That's a wrap!

Okay, my apologies first. Sorry-life is busy for a mom with 6 kids in December. I have neglected my blog, and myself. I love to put my rambling thoughts that run thru my brain here, and I just haven't had time. So, here goes to a new year!

I want to record what an amazing year we have had as a family. I will start on November 21, 2008. (I know not quite 2009 and that's what year we just wrapped up?)
BUT that is the day we left for Madi's amazing wish trip. I can't let that just pass by without mentioning it again. It truly was the best time we will ever have together as a family and we all feel so blessed to have had that wonderful opportunity. So we got 3 weeks of a free vacation, with no work, no school, and no worries. Just amazing time for our family to spend together. I have recently looked back at our pictures from the beginning of the trip and from the end, and I can't believe how different my children look. Will began the trip as the most unhappy boy, he just wore a frown on his face constantly. Madi being sick was the hardest on him, her first surgery was one week after he turned 1 and by the time he turned 2 (the day before we left) she (and I) had spend well over 7 weeks in the hospital on 5 different admissions. I don't think he knew security anymore, and it showed on his sweet baby face. We spent one week at Give Kids the World Village in Orlando, they provided us with a rental car, 3 days at Disney World, 2 days at Universal Studios, 1 day at Sea World, 1 day at Busch Gardens, admission to GatorLand, mini golf, an airboat ride, 1 day at Kennedy Space Center and we went to the Florida Aquarium. Let me explain what this place is like:an ice cream shop open from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., a movie theatre, the dining hall was a gingerbread house, an actual yellow brick road to walk on, a castle where each wish child makes a wish and a star fairy glues it to the ceiling. They brought characters from Disney and Universal there so the sick kids could see them easier. They celebrate Christmas and have a birthday party every week so the kids who won't see their next one can have one more. Just amazing. The second week we were there we stayed at a condo loaned to us by one of Ella's friends parents. It was on the beach in Treasure Island, so beautiful. It was the first trip for all of us to the ocean and the kids enjoyed the beach more than DisneyWorld! The last week we were there we stayed at another condo outside Orlando that was our christmas present from Ken's parents. It was HUGE and my kids kept losing each other in it! We had such a great time together and we will never forget it. The other amazing thing they gave us when we left GKTW was a passport for free admission to theme parks all over the country and a special code for a large hotel discount at Staybridge Suites hotels. So this enabled us to continue an amazing piece of Madi's wish a little longer!
In January my temple boy Ben turned 6, February Ella turned 10. March brought good weather for Ken to start working again (good news!)and Will started preschool. He was not so happy about it! April working. May I turned 32 and Ken turned 39. OUCH! June kids out of school, everyone happy. July Emma turned 4, Madi had another surgery, and we got to go to Branson with the Dream Factory for a weekend. So much fun! Oh yeah, school stated again.:( In August Meghan turned 9 and we started to make some use of Madi's passport and spent 2 (free) days at Silver Dollar City, saw the Dutton show in Branson, and relaxed! At the beginning of September Madi turned 13 (crazy),Ken and her really wanted to go to Cedar Point in Ohio, for those of us who don't relish in roller coasters, it is the coaster capital of the U.S. They have 17 roller coasters, extreme ones, 120 mph straight up 40 stories roller coasters! It was on our passport so we went! We also got to see Seneca Caverns in Ohio while we were there. I would pass that one up next time, I hate caves! In October we got the last uses out of our free passes, we had a trip to Chicago to Six Flags Great America to check our their coasters. (They were good!) We ate some yummy deep dish and saw some museums. (All for free!) We went to Six Flags St. Louis for our last hurrah on Halloween with the Tuttle family (MO River Ward) and had an amazing time! Ben sang some karaoke on stage there, and I rode Mr. Freeze for the first and last time ever!
In November Will turned 3, Thanksgiving came and went, and another Christmas rolled around. This year we all decided it was time to scale back gift giving and remember what the season is actually about. I can tell you it was our best Christmas yet. We all enjoyed one present and enjoyed our family and the blessings Heavenly Father pours out upon us. I am not one who sends out brag letters and I'm sorry that I just wrote one, but I have felt impressed I needed to share this year with others. I know that without divine help we could not have been afforded the gift of time together this year, and our entire family is closer and happier because of it. I can't wait to see what 2010 brings, Ben has already lost his front tooth! Stay tuned!