Goodbye Hospital Hello Disney!!! October pre-wish trip report

[Somer]

I decided to sign my daugher up for make-a-wish foundation after I met Linda (mom to adorable Lydia and Tobias) through another website. She encouraged me and I'm so glad I did. I signed Jozlynn(4 yrs old) up and the very next morning I got word that her doctor had already approved her!:yay: Yesterday the wish granters came to talk to Jozlynn and she opened the door in her princess crown and tutu and said DISNEY WORLD!!!!:wizard: She made a picture of sleeping beauty wearing a hat made of cheese. She was so excited to show her picture to our new "wish granter" friends. They were great, they brought a little teddy bear holding a baby teddy bear for Jozlynn(she named them "Nanna" and "Spongebob") and they also brought a little gift for our other daughter Arianna(2 yrs old) a little stuffed lamb, she calls it "monkey.":rotfl:

We will end up going to Disney World in October when Jozlynn will be more able to handle the heat. Jozlynn's "Nanna" will also be going. She's always a blast to have around, she dosn't seem like the typical "grandma." She's the singer in a rock/blues band :rockband:

OK, a little about us. My name is Somer I am 25 years old.:eek: I have been married to my best friend Derik (28 yrs old) for almost 9 years now. I know, it sounds like I'm lying about my age, but I'm not I swear. Married VERY young (I was 16:scared1: ) but we are very happily married. Derik also happens to be the BEST daddy ever!!:love1:

When we found out that we were pregnant we were sooo happy.:jumping1: Then when I was 5 months along we found out that our daughter had such severe heart defects that she would probably never see life outside those hospital walls. They were not expecting her to make it through her first surgery.

To make a long story short(well, kinda) emotionally it was an extremely difficult pregnancy.I ended up staying at the Ronald McDonald House about 3 hours from home for about a month before Jozlynn was born.

Jozlynn was born with rare congenital heart defects,:eek: Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS, half a heart) Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum (PAIVS, Pulmonary Valve completely closed). This situation cannot support life, since oxygen-poor (blue) blood cannot meet the body's demands, Tricuspid Stenosis (Tricuspid Valve not working properly), Pulmonary Artery Stenosis (exremely narrowed Pulmonary Arteries), PFO (Patent Forman Ovale), ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) ,and Congestive Heart Failure. These defects are among the most complex and rare congenital heart problems know.

On her second day of life she had her first Open Heart Surgery. It was supposed to be a 3 hour surgery, and it ended up being 9 1/2 hours. :sad:They couldn't get the shunt to work, it kept clotting. Her vitals crashed two times then they thought that they finally fixed her so they closed her chest up and her vitals crashed again. So they immediately had to reopen her little chest and stabilize her heart. The surgeon came to talk to us and told us that he could only attempt it one more time, needless to say for the next couple of hours we were just in one constant prayer. There were a lot of tears, but in that moment was when we really felt the most calm. We had spent most of the day before just telling her all about how much we loved her, and all about our wonderful God who had helped us out to this point. We knew that if Jozlynn's little heart just wasn't strong enough, we at least had the opportunity to give her all of our love and tell her that she has already changed our lives for the better. We have a strong faith in knowing that we would be together again someday.:grouphug:

Meanwhile, Dr.Starr had tried to do the shunt one more time and she crashed again. It seemed like that was the end, but once they got her stable again her surgeon was able to talk the rest of the team into trying to put a larger shunt than they have ever used on a baby and it worked!! "Jozlynn is still with us, she made it through," those words from Lesley, the nurse who gave us updates every hour, still echo through my mind down to this day. She recovered nicely from her surgery, it just took her a little longer because of an infection in her incision. We had to keep her secluded at home until she was 3 months old. She wasn't gaining weight, and she looked so weak. Looking back I felt like I should have realized that the darkness around her eyes was so prominent and she never really even made any noise, she was just too weak.

Her second surgery became an emergency when she was 5 months after the pressure in her heart became dangerously high and she was having congestive heart failure. All went well, and we were glad to know that she didn't develop any tumors from the high pressure. After that, our little Jozlynn finally started thriving, although her weight was still under the 6th percentile. Less than a month later she had another heart surgery when she was 12 months. And then for the most recent open-heart she had to have injections every day for a few months to build up her red blood count and hopefully make her stronger. Mommy and daddy had to learn to give the shots, and although she dreaded them, she never complained. She even said "thank you daddy" after every one. Then she had her fourth open heart surgery just a few weeks before she turned 3 years old. (she also has had numorous caths and another surgery on her eyes)

Unfortunately, only a couple of weeks before her 4th open heart surgery, we had a housefire that took everything we owned including all of Jozlynn's toys and her beloved blankie. It started from an elecrtrical problem in the shed and VERY quickly spread to the house. I still can't belive how quickly it all went up, thankfully we all escaped with our lives. Although we had no renters insurance, we have the best friends and family in the world that were able to step up and help us any way they could. Also, we were on several different Seattle news channels and people from all over Washington donated enough for us to get back on our feet. :worship:We are extremely grateful for everyone's help.

Surgery day came and it went smoothly. The first time we went in to see her after surgery, she looked a little different from other times. Her hands and feet were warm, but the were purple. They had no idea why. They thought that her little body didn't handle being on the heart and lung machine. She was still not able to breath on her own. All we could do was wait and see if she would pull through. After a long couple of days of not knowing, she was finally stable enough to breath and her color got better.:woohoo:

The older she gets, the harder it is to watch her have to go through such a traumatic surgery. We are glad to say that Jozlynn is now a very happy, active little girl.:banana: She can light up a room and capture everyone's attention by her amazing, sweet personality.princess: She loves to go swimming and go to preschool. She can just about keep up with all of the other kids. In fact, most people can't even tell there was ever anything wrong with her unless they see her scars. She also has such a great compassion for other people, especially when they are hurt. I guess she knows what it's like.

We are waiting to find out if she will need a heart transplant. We know eventually she will, but we are hoping to get through her childhood first. We are unsure how many more surgeries she will have. For now we are thankful for every moment we have with our little miracle.:cloud9:

[Somer]

WOW, that last post was really LONG. I guess I could have just said my daughter has had 4 open heart surgeries.:rotfl2: I'm usually alot more to the point. Maybe I just had too much coffee this morning.

Anyways, here are some pics

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/SCAN0013-1.jpgJozlynn right before first surgery

[Somer]

Here is one of her after surgery if you want to see. It's a little too graphic to just post, so here's the link http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/SCAN0010.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/SCAN0024.jpg
playing with her wires

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/SCAN0012.jpg
Sometime in between surgeries

These are her "sunshine days"

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1010665.jpg
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1010547.jpg
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/DSC00198.jpg
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1010652.jpgOur other little princess Ariana
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1010675.jpg
http://s714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/th_SCAN0129.jpg (http://s714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/?action=view&current=c09af84b.pbw)

[3princesses+aprince]

Aww, your daughter is so beautiful, you sure have been through alot.
Can't wait to hear all about your plans for your awesome wish trip.

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

Oh my gosh, your girls are absolutely gorgeous! Have an awesome amazing trip!! :goodvibes

[maroo]

First of all...

Woo Hoo on the Wish Trip! Sounds like you guys deserve it! :thumbsup2

I will put a link to it on the first page of the Wish Trippers Thread! :)

Do you have dates? Are you staying at GKTW? Do you know how many nights you guys will be staying? :)

Married at 16! Wow. Sounds like you knew exactly what you were doing! Many people that get married at 26 don't make it 9 years...especially going through all that you guys went through.

Sounds like you have faith that has taken you through. :thumbsup2

Jozlynn is so cute! I love the fact that she met her wish granters at the door all dressed up telling them she wanted to go to Disney World! That is awesome. :)

Great job on your pre-trip report! :) Perfect pictures! Love it all! Can't wait to read all about your planning and trip! :banana: :banana: :banana:

[shordiebecka]

Wow- your little girl sounds like she has been through so much! What a good role model....children like her are so heroic to me, they go through so much yet complain so little and are so satisfied to just have the smallest thing. I am looking forward to your progress in trip planning!!

[Somer]

Thank you guys so much for all the compliments about my girls. I think they are beautiful too, and their fun personalities are the best!:cutie: :cutie:

We don't have any dates yet, but they said that we will probably be staying for 7 days, 2 of which are travel days. We will be staying at GKTW. I am just so excited because we haven't even had a vacation since Jozlynn was born. We have always saved ALL of our vacation time for hospital stays. I can't even believe that we have so much good to look forward to now!!:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

I know Oct is a long wait, but it should give us plenty of time to prepare since none of us have ever been to Disney World. My first order of business will be to find out about the different parks and figure out which ones we would like to go to. Also, MAW said that if we know of anything else we want to do in the area, they will make arrangements.

So, here I go off to research Disney parks....:surfweb:

[maroo]

Thank you guys so much for all the compliments about my girls. I think they are beautiful too, and their fun personalities are the best!:cutie: :cutie:

We don't have any dates yet, but they said that we will probably be staying for 7 days, 2 of which are travel days. We will be staying at GKTW. I am just so excited because we haven't even had a vacation since Jozlynn was born. We have always saved ALL of our vacation time for hospital stays. I can't even believe that we have so much good to look forward to now!!:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

I know Oct is a long wait, but it should give us plenty of time to prepare since none of us have ever been to Disney World. My first order of business will be to find out about the different parks and figure out which ones we would like to go to. Also, MAW said that if we know of anything else we want to do in the area, they will make arrangements.

So, here I go off to research Disney parks....:surfweb:

That is awesome! That gives you 5 good park days, which is great!

You will have so much fun!

Some suggestions for things that MAW could "make arrangements for" (i.e. - they will pay for it! :thumbsup2) would be: BBB makeover complete with costume (this was over $200 for the full deal for Lauren), Some sort of Princess lunch or breakfast (can be pricey) - she could go to the breakfast or lunch after she gets all made up! :)


For planning purposes...since you have some time...
I would highly recommend the book "Passporters Open Mouse" ...you can buy it here - it has all of the parks and rides explained with hints for people traveling with any type of special needs:

http://www.passporter.com/wdw/specialneeds/

I got one shipped and all for 20 something dollars, I think...I used some coupon code that is on the website and in a newsletter that they send out (you can sign up for it online).


You are going to have a blast!!!!! :)

[Somer]

Hi everyone, sorry I havn't posted in a while. Last weekend was GREAT, both our girls went to a slumber party and my DH and I had our first night alone in 5 years!!!!!:cool1: :banana: :cool1: :banana: :cool1: :banana: :cool1: We are still on cloud 9. Tomorrow we are going to see pixar's Aliens and Monsters at Imax:3dglasses through the Starlight Foundation,popcorn:: should be FUN. Jozlynn has had a migraine for the past 3 days though(not unusual due to her PFO hole in her heart), so I hope she feels better.

OK, here are some things that we want to do....
BBB, definitely Jozlynn would LOVE that
and of course, Breakfast or Lunch w/princess
....Thanks Maroo
also, Pirates Dinner Adventure
and maybe Cirque Du Soleil(circus at DisneyWorld Resort)

I don't think we will be going to Epcot because it probably won't be very exciting for a 2 and 4 year old(actually they will be turning 3 and 5 on Sept.19). I know the food and wine festival will be going on, and Derik makes wine, but he said he doesn't want to go for fear that we will be wasting a lot of time and energy on something that the kids will not enjoy.

I hope we get dates soon, but I'll try not to obsess over it:rolleyes1

Oh, one more thing that I just have to mention. We met a lady who was very nice and we told her that Jozlynn was going to have her wish granted in Oct. and she handed us $300 and said "Make Great Memories"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told her that I couldn't accept that and she assured us that her and her husband donate $25,000 a year in different charities. What a blessing for our family, what amazing thoughtfulness and generosity.:worship: I am writing her a thank you letter right now.
Believe it or not, a couple of days later, my husband met someone who gave him $100 for Jozlynn to enjoy on our trip.:eek:
We both agree now that maybe we shouldn't mention it anymore(I feel kinda guilty taking money), even though it is such a wonderful thing to see how much people care!!!:hug:

[maroo]

We had a couple of people on our trip give Lauren money. I say...SPEND IT! :) They obviously have it if they are giving it away! :confused3

If you get lots, you can always make a donation to GKTW in her honor. I think they still "sell" bricks (they are actually walking stones) that are on the ground at GKTW, they pave the roads...and I think you can even order one before you go and then she can see it when she is there! :) That would be cool!

One thought on Pirates Dinner Adventure. (Ok, several thoughts...well, LOTS of thoughts...I know, I talk to much.) I reamed them in my TR. :sad2: I feel kinda bad about that now, as it was hopefully an isolated incident and won't affect you guys because your child is ambulatory...but...anyway. We went (long story) and Lauren and I had to leave; but Rick, Lisa and William enjoyed it (although not as much as Disney and we would never pay full price for it). You can't do it the first 2 nights you are there because GKTW has to request tickets...so it will have to be night 3 or later. We really wanted to go our first night, but it was not possible.

Also...make sure you pay for the upgrade (maybe you can use some of that cash!) It really makes a difference (for about $10 per person) in the show. They "pick" the kids that have the upgrade to participate in the show, you get to sit closer to the show and you get a souvie. The show staff don't really "get" Wish Kids...they don't really understand it...it's not like Disney where they see the button and know about the trip...so you will have to pay for the upgrade to get special treatment for her, if that makes sense. :confused3 If you paid regular price, she could end up in the back and not get to participate in the show by going up...what a bummer that would be on a wish trip!

It is also sort of in a not so good area of town. I remember being a little uncomfortable when I got lost taking Lauren back to our hotel (we stayed in Disney, GKTW was full). So bring good directions and a real map just in case. It wasn't a BAD area...just not Disney...if that makes sense.

I am really not trying to discourage you from going to the Pirate Show. The food was good. The show was good, too! We just had a bad experience.



Cirque de Soleil, though...MUST SEE, if you can afford the tickets. Gosh, we are finding lots of uses for that cash! :thumbsup2

You are going to have a great trip. And now I will be quiet! :rotfl2:

[twinmum]

Hello! Sounds like you have lots of exciting planning done already! we went on our son mark's Wish Trip in November and had a wonderful time. (Ahem...don't go looking for that Trip report, I'm embarrassed to admit that it isn't written yet!)

Our boys are twins, age 10, so our WDW is quite a bit different than yours. I will just provide one bit of input. I agree with Maroo that Cirque de Soleil is fabulous - we went during our first WDW family trip 2 years ago. It's definitely designed to be family friendly - shorter, faster paced etc. However, I did feel that at age 8 (their age at time of trip), the boys were really ready to appreciate it. I am sure that younger children can enjoy the show, but the tickets aren't cheap, and I think your children might be a wee bit young. Maybe others can give their advice - anyone have younger kids who have experienced Cirque?

We look forward to hearing more!

Alison

[tbelfonti]

Hi! I'm a fellow Heart Mom to an HRHS baby as well! It's a pleasure to "meet" you. My daughter Olivia is also four and post Fontan (I'm assuming one of the heart surgeries was the Fontan since you had the shunt as well?)

I'm subscribing so I can follow along on your journey! :)

[5dwarves]

So glad to see your PTR. I just saw your post on the Wish Tripper's thread. I hope that little Jozlynn feels better soon. Glad you are all out of the hospital for now. I am looking forward to reading more of your PTR. October will be a great time to go. Don't forget the MMNSSHP (or something close to that). You will need special tickets for the Halloween party after hours (and most wish agencies don't buy them for you.)
~Elisa

[Andreaswish]

Hi,

I am also a fellow Heart Mom my daughter was born Transposition of the Great Vessels. She is 8 years old. We signed up for her MAW last fall, at that time she was in good health. We weren't sure if she would qualify and were somewhat guilty thinking that she wasn't deserving it. Since then in December we found out that she wasn't as healthy as we thought. She is having moderate impairment in her left ventricle.

So now we think she is deserving since her condition is more serious then when we signed her up.

I look forward to reading more and if there is anything I can help you with after we take our trip let me know. Have fun making your plans. Your girls are so precious and hope they stay healthy.

Diane

[maroo]

Hello! Sounds like you have lots of exciting planning done already! we went on our son mark's Wish Trip in November and had a wonderful time. (Ahem...don't go looking for that Trip report, I'm embarrassed to admit that it isn't written yet!)

Our boys are twins, age 10, so our WDW is quite a bit different than yours. I will just provide one bit of input. I agree with Maroo that Cirque de Soleil is fabulous - we went during our first WDW family trip 2 years ago. It's definitely designed to be family friendly - shorter, faster paced etc. However, I did feel that at age 8 (their age at time of trip), the boys were really ready to appreciate it. I am sure that younger children can enjoy the show, but the tickets aren't cheap, and I think your children might be a wee bit young. Maybe others can give their advice - anyone have younger kids who have experienced Cirque?

We look forward to hearing more!

Alison

You are so right!!! :)

Alison is totally right here! :) And I am not even completely sure about Pirates? That might be a similar situation? You might enjoy just doing the Disney stuff more? Or even the GKTW parties...which are very much geared toward younger children.

In fact...Pirates is fairly dark...it is darker in there than I would have anticipated.

:confused3

It will be interesting to see what you decide and how much you guys liked it!! :)

[Somer]

Hi everyone, just thought I'd let you know that Jozlynn has been back in the hospital for several days now. They transfered her to a different hospital about 3 days ago and they are getting ready to do an exploritory surgery in the AM. They're not sure what's going on yet. She is having extreme pain in her abdomen and is on morphene right now. They are leaning towards apendacidis(I'm sure I spelled that wrong). Also her white count doesn't look so good and her adnoids in her abdomen are swollen and abmormal, not sure what that means yet either.
I'll try to update soon.

[maroo]

Hi everyone, just thought I'd let you know that Jozlynn has been back in the hospital for several days now. They transfered her to a different hospital about 3 days ago and they are getting ready to do an exploritory surgery in the AM. They're not sure what's going on yet. She is having extreme pain in her abdomen and is on morphene right now. They are leaning towards apendacidis(I'm sure I spelled that wrong). Also her white count doesn't look so good and her adnoids in her abdomen are swollen and abmormal, not sure what that means yet either.
I'll try to update soon.

Aw man!! I am praying for you guys!!! Please keep us posted on Jozlynn! I certainly hope it is a simple appendicitis so that they can fix it fast and get her home!

Keep us posted!! :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[5dwarves]

Somer:

Sending a quick prayer out your way. I hope that a resolution is found today.

~Elisa

[tbelfonti]

My prayers are with you and Jozlynn. I hope they discover the issue and it's minor.

[Somer]

They were preping Jozlynn for emergency exploritory surgery in her abdomen and because of her heart condition they gave her antibiotics as a precaution. After that she started to stablize and they don't know exactly what it was, but they think it might have been some sort of infection that may have been caused by rotavisus. She'll probably be here for a few more days for monitoring because of the heart attack scare last week. She looks sooo much better, and her blood work is looking better and her blood pressure too. Yay!!
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1010877.jpg

[My2Qtz0205]

That's how I feel about hospital food, too, Jozlynn! :sick:

Glad to hear she is getting better. We like her Ariel band-aid.

I am also an October '09 vacationer. We are going 16th-23rd.

[5dwarves]

I am glad that she didnt' have to have the surgery and is on the mend. Her expression cracks me up....I doubt there are many people out there who great their hospital tray enthusiastically though.

[maroo]

I am so glad she is doing better!!!

Heart attack scare last week?!?!?! :scared1: :scared1: :scared1:

I love your MAW princess thing in your siggie. Where can we get one of those? :)

[tinytreasures]

glad she is on the mend :lovestruc

[Khalana]

Hi Somer! :)
I just found your TR and I have to say I'm so honored to be mentioned. :flower3:

Your story sure is a tear jerker... :sad1: I feel your pain. :hug:

Jozlynn is such a sweetheart! :cutie: And tough as nails. :thumbsup2

I'm so sorry you had another heart/health scare again but I'm happy she seems to be doing better.

You guys SO deserve this trip, so don't feel bad about recieving money at ALL! Okay? ;)

I look forward to reading all about your amazing adventures!!!! :)

[NurseW2Kiddies]

Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!! You have georgeous girls!!!! It sucks being in the hospital!! You just wanna go HOME!!!;)

[cajunfan]

Just reading your trip report...hope everyone is better.

Lynn

[Somer]

Hi everyone,
Thank you all for following our thread. We still have not gotten dates for our trip because they did not want to approve her for traveling until after her cardiologist appointment.

Well, we went yesterday to see him and things didn't look quite as good as we expected. :confused3
As for Jozlynn's progress, there has unfortunately been no growth at all in the right ventricle. Her pulmonary and tricuspid valves have become more leaky. The good news is that the pressure in the right ventricle is staying in the safe range. Although the valves are looking slightly worse, they are still getting enough blood flow through them at this time. As Dr. King put it, "she is somewhat stable." Therefore, they are not going to do any valve replacements right now.
On Monday however, on June 15, 2009, she will having another heart surgery.:scared: There is currently a lot of shunting between the left and right chambers. They are worried that if she gets any blood clots, because of her valves, the clots would travel through her heart and be shunted through the hole going directly into the brain. That would be a very bad thing. For that reason she is going to have that hole closed. The down side to closing the hole is that it will put more strain on her liver, which is already enlarged. It's like a catch 22; I guess the risk of possible brain damage outweighs the risk of possible liver failure.

Overall, the appointment went OK. He was obviously disappointed at the lack of progress, but mommy and daddy think that no progress is definitely better than a giant step backwards. So it looks like our plans are still on for Disney World in October, and we will get the dates after surgery as soon as she is cleared for traveling.:upsidedow

I can't wait to start doing some major planning for this trip, I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed right now. I will post some good news soon though, I promise!:goodvibes

[Matt1026]

Please know that I am praying for your beautiful princess and your family!!!! I can not wait to see your pictures of her enjoying WDW come October.

[keetmommy]

I hope your surgery goes and well and she recovers quickly for your trip in October

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I just found your pre trip report through the Wish Trippers thread. Your daughers are absolutely adorable! I'm so sorry that you are going through all this right now. Hopefully Jozzlyn's surgery will be fine and she'll come out with flying colors. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I'm sure you're very busy right now, but when you get a chance, please let us know how the surgery went. Jozlynn is in our thoughts and prayers.

[maroo]

Yes...please let us know how she is doing! And how are you?! I hope you are holding up and getting a little rest. :hug:

Hang in there! We are praying for you guys.

[Somer]

Thank you all for the prayers. Jozlynn's surgery went good. It took a lot longer than they expected because they found more to fix. They realized that her right pulmonary artery was almost completely closed! They had fixed it when she was a baby but it closed again, so they were able to put a stent in there to keep it open. They also put an ASD devise in to close the hole.

She has had a rough few days, but her SATs (oxygen level in her blood) are very good now. The Doctors think that she will have even more energy now and that she may have a full year(maybe more) before they have to re-replace her pulmonary and tricuspid valves, if the heart has grown by then.

I am doing good. Although I hate to see my baby girl suffer, I feel a little more relieved now especially because she's starting to feel a little better.

It might be a little while still before we get the dates. MAW said that they will end up picking some dates but they won't actually buy the plane tickets until we get the doctor's to give the ok to travel. They are waiting until after she gets evaluated by some specialist due to some blood work that has not returned to normal since her hospital stay a few months ago. Hopefully they'll get to the bottom of that really soon. October is only 4 months away!!:woohoo:

Thank you all again for all of your concern, I am really sorry that this thread has turned out to be nothing but medical updates instead of Disney planning. I am getting really anxious to get focused on Disney:cheer2:

[maroo]

Yeah! An update! I have to admit, I was getting a little worried...:confused:


I am so glad the surgery went well and I am thankful they did it when they did, because it sounds like they certainly needed to get in there and take a look! :eek:

I hope they can get the other medical issue with the labs straight, too!

Please don't worry about not talking Disney yet. The whole reason for your trip is the medical stuff and a lot of us just live life on our pre-trip reports anyway...even birthday parties, graduations, summer pics, etc...so this definitely relates!

I am glad you updated us and feel free to continue to update us! :thumbsup2

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I'm glad to hear that everything seemed to go well. Hopefully she will recover quickly so you can go to WDW soon!

[Khalana]

I'm so sorry Jozlynn had to have another surgery. :sad2: But it seems like she is recovering well. I hope you'll be able to get into full planning mode soon and have fun anticipating Disney. It really is something that you will remember for the rest of your lives... :cloud9:

[Somer]

Hi everyone,
First of all I have to thank Eeyore's Butterfly who sent a very cute get well card signed by a bunch of Disney characters. Jozlynn reads the card daily!:rotfl:

A little medical update: Jozlynn is doing better than we ever expected!! I didn't even realize how badly she needed the surgery until now. She has more energy than ever!!:cheer2:

We finally got a date!! October 2nd-8th
American airlines is doing some sort of promotion/media thingy for MAW and Jozlynn is going to be the special guest. It sounds like she'll get some special treatment on the airplane and then a party once we get to GKTW.

The wish granters have been so wonderful, they've sent a few gifts. They also have come by a few times to visit, even dressed like clowns!:lmao:

I'll try to update more soon, I've just been so busy with college...only 3 weeks left until I get a little break!!

[Matt1026]

I am so glad she is going so well It sounds like your trip is already off to a great start. How exciting about your plane trip.

Best wishes on your last 3 weeks!:thumbsup2

[Tnkrbelle565]

Subbing after following from the Big Give site. Going back to read now!!!

[VroomVroomLightning]

I also just found this from the Big Give site. Such cute girls you have! And such a beautiful family! What are you going to school for by the way?
I love your daughter's names they are very unique! I can't wait to hear more about your planning!

[Figmificent]

Yet another follower over from The Big Give :thumbsup2

Your girls are absolutely adorable! I am so glad she is doing well post surgery, sounds like she turned out better than you hoped which is always a great thing. I'm sure you'll get to all that Disney planning soon enough, and the folks here are a wealth of knowledge! I'm looking forward to updates and seeing what the Big Give has in store! popcorn::

[pixeegrl]

You're family is just beautiful! I wish you an amazing trip!

[Rebecuberduber]

Hello! Your daughters are such sweeties! I can't believe how much you guys have been through. I'm 25, as well, with a 4 and 2 year old. Your story and your faith are inspiring. Your daughters sound like quite the characters (Spongebob the bear, Monkey the lamb, the princess with a cheese head :rotfl:) How precious! I'm so happy for you that you were selected for MAW. I will pray that all goes well for you!

[maroo]

Hi everyone,
First of all I have to thank Eeyore's Butterfly who sent a very cute get well card signed by a bunch of Disney characters. Jozlynn reads the card daily!:rotfl:

A little medical update: Jozlynn is doing better than we ever expected!! I didn't even realize how badly she needed the surgery until now. She has more energy than ever!!:cheer2:

We finally got a date!! October 2nd-8th
American airlines is doing some sort of promotion/media thingy for MAW and Jozlynn is going to be the special guest. It sounds like she'll get some special treatment on the airplane and then a party once we get to GKTW.

The wish granters have been so wonderful, they've sent a few gifts. They also have come by a few times to visit, even dressed like clowns!:lmao:

I'll try to update more soon, I've just been so busy with college...only 3 weeks left until I get a little break!!

You guys are on WISH FLIGHT!!!!!!

Awesome!


If you want surprises, don't read my TR. Seriously.

But each state is different with their send off parties anyway...

That is awesome!


Another WISH FLIGHT child! :banana: :banana: :banana:

I can't remember exactly what the schedule was last year...but your parties will be different than the schedule I have or the one you may have seen posted...just FYI. They will have a special AA party for you guys that will be one of the nights of the other party.

[Somer]

I also just found this from the Big Give site. Such cute girls you have! And such a beautiful family! What are you going to school for by the way?
I love your daughter's names they are very unique! I can't wait to hear more about your planning!

Thanks, we are so excited about the Big Give! I am going to school to become an RN, nurse. I am now on break for a while. :banana:

You guys are on WISH FLIGHT!!!!!!

Awesome!


If you want surprises, don't read my TR. Seriously.

But each state is different with their send off parties anyway...

That is awesome!


Another WISH FLIGHT child! :banana: :banana: :banana:

I can't remember exactly what the schedule was last year...but your parties will be different than the schedule I have or the one you may have seen posted...just FYI. They will have a special AA party for you guys that will be one of the nights of the other party.

I purposely haven't read too many TRs because we love surprises!!
BTW maroo, I would love to get one of those planners, please;)


This is what I have so far...
We deffinatly want to go to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and SeaWorld. We will most likely skip Epcot (since we can't do everything) and go to either HollyWood, or Islands of Adventure.

Oct 2nd-8th
Fri- Travel
Sat-HollyWood or Islands of Adventure
Sun-SeaWorld
Mon-Spend the day at GKTW and maybe go to the beach
Tue-Animal Kingdom
Wed-MK
Thurs-Travel

I'm not sure if we have any character meetings or a character meal yet, so this will probably change depending on that.

Some rides we really want to go on are Peter Pan ride, Jozlynn loves Peter Pan! Also, any little kids roller coaster. Maybe Woody Woodpecker if we go to Universal. Also, Tower of Terror. Expedition Everest is a must, as well as Kali River Rapids. At MK we want to do splash mountain, also Dumbo and any other ride that Ariana can go on.

Ariana is about 36" tall and Jozlynn is about 44"
Ariana will probably be too scared to go on many rides, but Jozlynn will want to go on everything!

Our friend Shane just died a few days ago in a motorcycle wreck(he was only 22). So Derik has been talking about Disney a lot this week, to get his mind off of reality. We are all looking so forward to getting away for a while, our first vacation in 5 years!

I can't believe we're only 4weeks away!!:woohoo:

Here is a pic of our wish granter dressed up like a clown for the girls, he did all kinds of clown tricks
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020615.jpg
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020612.jpg

[ccgirl]

I just read this and noticed you will be in the world the same time I will be. I sincerely hope I run into you. I would just love to meet you all. You are a true inspiration (as are your girls and DH). I wish you the most magical vacation you could have. Try to order the photo pass CD before you leave. The photographer will put all your pictures on the card. Not sure if MAW will purchase that or you will have to. Again, please keep providing updates.

[Somer]

I just read this and noticed you will be in the world the same time I will be. I sincerely hope I run into you. I would just love to meet you all. You are a true inspiration (as are your girls and DH). I wish you the most magical vacation you could have. Try to order the photo pass CD before you leave. The photographer will put all your pictures on the card. Not sure if MAW will purchase that or you will have to. Again, please keep providing updates.

Thanks for the tip, I will order that. I am huge on pictures, we will probably end up with like 1,000 pictures! I'm planning on making a video montage with them. Where are you staying? That would be awsome to meet up with you.

[Peace Mickey Lovers]

Hi, Love reading your trip report , we are going to be down there the same time we are staying at AKL. I hope we see you and your family down there.

[ccgirl]

We are actually staying off site for this trip. It's our 10th anniversary and we are actually going down without the kids. I liked the photopass because we were able to get the entire family in the pictures. Usually one of us is not in the picture because we were the "photographer". You can also add some really great borders to the pictures once you get your CD. We made holiday cards with them. Post your schedule here when you have it and I'll have to keep an eye out for you if we are in the same park that day. So happy this is happening for your wonderful family.

[Somer]

We got a package in the mail from The Big Give!

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020871.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020869.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020870.jpg


They LOVE them!! They were jumping all around, sooo excited to get these. I had a hard time getting them to hold still for a pic as you can see....

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020889.jpg

I was finally able to get them to sit still for a split second by bribing them with cookies:thumbsup2

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020886.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020913.jpg

Very Cute, thank you so much!:thanks:

[jham]

The girls look so cute! I love their new bows!

[Rebecuberduber]

The bows are so cute! The girls just look adorable in them!

[spongemommie05]

They are just adorable in their Bows How Fun...

[StefaniLyn]

I just love Love LOVE the bows!!!! Great idea bribing them with cookies! They look sooooo cute with the bows in their hair!

[Tnkrbelle565]

Super cute bows...glad the presents have started to arrive!

[Somer]

MORE BIG GIVE!!!!!:dance3:

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020915.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020918.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020944.jpg


These are sooo cute!!

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020945.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020950-1.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020943.jpg

WOW!!! LOOK AT ALL THIS DISNEY STUFF!!!

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1020939.jpg

Thank you!!!!

:banana::jumping1::banana::jumping1::banana:

It feels like the wish had officially started!

We just got the itinerary for our flight. Our inlaws are going on a different flight than us.
We are going to arrive in Orlando at 5:30pm on Friday. I belive the princess/pirates party is 7:30-8:30pm that night. I don't know if we'll be able to make it, but I hope so.

Does anyone know how long the orientation is at GKTW? Maybe only one of us has to stay for that, it's probably similar to the orientation at the Ronald McDonald House.

Also, Derik made this with the kids. Every morning they pull one off. It's getting pretty short!

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030013.jpg

[Tnkrbelle565]

Glad the girls liked the books!!! There should be a MAW sticker on the front of Jozlyn's...it must have fallen off in the envelope. Sorry about that!

[jenb1023]

Love the bows, autograph books and other goodies! We have a countdown chain too that is getting shorter every day.

[Rebecuberduber]

Wow, major score with all the cool Disney loot!:laughing: Those autograph books are really amazing.

[3princesses+aprince]

Wow, you got a lot of great big give stuff!! I love the autograph books, they're great!! You guys must be getting super excited, your trip is almost here.

[Somer]

Glad the girls liked the books!!! There should be a MAW sticker on the front of Jozlyn's...it must have fallen off in the envelope. Sorry about that!

ohh, i found the sticker in the envelope so i glued it back on.:rotfl: thank you again...we love the books, can't wait to get all those autographs!!

[Somer]

It's the girl's b-day today!! Jozlynn is now 5!!!:cheer2: and Ariana is now 3!!!princess:
We got so much more from the BIG GIVE...
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030021-1.jpg


http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030023-1.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030030-1.jpg

Ariana kept kissing the new toys:rotfl2:
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030040-1.jpghttp://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030041-1.jpg

These are Hilarious!!We love them:lmao:
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030086.jpg

Very cute, Ariana wants to wear this ALL THE TIME...even to bed!
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030054.jpg

OMG...are these outfits adorable or what!!
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030065a.jpg


I just have to express my appreciation for all of you...it has been so wonderful to see the excitement and joy in the girl's faces!! I can't even explain to you all how grateful I am to all of you for helping to make this wish extra special:hug: Thank you all from the bottom of my heart

[Tnkrbelle565]

ohh, i found the sticker in the envelope so i glued it back on.:rotfl: thank you again...we love the books, can't wait to get all those autographs!!

Oh I'm glad you found the sticker!

LOVE all the new stuff! Look how happy they are!!!

[jenb1023]

More great stuff! Those smiles are wonderful! I am so glad to see how much the girls are enjoying the gifts! And happy belated birthday!

[cajunfan]

Those things are so great! Love the outfits!

Lynn

[3princesses+aprince]

OMG!!!!! Those spongebob Tshirts and outfits are adorable!!!!! We love Spongebob too!!

Your daughter is too cute kissing the little toys!!

[StefaniLyn]

WOW! The Spongebob and Toy Story outfits, Disney goodies, and all the other stuff are so amazing! The Make a Wish tote bag is incredible too! You trip is getting so close - have you packed yet?

[spongemommie05]

Look at that disney loot :thumbsup2
Love it all! what adorable outfits and those smiles ! How cute are those girls:lovestruc

[tebi73]

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030021-1.jpg


http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030023-1.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030030-1.jpg

Ariana kept kissing the new toys:rotfl2:
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030040-1.jpg
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030041-1.jpg

These are Hilarious!!We love them:lmao:
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030086.jpg


I'm sooooo glad you like them! This was my first Big Give! I was worried that the outfits wouldn't fit the girls, but it looks like they are perfect! They look adorable! I hope you have a great trip and your family remains in my prayers!

[2specialkids]

Your girls are sooo cute! Looks like they are having a blast with the Big Give goodies too.
It's almost time to leave, I bet they are so excited. :banana::banana: Have a great trip and post lots of pics when you get back!

[Rebecuberduber]

Yay, I'm so glad she likes the Toy Story dress and that it fits well! I love those Sponge Mom and Dad shirts. What fun, neat stuff has arrived!! All of the outifts are just too cute, so far.

[Somer]

Sorry for the delay in posting this stuff, we've all been kinda sick:sick: w/a cold. These are all sooo cute!!!princess:
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030087.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030089.jpg

Me and Derik also got matching shirts, I was going to take a picture of us too...then we got sick
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030094.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030091.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030100.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030106.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030107.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030127.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030128.jpg

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/somergill/P1030138.jpg

Thank you all soooo much :woohoo::banana::woohoo::banana:

Only a few more days!! The send off party is tomorrow evening!!!!!

[Matt1026]

They look beautiful. I know you will enjoy all of the wonderful Big Give items when you get there!

[disneynp]

Hi, she is so pretty. Thanks for the long story. Im a nurse and would have wondered. It did bring me to tears. I just can't handle the sick babies. i love them soooo much. You are truly blesses and highly favored. I hope that you all get to do everything you want. keep us posted please

[3princesses+aprince]

Your little girls are going to look so gorgeous in Disney world. Can't wait to hear about the send off party.

[cajunfan]

It's almost time! Hope your family has a great time!

Lynn

[Rebecuberduber]

More great stuff! You'll be there so soon! Have a blast!

[yinyanggirls]

It's been fun reading through your posts. Your girls are so cute. Sisters are fun to watch aren't they? Have a great trip! See you when you get back!

[jenb1023]

What beautiful big give dresses and pixie dust!

Have an amazing trip and I can't wait to hear all about it!

[spongemommie05]

Love love the new outfits you guys are gonna be the talk of the park (as it should be enjoy and have a great time ..

[chrissid7]

Thank you for the "long" story. Being a mom to a sick baby I totally get how you just get started and it flows out. I think its a great thing, very theraputic!
Your girls are so precious and it did make me tear up for sure. You are a great mom and your whole family sooooo deserves this trip! I hope you have an amazing time and I cant wait to hear all about it!!!

They both look friggin adorable in all their disney goodies! We love love love hairbows and they were all so cute!!!!!!!!

Im so excited for yall!! :banana: :yay: :banana: :yay:

[Somer]

Jozlynn's been sick, they think she has either H1N1 or Meningitis. They didn't want to waste any time with waiting for test result so they've started her on Tamiflu(nasty stuff!!), hopefully it'll work. If it doesn't, they'll start testing for meningitis....anyways, I just thought I'd post this, the Wish Flight video(We're in it)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPKd46f3-IA

[pipersmom]

Oh jeez Somer..don't know what the jinx is for everyone getting back from WDW and getting sick, but it sucks. Will have you guys in my thoughts...

[Rebecuberduber]

I'm so sorry to hear about Jozlyn being sick! I hope she feels better soon!! I'll be praying for her, poor dear.
I love the video! Awesome that your family is in it! You guys are in it a lot! The wish flight and everything looks amazing! What incredible experiences!!

[chrissid7]

Thats awesome!! (the video). Im sorry that stupid bug got her. I hope she is 100% quickly. Keep us posted :hug:

[spongemommie05]

How fun,, The video That is .. The sickness not so much, Here is too a speedy recovery for her ...

[jham]

I hope she gets better soon! I loved the video!