Splendid Mayhem: BEACH BOUND!

Welcome To Holland

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

BEACH BOUND!

Blog Family, we are taking a VACATION! For the first time in almost 5 years we are packing up & heading to Florida. We are SOOOOO excited about this. A week in a lovely condo was given to us as a wedding gift, yea- wedding! The one in 2004. We've not been able to take it until now. I told Adam earlier in the year, do or die- we will spend a week in Destin this year! We are heading out Friday and won't be back until the following Sunday. I start class on Monday. Logen will also celebrate his 5th birthday there. Say a prayer for us as we embark on a 14 hour drive (thats w/o stopping... hahahaha with Parker in the van!) We are splitting the drive and going half way Friday (after Adam gets off work and Logen is done with therapy) and the rest of the way Saturday.

~ I have college orientation (since I am moving on and going from the community college to a major university) tomorrow (8am to 6pm), think of me tomorrow. I will be bored out of my mind... I am sure.

5 comments:

The Mom behind the ChaosAugust 13, 2008 at 11:23 PM
YEAH!! Have a great time! We will miss Logen!
Drink something icy and fruity for me will ya?!
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Andrea "The H family"August 14, 2008 at 5:10 AM
Hey girl...thanks for the comment. Yes, we have tons of simply thick. Luke's on nectar consistency and this juice requires no adding which I love!
Have a great VACA! Jealous!
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DawnAugust 14, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Yay!! Have an awesome vacation! We are heading to Florida the Sunday you come home. I can't wait!
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3LittleFlowersAugust 14, 2008 at 8:59 AM
Woo hoo!!! Im soooooo jelaous!!!

Hope you guys have a GREAT time!!!!!
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KieraAugust 14, 2008 at 11:52 PM
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

I cannot wait to hear stories from the trip!!
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