Fun Times at Disneyland

We had an amazing time at Disneyland. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this endeavor. It is heartwarming to see so many individuals gather around and support our family in so many ways. We were able to get an international youth group rate, which saved us quite a few hundred dollars. Our first seven children had been to Disneyland over 10 years ago, but the most recent seven had never been there. It really was a once in a lifetime experience!

We spent 16 hours at the park. Naomi was awake the first 15 hours, so there were a few semi-meltdown moments with her. There were too many exciting things going on for her to fall asleep. Overall though, everyone did really well. It was Roseminique’s 12^th birthday. We had celebrated the day before with cake and pizza at our friend from Nightlight Adoption’s home in Yorba Linda, but it was fun to spend her actual birthday at Disneyland.

I spent many summer vacations going to Disneyland when I was a kid. My mother’s family was in the Los Angeles area, so we would travel there to see them. Plus my mom was a teacher and had the summers off. We would travel on the Amtrak train. I remember those days fondly, but when I really think about it, I know there were the normal moments of misery. I spent most of the traveling time throwing up because I struggled with motion sickness and migraines as a child. I also remember stepping on the back of my mother’s heels and her saying to me that I must be doing it on purpose because I kept doing it over and over again, but I honestly just wasn’t paying attention and would keeping walking (on top of her) when she stopped or slowed down. We had the same problem on this trip. Dad was telling Billy to slow down and watch where he was going because he kept pushing Melissa’s wheelchair into people’s legs. There were other kids that were pushing Naomi’s stroller and popped off David’s shoe because they ran him over.

These simple things bother me as a parent. I can tell that we have been in the RV long enough (over 7 weeks) when I am losing my mind over someone sitting on my Styrofoam cup for the 10^th time. For my birthday at the end of June, I found Ron and Julia buying me a plastic cup with a lid at Walmart because we were having the same issue at the beginning of the summer. I remember saying to them, “I just want the Styrofoam cup from McDonald’s so that I can refill it when we’re in the RV”.

I will have to admit that I am very much an all or nothing type of person. I want things the way I want them or I don’t want them at all.  I am somewhat like When Harry Met Sally where she’s ordering and describes that she wants it this way, or that way, but if she can’t have it either way, she’ll just not have it at all. I want what I want and really would rather not have a substitute for what I want. Maybe what I want (the Styrofoam cup) is cheap and cheesy, but that’s what I want.

Overall though, I don’t care about the random things that are shared or broken along the way. It is only when we are tired that these little annoying things begin to grate on our nerves. We looked at one of the kids today (who bears a striking personality resemblance to pigpen) and he had syrup all over him. Then I looked at another child, and she had green ink on her hands and face. Then I looked at the floor and there was torn up pieces of paper all over the ground. Life is messy in a range of ways. 

 “Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, 

practicing patience and being persistent” Billy Graham

We have had plenty of time to practice patience over the past two months and over nine thousand miles. It has been an amazing journey, but we are ready to be back in Oregon and we are very ready to be back at our home in Haiti. We long to get back in a normal routine. We feel so incredibly blessed that the Lord has chosen us for this life and so grateful for all the people that continue to pray for us and support us along the way. Thank you!!