Thursday, December 2, 2010
Please watch this life-changing video.
I find myself asking many questions, to myself, to God, to just a few friends and family that I have shared this diagnosis with.
I know how unsure I feel the future is for my daughter.
No one can reason and tell me she will be fine. Please do not try.....you are wasting your breath.
She IS fine now. She IS nine. She CAN function as a nine year old, but WILL she be able to function as a twenty-nine year old?
If you say YES.....can you promise me that?? RIGHT NOW....PROMISE ME!
How will her lil life unfold before our eyes. I don't ask to see the future......but, I do ask to see....... Faith.
So funny that I knew what her name was to be even before I knew who she was and I never knew how fitting her name would be.
I liked the name Rachael,Madelyn, oh there were many names that went through my mind......but, God said, "Faith"......her name is Faith.
I remember a man from the adoption telling me very sternly...."This child is very sick. Do you hear me? This is not an illness that will go away. This disease is forever and should not be taken lightly. Don't make a fast judgment call because this is something to ponder over. Do not just say that your family will adopt her....consider all the factors of "THIS" child.
And with a pull that I cannot explain, God said "GO!" He said GO.....do not stop.
I said, But God, what if? And my husband God...he isnt on the same page....and God, what if she comes home and just dies..then what?
And then in my bedroom one night, I remember this like it happened yesterday, My husband and I came to the conclusion that we could NOT just leave her in Vietnam. She would surely die....that was her punishment...for being born into this world....the death penalty....at 5 years old.
And God said.....GO......RUN.....DO NOT STOP!
I remember sending pictures of our family to the orphanage where she was so she could see us before we arrived to adopt her.
When we did arrive, those pictures were still in the same ziploc bag that I had sent them in.
We were told that she had taken our picture around to each of her friends. Over and over she said.....Look, this is my family, they are coming for me.
She slept with those pictures, in that ziploc bag, under her pillow each night until we came.
When she saw me she pointed to the picture of our family and back at me, time and time again as if to say...that's YOU...YOU came!
Those pictures were paper thin, and were her most valued treasure.
I know one thing for sure. I did not misunderstand God when he said GO! Many people, many my own family, questioned what we were missing or in search of that we had to go 1/2 way around the world for this diseased child.
We were missing Faith.....and Faith was missing us.
Their comments were so hurtful that I could almost not bear them. It took every once of umph in me not to crumble to the floor and fall apart.
How could they say these things? How could they feel these things? Don't they see what I see?
Standing on this side, I know I was meant to be Faith's Momma. I know that I am her VOICE!! I will be HEARD! She WILL get whatever therapy or extra assistance she needs because I WILL FIGHT FOR HER!
She is beautiful, and perfect, and she had Faith....at 5 years old to believe that we would come to an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to scoop her up and whisk her to a brighter land, to get the medical treatments she deserves.
No, I am not happy. I am scared to death. I am saddened and my heart is so happy for my perfect girl....and the things they say she has.
I still want to crawl under the covers and cry uncontrollably.
But, I know one thing without a doubt. GOD IS BIGGER THAN ME! I know he has this. I know he said GO!
And bear with me while I muster the Faith to get through today!
Bambi
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Spinning in Circles
We have been though a bout of testing over the last several weeks and months to determine how we can help Faith in her academics.
She is, has been struggling for some time now with school work and does not grasp concepts in many areas.
She is a very hard worker, but her brain doesn't seem to work in the way it should.
I just received a call from the doctor who did her last round of testing.
My head is spinning and I really need to throw up.
The doctor determined that Faith has an IQ of 69 and testing shows that she is mildly mentally retarded.
She said that this is why she is not grasping school, daily concepts, and life in general at times.
All I could think, as I felt like I was out of my body and she was talking to someone else, was that she surely can't be talking about my child.
She has us confused with the Rockland or Rockford family, it's definitely not the Rockhold family's Faith she is talking about.
I realize this does not define my child....but, does it?
Questions run through my head as it spins.....will she get married? Live on her own? Hold down a good job with health benefits that she so desperately needs?
What do I do now? I am supposed to meet with the doctor on Friday, when Faith goes for her blood transfusion, to discuss these tests more in depth.
How do we move forward??
Why......oh why God does she get the short straw in life?? At every turn she is not getting what I feel, as her mother, that she deserves.
When a child is an orphan, especially one that has HUGE medical issues, you would think they they would get a FREE ride to a happy life...no bumps or bruises.
I can't even call my husband and tell him this....what do I say? How do I even begin to utter those nasty words I heard from the doctor?
Linny, over at A Place Called Simplicity, always talks on her blog about sipping tea on her front porch. To my friend and I, Linny is very close with us. Girrrrrrrrrrrrrl, she knows everything about us from A to Z.
I really wish she would call and invite me to come sit on her porch and sip hot tea with her. We wouldn't have to talk Linny...sometimes it's not necessary. We could just, sit, sip, and pray awhile.
There is another situation in our family that breaks my heart into 1 million pieces. This situation is personal, so I choose not to share it here, please please know it's a long, rough battle...uphill......in 6 feet of snow, or so it seems sometimes.
Just imagine someone coming in, in the middle of the night, and stealing one of your children. They are gone......your child, the child you would love to the moon and back has vanished. That's the kind of pain I'm talking about. I do not feel that anyone understands.......no one GETS it....do they? I feel like I'm in this battle alone and I pray that I consume the advice that some have given to me, because I am out of answers and solutions.
I want this fixed....I want this better.....I just want to BE.
There is no easy fix to the troubles we are going through right now. No windex or Magic Erasers will wipe these UGLY smears away! Oh, how I wish they could....but, no.
I need help, from my friends, and friends that I haven't even met yet to help me pray over my girls.
All of my girls are orphans, no matter how and when they entered our family. Each story so differently orchestrated, but God told me that I was their Mom. Yet, sometimes I ask God, are you sure it's me you have chosen because I am so unequipped for so many things.
Not sure why he trusted me, cause really...I'm a LIL WHACKED OUT most of the time! But, I love my girls with my whole heart...every lil bit of it, and yet I cannot take away some of their fears, worries, trust issues, or emotional baggage that they have endured.
WHy does it have to be this hard? Just let me take their pain and baggage God.....let me bear their burden and all will be well....right?
I want to run home, pull the shades, turn off the phones, pull the covers up over my head and never come out.
I didn't say this was a logical choice, just what I'm feeling right now.
I'm worried about so much right now....finances, relationships, Christmas presents for the kids.....you name it, I am worrying about it.
I'm just asking for peace.....just simple, plain, naked peace...that's all.
So, Linny, in case you pop in, I could use a long spell of sitting and a tall glass of hot tea on your porch with you. I would like a bit of sugar too.
Please pray for my husband, our family, and the children that God has entrusted us with.....I'm scared!
Bambi
She is, has been struggling for some time now with school work and does not grasp concepts in many areas.
She is a very hard worker, but her brain doesn't seem to work in the way it should.
I just received a call from the doctor who did her last round of testing.
My head is spinning and I really need to throw up.
The doctor determined that Faith has an IQ of 69 and testing shows that she is mildly mentally retarded.
She said that this is why she is not grasping school, daily concepts, and life in general at times.
All I could think, as I felt like I was out of my body and she was talking to someone else, was that she surely can't be talking about my child.
She has us confused with the Rockland or Rockford family, it's definitely not the Rockhold family's Faith she is talking about.
I realize this does not define my child....but, does it?
Questions run through my head as it spins.....will she get married? Live on her own? Hold down a good job with health benefits that she so desperately needs?
What do I do now? I am supposed to meet with the doctor on Friday, when Faith goes for her blood transfusion, to discuss these tests more in depth.
How do we move forward??
Why......oh why God does she get the short straw in life?? At every turn she is not getting what I feel, as her mother, that she deserves.
When a child is an orphan, especially one that has HUGE medical issues, you would think they they would get a FREE ride to a happy life...no bumps or bruises.
I can't even call my husband and tell him this....what do I say? How do I even begin to utter those nasty words I heard from the doctor?
Linny, over at A Place Called Simplicity, always talks on her blog about sipping tea on her front porch. To my friend and I, Linny is very close with us. Girrrrrrrrrrrrrl, she knows everything about us from A to Z.
I really wish she would call and invite me to come sit on her porch and sip hot tea with her. We wouldn't have to talk Linny...sometimes it's not necessary. We could just, sit, sip, and pray awhile.
There is another situation in our family that breaks my heart into 1 million pieces. This situation is personal, so I choose not to share it here, please please know it's a long, rough battle...uphill......in 6 feet of snow, or so it seems sometimes.
Just imagine someone coming in, in the middle of the night, and stealing one of your children. They are gone......your child, the child you would love to the moon and back has vanished. That's the kind of pain I'm talking about. I do not feel that anyone understands.......no one GETS it....do they? I feel like I'm in this battle alone and I pray that I consume the advice that some have given to me, because I am out of answers and solutions.
I want this fixed....I want this better.....I just want to BE.
There is no easy fix to the troubles we are going through right now. No windex or Magic Erasers will wipe these UGLY smears away! Oh, how I wish they could....but, no.
I need help, from my friends, and friends that I haven't even met yet to help me pray over my girls.
All of my girls are orphans, no matter how and when they entered our family. Each story so differently orchestrated, but God told me that I was their Mom. Yet, sometimes I ask God, are you sure it's me you have chosen because I am so unequipped for so many things.
Not sure why he trusted me, cause really...I'm a LIL WHACKED OUT most of the time! But, I love my girls with my whole heart...every lil bit of it, and yet I cannot take away some of their fears, worries, trust issues, or emotional baggage that they have endured.
WHy does it have to be this hard? Just let me take their pain and baggage God.....let me bear their burden and all will be well....right?
I want to run home, pull the shades, turn off the phones, pull the covers up over my head and never come out.
I didn't say this was a logical choice, just what I'm feeling right now.
I'm worried about so much right now....finances, relationships, Christmas presents for the kids.....you name it, I am worrying about it.
I'm just asking for peace.....just simple, plain, naked peace...that's all.
So, Linny, in case you pop in, I could use a long spell of sitting and a tall glass of hot tea on your porch with you. I would like a bit of sugar too.
Please pray for my husband, our family, and the children that God has entrusted us with.....I'm scared!
Bambi
Friday, November 12, 2010
Fankful Friday
Yes, it's Fankful Friday. I couldn't say Thankful Thursday, because it's Friday...so you get "Fankful Friday," just play along please.
So, my girl Linny, over at A Place Called Simplicity, She has had many friends post on her blog about the lil or big things that they are "FANKFUL" for.
So, here I am.......waiting for my girl Linny to invite my over to her porch for coffee....Ehhhhhh Hemmmmmmm Yawn..... and telling you why I am thankful.
It's so funny how we "plan" our lives.
Here was my plan, just in case you were wondering. I was going to have 4 children. My husband said 2, I said 4, so I figured we would meet in the middle with 3....wink wink!
They would all be blond haired, blue eyed beauties. My daughter would have long hair, a few ringlets of curls on the ends, and eyes so deep they would melt the soul of anyone who gazed into them.
Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, let's just say, I'm glad my life isn't MINE! I am glad that there is a greater ONE who decides my steps and my path.
After spending the weekend with some beautiful sisters of mine at a Women of Faith conference, I have come to realize just how precious life is.
This life is so fast paced. Most days I just want to grab all my kids, tell them to get into their coziest pair of jammies, pop popcorn, grab a movie, and then we would all run to my bed to snuggle.
Those.....are the moments I live for.
It's so hard to see that my big kids are growing up. They are taller than me, which most people are, but, they have to lean down now to hug me. They are turning into young men and women, and I have to say that it hurts my heart a lil bit to see them getting bigger and more independent.
I don't think I truly ever valued life until we traveled to China and Vietnam.
I did and still do at times, take many things for granted. So many things just don't matter to me as they used to.
I remember my sister and I discussing the new Mercedes that an Arbonne lady at the convention had received for her hard work.
My sister and I agreed that Mercedes really aren't that grand. Sure they look pretty, drive nice.....hey they may even have the seats that warm your bum with a touch of a button. But, how many orphans could be saved with the money that bought that fancy schmancy car?
How many orphanages could be built in China, Vietnam, Africa with that money?
How many pairs of shoes could be purchased for orphans, such as my daughter, who went barefooted, in countries that aren't as blessed as we are in the good ole US of A?
Yes, Reality sometimes SUCKS! Why talk about sad times and starving children in foreign lands....oh that makes me sad...some may say!
But, truly.....that could be my daughter without shoes, without food, without a home in a far away land.
I will never forget the day we met Faith. She was 5 and in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They day was so magical. I didn't say easy......it was magical.
I was told of how she took the picture of our family around and showed her friends saying....Their coming for me. My family is coming for me. She slept, for months with our picture under her pillow. She had faith that we were coming.
I'm not sure that I could have had Faith to continue waiting. I'm pretty antsy in case you don't know. Waiting in line at Target nearly kills me every time! Can I get another checker PALEEEEZ???
But, she waited, and waited......over 3 years she lived in that orphanage as other children came and went...and yet, she waited.
And then, God put a seed of hope in a crazy momma's heart half way across the world for this tiny, sickly, but faithful Asian girl.
I remember how I begged God for help, knowing we could not get to her. The finances were not there.......How would we do it.
But, you see, God sends us friends, in times when we need them. And with God's help, this friend taught me to make jellies.
We (God and I.....yes, he let me tag along!) brought our Faith home, one jar at a time!
HE IS SO COOL LIKE THAT!
So, today I am thankful for Faith, for her faith, and for that tiny seed of hope that God planted in this Momma's heart to help her find her way "home!"
Thank you God for showing me that we can save 147 billion orphans.....1 at a time!
Bambi
So, my girl Linny, over at A Place Called Simplicity, She has had many friends post on her blog about the lil or big things that they are "FANKFUL" for.
So, here I am.......waiting for my girl Linny to invite my over to her porch for coffee....Ehhhhhh Hemmmmmmm Yawn..... and telling you why I am thankful.
It's so funny how we "plan" our lives.
Here was my plan, just in case you were wondering. I was going to have 4 children. My husband said 2, I said 4, so I figured we would meet in the middle with 3....wink wink!
They would all be blond haired, blue eyed beauties. My daughter would have long hair, a few ringlets of curls on the ends, and eyes so deep they would melt the soul of anyone who gazed into them.
Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, let's just say, I'm glad my life isn't MINE! I am glad that there is a greater ONE who decides my steps and my path.
After spending the weekend with some beautiful sisters of mine at a Women of Faith conference, I have come to realize just how precious life is.
This life is so fast paced. Most days I just want to grab all my kids, tell them to get into their coziest pair of jammies, pop popcorn, grab a movie, and then we would all run to my bed to snuggle.
Those.....are the moments I live for.
It's so hard to see that my big kids are growing up. They are taller than me, which most people are, but, they have to lean down now to hug me. They are turning into young men and women, and I have to say that it hurts my heart a lil bit to see them getting bigger and more independent.
I don't think I truly ever valued life until we traveled to China and Vietnam.
I did and still do at times, take many things for granted. So many things just don't matter to me as they used to.
I remember my sister and I discussing the new Mercedes that an Arbonne lady at the convention had received for her hard work.
My sister and I agreed that Mercedes really aren't that grand. Sure they look pretty, drive nice.....hey they may even have the seats that warm your bum with a touch of a button. But, how many orphans could be saved with the money that bought that fancy schmancy car?
How many orphanages could be built in China, Vietnam, Africa with that money?
How many pairs of shoes could be purchased for orphans, such as my daughter, who went barefooted, in countries that aren't as blessed as we are in the good ole US of A?
Yes, Reality sometimes SUCKS! Why talk about sad times and starving children in foreign lands....oh that makes me sad...some may say!
But, truly.....that could be my daughter without shoes, without food, without a home in a far away land.
I will never forget the day we met Faith. She was 5 and in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They day was so magical. I didn't say easy......it was magical.
I was told of how she took the picture of our family around and showed her friends saying....Their coming for me. My family is coming for me. She slept, for months with our picture under her pillow. She had faith that we were coming.
I'm not sure that I could have had Faith to continue waiting. I'm pretty antsy in case you don't know. Waiting in line at Target nearly kills me every time! Can I get another checker PALEEEEZ???
But, she waited, and waited......over 3 years she lived in that orphanage as other children came and went...and yet, she waited.
And then, God put a seed of hope in a crazy momma's heart half way across the world for this tiny, sickly, but faithful Asian girl.
I remember how I begged God for help, knowing we could not get to her. The finances were not there.......How would we do it.
But, you see, God sends us friends, in times when we need them. And with God's help, this friend taught me to make jellies.
We (God and I.....yes, he let me tag along!) brought our Faith home, one jar at a time!
HE IS SO COOL LIKE THAT!
So, today I am thankful for Faith, for her faith, and for that tiny seed of hope that God planted in this Momma's heart to help her find her way "home!"
Thank you God for showing me that we can save 147 billion orphans.....1 at a time!
Bambi
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
S.O.S. I NEED ASSISTANCE PLEASE!!!
This may not seem like a big deal to some, but I need help!! I cannot do this on my own!!
I want...eh hemmmm....I NEED...a cute blog! I wanna sassy blog. I wanna blog that shows how spunky I am, that shows off my kids,,,that represents my life and stuff! You know....STUFF!
So, if you know how to help me do this on my own or you know of someone that I can pay with homemade cookies to do this for me...PLEASE EMAIL ME NOW at heart1054@hotmail.com!
HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!
Thanks,
Bambi
I want...eh hemmmm....I NEED...a cute blog! I wanna sassy blog. I wanna blog that shows how spunky I am, that shows off my kids,,,that represents my life and stuff! You know....STUFF!
So, if you know how to help me do this on my own or you know of someone that I can pay with homemade cookies to do this for me...PLEASE EMAIL ME NOW at heart1054@hotmail.com!
HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!
Thanks,
Bambi
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Wow....it has been awhile!
I love to write. It is almost as much therapy for me as cooking. Lately, I haven't had time to write.....at all.
I always think...oh, I will put that on my blog or I should post this pic on my blog, yet this never happens....DARN IT!
So, on that note....I will be back....soon to post..A BUNCH!!pinky promise dear friends...pinky promise!
I always think...oh, I will put that on my blog or I should post this pic on my blog, yet this never happens....DARN IT!
So, on that note....I will be back....soon to post..A BUNCH!!pinky promise dear friends...pinky promise!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
I heart you Florida!
Dear Friends,
We made it to Florida for Faith's Make-A-Wish trip safely, all eight of us.
I cannot even explain the magnitude of the things that the Make-A-Wish people do to make this the best trip ever....and we have just begun. I hear there are mannnnnny more suprises in store for us during the next seven days.
I thought I would never get Elijah to go to sleep last night. OH MY GOSH! It was after midnight when I finally was able to close my eyes. Let's just say that 3:50 a.m. came waaaaaaaaaaaaay too early this morning.
We were out of the hotel room by 5:00 a.m. and off to the airport shortly after that.
Fast forward a few hours later to our arrival in Orlando Florida, the state of SUNSHINE!
We were greeted by Olivia, our Give Kids The World Village Volunteer. If you are not familiar with Give Kids The World Village, please see yesterday's post for more in depth info.
Olivia was kind and so helpful and was full of useful information about the village.
We got our rental van, which everyone is in agreeance that it smells like shaving cream....lol, that's a good thing, and headed about 20 miles to get to our village.
Now, let me just remind you that EVERYTHING, yes, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, at GKTW is FREE FREE FREE!! From meals, to unlimited ice cream, to stuffed Mickey Mouse dolls, to snacks, Tide for the washer and dryer, sunscreen, treats for all kids, unlimited arcade games, a theater, a horse corrall, a fishing pond, a train station, really, I could go on for hours. FREE, FREE, FREE!
There are 2 pools here. One pool is calm and for relaxation purposes. Ya, I probably will just smile and wave as we walk past that pool...lol!
The other pool is STINKIN AWESOME!!! Swirly things, water spraying, shooting water out of bright colored spray hoses.....Getting ready to head there now! You gotta see it to believe it!
There is not enough blog space to mention every detail but, this place ROCKS!!
The village we are staying at has 110 houses. We have a Double House because there is 8 of us. We have the following things in our double house:
4 bathrooms
4 bedrooms
4 twin beds
2 king beds
2 other beds
2 living rooms
2 dining rooms
2 stoves
2 frigers
2 washers and 2 dryers...because Jesus loves me, this I know!!! EEKS!!
2 front porches with chairs to rock in and relax on
and a PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE!!!
This place is bigger than my own home in Missouri...NO KIDDING!
Tomorrow is my 35th birthday and my dad's 58th birthday. Yes, I am the birthday gift that kept on taking after all these years..lol
We will be headed to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. What a great way to share our birthdays this year! I can't imagine it any better than Disney style!
Faith has a special reservation tomorrow morning to meet MUCHO PrincessessO! We have been given a special button so that all parking and stroller or buggy fees are FREE at all parks! Way cool!
Again, I'm a little gitty!
The houses here, check out the pic, look like something off of the movie The Cat in The Hat! They are brightly colored, funny shaped, and have a rabbit on each mailbox to greet you. Funny thing is, in my head, if I were gonna dream up a house that fit my personality......THIS PLACE HAS ME PEGGED TO A TEE!! Honey, I'm home!!!
Oops, I forgot to mention that Faith and I got to board the plane first, YES< before anyone else because I told them we were with Make-A-Wish!! The rest of the crew boarded shortly after and we all set together! VERY COOL SOUTHWEST AIRLINES.....VERY COOL!
I am about to hyperventilate, so I better end this post.
Off to eat as much ice-cream as we want.....for the second time today already!!
Until next time,
Bambi
We made it to Florida for Faith's Make-A-Wish trip safely, all eight of us.
I cannot even explain the magnitude of the things that the Make-A-Wish people do to make this the best trip ever....and we have just begun. I hear there are mannnnnny more suprises in store for us during the next seven days.
I thought I would never get Elijah to go to sleep last night. OH MY GOSH! It was after midnight when I finally was able to close my eyes. Let's just say that 3:50 a.m. came waaaaaaaaaaaaay too early this morning.
We were out of the hotel room by 5:00 a.m. and off to the airport shortly after that.
Fast forward a few hours later to our arrival in Orlando Florida, the state of SUNSHINE!
We were greeted by Olivia, our Give Kids The World Village Volunteer. If you are not familiar with Give Kids The World Village, please see yesterday's post for more in depth info.
Olivia was kind and so helpful and was full of useful information about the village.
We got our rental van, which everyone is in agreeance that it smells like shaving cream....lol, that's a good thing, and headed about 20 miles to get to our village.
Now, let me just remind you that EVERYTHING, yes, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, at GKTW is FREE FREE FREE!! From meals, to unlimited ice cream, to stuffed Mickey Mouse dolls, to snacks, Tide for the washer and dryer, sunscreen, treats for all kids, unlimited arcade games, a theater, a horse corrall, a fishing pond, a train station, really, I could go on for hours. FREE, FREE, FREE!
There are 2 pools here. One pool is calm and for relaxation purposes. Ya, I probably will just smile and wave as we walk past that pool...lol!
The other pool is STINKIN AWESOME!!! Swirly things, water spraying, shooting water out of bright colored spray hoses.....Getting ready to head there now! You gotta see it to believe it!
There is not enough blog space to mention every detail but, this place ROCKS!!
The village we are staying at has 110 houses. We have a Double House because there is 8 of us. We have the following things in our double house:
4 bathrooms
4 bedrooms
4 twin beds
2 king beds
2 other beds
2 living rooms
2 dining rooms
2 stoves
2 frigers
2 washers and 2 dryers...because Jesus loves me, this I know!!! EEKS!!
2 front porches with chairs to rock in and relax on
and a PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE!!!
This place is bigger than my own home in Missouri...NO KIDDING!
Tomorrow is my 35th birthday and my dad's 58th birthday. Yes, I am the birthday gift that kept on taking after all these years..lol
We will be headed to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. What a great way to share our birthdays this year! I can't imagine it any better than Disney style!
Faith has a special reservation tomorrow morning to meet MUCHO PrincessessO! We have been given a special button so that all parking and stroller or buggy fees are FREE at all parks! Way cool!
Again, I'm a little gitty!
The houses here, check out the pic, look like something off of the movie The Cat in The Hat! They are brightly colored, funny shaped, and have a rabbit on each mailbox to greet you. Funny thing is, in my head, if I were gonna dream up a house that fit my personality......THIS PLACE HAS ME PEGGED TO A TEE!! Honey, I'm home!!!
Oops, I forgot to mention that Faith and I got to board the plane first, YES< before anyone else because I told them we were with Make-A-Wish!! The rest of the crew boarded shortly after and we all set together! VERY COOL SOUTHWEST AIRLINES.....VERY COOL!
I am about to hyperventilate, so I better end this post.
Off to eat as much ice-cream as we want.....for the second time today already!!
Until next time,
Bambi
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
And.......We're Off!
Today we packed up to leave for Florida.
Now, I would like to say that I have been packed and ready for days, you know that's just how organized I am. Ha, Ya whatever! No chance of that happening!
We woke up today and Gracie greeted me with a croupy cough, you know, the kind that you know will get nastyyyyyy if it's not taken care of? So, off to the doctor and pharmacy we went. So glad we got that taken care of so that we can enjoy this trip as a family.
Now, because I knew I would be gone the majority of the morning taking Gracie to the doctor and getting prescriptions, I woke my 3 boys up before I left and then called them once I was in the car to deligate their jobs that must be completed before our departure for Disney World.
It truly was amazing to see how nice the house looked when I came home. Dishes were done, laundry done, their bags packed, the dog had been taken next door to my in-laws house. Wow, when Disney is your bargaining chip, those kiddos seem to move like Mario Andretti! Go speed racer.....GO!
So, Make-A-Wish has reserved us two room at a nice hotel by the airport. Our flight departs for Florida bright and early at 7 in the morning.
It was like the Griswalds (you know Chevy Chase and his fam) going on vacation when we attempted to load up the eight of us. My dad is joining us and we are so happy to share this amazing trip with him.
You would have thought we were moving by the way my two middle boys packed. They felt as though they could not live without a FULL SIZE blanket for each of them. You know, we're headed to Africa, and there are no blankets there right? Hello, it's the sunshine state, I think they will have blankets where we're staying. GOOD GRAVY!
So, it is now 11:00 pm. I have OVERmedicated ADHD boy with benadryl, and still......he goes.....and goes.....and goes.....
I bought a Sharpie pen today to label some things for our trip, toothbrushes, water bottles and so on. Well, guess what, I yelled MARCO, yet the pen did not yell POLO....grrrrrrrr!
So, I asked Elijah to run down to the hotel front desk to see if they had a marker we could borrow.
Twenty.....yes 20 minutes later, he comes back. Now, I had already called the front desk to check and see if he was still there once. Yet still, no ELI!
He finally comes back to the hotel room (right before I sent out the search party) and I asked (very angrily) what took him so long.
Here is his reply:
Well Mom, I was trying to waste time so I went up and down on the elevator to visit each floor a few times.
And, there goes my life...Wheh, that boy makes me tired.
And I pray a lil prayer that I always pray for Elijah when he is on my last nerve, "Dear Lord, please give him triplet sons JUST LIKE HIM!" AMMMMMMMEN!
So tomorrow we head to Disney!! We are so excited and can't wait to enjoy this adventure.
Faith and the other kids don't know this(shhhhhhhhh!) but we are meeting up with Lam and has family while in Florida. This is the lil boy that was from the same orphanage in Vietnam that Faith was from. They danced and sang together. She has talked about him since she learned her first words in English.I visited him in Vietnam, holding him and loving on him, praying for God to send a Miracle for this boy. I knew about him for several months before we adopted Faith. I longed to be his mommy, but his mommy ended up being from Florida. We have remained in contact, their family and ours, and sent pics and letters back and forth.
I can't wait to reunite them and take pics. Neither are orphans anymore. How GREAT and BIG my God is!
Below is a lil more info about the place we are staying at. I am SUPER SIKED ABOUT STAYING HERE!!!
Give Kids the World has a life-size candy land game, rides, a pool, a lake, a free arcade and teen room, and OODLES of other things to do. Give Kids The World was made for families with chronically ill children. EVERYTHING WE DO IN GIVE KIDS THE WORLD IS FREE, FREE, FREE, including the ice cream, arcades, and so on. This place has trash cans that look like elephants, that suck up your trash when you put your hand to the elephants nose, giant chocolate bars, tables for children in the restaurants that are made kid size and made out of 30,000 peppermints. They have a theatre, putt putt golf, a train station, a horse korral, a playground, and so MUCH MORE!
Every Thursday is Christmas at Give Kids The World. Santa and Mrs. Clause ride through the village. The mayor, a 6 foot tall bunny rabbit, will come around and tuck the kids in each evening if we request this.
Their website is : http://www.gktw.org/aboutUs.asp?a=1&page=scrapbook
Go check it out!
Here is how Give Kids The World came to be:
The story of Give Kids The World begins with a little girl with a wish and the desire of one man to make that wish come true.
The little girl's name was Amy. Amy had leukemia and one wish - to visit the theme parks in Orlando. To facilitate Amy's wish, the request of a complimentary stay was made to a respected hotelier. As he had done many times before, the hotelier gladly obliged and Amy's wish was that much closer to being realized. Sadly, the remainder of Amy's travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted; Amy had passed away. Time simply ran out.
This unfulfilled wish inspired a man, the hotelier, to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. That man was Henri Landwirth and his desire to ensure that Amy's story would never repeat itself is where the story of Give Kids The World begins.
Landwirth enlisted the support of colleagues in the hospitality industry, including our world-famous theme parks, to assist him in bringing these special families to Central Florida within 24 hours if need be. He called the project “Give Kids The World,” because that is just what he intended to do - provide memorable, magical, cost-free experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
As the program expanded and the number of families continued to grow, it was apparent that Give Kids The World would need to create a place that could better serve the special needs of our families. The gates of Give Kids The World Village opened in 1989.
Today the Village is a 70-acre resort complete with over 140 Villa accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues, and fun specifically designed for children with special needs.
With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 100,000 families from all 50 states and over 70 countries.
Will post more later.
Much Love,
Bam
Now, I would like to say that I have been packed and ready for days, you know that's just how organized I am. Ha, Ya whatever! No chance of that happening!
We woke up today and Gracie greeted me with a croupy cough, you know, the kind that you know will get nastyyyyyy if it's not taken care of? So, off to the doctor and pharmacy we went. So glad we got that taken care of so that we can enjoy this trip as a family.
Now, because I knew I would be gone the majority of the morning taking Gracie to the doctor and getting prescriptions, I woke my 3 boys up before I left and then called them once I was in the car to deligate their jobs that must be completed before our departure for Disney World.
It truly was amazing to see how nice the house looked when I came home. Dishes were done, laundry done, their bags packed, the dog had been taken next door to my in-laws house. Wow, when Disney is your bargaining chip, those kiddos seem to move like Mario Andretti! Go speed racer.....GO!
So, Make-A-Wish has reserved us two room at a nice hotel by the airport. Our flight departs for Florida bright and early at 7 in the morning.
It was like the Griswalds (you know Chevy Chase and his fam) going on vacation when we attempted to load up the eight of us. My dad is joining us and we are so happy to share this amazing trip with him.
You would have thought we were moving by the way my two middle boys packed. They felt as though they could not live without a FULL SIZE blanket for each of them. You know, we're headed to Africa, and there are no blankets there right? Hello, it's the sunshine state, I think they will have blankets where we're staying. GOOD GRAVY!
So, it is now 11:00 pm. I have OVERmedicated ADHD boy with benadryl, and still......he goes.....and goes.....and goes.....
I bought a Sharpie pen today to label some things for our trip, toothbrushes, water bottles and so on. Well, guess what, I yelled MARCO, yet the pen did not yell POLO....grrrrrrrr!
So, I asked Elijah to run down to the hotel front desk to see if they had a marker we could borrow.
Twenty.....yes 20 minutes later, he comes back. Now, I had already called the front desk to check and see if he was still there once. Yet still, no ELI!
He finally comes back to the hotel room (right before I sent out the search party) and I asked (very angrily) what took him so long.
Here is his reply:
Well Mom, I was trying to waste time so I went up and down on the elevator to visit each floor a few times.
And, there goes my life...Wheh, that boy makes me tired.
And I pray a lil prayer that I always pray for Elijah when he is on my last nerve, "Dear Lord, please give him triplet sons JUST LIKE HIM!" AMMMMMMMEN!
So tomorrow we head to Disney!! We are so excited and can't wait to enjoy this adventure.
Faith and the other kids don't know this(shhhhhhhhh!) but we are meeting up with Lam and has family while in Florida. This is the lil boy that was from the same orphanage in Vietnam that Faith was from. They danced and sang together. She has talked about him since she learned her first words in English.I visited him in Vietnam, holding him and loving on him, praying for God to send a Miracle for this boy. I knew about him for several months before we adopted Faith. I longed to be his mommy, but his mommy ended up being from Florida. We have remained in contact, their family and ours, and sent pics and letters back and forth.
I can't wait to reunite them and take pics. Neither are orphans anymore. How GREAT and BIG my God is!
Below is a lil more info about the place we are staying at. I am SUPER SIKED ABOUT STAYING HERE!!!
Give Kids the World has a life-size candy land game, rides, a pool, a lake, a free arcade and teen room, and OODLES of other things to do. Give Kids The World was made for families with chronically ill children. EVERYTHING WE DO IN GIVE KIDS THE WORLD IS FREE, FREE, FREE, including the ice cream, arcades, and so on. This place has trash cans that look like elephants, that suck up your trash when you put your hand to the elephants nose, giant chocolate bars, tables for children in the restaurants that are made kid size and made out of 30,000 peppermints. They have a theatre, putt putt golf, a train station, a horse korral, a playground, and so MUCH MORE!
Every Thursday is Christmas at Give Kids The World. Santa and Mrs. Clause ride through the village. The mayor, a 6 foot tall bunny rabbit, will come around and tuck the kids in each evening if we request this.
Their website is : http://www.gktw.org/aboutUs.asp?a=1&page=scrapbook
Go check it out!
Here is how Give Kids The World came to be:
The story of Give Kids The World begins with a little girl with a wish and the desire of one man to make that wish come true.
The little girl's name was Amy. Amy had leukemia and one wish - to visit the theme parks in Orlando. To facilitate Amy's wish, the request of a complimentary stay was made to a respected hotelier. As he had done many times before, the hotelier gladly obliged and Amy's wish was that much closer to being realized. Sadly, the remainder of Amy's travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted; Amy had passed away. Time simply ran out.
This unfulfilled wish inspired a man, the hotelier, to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. That man was Henri Landwirth and his desire to ensure that Amy's story would never repeat itself is where the story of Give Kids The World begins.
Landwirth enlisted the support of colleagues in the hospitality industry, including our world-famous theme parks, to assist him in bringing these special families to Central Florida within 24 hours if need be. He called the project “Give Kids The World,” because that is just what he intended to do - provide memorable, magical, cost-free experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
As the program expanded and the number of families continued to grow, it was apparent that Give Kids The World would need to create a place that could better serve the special needs of our families. The gates of Give Kids The World Village opened in 1989.
Today the Village is a 70-acre resort complete with over 140 Villa accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues, and fun specifically designed for children with special needs.
With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 100,000 families from all 50 states and over 70 countries.
Will post more later.
Much Love,
Bam
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