Fe-Fe's World Of Craft, Creations and Kids.: Photos from Florida Trip

Saturday 17 November 2007

Photos from Florida Trip

Patrick and I have just spent a wonderful week in Florida. Lots of sunshine, rollercoasters, amimals and eating! We had a fabulous time although the novelty of having no children wore off after about two days and we missed them terribly.

We started off with 3 nights in the Hard Rock Hotel.

On our first full day there we went to Discovery Cove and were trainers for a day. I haven't got the photos for that but I'll add them later for you. We got to feed birds, stroke a shark and be pushed through the water by two dolphins. Boy do dolphins noses hurt your feet when they do that! But it was a fabulous experience.

We then spent two days in the Universal Theme parks. They have some pretty awesome rides!

Then we moved hotels and spent 4 nights in Disneys Grand Floridian Hotel.

On our first full day there we went to Busch Gardens and did a special Safari. I have to say that up until then dolphins have always been my favourite animals but after our incounter with the giraffes at Busch Gardens I have a new favourite.

These gentle giants are so adoreable. We were feeding them leaves and they were leaning over my shoulder trying to get the leaves with their long tongues. I was trying to take photos but I ended up just taking this ones nose because that's as far away as I could reach.

On the second to the last day we decided we'd do the character breakfast. We thought we might feel a bit silly without the kids but when my favourites, Pooh Bear and Tigger came round we both just had to have a hug

The photos of me are on Peej's camera so I'll have to add those later!

2 comments:

ScrapMomOf2 said...: We got to feed giraffes in a wildlife zoo in Arizona, and it was fantastic! Great pics! Love Tigger and Pooh! (I would have missed my kids too!); 18 November 2007 at 14:25
Debbie said...: Looks like you had a fab time Fe. Photos are great. I love it after you have bben on hols then you come back and see all the pics in their glory. :)

Debbie x; 18 November 2007 at 21:38

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Ode to Special Mums

Ode to Special Moms(by Erma Bombeck)

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint, Matthew.
Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint, Cecilia.
"Rudledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint, give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," says God. "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.
"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word.' She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations."I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, pen poised midair.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

"Welcome to Holland"

"Welcome to Holland" By Emily Perl Kingsley

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.