Day Nine - The Dream Trip Continues

Day 9! The time is flying by...

Quick note from today: Michelle, Sami and Abby left for a girls day out, and their car broke down about 15 miles into the trip to Disney (we are about an hour away). Darron and Tracy are going to get them and we are trying to rent a car. So they are stuck on the highway, broke down, and I have no way of getting to them. No worries... Darron will be there shortly.

1. Day One
2. Day Two
3. Day Three
4. Day Four
5. Day Five
6. Day Six
7. Day Seven | More Pics
8. Day Eight
   

Yesterday we had planned to go to Orlando but the kids conspired to mutiny against us and change it to a "beach" day. So off to the beach we went.

We had a great time. Poor Michelle... her skin is a beautiful alabaster white which is WHITE WHITE for those who don't know. I lathered her up thick with sunscreen but missed a strip on her back right where her bra strap would end up digging in, and today she is suffering. Sunburn on her looks cherry red and is PAINFUL. The tops of her feet got burned up too.

The kids had the time of their life digging in the sand, splashing in the waves and finding treasure (shells). We stayed for 2-3 hours and then ventured off for our one planned seafood dinner. We love seafood but it's too expensive out here in tourist land. So we saved up our pennies and got to have shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops and fish. Landis ignored it all and ate about 15 corn fritter hush puppies with powdered sugar. Normally we wouldn't allow a kid to eat like that, but for this meal, that's what he loved, so we just let him chow down on them (and Sami got to eat his shrimp; so we go two happy kids for the price of one).

After dinner, we headed back to Darron and Tracy's because I had a tennis match scheduled. We played four sets of doubles... after a big seafood meal... after a long day in the sun at the beach... after a week of continual walking, sports and activity. I was actually feeling pretty good thanks to my little blue buddies and my darling orange friends (Naproxen and Ibuprofen).

But, I hurt my wrist. Getting injured was my biggest concern this week since I went from hitting a few balls maybe 2-3 times a month to playing matches almost every day this week. I wound up to pound a backhand return and the guy serving jammed me with shot straight at my gut. So I was at a weird wrist-y inside out angle and something popped in my wrist. I played two more sets after that but it hurt every time I hit a backhand hard, and I found that I couldn't put more than minimal topspin on my forehands (I hit very heavy topspin forehands). This morning, the wrist is sore and swollen. I'm praying it will be okay after a day or two of rest because I still have one round of golf and three tennis matches scheduled (and 2 more days at theme parks, and 2 more beach outings... other than that, we aren't doing much).

Every day has been filled with activity, full of joy and a mountain of memories. Today is "girls day out" with Michelle, Sami and Abby doing a marathon day at Disney until 11pm tonight. I have some work that must be done today and since Landis can't ride most of the rides, we stayed home. I need a little rest too. The girls couldn't wait to kidnap Mommy and get away from the stinky boys for a while!

Day Nine Pics


I've been to this beach many times, and the waves
were as big as I've ever seen except during storms or hurricanes.
The babies sat on the edge and waited for
"the big one" when I captured in this sequence.
Most of the waves were not even coming close
to them. The bigger ones would wash all the way up to them.


Abby had great fun burying Sami.
This was Sami's first trip to the beach.


Mom gets in on the action covering Sami
with sand. We took about 4 pounds of sand
home with us, hidden in various "areas".


We stayed for several hours and the kids just loved it.

Abby was so happy. She loves the beach.

Dad and SpideyLandis out in the waves which were
really strong for this beach. The undertow was significant
and the little kids couldn't go out more than 5-10 feet
in the water without losing their feet in the backwash.


Abby and Landis get a horsey ride from Darron.
They are having great fun with him every night as
he spends an hour of pandemonium with them.


Abby couldn't walk a year ago, and couldn't
hold a drink in her hand. Now she's swinging
from the playground bars. God is good.


Welcome to my world.
C'mon on in...


Little Monkey and the Princess

Look Mom, I'm cuter than the
concrete shrimp girl with too much lipstick.


Landis was only slightly scared of
this ferocious character.


The kids outside of the seafood restaurant.
We planned one seafood dinner for the kids
(okay, for us too) while we were here
that was not in the price range we would consider at home.


Landis wasn't scared of the pecking
pigeons at all. He stuck his hand out, and they
ate the food right off his fingers.


Two hours later, after TWO showers,
Abby still has sand on her face, falling out of her hair.


Sami has been a delight this whole week.
I coudn't sit down and write out a description
and get a more wonderful daughter. She has fit
it to our family as if she has always been with us.
Sometimes when I look at her pictures like this,
I'm just amazed at how beautiful she is.
I know you guys get sick of hearing me say it all the time!


Here is Abby, in 2008, a few months before her diagnosis
the last time we visited the same beach we were on yesterday.

Here is Abby a year ago, barely walking
in the hospital most of the time, near death several times.

Here is Abby yesterday. What precious gift.


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