Journal

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:29 PM CDT

Dreams really do come true!

We spent March 4-10 on Abby's Make-A-Wish trip in sunny Orlando, Florida. We stayed at an amazing place called Give Kids the World, which is just for families like ours that have a child who has been or is sick. At Give Kids the World (GKTW) we stayed in a 2 bedroom villa with a living room, kitchen, and 2 bathrooms. It was very comfortable and welcoming. GKTW has a carousel, a game room, swimming pool, two restaurants, and ice cream parlor and a magic castle. We were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived. GKTW has 1200 volunteers each week that make things run smoothly and keep all the guests happy. The volunteers were amazing. We are so thankful for all they do for the families that stay there. At first the girls thought that GKTW was Magic Kingdom, they didn't even know what they were in for.

The first day when we got to GKTW we got unpacked and then took the kids swimming. Then we had some dinner and turned in a little early because we had a very early start to the day. Oh, I forgot to say that Make-A-Wish arranged to have us driven to the airport in a limo. That was a really fun treat. The kids couldn't believe that they didn't have to be in car seats.

Then our first full day in Orlando we headed to the Magic Kingdom. We got into the parking lot and Abby was really not feeling well, having trouble breathing and complaining of lots of pain. We decided to take her to the Orlando Children's Hospital ER. She has been struggling with lung issues on and off since surgery, because her right diaphragm is still paralyzed. They did some x-rays and blood work and she did start feeling a bit better. The x-rays showed that she had pneumonia. So, they had her use an inhaler and then also put her on an antibiotic. By the time that she left the ER she was feeling much better. So, that evening we made it to the Magic Kingdom by about 5:30 PM. We were able to enjoy some of the attractions and also meet Ariel that evening. Then we stayed for the light parade, which was really great. By the end of that evening the girls were very excited and they already wanted to go back to Magic Kingdom the next day.

So, we got some sleep and then woke up and planned to go right to Magic Kingdom on Friday. We spent the whole day at Magic Kingdom on Friday. It was awesome. What a magical place for children and adults. We rode a lot of rides. Abby's favorite was Peter Pan's Adventure. The first time we rode it she was a little scared, because it was dark and you see Captain Hook, but then she wanted to ride again and again. Because we were there with Make-A-Wish and GKTW we had a special pass that allowed us to go to the front of all the lines and even stay on the rides more than one time in a row. So, we rode the best rides lots of times. Eva really loved It's A Small World and the Winnie the Pooh Adventure. Clare also loved Peter Pan and she also liked everything else. Clare is so easy going; she just loves to do anything fun and what isn't fun at Disney. That day we also met lots of characters including, Cinderella, Belle and Aurora which was a big highlight.

This is getting a little long, so let me summarize the rest of the week.
Saturday we went to Sea World - the best part at Sea World was getting to feed the dolphins; I will change the pictures later in the week and put some of the dolphin pictures up.
Sunday we went to Animal Kingdom in the morning and then to Hollywood Studios in the afternoon and evening. At Animal Kingdom the highlight was the safari, but the Lion King show was also really great. At Hollywood Studios the best thing was the Beauty and the Beast show; it was our favorite live stage show that we saw all week.
Monday we spent another day at Magic Kingdom, which the girls would just never get tired of. It was just the best.
Then we packed up on Tuesday morning and got to spend some more time hanging out at GKTW, and then it was time to head back home.

Every evening at GKTW there was always a fun activity for the kids. One night there was a life size Candy Land game, which was fabulous. A bunny named Mayor Clayton and his wife Ms. Merry are the mascots of GKTW. One night they have a birthday party for Mayor Clayton, with cake, balloon, face painting, dancing. One night they had a pirates and princesses party which was also so much fun. One of the highlights at GKTW was when Ms. Merry came to tuck the kids into bed one evening. They were so excited. Mark said that she didn't do a very good job, because the kids were more wound up after she left than before she came, but it was a great time. I will post pictures of that also.

Abby will go back to the U of M for her next check-up and biopsy at the beginning of May. Hopefully we won't have to go in before then, but we also need to get her lung issue cleared up soon, because it is causing her some discomfort.

Abby and Clare are still enjoying dance classes very much and they are going to start playing soccer in April. That should be great for both of them. Also, all 3 girls start their first swimming lessons this Sunday. That should be a good time for all of them.

Thank you for continuing to check on our whole family. We are grateful for everything and are so happy to report that Abby is doing well and her heart is helping her to live a normal life.

Love, The Ostlie Family
Heather, Mark, Abby, Clare and Eva

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