part, it is EXCITING knowing she is growing and thriving and alive. It is the fact that for 2 years I have had 100% control, or at least 100% involvement in everything this has been through. To relinquish that and trust other people with the smallest details of her existence that can affect her whole life is a BIG thing for me. For her it will be learning to independently operate. She relies on me so heavily because of the trust we have built in our bond through her journey, and I worry about her confidence and spirit being pulled away.
Here are a few pictures I wanted to share of my amazing babies!
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Sunday, May 15, 2011
You live on, Princess
May 15, 2010, heaven gained an angel. Precious Abbie gained her wings too soon, but not without leaving an unforgettable footprint on our lives. Her heart continues to beat on in Gabriella, and we will never forget.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Nearing one year
A couple weeks ago we went back to Loma Linda for a clinic appointment with our transplant team since we are nearing 1 year post transplant. Gabriella's ECHO function was great and her growth is fantastic! They decided to change all of her immuno-suppressants to new ones. For all those transplant people out there, she was on Neoral Cyclosporine and Cellcept, and now on Prograf and Rapamune. Her clinic doctor said that he is finding this medication combination, introduced later post-transplant, yields better long term results in terms of her coronary artery health, mouth/gum issues and kidney function. They also lowered her target levels, which means they have brought back her immune system to the highest it will ever come back. I feel I can safely say without jinxing myself, that she successfully made it one whole year with a suppressed immune system and no major illnesses! Makes me feel like all of those times we either stayed back, were "overly" cautious or went out of our way to keep her away from germs was worth it! And even then, we still let her enjoy so many things.... finding a healthy balance. Of course, it's still not 100% clear now. She still has a suppressed immune system for the rest of her life, but we are out of the harshest part of it and I couldn't be happier!!
We took the opportunity while going there to enjoy the beach, naturally. My kids are such beach babies!!!
And we also got to spend Easter with our friends at Restoration Covenant in Redlands, CA!
And have lunch with our previous Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House neighbor and fellow heart recipient, Logan!
And we also got to spend Easter with our friends at Restoration Covenant in Redlands, CA!
And have lunch with our previous Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House neighbor and fellow heart recipient, Logan!
We are returning in June to Loma Linda for quite a few appointments and tests. Paul, PJ and I all had our genetic testing done and submitted so when Gabriella and I return to Loma Linda, we will meet with the geneticist and go over the results in detail with our geneticist. Gabriella will also have a clinic appointment with our transplant team, a kidney function test, and her sedated biopsy to test for rejection. It will be an overwhelming few days of appointments, information and testing results but we are faithful in the results.
Life continues to throw us curveballs of different kinds, but we continue to move forward. Remembering how blessed we are is never forgotten, no matter how clouded the earthly problems or human judgement tries to make it.
Friday, April 8, 2011
All settled in... finally
Can you believe less than a year ago, this little girl was in heart failure, hardly communicating and uncertain of her future? Just less than 11 months later, this is my maturing big girl... proving to the world miracles do happen.
The last few weeks have been filled with boxes, buckets of paint and hammers. We got keys to our new place mid-March (a rental that a friend owns) and did a whole bunch of updating to the place! A few weeks of painting, fixing, installing, moving, unpacking.... and now I sit here.... pooped. LOL! We love our new place though. The kids still share a room because they just do better together, but now we have a 3rd bedroom we use as a playroom/ sewing room/ school room. In a couple years when it is "so not cool" to share a room with your brother, PJ will move to the 3rd bedroom... haha! The rent is the same as what we were paying before and the landlord is a million times better, so it is a deal you can't beat. There is a great play area for the kids in our private little patio/courtyard that is secure and spacious, and they are loving it!
Hopefully soon we will have some before/after pictures to post. If I can catch it on a day when it is cleaned up, of course!
Gabriella is excelling in math, my smart little cookie. We have her not only doing home school and homebound through the school district, but also attending the Kumon Learning Center for math and reading. Seriously, get your kids into a Kumon Center. The rate that she is progressing is ridiculous. She struggles in reading, but much of that has to do with the brain to speech issues she still struggles with. BUT Kumon is helping her inch along faster than she would without any additional support! I am still struggling with what to do for 1st grade. Do I keep homeschooling her, which comes with a heavy weight of both pros and cons, or do I send her to school, which comes with its own unique qualities? I would be lying if I said I wasn't losing sleep over it, because I literally am. I want the best possible scenario for her in both education AND medical, that making this kind of a decision is huge and difficult.
Plus, you cannot do school in this kind of style when you go to a public setting....
Paul and I served dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Phoenix on March 20, in memory of Abbie and what would have been her 4th birthday weekend. It was a blessing to serve the families there, but also pretty amazing for Paul and I to do it ourselves. We had some amazing friends make dessert, and my extremely talented cook of a mother-in-law made sides. I make a few chicken green chile casseroles which turned out super great! We had so much food left over since the house was not full, we were able to take some to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, in hopes to fill a few more stomachs.
PJ has started T-ball and is the cutest little man out there! He has so much fun playing, and oddly enough is SO extremely well behaved and listens to the coach so well. You would never guess he is my wild monkey here at home! Somehow, I thought it would be a good idea to sign up for team mom, so I am in charge of all of the mom-ish duties... which is kinda fun in its own way. :)
We have also kept busy with activities like the Mended Little Hearts Picnic last weekend, as well as the HopeKids event to see the Arizona Rattlers play (my FAVORITE live sport).
We are looking forward to a trip in a few weeks to California. Gabriella has clinic over there, so we are going to go a few days in advance, hit Sea World with our gift tickets given to us by Ronald McDonald House, and hang out with friends for a weekend. This clinic will be our last under our transplant coverage, so we need to get in one more time before the approval expires and it will be harder to get in and talk about their plan for her in the future, frequency of tests, things to watch for with her CMV sensitivity and young age, etc. I am looking forward to filling up a notebook with info from these amazing doctors, and seeing many of our angels in lab coats while we visit Loma Linda.
I hope this blog finds all my readers well! I fear no one reads anymore now that our storm has settled... but if you still do I thank you. Keep the cycle of miracles going. Gabriella's story is far from over and there is still work to be done. We have been blessed in an unrepayable way, so our attempts to spread the word of God and organ donation, giving back and being there for others will never fade.
The last few weeks have been filled with boxes, buckets of paint and hammers. We got keys to our new place mid-March (a rental that a friend owns) and did a whole bunch of updating to the place! A few weeks of painting, fixing, installing, moving, unpacking.... and now I sit here.... pooped. LOL! We love our new place though. The kids still share a room because they just do better together, but now we have a 3rd bedroom we use as a playroom/ sewing room/ school room. In a couple years when it is "so not cool" to share a room with your brother, PJ will move to the 3rd bedroom... haha! The rent is the same as what we were paying before and the landlord is a million times better, so it is a deal you can't beat. There is a great play area for the kids in our private little patio/courtyard that is secure and spacious, and they are loving it!
Hopefully soon we will have some before/after pictures to post. If I can catch it on a day when it is cleaned up, of course!
Gabriella is excelling in math, my smart little cookie. We have her not only doing home school and homebound through the school district, but also attending the Kumon Learning Center for math and reading. Seriously, get your kids into a Kumon Center. The rate that she is progressing is ridiculous. She struggles in reading, but much of that has to do with the brain to speech issues she still struggles with. BUT Kumon is helping her inch along faster than she would without any additional support! I am still struggling with what to do for 1st grade. Do I keep homeschooling her, which comes with a heavy weight of both pros and cons, or do I send her to school, which comes with its own unique qualities? I would be lying if I said I wasn't losing sleep over it, because I literally am. I want the best possible scenario for her in both education AND medical, that making this kind of a decision is huge and difficult.
Plus, you cannot do school in this kind of style when you go to a public setting....
Paul and I served dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Phoenix on March 20, in memory of Abbie and what would have been her 4th birthday weekend. It was a blessing to serve the families there, but also pretty amazing for Paul and I to do it ourselves. We had some amazing friends make dessert, and my extremely talented cook of a mother-in-law made sides. I make a few chicken green chile casseroles which turned out super great! We had so much food left over since the house was not full, we were able to take some to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, in hopes to fill a few more stomachs.
PJ has started T-ball and is the cutest little man out there! He has so much fun playing, and oddly enough is SO extremely well behaved and listens to the coach so well. You would never guess he is my wild monkey here at home! Somehow, I thought it would be a good idea to sign up for team mom, so I am in charge of all of the mom-ish duties... which is kinda fun in its own way. :)
We have also kept busy with activities like the Mended Little Hearts Picnic last weekend, as well as the HopeKids event to see the Arizona Rattlers play (my FAVORITE live sport).
We are looking forward to a trip in a few weeks to California. Gabriella has clinic over there, so we are going to go a few days in advance, hit Sea World with our gift tickets given to us by Ronald McDonald House, and hang out with friends for a weekend. This clinic will be our last under our transplant coverage, so we need to get in one more time before the approval expires and it will be harder to get in and talk about their plan for her in the future, frequency of tests, things to watch for with her CMV sensitivity and young age, etc. I am looking forward to filling up a notebook with info from these amazing doctors, and seeing many of our angels in lab coats while we visit Loma Linda.
I hope this blog finds all my readers well! I fear no one reads anymore now that our storm has settled... but if you still do I thank you. Keep the cycle of miracles going. Gabriella's story is far from over and there is still work to be done. We have been blessed in an unrepayable way, so our attempts to spread the word of God and organ donation, giving back and being there for others will never fade.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The finish line
I told you last week about Ethans Run that I planned on participating in on Saturday.
Well..... I survived it!
I had never before ran a distance, but have been running on a treadmill and working out, building my endurance since October. I was fully intending to run a 5K (3.1miles) soon, but this 10K kinda happened!
It was a struggle emotionally and mentally, for sure. Out of the first 3.5 miles, a little over 3 was uphill, and pushing Gabriella in a stroller while tackling it was a feat. Convincing myself I could do it was difficult, seeing as how I'm stubborn and that flows into my internal battles! We ran the first mile, half of the 2nd, walked the 3rd, ran half the 4th, all of the 5th, walked about a quarter of the 6th but finished off running. The hills for the first 3.5 miles made it hard to see what I could really do, but towards the end Gabriella kept cheering me on telling me I could win it. That along kept my legs moving!
By the 4th mile, Paul ran ahead of me and it was just Gabriella and I. I thought of all of the kiddos who are now smiling in pictures as I see updates on Facebook or blogs and figured if they could smile after all they had fought through, I could manage 91 minutes of running. I started envisioning Gabriella the day after transplant, walking the halls of Loma Linda. I had never had more of a hero than I did at that moment, and knew that if she could do that, I could take my healthy body and able legs to the finish line. But I had to think of myself, too. When I really step back to see what I managed to trudge through while I grasped onto faith that my daughter would live, laying sleepless at the foot of her hospital bed while she fought for her life post-stroke, faithfully making sure she met every appointment and therapy and worked on her words at home, never backing down from an insurance company or state service in getting Gabriella what she needed, and trying to be the best wife and mother to PJ amidst it all.... I could run this.
I finished in 91minutes. Not the greatest time ever, but the first 2 words mean more... I finished. And the best part was Gabriella hopped out of the stroller at mile marker 6 (adorning the adorable face of our friend Owen) and ran the last .2miles with me!
I was so pumped after this run, that I took advantage of signing up for the Walk for Wishes, benefiting Make-a-Wish. We all know how much I love my Make-a-Wish and Ronald McDonald House Charities!!! I had fully intended to volunteer but made other plans for the weekend and never signed up. When my plans fell through, I was super excited to sign up and run the 5K there! The team I created is called 'Hearts for Wishes', and I made the team name more general so other heart moms or just friends could sign up! There is a 1 mile walk, 5K walk and 5K run.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Our 9th Anniversary
Paul and I married 9 years ago today on February 2, 2002 at the ripe ages of 19 and 20. We have been through an insane 9 years, most of that insanity in the last 2 years! But because of all we have survived and experienced together, we are stronger than ever. Our relationship is set apart from the average marriage, and I am thankful for that. He is a wonderful father, a loving husband and a loyal friend. I love you Pauly...
Friday, January 14, 2011
A Blessed Birthday
I love her 5th birhtday post so much that I will add it here with a continuation.....
Oh, my dear Gabriella. How you have grown.....
So tiny, so fair. January 14, 2005 at 957am you blessed our lives and the lives of so many. We had no clue when you came into the world that morning what a difficult journey you would live so young, and what an impact you would make on so many people.
So tiny, so fair. January 14, 2005 at 957am you blessed our lives and the lives of so many. We had no clue when you came into the world that morning what a difficult journey you would live so young, and what an impact you would make on so many people.
From early on, you have always been so observant and so intelligent. You absorbed your surroundings, paid mind to the small details and observed to learn. You were my little doll and my best friend.
Your independence and spunk have been your well known traits! Strong minded and diva-ish, if you will. But the sweet and loving, super sensitive side of you is never far from the surface.
As you grow and mature, I am overwhelmed with pride. You are becoming an even more amazing little girl. Even when you test your limits, I wouldn't change that for the world. You will succeed and shine bright because you make yourself known.
You have endured and prevailed through so many things in your life so far. Things most people will never have to face. You are my hero. You are a hero to many.
Yes, you made me a mother and have blessed my life, but you have also changed me. I could never return the blessing to you that you have been to me.
I love you, my 'Princess'. My 'MommaGirl'. My 'Little'. Though we didn't know last year if God would give you us to celebrate your 6th, we had faith you would be here for decades to come. Today we celebrate another year given, another day lived and another moment treasured!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Cardinals vs Cowboys
We were given a rare opportunity to attend the Christmas day football game of the Arizona Cardinals vs the Dallas Cowboys. Make a Wish sent out an email just days before the game stating that Larry Fitzgerald had given a suite to Make a Wish for them to pass along to a few wish families. They were offering us 4 tickets to sit in this suite and enjoy the game, and we accepted!!! Larry recently completed a wish for them so was wanting to give more to the organization. Not to mention, he donated a few items to Gabriella's spaghetti dinner in May 2009 to be auctioned off. This man has a giant heart, and not in a heart defect kind of way. ;) He is kind, generous and caring... using his fame to give back. We had the opportunity to sit in the suite next to his friends and family, meeting his son who was a DOLL and assistant who was such a sweet and loving lady. Larry arranged for some cheerleaders and Big Red, the mascot, to come visit, and provided us with an excellent array of food!
We thank you, Larry Fitzgerald and Make a Wish, for giving us this opportunity. We had an amazing time that will remain a memory for years to come!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Christmas Celebrations
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| From Christmas with Us |
Christmas is always very busy for us. We try and do as many activities as possible in the weeks leading to Christmas, but this year was just not as successful as years past!
We did manage to make it to Santa's mailbox at Macy's and drop our letters to Santa! Every letter sent equals a $1 donation to Make a Wish, and we will always do anything possible to support them!!!
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| From December |
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| From December |
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| From December |
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| From December |
On Christmas eve, we used the day to not just bake and prepare for the festivities, but to also spend some time together at the movies! We haven't seen a movie together, the 4 of us, since March when Alice in Wonderland came out. We saw TRON and LOVED it!!! A Must see in the theater!!!!
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| From December |
How cute is my little man?
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| From December |
After the movie, we went home where I somehow was able to bake brownies, cookies, make pasta salad and prepare for church. We attended service at Cornerstone Christian and it was absolutely fantastic! Brian and Ryan knocked it out for worship and Pastor Linn yet again gave us another amazing visual demonstration on Christian living. Christmas eve we always spend with Paul's family, so after church headed out. Keep in mind, I was 2 days post oral-surgery so I was hating life as I stood in a kitchen of sweets, menudo, tamales, ham, and sides galore. I managed to mush up some masa from a tamale and suck on a brownie.... good times! We had a 38 person white elephant which marks as our biggest yet, and LONGEST! The kids ripped into presents at around 11p, and let me tell you there was no shortage of gifts for the little ones! We must stop multiplying in the Vega family or we will have to rent our a venue for Christmas Eve!
Christmas Day we woke up and did presents from us and Santa. It was a skinny Christmas, but we individually wrapped every little item to give them stuff to rip into! We managed to find PJ an amazing deal on a new bike, which was a total hit! Thankfully Gabriella's BIG want was the Tangled rag doll which was low in price. We were blessed to see that despite the struggle it took to get them presents, they loved them all just as much as they would have if we spent $1000! We know it is not about the presents, and we teach the kids that. They know we are celebrating because of Jesus's birthday... but you have to be realistic. They are little and presents are exciting and magical and while they are not what it is about, there is something spiritual in the giving and receiving process of it all.
We headed out to my sisters in the afternoon for snacks and presents. The kids were yet again spoiled by my family as well! The best thing was how grateful they were for every little thing. The smiles and excitement was prime. Having a 6 and 3 year old is absolutely perfect for the spirit of Christmas!
Here is the album of Christmas pictures with our families. Notice the plethora of Disney items... I am sure you are no surprised. :)
And the album of our Christmas with our little 4some! Some great shots of the kids excitement!!!!
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