We had a good time at William's return party, showing William's pictures and talking about the trip...
And we thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of good friends! And a little entertainment from Mr. N and Smith and Benjamin! (I have some really embarrassing pictures of Smith and Benjamin - you can thank me later, boys, for not posting them!) :)
Our Miss Leslie got her own private showing of Sarah's slideshow...
Thank you, Miss Johnnie and Miss Leslie for making William's wish come true! And he really enjoyed all the gifts! Thank you for your sweet thoughtfulness!
As for me, I think the thing I appreciate most wasn't necessarily the trip itself. Sure, it was so much fun for me to see the children's faces and hear their exclamations as they saw something new or experienced something fun. But what I appreciate most is that this trip gave me the opportunity to see my family in a new light. A light that isn't 100% focused on medical needs or treatments. Of course, it was difficult for me to let go and just go with things and of course, we still met William's medical needs. But ALL of our traveling in the last 7 years has involved some sort of medical treatment. Everyone we've stopped to visit or every landmark we've seen has been ON THE WAY to a doctor visit of some sort (or on the way home). This trip gave me the opportunity to see that it's good for our family to just enjoy a trip with no medical agenda, to specifically plan something just for fun. And, with a little care and pre-planning, William can do it. He's stronger and healthier than he's ever been and though he's still fragile and has some limitations, we know what those are and can prepare for the worst while planning for the best. This trip taught me that it's important for him to get out there and do things that are a little scary, to do new things, to let loose, and to not be restricted all the time. It showed me how important it is for him, and for all of us, to live life. And for that, I'm truly grateful.
Make a Wish trip slideshow:
**** Side note:
I changed William's side bar. Instead of having individual links to his videos, with pictures, I've just listed his videos (and added a few new ones). Just click on the link to watch.
