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Island of Adventure!
It was a beautiful day. The sky was slightly overcast,
just enough to keep the sun from burning our noses and shoulders. The
cool breezes that blew in from the north kept the temperature just
right, despite a day of walking in crowds. The lines moved quickly and
the rides brought much needed laughter and cheer. It was as if the
heavens had prepared for our Candlelighters families. It just couldn’t
have gone any better.
We all had choices to go to either Universal Studios
or Islands of Adventure. Our family chose Islands.
Our journey began with the 3D Spiderman ride, which we
repeated about a dozen times. Then, we took the unforgettable Jurassic
Park river raft ride, had a Pteranodon's-eye-view ride from the sky,
saw Sinbad and Poseidon. We were surprised at how much we enjoyed
Seuss’s Landing – it was more fun than we expected. We even got to eat
at the Cat in the Hat Diner, where we watched the train rides come
through the ceiling as we ate. Randy had his face painted like the
Hulk and got a lot of smiling glances. He went around telling
everyone, “It’s not easy being green.”
We saved the water rides for last so that we wouldn’t
stay cold for long, and were so soaked that we had to change just
before the ride home (it’s a good thing we thought to bring spare
clothes). Five minutes after I started the engine, everybody was
asleep for the duration.
The whole day was a vacation from our lives. It was
the first time that Randy was well enough to go on a trip without fear
of repercussion. For a little while, we weren’t victims, patients, and
caregivers. In fact, we weren’t abnormal in any way. For a time, we
were just a family, laughing together in a way that we had almost
forgotten how to be. It was a day of excitement and adventure, but
even more, it was a day of normalcy that helped us all to remember
what we are fighting for. It’s the moments like these that last a
lifetime, and Candlelighters helped to make it happen. Thanks, guys,
from the bottom of our hearts.
Paul, Helen & Randy M.
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July 2006 |
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June 2006 |
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Sea World 2006
It was great to see the big turn out to Sea World with our Candlelighter families. The
day started to be very hot but thanks to a couple of showers in the early afternoon the day became much cooler.
We all gathered for
lunch at noon in the pavilion to
enjoy delicious burgers, hotdogs,
salads, fruits and desserts. We then
gathered the kids for this great
group picture
(see below).
We always look
forward to our family outings. It’s
great to see you all and remind you
that you are not alone.
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April 2006 |
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Crystals Walk
Childhood cancer forever changes the lives
of children, their families and those around
them. Some go on to live full, productive
lives. Some go on to become our guardian
angels. Yet for those left behind, it doesn’t
have to be sad and lonely. Instead, it
should be a celebration of the lives lived
and the days shared together.
That’s what Crystal’s Walk is all about.
And it was indeed a walk to remember!
For
the full article and Video click
here
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March 2006 |
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