Cassidy's Disney World Wish Come True!

Well, it has only taken me nearly 3 months to put this post together. So here it is. Hope you enjoy reading about Cassidy's wish to go to Disney World.

Cassidy faithfully removed one link from her paper countdown chain every morning. Sept. 4th finally arrived and we were on a plane headed for Orlando Florida to join Cassidy on her wish trip to Walt Disney World. Can I just tell you Cassidy was so excited to go on this trip that the first week of school was an entire waste. She could not focus at all on school work. All she could talk about was her wish to go to Disneyworld.

We arrived in Florida Saturday afternoon and were greeted at the airport by a friendly elderly couple from Give Kids the World Village where we would be staying. They helped us get our luggage, rental car and gave us directions to the village. We arrived at Give Kids the World and were taken to our villa where we would be staying. Holy Cow! I had no idea how nice this place would be. Our villa had a kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, washer, dryer, jacuzzi tub etc. I was amazed at how nice it was. The village is an amusement park all its own and they have fun activities all day for kids to do. All the meals at the village were free. It really is a special place. It was founded by a man who is a Holocaust survivor. He has quite an amazing story. Anyway he made his money in the hotel business. He would often use his hotels to host families of critically ill children who wanted to see Florida. He got fed up one day when a little girl died before she could come to Florida because it took too long to make arrangements. That is when he decided to make a place just for sick children to stay. Give Kids the World was built all from donations and continues to run on donations. Most of the people who work there are volunteers. We were treated like family there. It runs very smoothly and organized. They have everything figured out. One of my biggest fears was that Cassidy would get sick out there and I wouldn't know what to do. Well they have a booklet where they tell you exactly what to do and where to go. Everything very thought out. Truly a place where "Happiness Inspires Hope".

FYI I had forgotten how humid Florida is. Wow! It was hot. Don't look to close at my hair in all these pictures (ok now you will). The minute I would walk out the door my hair would go into it's natural craziness. No amount of straightening would do the trick.

Here we are in front of our cute Villa.

Of course, one of the first things Logan discovered is that there are lizards crawling everywhere in Florida. He chased them all around and Lorin helped him catch a few.

That night while Lorin was at an orientation meeting I took the kids to the swimming pool. This pool was so fun! The kids had a blast and there was even a birthday party at the pool for Mayor Clayton the rabbit mascot of the village. I made friends with this really cute African American girl. I had to laugh because I could not understand a word she said. Lorin just laughed at me because on his mission he learned how to understand the southern African American talk (I don't know what to call it). Afterward we had to check out the ice cream parlor where they serve all you can eat ice cream all day long. Can we just say Megan was in heaven!!!

The next day we headed out to go see some of Lorin's mission and the beach. First we passed through Daytona Beach. We went right past the Daytona 500 race track. Exciting to some I am sure. It was so fun to watch Lorin as he remembered exactly where he was going. He had a lot of zone conferences in Daytona. We continued down the road, along the shore, to Flagler Beach.

Lorin actually served in Flagler Beach. We played in the water for a little bit but then it started to pour rain and everyone had to get out of the water. We then drove past a little ice cream shack where Lorin would buy the best chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. The line was long and it was raining so we drove on by.

Yep, Lorin as a missionary. It was so fun to actually see where this picture was taken.

My handsome husband! Wow, missionaries really are just little boys! We were going to walk out on that pier but they charge money to do that.

Lorin, as a missionary, in front of his apartment. This place is just a street or two away from the beach. We drove right past it and I really wanted to get a picture of Lorin in front of the place but there was an old, sun baked couple out front trying to have a little yard sale. The place doesn't look this nice anymore. Kinda turned white trash. I am sure some of the other missionaries were upset when Lorin found an apartment in Bunnell just miles away but closer to the church building.

So this is the picture I took, at a distance.

Next we drove over to Bunnell. It was raining so I didn't make the kids stand in for the picture but I should have. This is the church building. Lorin says that they added on to the building since he was there. These pictures may be boring but it was fun for me. Lorin remembered exactly where he was going. We even drove past a house where an elderly sister would cook him the best fried chicken. We didn't dare knock on the door. She probably isn't around anymore anyway.

This was Lorin's apartment in Bunnell and how it looks today. It didn't appear that the missionaries still live there. The picture below was taken in the backyard of that apartment. I really have no idea what it is with missionaries and burning things. I think Lorin is burning a tie. I don't know.

Next we drove over to Palm Coast. We ate at the Cracker Barrel where Lorin occasionally went to if he scrimped and saved his pennies. I saw this sign and all the beautiful flowers but once again it was raining. It was fun to drive the roads Lorin had to ride his bike on. In Florida there are no shoulders to the roads let alone sidewalks. They would just have to ride as close to the edge as possible and hope that the cars wouldn't hit them. Lorin showed us a trail that he and his companion decided to take one day. It was a beautiful ride but when they got home they realized they were crawling with ticks. They didn't do that again.

Lorin, as a missionary, in front of the Orlando Temple. The temple was dedicated when he was on his mission. It is interesting to hear him talk of how much opposition there was to this temple being built. People thought that their property values would go down and complained about every little thing. But the temple was built and property values went up. I am sure that it changed the area and the hearts of the people in so many good ways. It is a beautiful place.

Oh the love after a long day in the car!

Sunday morning Logan complained of his legs itching. He was told not to run through the grass, if you can call it grass, chasing the lizards but he kept doing it. I guess there are chiggers in the grass that bite so we thought maybe that is what had happened but it looked more like a rash. I thought it would resolved itself and just be on his legs. Well, by night time it had spread everywhere including his face. He fell asleep but I felt pretty uneasy about it so at midnight Lorin headed out to Wal-Mart to get Benadryl. By morning the rash was gone. I am glad that I didn't just let it go. He obviously was allergic to the tall grasses.

On Monday mornings some of the Disney characters come right to the village to take pictures with the kids. Cassidy loved Pluto and kept petting him.

Next we headed to Sea World

"Come here little fella!" Logan was always chasing something.

The kids got to feed the dolphins. Pretty cool! We also "made" the kids go the the Atlantis ride. It has a fairly large drop off at the end. Needless to say we had a couple kids in tears over that one. I still have to laugh. I know, mean, but the looks on their faces were hilarious. I need to scan that picture in.

Then the clouds burst open and it poured rain. And I mean poured!!!

The kids absolutely loved the carousel at Give Kids the World. Cassidy got to put her name on a gold star and it was hung in the castle of miracles. Someday we hope to visit and find her star.

On Tues. we headed to Magic Kingdom, Cassidy couldn't wait to see the big castle. She got to meet a lot of her favorite characters. It was nice being a wish kid because all the cast members were so sweet to Cassidy.

Logan wasn't too sure about Jasmine. She needed more clothes on!

We went to Storytime with Belle. Cassidy was chosen to go up on the stage and play the part of Cogsworth the clock. She was so proud. It was hilarious when she reached down and had to see if the clock worked. She was really anxious to give Belle a hug and almost didn't wait until the show was over. It was very cute!

Lorin took Megan and Cassidy on Splash Mountain. Logan refused to go on it so I had to wait out with him. Anyway, as luck would have it, they got stuck in the ride for an hour. It scared the girls so they said they were never going on it again. Nice! I convinced Cassidy to go on it with me on Thursday. I told her I was scared and needed her to go with me. She loved it! I think the favorite ride ended up being the Big Thunder Mountain. We went on that over and over.

On Wednesday the kids got to ride horses at the village. Then we headed to Animal Kingdom and Epcot Center

Cassidy is quite proud of herself for going on the Everest ride. It is pretty intense. I don't think you could pay Megan or Logan to go on that ride. Cassidy came out smiling!

While we waited for Cassidy and Lorin to get off of Everest Logan found another creature, a enormous grasshopper. He really wanted to step on it but that would have made a big mess and probably a big crunch.

On Thursday we to a quick look at Hollywood studios and then went back to Magic Kingdom. I have to laugh at the dorky picture of us with the "Up" logo. The kids quoted that movie the whole time. They are so funny! The kids really enjoyed taking the boat over to the Magic Kingdom.

Huh?????? This is so weird I had to take a picture. I had no idea that Florida was part of the middle east!=)

A really tiny lizard.

Christamas at the village. It was our last night and the kids had a blast! Santa even played catch with Logan for a minute.

Cassidy was sooooo excited to dance with Mayor Clayton! My camera died so I didn't get a great picture.

Our last few hours at the village.

Cassidy loved this little play house. It was even air conditioned. The miniature furniture was so cute.

We made it home! The kids got to see the cockpit of the plane and thought that was pretty neat. We had the time of our lives in Florida. We were able to leave our worries behind and just laugh and have fun. Lorin even left his cell phone at the villa on purpose so he could leave work behind. Just ask Cassidy about her trip and she still grins from ear to ear and just glows when she talks about it. We feel so blessed to have been able to take this trip with Cassidy. Thank you Make a Wish!!!

Star Raising Party

On August 31 we went up to Make a Wish for Cassidy's Star raising party. Cassidy had been asking me almost everyday when this party would take place. She was so excited and happy that she had a real hard time focusing at school. She kept telling all the kids about it.

They had the whole place decorated with Disney characters. Cassidy definitely has "Princess Power!"

Everyone was given a tour of Make a Wish and Cassidy opened the Wishing Room for everyone to see. This is the rainbow of Stars hanging from the ceiling. A star for every child who has had a wish granted.
Cassidy requested cake!

Because the party was a little short notice I wasn't able to invite everyone who I intended to and some were not able to attend but we had a good crew of some of the most special people in Cassidy's life. Thanks to everyone who was able to share in this special evening to honor Cassidy. I was kind of a scatter brain that night so I didn't do the greatest job at taking pictures and didn't get pictures of everyone with Cassidy like I should have. I didn't even get a picture of her with her grandma and grandpa. Seriously I think I should be fired sometimes.

Aunt Joanna with all her cute kids!

Aunt Natalie!

Cousin Leslie, Aunt Debbie, Aunt Laura and Great Aunt Wilma!

Cassidy got a beautiful purple star and wrote in gold "Cassidy, Hope, Shumway, 2010, Dad" with lots of hearts by it. Somebody must love their dad a whole lot!!!

Here we go! Up, up and away!
That purple star looks so beautiful up there with all the other stars and each star is unique just like each child.

Our good friend Andrea!

Our good friend Janeal and her husband Gary!

Dr. Brinton, who we will always consider our pediatrician even though she is now a mom and only works one day a week up at Primary Children's. She has been a support to us since Cassidy first got sick at 10 months old. Rare to find a Dr. who cares so much about their patients even after hours. We always beg her to come back but she is doing what is most important, raising a family.

Allie and Sherrie, Cassidy's Wish Granters.

We feel so blessed! Happy memories to help dull the pain of yesterday and to help us face the future with hope! Thank you Make a Wish for bringing such joy to Cassidy's life!

Back to School

I wasn't really that thrilled for school to start this year. Some would say I am crazy but I so enjoyed being home with my kiddies this summer. Not that we did anything spectacular but last summer was so awful that this summer just seemed like heaven in comparison. Plus with each new year I realize that my kids are just growing up to fast!

Megan started 6th grade. She has the same teacher as last year but she decided it was ok since some of her good friends are in the class this year. One more year in elementary school. Ugh! Don't remind me! I love my Megan!
Cassidy started 3rd grade. Her teacher is so sweet and never gets upset. Amazing! There are some tough personalities in Cassidy's grade. Cassidy has the best aide on the planet to help her. Oh who are we kidding? I do my best but some days are kinda hard. I enjoy being there to help Cassidy be safe and to stay up with the class. Cassidy likes to flirt with all the boys. That is for sure!

Logan is repeating Kindergarten this year. He has the same teacher and she has been a huge support to our family. She is very prayerful and felt Logan needed another year to grow up and get all his basic skills down before 1st grade. We feel like this was a good decision since Logan had no preschool which, sadly, is the new kindergarten. Logan is much happier this year and is so proud to be a table captain and helper to the other students. He towers over all the other kids! He is gaining much more confidence, is finishing his work and following directions.

Family Reunion

In August my family had a reunion in Bear Lake, Idaho. We spent a day at Bear Lake or I should say we only spent a couple hours. Lorin needed to stop and do some work in Fish Haven which is right by the lake. A little project, for us anyway, turns into a big project because we always have Murphy on our side and if we didn't have bad luck we would have none at all. That is just the way things roll. We were glad we finally made it and could see that everyone was having a great time. I love that lake even if the sand is more like dirt and is impossible to totally get it out of swimsuits. The lake is unbelievably blue as you drive down the mtn. The water was warm and as you walk through the water there would be cold patches then you would hit a warm one, kinda interesting. It's true, you never know what those warm patches might be. We didn't see the Bear Lake monster which Logan was most intrigued with.

I think that is Megan out there. She had a big time floating around with her life jacket.

Cassidy had fun collecting sea shells or maybe they should be called lake shells.

Logan thought he was a deep sea diver. I wonder what he could see down there?

We then drove up to Bennington, Idaho to my grandparents home which is now my Aunt's and she was and is kind enough to let us come and spend some time there. While driving there the kids were just talking and being silly and out of the blue Cassidy says "Dad I love you" and he says "I love you too" and then she said "and that is why I don't die". A very interesting thing for a child to say and I suppose it is true. No other explanation really.

Anywho we made it to Bennington and set up our tent in the yard, ate yummy food, sat around the campfire, talked, and had a program.

Logan just really wanted to catch a stick on fire and was quite frustrated with everyone telling him that he couldn't do it.

Some of the crew sittin' around

Megan and her cousins Rachel and Lissa made up a cute dance to "Just Another Picture to Burn". It was quite creative and it was a surprise to see what they came up with. Oh look! Another use for those famous Smokey the Bear frisbees! After we ate the most delicious raspberry cobbler I have ever had! Bear Lake Raspberries.......YUM!

Next we hunkered down in our tent. The kids were excited because we don't do the tent thing very often. We were worried because the night before the temps. got down into the 30's. Welcome to Idaho! Tony and Marci nearly froze to death but it was in the 40's the night we stayed. I guess Grandpa always said after the 2nd week of August you could never be certain what the weather would do.

Saturday we took a little hike up Pine Canyon to see the old cabin my grandfather built when he was homesteading the land in the 1920's. This brought back so many childhood memories of camping and sledding etc. up in Pine Canyon.

I don't think my grandpa stayed at this cabin much because he was off herding sheep so much. But I guess it was a real cozy place. It had glass windows in it and everything. Now it is just a home for the pack rats. It was fun for the kids to see a bit of history.

My grandparents home may have been small and humble but you know what it was and still is a happy refuge from the world. There is no place like it.
Oh the memories I have of going "over the river and through the woods" to Grandma's house. It was so fun to be back, to walk up the steep stairs to the attic and have everything be the same, to walk through the barnyard, to smell the smell of the farm, to see the sheep, the old gates and fences and Grandma's flowers. I am really excited to plant the poppy flower seeds that Aunt Wilma gave me from Grandma's flowers. Oh how I miss my Grandma. It was really kinda hard to leave but we will be back. Maybe we will do it again next summer.

I remember playing and climbing on these wagon wheels as a child. Good times!

Megan is Eleven!

Megan is Eleven and has been since Aug. 10th! Hard to believe that it is possible. Megan is growing up so fast. She is a very good girl with a desire to do what is right and we are proud to be her parents. It is hard to be the oldest child. Meg is very patient with us as we continue to learn how to be parents. She is learning to be responsible and has been a big help. She is a good big sis. and a great friend.

For Megan's birthday she really wanted to have a sleepover so we let her have 5 of her cousins sleep over. They had a blast. We had a bubble blowing contest (some had greater skills than others), played games, ate pizza, cupcakes and popcorn, painted nails, and slept outside in a tent. And WOW texting seems to be a big part of a teens life. We won't name any names but I just hope that the parents a.k.a. Deb and Shelly have unlimted text.=) I'm just sayin'. Remember the day and age when pagers were the new, cool thing? We have come a long way. Anyway......Meg was given a Taylor Swift CD and they all went outside and sang and danced. Sorry to the neighbors for the noise!=) I have forgotten how loud 7 girls can be. Oh to be young again! There was some Justin Bieber talk but it was all over my head. He has weird hair! And some of the poses in these pics. crack me up. Not gang signs I hope.

Eleven is still little right? Love you Megan!

I actually made something!

Since this blog is kind of my journal you all (those who actually read this) get to enjoy some posts that are boring but are for my record keeping and remembrance. In order for me to blog about Disney world I need to put a few other things on here before I get to that. So bear with me as I humor myself.

This summer I was really in the redo craft mode but this is pretty much the only project

I got to. I saw this sign on a blog (sorry can't recall which one) and I loved it so I made one. I love how the "be clean" stands out so I hung it in the bathroom as a reminder of all the ways we need to be clean in body and spirit. It doesn't have all of Pres. Hinckley's "Be's" on it but good ones. My friends, this is not vinyl. I painted it by hand and I think it gives it more charm. Sorry, that sounded boastful! Actually I am too cheap right now to buy vinyl. Thanks for bearing with me.=)