Days #128 - #136 Trip to Texas!

We spent Spring Break with my parents and my brother's family in Texas. We had a great visit. Here is my gratitude for each day.

Safe Travels - The kids behaved so well on the way over. Thankful for that. Also grateful that we arrived safely. On the same day a plane flying out from our same airport got a huge hole in it and had to land on emergency. Crazy.

Seeing My Parents - We haven't seen each other for about 6 months. I loved seeing them and they were so excited to see the kids and how much they have grown. They were so proud of the progress Lily has made as well.



Ramps - We went to two different parks that had ramps. I was so grateful I could push her right up in her chair. Honestly, we tackle any kind of playground equipment and make it fun for Lily. I slide down slides with her, or we put her on with her siblings. I follow her as she crawls over surfaces and support her as she tries to pull up to things. We also play hide-and-seek with her in her wheelchair around the floor area. Anyway, it's rare to find ramps on playground equipment, so it was just nice to have another option for play. :)


General Conference - I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Normally we attend church every Sunday for three hours. This weekend (while we were at my brothers') we were able to watch a special worldwide church meeting at home. I look so forward to this special meeting and to hearing our prophet and other church leaders speak. I definitely felt a new sense of hope and a renewed faith after hearing their messages.

Mike & Shawna - My brother and his wife were such good hosts to me and my family. I am grateful for the time and energy that they put towards our visit. It was great to see them and to spend time with their family.



Play dough - Funny thing to be grateful for. I know. This is Lily's new obsession. She wakes up in the morning and says, "play dough." It is her favorite thing to do. So my mom bought her some play dough so that she could play while we were there visiting. It turned into the big entertainment for everyone. All of the cousins would sit down and play together. Grandma played with her, various cousins and siblings would take their turns sitting with her to play as well. It was such fun for her.



Changing Tables In Public Bathrooms - I guess I was always glad that they existed. Just much more grateful now. Lily has to be catheterized every four hours. This is fine at home, but a hassle on the go. My favorite spot for a changing table is when it is inside the handicapped stall. Then we have total privacy. I hate it when they are right next to the sink or the door. It's a lot harder to be discreet. But the worst is when a bathroom just doesn't have one! I bring a changing pad, luckily so I can lay her on the floor inside the handicapped stall, if I have to, and change her. Anyway, changing tables really are a blessing.

Time with my family to PLAY - We spent a few days in San Antonio with just us. I really enjoyed the time together. It's always nice to just get away from the monotony of everyday life and make memories together!

We took pictures with a bunch of Sesame Street Characters at Sea World. Lily was thrilled to meet them (especially Elmo). But up close she was a little freaked out.

Positive Comments - I hate the phrase "confined to a wheelchair." I see Lily's wheelchair as something that frees her and gives her more opportunities to thrive.

On the way home, we were at the Phoenix airport on a layover. Lily and Joseph were a little over-tired and hyper. So they started chasing each other. Then, when Joseph gave up, I continued to follow Lily around in her wheelchair. She was a rock star. Honestly. She was amazing to watch as she went wherever she wanted. There were pretty big crowds of people walking around and waiting for flights. So she had a big audience. I was proud as I overheard people say things like:

"She's so strong."
"You have a beautiful daughter."
"Look at her go."
"That is amazing."

I couldn't help but feel grateful for the positive attention. Go Lily! and yay for your wheelchair that grants you freedom and independence!