Our Grand Adventure - Day 26

Practically Pikasso!!  This afternoon, Autumn too us to Practically Pikasso and we had so much fun decorating our own ceramics.  Picture proof is provide courtesy of Angelica's iPod!

I chose to make a trivet.

M chose to decorate a butter dish for me.

A chose to create one of a kind shakers.

MM decorated a hippo bank.

Autumn painted a cross for her new home.

After a delicious dinner and conversation with Bones and his Lady, we are back at the hotel relaxing and ready to turn in for the night.  :)

Our Grand Adventure - Day 25

Today was a very laid back day.  We slept late and then headed to the camper to look after the dogs, took a ride to see the house that Autumn hopes to get, picked up some lunch, headed back to the hotel for naps and then had a quick dinner before the younger two went for a swim.  Fun.  Relaxing.  Enjoyable.  Full of conversation.  My kind of day.

Our Grand Adventure - Days 16 - 24

Day 16 - We left the resort with a list of things Miracle wanted to accomplish for the scavenger hunt and the intention of picking up the artwork and final scores.  Miracle received a Superior for her 3-D art and an Excellent for her Digital Photography.  Angelica received a Good for her Digital Photography.  As the morning wound down, Miracle realized she was in 8th place for the scavenger hunt and really picked up her efforts with only 3 hours to go.  I broke the little finger on her sculpture 3-D art.   It was not fixable so it went into the trash.  We went back to the resort and rested until it was time for the celebration service.  

Day 17 - We headed to Typhoon Lagoon.  We didn't have a lot of fun and decided it was for two reasons.  Remember in the 80's when all water parks were the same?  It was much like that.  Also, it wasn't very accessible... there were only three things I could do: the wave pool, the lazy river, and one slide.  

Day 18 - We slept in and then headed back to Downtown Disney to go to Disney Quest.  Once again, we were disappointed.  It is simply an outdated arcade.  

At the end of the day, we decided that if we come back to Disney, we probably won't purchase the water fun and more since of the three that we did, we only liked Blizzard Beach.  There are other alternatives for things to do with the water fun and more add on - mini golf and a sports museum - but none of that really appeals to us either.  

Day 19 - Magic Kingdom!!!  We started the morning by asking if there was anything we needed to assist me.  We were directed to the map for guests with disabilities which was slightly helpful in that it let me know which rides I could access but it wasn't overly helpful because we had already figured out all the tips listed on the pamphlet.  We had a lot of fun.  We made it through everything available except Tomorrow Land and we missed several parades and scheduled things we wanted to see... there just wasn't enough time.  If we return, we will schedule two days to visit Magic Kingdom.  Our favorite of all the parts we visited was Frontierland.  There are two must ride rides there:  Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!  We didn't return to the resort until after midnight.  

Day 20 - Epcot!!  The girls were up and out the door by 8:00.  I was so tired that I needed to stay back and rest some more.  The girls returned around 12:30 and I asked them if they were done or if they wanted to go back - they had been to almost everything but wanted to go back with me.  

When we arrived and I saw the ball in person, I was amazed.  It has always been my dream to go to Disney - especially Epcot.  It was a great day!  We made it through everything with very few hiccups. It is more laid back and not as rushed as the other parks.  There were a few things geared toward the younger crowd and we skipped those.  The best rides at Epcot:  ALL OF THEM!!!  

Near the end of the day, a cast member asked me for my GAC - I asked what that was and he directed me to Guest Relations once again.  This time I asked specifically for a Guest Assistance Card.   It was hugely helpful.  Often, a guest in a wheelchair will wait longer once they get to the front of a queue because they must them wait for an accessible ride.  The GAC allows the guest to automatically go through some fast pass lanes which then balances out the wait time.  By making it to the front of the line faster, it makes up for the extra wait time.  

We were back at the resort before 8 and headed to bed early.  

Day 21 - We arrived at Animal Kingdom before opening and headed straight to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride.  We had been told that if you arrive early in the morning, you are more likely to see the animals moving around.  It was amazing!  Do not miss the Lion King show!  We also rode Everest - Miracle rode it twice.  Once was enough for Angelica and I!  Kali River Rapids is another part that you don't want to miss!  We made it through the park and were back at the resort by dinner time.  Another relaxing yet enjoyable day!

Day 22 - The girls went to Blizzard Beach without me as I needed the rest.  I slept off and on all day.  Disney with Lupus is overwhelmingly exhausting.  When they returned, we packed up and loaded the car so we could leave early the next morning.  

Day 23 - We left Orlando and headed west.  The original plan was to camp at Gulf Port, MS but we quickly discarded that plan because we wanted to drive as far as possible and get away from the approaching storm that was hanging out in the gulf.  We drove through heavy rains, often so heavy that I couldn't see and had to pull over.  We made it as far as Beaumont, TX before stopping for the night.  

Day 24 - We drove the rest of the way to Waco and met up with Autumn.  She decided that we would enjoy staying at a hotel instead of throwing up a tent outside of their camper.  They are waiting on a house contract to go through - hopefully it will  work out this time.  We went out to eat and then Miracle and I headed back to the hotel to rest while Autumn and MM and Angelica went to pick up some things we would need for the next few days.  

Our Grand Adventure - Days 14 & 15

Day 14 - HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS!!! - We had so much fun!  We arrived shortly after 9:00 and started walking around.  It wasn't long before I realized we didn't really have a plan and took charge of the map to create one.  I knew that we would miss things we wanted to see if we didn't take a few minutes to make a flexible plan.   We visited almost every attraction.  The Muppets were closed for construction so we didn't make it there.  At the Indian Jones exhibit, Miracle was chosen to be an extra so she got to get in costume and go onstage.  It was really cool!!  Angelica even chose to ride the Rock & Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror!  She did great!  We stayed until the very end of the day and watched Fantasmic!  We even got to sit in the front row!  

Day 15 - There was very little on the schedule that day so we started the day by sleeping in.  As we were getting ready to go the Convention Center, I checked the Fine Arts website and learned that Miracle did not have a call-back for her preaching.  We headed to the Festival and checked out some more booths.  Miracle also did some more things for the scavenger hunt.  Then we hung out in the lobby for a bit so we could all relax and use the wi-fi.  We headed back to the hotel and went to bed.  

Our Grand Adventure - Days 9 - 13

Day 9 - We woke up bright and early, had a good breakfast, and headed on our way.  Our first stop was in Lawrenceville to meet one of our soap providers, Linda and Ed from lyesoap.com, and pick up some soap.  We also had the opportunity to visit a bit and learn about the soap making process.  Angelica is quite interested in the whole process.  Then we continued driving, and driving, and driving... until 7:30 when we finally arrived at our campsite in Fort Clinch, Florida.  We set up our tent, partially in the daylight and partially in the dark, but not until we were warned to avoid the bobcats, alligators, and overly aggressive raccoons!!  We showered and settled down for the night, knowing we had an early morning ahead of us.  

Day 10 - We set an alarm for 5:00 am so that we could watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean.  It was truly remarkable.  Miracle and I were quite tired so we went back to the campsite and napped a bit before tearing down the tent.  As soon as that was done, we went to the beach to enjoy some time playing in the ocean.  Miracle struggled to push me in a beach wheelchair.  I struggled to let her, knowing that if I didn't, I wouldn't be strong enough to handle the rest of the trip.  When we had spent enough time in the waves and gathered our fair share of shells, we headed to Orlando.  We arrived at an amazing resort that we have the opportunity of spending two weeks in thanks to the generosity of a friend.  We got settled into our suite and headed to bed, anticipating the next day's adventure.

Day 11 - We headed out early to Blizzard Beach, but it seemed like things kept slowing us down so we didn't arrive at the park until 10:30.  I traded my wheelchair for one of theirs so that the water wouldn't ruin mine.  We enjoyed the day thoroughly, much more than anticipated.  

We also became more aware of people's misconceptions about wheelchair accessibility.  There are truly only two rides that are completely accessible.  There are a few more that are moderately accessible, mostly because the staff are so accommodating and go out of their way to make the Disney experience enjoyable for everyone.  People wrongly assumed that we went to the front of the line when often we had to wait longer for things that were accessible, like the gondola necessary to transport wheelchairs to the top of the mountain.  We learned firsthand that a route that is accessible to wheelchairs often covers more distance and time than the more direct route designed for everyone else.  Enough of the rant.  

Day 12 - The first day of Nationals - we slept in a bit before heading to the Convention Center and registering the girls for the festival and turning in their artwork.  Miracle entered three categories: Short Sermon, 3-D art, and Digital Photography.  Angelica entered Digital Photography.  

We were all tired, so we headed back to the resort and napped again.  Once we awoke, we had a quick lunch and headed to Downtown Disney.  We weren't sure what to expect.  We had a lot of fun looking through the shops.  We are looking forward to returning later to spend one of our tickets at Disney Quest.  

Day 13 - We were up bright and early to head to the Convention Center.  Miracle was scheduled to preach at 10:24.  When we arrived, we looked through the artwork to make sure the girls' artwork was set up properly.  Once we were satisfied that it was, we looked around the exhibit hall for a little while and headed to the room where Miracle was scheduled to preach - she got a Superior and is anxiously awaiting news of whether or not she will receive a call-back.  After that, we headed back to the exhibit hall for the rest of the day.  We all got henna tattoos and the girls participated in a scavenger hunt with a college Miracle is looking at.  All in all, it was a good day.  

Plus, I got a bit more of a perspective of life in a wheelchair in public... kids are on my level and talk to me freely, struggling people are more willing to share their struggles - possibly because it is obvious that I have struggles of my own, and it provides a great angle for photographs!  

We were finally at the resort early enough to have some time to relax and wind down before falling into bed. We grilled our dinner and ate outside.  Then we sorted through the day's finds and cuddled on the couch for a bit before the girls headed off to bed.  

I had hoped to blog more consistently while we were here with the Internet access but have been so tired that hasn't happened.  I have to learn to listen to my body and slow down so that I don't get too sick and going to bed rather than blogging is part of that. 

Our Grand Adventure - Days 2-8

Day 2 I spent driving.  And puking.  And puking while driving.  Not fun...

Angelica spent the day riding and sleeping.  She had me a bit concerned with the constant fever and fatigue until I realized that the timing was perfect for her to be displaying symptoms of mono since her sister was sick with it back in April.

Miracle spent the day riding, reading, drawing, and playing on an iPod.

We arrived at the campsite shortly before 10 and had the adventure of putting up the tent in the dark.  I didn't mind so much, but the girls have said it is an experience they would rather not do again.

Day 3 We tore down the tent (2 hours including breakfast and such) and drove for a few hours to set it up again at Tallulah Gorge.  We picked up the groceries we needed and headed back to the campground to fix dinner.  Starting the fire was a challenge.  Even the Girl Scout training that I had received to place the wood in a tent shape didn't work.  A neighboring camper took pity on us after about an hour and brought a fire starter over.  He then told us that the humidity is so high in GA right now that traditional methods of starting a fire just don't work so the next day we bought some fire starters and charcoal to make building fires the rest of the week easier.

Day 4  In addition to going to the store, we went swimming at the lake and we explored the visitor center.  We were bummed that because of Angelica's foot we couldn't hike the gorge, but maybe we'll get to in the future.

Day 5 We broke out the wheelchair for me and hiked a few of the trails that were accessible.  We saw so many beautiful things and Miracle and I waded in the river for a few minutes.  Then we went back to the campsite for lunch and a quick change of clothes so that we could go swimming again.  Then we went to wade in the river again.  This time Angelica joined us.

Day 6 We headed to Greenville to visit a childhood friend.  I enjoyed the visit and was excited to meet her children.  Before leaving, she helped us pick out a swimsuit for Angelica as she had had two swimsuit malfunctions since arriving in GA.  As we were driving home, I realized I hadn't gotten a single picture.  On the way, we stopped at an overlook and saw the gorge from a different angle.  We were more determined than ever to make that trek in the future.  It is a beautiful sight to see. While Angelica and I cleaned up dinner, Miracle sketched a piece of charred wood from the fire.

Day 7 We headed to Winder to visit my sister and her family.  We spent the day at the retirement community that they all work at.  It seemed that we were chatting with one of them all day one on one as they took breaks between tasks.  I know we distracted them from their tasks and hope that they didn't have to spend too much time catching up the next day.  After the days' tasks were done, Cheryl grilled dinner before we headed home.  Once again, I realized I had been so busy chatting that I had forgotten to take a single picture.

Day 8  We headed into town early to eat so that Miracle could have wifi access and get some Mary Kay banking done.  Then we headed back to the campsite to tear down (1 1/2 hours) before joining J&BA for dinner and a restful evening before sleeping in a comfy bed, hopefully to be refreshed and ready for the upcoming adventures.

*I'm taking most pictures with the camera and won't be able to download them until we return home.  :)

Our Grand Adventure - Day 1 - Getting Off On the Wrong Foot

Today was day one of Our Grand Adventure.  To explain how and why we got off on the wrong foot, I have to go back to earlier in the week.

• On Monday, I took Angelica to see Dr.H and he determined that yes, in fact, her right foot is broken.  She had injured it two weeks prior while in El Salvador.  


• Then on Tuesday, I woke up with the worst migraine I have had in almost a year.  It was so bad that I could barely hold my head up.  The migraine finally broke at around 7:30 but because of the migraine, nothing much was accomplished on Tuesday.  


• Wednesday was a day full of appointments and phone calls between the pharmacy, the insurance company, myself, and the doctor trying to get prescriptions filled.  That was a nightmare, but I was finally (after a week of back and forth) able to get all but one of my prescriptions filled.  

So, this morning when we awoke, instead of getting on our way, we had to finish packing.  Then came the fun part of trying to get everything in the trunk.  I don't think I would have succeeded if my friend Natalie hadn't stopped by when she did.  She helped solve the puzzle of where to put things, drew me a map for future reference, and we headed on our way... 5 HOURS LATE!!

The first stop on Our Grand Adventure was to meet Amy from Great Cakes Soapworks.  She has been so sweet to me, helping me to find soaps and creams that Angelica can use, and always alerting me when new soaps that Angelica can use become available.  I had been hoping to be able to meet her for quite some time and am glad to have had the opportunity.  

Then we headed on our way again.  The original plan was to camp each night on our way but since we got started so late, that didn't work today so instead I drove well into the night and finally stopped at a hotel just east of St. Louis.  We are all tired and a bit emotional, but looking forward to the days ahead.