We are beyond excited to have found out today that we can go to Disney with MAW in December and stay at GKTW!!! We have been through quite a year... and I thought I would share a bit of our story with you!!
So... last October our family packed up and boarded a plane for Tanzania where we were going to be living for the next few years working with orphans and doing business training in a remote village. We had sold our cars, rented out our house, quit jobs etc. Our daughter (Lola age 5) became ill a few months later and finally in February became sick enough that we made the 3 day drive (YEs!! 3 days!!) to the nearest decent hospital. After waiting for blood test results, we were told she had mono. She was quite sick, so we decided to return to the states for a couple weeks to get her better before returning to our home in the middle of no where Africa.
We arrived into Chicago Feb of 2011 wearing shorts, flip flops and tank tops. (we had no idea we would be returning to the states prior to departing to the hospital in Tanzania). There was at least a foot of snow on the ground and it was COLD.
The next morning we went to our local childrens hospital. Lola had some tests done and a few hours later we were told by the dr that she was concerned Lola had cancer. WHAT?!!!! No. she has mono. Not cancer. Valentines day she was diagnosed with Leukemia. Worst. day. ever. Not only did our daughter have cancer, but we couldn't return home to Tanzania. We had no jobs, no home, no car, no clothes, NOTHING!!! We had no idea what to do!!!
Let's fast forward a bit to speed up the story!! It is 8 months later, we have cars, we bought clothes and after living in friends basement for 4 months we even bought a house. It has been a rough road up to now, but we feel like life is coming together and we are surviving rather well. I have never in my life felt more like I needed a vacation!!
So... we are so EXCITED to be able to go to disney in a couple months!!! It will be wonderful for our family to step back from this crazy life we are living. Lola is doing very well after a rough run and I just know she (and her 4 yr old sister) will have a blast at disney!!! To top it all off we are expecting our 3rd child!! So many blessings in our life to dull all the hurt we have been through!
So... last October our family packed up and boarded a plane for Tanzania where we were going to be living for the next few years working with orphans and doing business training in a remote village. We had sold our cars, rented out our house, quit jobs etc. Our daughter (Lola age 5) became ill a few months later and finally in February became sick enough that we made the 3 day drive (YEs!! 3 days!!) to the nearest decent hospital. After waiting for blood test results, we were told she had mono. She was quite sick, so we decided to return to the states for a couple weeks to get her better before returning to our home in the middle of no where Africa.
We arrived into Chicago Feb of 2011 wearing shorts, flip flops and tank tops. (we had no idea we would be returning to the states prior to departing to the hospital in Tanzania). There was at least a foot of snow on the ground and it was COLD.
The next morning we went to our local childrens hospital. Lola had some tests done and a few hours later we were told by the dr that she was concerned Lola had cancer. WHAT?!!!! No. she has mono. Not cancer. Valentines day she was diagnosed with Leukemia. Worst. day. ever. Not only did our daughter have cancer, but we couldn't return home to Tanzania. We had no jobs, no home, no car, no clothes, NOTHING!!! We had no idea what to do!!!
Let's fast forward a bit to speed up the story!! It is 8 months later, we have cars, we bought clothes and after living in friends basement for 4 months we even bought a house. It has been a rough road up to now, but we feel like life is coming together and we are surviving rather well. I have never in my life felt more like I needed a vacation!!
So... we are so EXCITED to be able to go to disney in a couple months!!! It will be wonderful for our family to step back from this crazy life we are living. Lola is doing very well after a rough run and I just know she (and her 4 yr old sister) will have a blast at disney!!! To top it all off we are expecting our 3rd child!! So many blessings in our life to dull all the hurt we have been through!
