Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
I miss...
I was on an FMS Support Forum the other day, and it was suggested that you write out (& share) some of the things you 'miss' with having Fibromyalgia..... so I thought I'd post some of the things I miss.....
I MISS...
I miss me!!!
I miss not being able to think clearly.
I miss my clear head, my memory and quick thinking.
I miss not having to write notes constantly just to remember the smallest little things.
I miss waking up, stretching and not going, OMG, THAT HURTS!
I miss not being able to be as active as I once was.
I miss being able to stand up or walk without sometimes falling over or losing my balance.
I miss having the energy to do whatever I want, whenever I need it to get done.
I miss hearing "how are you?" and have it be something I can truly answer with the word "great".
I miss being normal... I don't even remember what normal is.
I miss being able to function at normal capacity, to remember something I read or saw 2 minutes ago, to be able to keep a conversation going without losing my ground, or feeling like I'm "stuck on stupid".
I miss making plans ahead of time and being able to stick to them.
I miss being able to depend on my body to do or feel how I want.
I miss feeling useful and dependable.
I miss being able to run myself ragged for a day hanging out with friends or family and knowing that tomorrow I might be tired, but not in pain for a week after.
I miss the friends I used to have.
I miss my happy go lucky, nothing is that serious, don't take things personally attitude.
I miss some of my independence,... that total reliance on myself to do things.
I miss remembering what a pain-free day felt like.
I miss being touched without having pain... to not be afraid of getting a hug for fear it will hurt, even though I want them so badly.
I miss being able to help my husband with our business more.
I miss being able to shop without feeling like it's going to kill me to accomplish it.
I miss being able to exercise the way I did to keep weight off.
I miss cleaning my house without having to quit because the pain sets in or worse,.. it sets in and I keep going which is usually what happens and then I pay for it for a week or more.
I miss my strength... not feeling like my arms are weighted down or like noodles, or having legs that feel wobbly, like jell-o.
I miss doing anything that didn't result in pain.
I miss being pain free......... :(
I MISS...
I miss me!!!
I miss not being able to think clearly.
I miss my clear head, my memory and quick thinking.
I miss not having to write notes constantly just to remember the smallest little things.
I miss waking up, stretching and not going, OMG, THAT HURTS!
I miss not being able to be as active as I once was.
I miss being able to stand up or walk without sometimes falling over or losing my balance.
I miss having the energy to do whatever I want, whenever I need it to get done.
I miss hearing "how are you?" and have it be something I can truly answer with the word "great".
I miss being normal... I don't even remember what normal is.
I miss being able to function at normal capacity, to remember something I read or saw 2 minutes ago, to be able to keep a conversation going without losing my ground, or feeling like I'm "stuck on stupid".
I miss making plans ahead of time and being able to stick to them.
I miss being able to depend on my body to do or feel how I want.
I miss feeling useful and dependable.
I miss being able to run myself ragged for a day hanging out with friends or family and knowing that tomorrow I might be tired, but not in pain for a week after.
I miss the friends I used to have.
I miss my happy go lucky, nothing is that serious, don't take things personally attitude.
I miss some of my independence,... that total reliance on myself to do things.
I miss remembering what a pain-free day felt like.
I miss being touched without having pain... to not be afraid of getting a hug for fear it will hurt, even though I want them so badly.
I miss being able to help my husband with our business more.
I miss being able to shop without feeling like it's going to kill me to accomplish it.
I miss being able to exercise the way I did to keep weight off.
I miss cleaning my house without having to quit because the pain sets in or worse,.. it sets in and I keep going which is usually what happens and then I pay for it for a week or more.
I miss my strength... not feeling like my arms are weighted down or like noodles, or having legs that feel wobbly, like jell-o.
I miss doing anything that didn't result in pain.
I miss being pain free......... :(
Fibromyalgia Sucks
While I'm on here today... I feel the need to *whine*. Sometimes it just helps you feel better to unload. So, that being said, if you don't want to listen, don't read it, LOL *wink*
This summer has been miserable for me. Normally, I seem to be at my best in the heat & warmth of the summer, as long as it's not too hot anyway, but this summer, for one thing, took it's own sweet time even really getting started, am I right? I mean, I know people who were still wearing sweaters to stay warm in June! I know people who were still getting dumped on with snow storms in June! Global Warming I tell ya......
Anyway, I think that between that and all that I've been trying to accomplish so we can relocate back up closer towards our business, it has just taken a toll. I am quite sure that pushing myself to do special things with the kids added to it as well, but I just refuse to completely roll over & let this stupid disease beat me altogether.
I have been getting worse again though. The pain is almost unbearable lately. I feel bruised from head to toe, and the insides of my bones burn at times... like the marrow itself is on fire. IT HURTS. I have near constant headaches from all the tension due to the pain... it's a vicious cycle. The headaches range from barely noticeable to severe migraines. I have muscle & nerve spasms, especially at night. At first I thought it was something like Restless Leg Syndrome, but it's not just in my legs, it's other places, too. I literally jolt due to sudden reflexes repeatedly, and then that just adds to the rest of my pains.
It is getting harder & harder to 'put on my happy face' so that I don't drag everybody else down. I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me, I don't want anyone having to help me with things, and I certainly don't want anyone feeling like they have to miss out on anything because I can't handle it. But the more I push myself through things, the worse I get.
I think part of how bad I'm doing again now also may have to do with me weaning myself off of all the pills I was on. I have tried natural methods, but to no prevail. I went off the drugs because I didn't like being drugged up all the time just to feel good and 'have a life' with my family. I also didn't like feeling exhausted all the time, feeling like I couldn't wake up, and no matter how much deep sleep I was finally getting, I still felt like I needed more. It was worse than the exhaustion you feel just from the Fibro itself, but I just don't know how much more of this intense pain I can go through. I am seriously wanting to go back on the pain killers just so I can have some relief. But, I hate being dependant on narcotics........ that, and it requires me to take all the other meds. You have to literally sign a contract between you, your doctor & the government. I understand why, I do, but it is those other meds that just seem to drag me down all the more. Either way there is a price to pay. I need to be alert & functional... I have children and on top of that I homeschool,.. both are extrememly important to me. But, at the same time, I HURT SO BAD. :(
I guess what I need is more prayer! I don't usually ask for things for myself, but if you have read this far, and you pray.... could you please say an extra one for me?
Much love, and thanks to anyone who got this far! I commend you for suffering through it! LOL xoxo
This summer has been miserable for me. Normally, I seem to be at my best in the heat & warmth of the summer, as long as it's not too hot anyway, but this summer, for one thing, took it's own sweet time even really getting started, am I right? I mean, I know people who were still wearing sweaters to stay warm in June! I know people who were still getting dumped on with snow storms in June! Global Warming I tell ya......
Anyway, I think that between that and all that I've been trying to accomplish so we can relocate back up closer towards our business, it has just taken a toll. I am quite sure that pushing myself to do special things with the kids added to it as well, but I just refuse to completely roll over & let this stupid disease beat me altogether.
I have been getting worse again though. The pain is almost unbearable lately. I feel bruised from head to toe, and the insides of my bones burn at times... like the marrow itself is on fire. IT HURTS. I have near constant headaches from all the tension due to the pain... it's a vicious cycle. The headaches range from barely noticeable to severe migraines. I have muscle & nerve spasms, especially at night. At first I thought it was something like Restless Leg Syndrome, but it's not just in my legs, it's other places, too. I literally jolt due to sudden reflexes repeatedly, and then that just adds to the rest of my pains.
It is getting harder & harder to 'put on my happy face' so that I don't drag everybody else down. I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me, I don't want anyone having to help me with things, and I certainly don't want anyone feeling like they have to miss out on anything because I can't handle it. But the more I push myself through things, the worse I get.
I think part of how bad I'm doing again now also may have to do with me weaning myself off of all the pills I was on. I have tried natural methods, but to no prevail. I went off the drugs because I didn't like being drugged up all the time just to feel good and 'have a life' with my family. I also didn't like feeling exhausted all the time, feeling like I couldn't wake up, and no matter how much deep sleep I was finally getting, I still felt like I needed more. It was worse than the exhaustion you feel just from the Fibro itself, but I just don't know how much more of this intense pain I can go through. I am seriously wanting to go back on the pain killers just so I can have some relief. But, I hate being dependant on narcotics........ that, and it requires me to take all the other meds. You have to literally sign a contract between you, your doctor & the government. I understand why, I do, but it is those other meds that just seem to drag me down all the more. Either way there is a price to pay. I need to be alert & functional... I have children and on top of that I homeschool,.. both are extrememly important to me. But, at the same time, I HURT SO BAD. :(
I guess what I need is more prayer! I don't usually ask for things for myself, but if you have read this far, and you pray.... could you please say an extra one for me?
Much love, and thanks to anyone who got this far! I commend you for suffering through it! LOL xoxo
Canine Cancer + Update
Guess I'm trying to get caught up on communications a bit today.
Some of you already know, but recently our older dog, Tucker, was diagnosed with cancer. He will be seven years old in October, and so he's only just entering the "senior" years. Old enough to be called the "Old Man" of the house, but more or less still only middle aged.
Tucker is a Boxx, which is a Boxer-mix, and Boxer's are well known for cancer in the older years. He's had a number of skin tags & other benign growths turn up within the past year, but nothing of real concern until a couple of weeks ago when we discovered a large, hard mass in the end of his pemuce (his sheath). It had grown quickly because we hadn't noticed anything, and then suddenly there it was, and almost the size of a golfball.
They (the animal hospital) asperated and the cells didn't look good so they scheduled him for surgery a few days later. We shed quite a few tears over the weekend in waiting & wondering what would come of everything... in our home, animals are not so much 'pets' as they are considered our companions... members of our family. They're our fur-babies!
The surgery came & went and he did very well. they were able to remove it completely, at least they feel pretty good that they did, or close to it at any rate. Then, it was another few days to wait for his post-op check-up and the biopsy results.
I am very pleased (& relieved!) to say that our prayers were answered, and his grading came back much less than what was initially feared by the doctors. Only 2cm was Grade II (malignant) and the rest was still in the Grade I stage (pre-cancer) so things look a LOT better for his prognosis.
There is no telling how long it will be before the tumor grows back, and they said it most likely will,.. but for now, he's doing well!
Anyway, thanks to everyone who shared their concern, support & understanding in this. I had taken the diagnosis pretty hard, and to have the support of others who knew exactly how I was feeling meant a great deal to me so thanks again, you are awesome!
(((HUGS)))
Some of you already know, but recently our older dog, Tucker, was diagnosed with cancer. He will be seven years old in October, and so he's only just entering the "senior" years. Old enough to be called the "Old Man" of the house, but more or less still only middle aged.
Tucker is a Boxx, which is a Boxer-mix, and Boxer's are well known for cancer in the older years. He's had a number of skin tags & other benign growths turn up within the past year, but nothing of real concern until a couple of weeks ago when we discovered a large, hard mass in the end of his pemuce (his sheath). It had grown quickly because we hadn't noticed anything, and then suddenly there it was, and almost the size of a golfball.
They (the animal hospital) asperated and the cells didn't look good so they scheduled him for surgery a few days later. We shed quite a few tears over the weekend in waiting & wondering what would come of everything... in our home, animals are not so much 'pets' as they are considered our companions... members of our family. They're our fur-babies!
The surgery came & went and he did very well. they were able to remove it completely, at least they feel pretty good that they did, or close to it at any rate. Then, it was another few days to wait for his post-op check-up and the biopsy results.
I am very pleased (& relieved!) to say that our prayers were answered, and his grading came back much less than what was initially feared by the doctors. Only 2cm was Grade II (malignant) and the rest was still in the Grade I stage (pre-cancer) so things look a LOT better for his prognosis.
There is no telling how long it will be before the tumor grows back, and they said it most likely will,.. but for now, he's doing well!
Anyway, thanks to everyone who shared their concern, support & understanding in this. I had taken the diagnosis pretty hard, and to have the support of others who knew exactly how I was feeling meant a great deal to me so thanks again, you are awesome!
(((HUGS)))
Silverwood's Little Ambassador
Okay, so you know I saved the best for last... the very best part of the trip! A dream come true for Ashley & something she will surely never, ever forget!
This moment was SO exciting for her,.. and Silverwood went above & beyond for Ashley. I am so grateful to them for all that they did for her, it made her experience all the more special & memorable... it was truly AMAZING for her. :)
This moment was SO exciting for her,.. and Silverwood went above & beyond for Ashley. I am so grateful to them for all that they did for her, it made her experience all the more special & memorable... it was truly AMAZING for her. :)
Chugga-Chugga, Woo-woooo!
The story of our trip was a mile long so I'm keeping notations in the posts for the pictures short & sweet! If you missed it, just look up the post titled, "Fun with the Big Cat!" :) Anyway, here's some snaps from our train adventures both days!
Ice Palace Princess!
Here are the photos from Ashley's bit in the ice show... They didn't turn out real well, but my lil digi doesn't perform very well in low-lit spaces, especially with so much movement going on, but you get the idea! What a treat!
Garfield Palooza!
Day 2 at Silverwood: Little did we know, but today was the big day! A day beyond Ashley's wildest dreams,.. when it came to Garfield anyway! ;)
Silverwood
Day 1 at Silverwood. This was actually the second day of our trip, of course, as the first consisted of driving all day just to get from the middle of Oregon all the way to Northern Idaho, LOL :) That, I could not normally do, but by the grace of the Lord, I pulled it off. It is about a 7-hour drive straight through, but I knew we would need to make stops to rest & stretch, too.
Ashley LOVES Garfield so Silverwood was right up her alley. Silverwood is similar to Knott's Berry Farm, except that instead of the mascott being Snoopy, it's Garfield,.. but I bet you had that figured out already, LOL :)
She's not into all the major rides and this trip was all about HER so we did her favorite things. That consisted of riding the carousel, the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Scrambler over & over & over & over & over & over & over & over & over & over & over &... notice, too that they are all circular, "spinning" type rides... & over & over & over & over & over & over & over... are ya dizzy yet?... & over & over & over & over & over & over & over again! :) I tell ya, she had a BLAST, but I don't think I've ever taken so much Dramamine in my entire life, LOL!! Eventually, she had to start going on them by herself because my poor stomach & head couldn't handle anymore, but that was fun, too. She would laugh & giggle so much that my heart could have burst from the joy it gave me!
Here's a look at our first day at the park...
Ashley LOVES Garfield so Silverwood was right up her alley. Silverwood is similar to Knott's Berry Farm, except that instead of the mascott being Snoopy, it's Garfield,.. but I bet you had that figured out already, LOL :)
She's not into all the major rides and this trip was all about HER so we did her favorite things. That consisted of riding the carousel, the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Scrambler over & over & over & over & over & over & over & over & over & over & over &... notice, too that they are all circular, "spinning" type rides... & over & over & over & over & over & over & over... are ya dizzy yet?... & over & over & over & over & over & over & over again! :) I tell ya, she had a BLAST, but I don't think I've ever taken so much Dramamine in my entire life, LOL!! Eventually, she had to start going on them by herself because my poor stomach & head couldn't handle anymore, but that was fun, too. She would laugh & giggle so much that my heart could have burst from the joy it gave me!
Here's a look at our first day at the park...
It's in the Little Things :)
Our first night in our room, Ashey had previously planned out our special treat... we took fresh strawberries & bananas with us & dipped them in a chocolate "shell" sauce. The kind that cools to a crispy outer shell covering the fruit. She had a wonderful time dipping, and then of course came the eating part which was even better........... except that she had a few too many! But these are those fun, little things kids remember forever!
This is not something we make a habit of, but doing something fun like this once in awhile doesn't hurt anything so why not? It's all these magical little bubbles you create throughout life's journey that make it so enjoyable... these are such simple little opporunities to strengthen those bonds with your kids. They don't forget these moments! :)
This is not something we make a habit of, but doing something fun like this once in awhile doesn't hurt anything so why not? It's all these magical little bubbles you create throughout life's journey that make it so enjoyable... these are such simple little opporunities to strengthen those bonds with your kids. They don't forget these moments! :)
Road Trip!
Okay, so off Ashley & I went on our little Mother-Daughter adventure together... I don't know how we tackled such a long drive without assistance accept to say that we had help from above. ;) The drive was long. The drive was also very beuatiful, but it was also very boring, LOL. We did our best to keep ourselves entertained though. We chit-chatted about all sorts of things, told stories & jokes to one another & laughed a LOT. I listened to several of my homeschool support CDs, and she watched videos on DVD, played video games, played with toys, colored and took pictures, LOL. Above, you see a photo from our first stop at Multnomah Falls, and then the following, are pictures Ashley took of herself along the way:
Fun with the Big Cat
So, I haven't been on a whole lot this summer... my FMS has really been taking a toll on me. That and STILL trying to get this house ready to put up *groan*, but I move at the pace of a darn turtle lately so of course it's taking me forever to accomplish anything, LOL ;)
Anyway, I did manage to fulfill Ashley's 'Mommy-Daughter' trip this month. I really haven't been up for it, and so instead of taking her in June as planned, it got held off until just over a week ago. I still wasn't up to it, but I managed to pull it off. I honestly think angels held me up or something because it has hurt to even walk.
We made the 8-hour drive on Friday, Aug. 15th. Started off early so we had plenty of time to make numerous stops along the way and stretch our legs, take a break (my arms felt like lead trying to hold them to the steering wheel for too long at a time), and so forth. We trekked back home on Monday, the 18th.
We had a good time! Ashley's two favorite rides are the Scrambler & the Tilt-a-Whirl so they are the ones that we rode the most, and when I couldn't handle anymore, she rode them by herself, still delighted as ever so that was great. I love listening to her laugh with such excitement & joy... it feels as though it could make your (my) heart burst!
The first day (Sat), she did not get to see Garfield, which had been her biggest hope in choosing this particular location for her special trip with mommy. So, that was a bit of a disappointment. We asked some shop personele, but were told he didn't have a set schedule, and you just had to take your chances basically. I personally thought that was dumb.
Ashley picked out a few choice souveniers, and there was no doubt that she is a HUGE Garfield fan. I'll post pictures as soon as I can get to them,.. what a cutie! She had a Garfield ballcap, Garfield necklace, Garfield, backpack, plushie Garfield keychain, Garfield shoelaces, and a plushie Garfield doll and Odie doll from their equivalent to a "Build-a-Bear" type shop.......... but no actual Garfield that day. *insert sad face*
The next morning (our 2nd & last day), Ashley decided to dress up in her orange outfit so she'd match Garfield (we had included in our prayers the night before & that morning that she would get to meet him before we left), and off we went.
This time the first thing we did was go to the Information Center to inquire about Garfield. Ashley wore all her Garfield "things" again, and had such high hopes of getting to see him that I wanted to do my best to try to find a way of making it happen for her. So we went to ask if they could perhaps let us know about when he might make an appearance so that we could go and wait for him. What we did not expect was what actually happened.
The Security Manager & other staff there were so delighted with Ashley and how much she adores Garfield that they were determined to make sure she got to see him, and without missing out on other fun by waiting for the 'chance' to catch him. Also, someone had told us that he doesn't usually come out on Sundays.... BUT! This is what they did for Ashley, and I must say that this, to us anyway, came as such a wonderful blessing..... this was one of those experiences that a child will never forget. If you would like to share in this joy, please read on! :)
We owe a HUGE thanks to the staff at Silverwood for making this possible. They bent over backwards for Ashley. It started out because she is such a tremendous fan, but it grew...
They arranged an appearance with not only Garfield, but Odie as well! Not only was Garfield not schedule to appear that day, but they never appear together. It's always one or the other, but not both. So this was a special deal just for her. They took my cellphone so they could call me as soon as they were ready, and that way Ashley could go enjoy some rides while they got everything arranged. I was so stunned (all we had wanted to know was if he would be out that day & approximately when so we could try to catch him), and so I pulled the Security Manager to the side where Ashley could not hear & told her how much this meant... that it was alsmot like Ashley getting a "wish". And then I briefly told her about Ashley's NF... NOT to gain sympathy or special favor, but so that she would know how much more this special arrangement really meant. I cannot tell you how many times I started to cry throughout the remainder of the day!
They ended up doing even more for Ashley (thus the continued tears). I did pull the gal off to the side again to make sure it was not because of what I had divulged to her b/c then I felt bad, but she assured me it did not (I am sure it did), but that it was because "Miss Ashley is one of Garfield's biggest fans & we don't see that often so I think she deserves some special treatment" (I did note that there are some things that they used to do with &/or regarding Garfield shows, etc. that they no longer do due to a lack of interest..... that made me sad! So, they were pretty excited to have a guest who loves him SO much!
And I understood their excitement about that even more when Garfield & Odie came out in the Pavillion to meet Ashley... I was prepared to have kids flocking all around in wait for their turn, but you know, nobody really did. Besides Ashley, there literally were only THREE other children who even cared he was there. How incredibly sad,.... he's Silverwood's mascot for cryin' out loud! So, no wonder they were so thrilled about Ashley. :(
Anyway, they let me take all the pictures I wanted, and then they brought out their photographer to take a photo... and surprised us with 6-8x10s and some wallets. Ashley's special copy reads: "Silverwood's Little Ambassador" across the bottom. While I waited for the photos to print out, they took Ashley to a nearby shop & gave her a bunch more Garfield souveniers... stuff she didn't need of course, but what fun for a child to experience! Little things like a banner for her bedroom wall, magnets, extra outfits for her plushies, and so forth... and they kept referring to her as the "Little Ambassador of the Day". She gleamed!
After that, they arranged for us to have a complimentary lunch at their restaurant, then gave Ashley a "pass" so she didn't have to wait in line at the rides (that helped me, too, b/c I was hurting so much!).
They have an ice show at Silverwood with Champion skaters from around the globe (my personal favorite was the gal from Russia!). Anyway, there is a portion where they select a child from the audience and that child gets pushed around out on the ice in a glittery sleigh by none other than Frosty himself, while various other skaters skate/dance around to the "Hot-hot chocolate" song from the Polar Express... very cute, and they made sure that Ashley was that chosen child for the 6:00 show. No one is allowed to take photos or video or anything inside the show,.. period. But, they allowed me to take photos during the portion where Ashley was out on the ice. Due to the low lighting and the fast movement, they are not real clear, but at least I got to take them! They are still ones to treasure, and I am very thankful that they allowed me to do that. I remember thinking, I wish I could take a picture when she goes out there! And then a few minutes later, the staff came over to explain at what point in the show they would come and collect her, and also that I could take pictures at that time. *yay!*
They also let her up in the steam engine of the train, with the engineers... it was 124 degrees in there at 7:00 PM! This engine is almost 100 years old (I think it's actually 96 or 97), and has quite an incredible history, although unfortunately I cannot remember it b/c of my stupid Fibro-brain, LOL! They were going to let us ride up there with them, but Ashley got frightened so we just checked it all out, got to watch them light it & everything, took pictures, and then Ashley & I got to go ride back in the caboose instead with the train's tour guide, Sheriff Steamer (he is such a neat man!), and he made her his little Deputy Sheriff, badge & all, and told her it was her job to make sure that everyone had a good time at Silverwood by sharing her beautiful smile. *aww* We got to talk to him quite a bit in between the tour info stuff so that was really neat, too.
We had an unforgettable time thanks to the staff at Silverwood who went above & beyond to make Ashley feel like a VERY special little girl, and I cannot thank them enough for that.
And what I love even more, is that Ashley knows how special this was, but she has also not let it make her "proud". She has shared her joy in it with a select few family members, enough that you experience her delight, but without arrogance. It only proves that we are doing something right in teaching her good values, and I am thankful for that. That we can share good things without being boastful... we can celebrate our blessings and share them with those who can embrace those good things with us.
Ashley is such a kind & loving child, and she has been through so much... it has just overjoyed my heart for her to get to experience a treat such as this, and I do believe God had His hand in it.
I only wish others could have actually shared in the experience with us! :)
I will post pictures soon... Love to all! xoxo
Anyway, I did manage to fulfill Ashley's 'Mommy-Daughter' trip this month. I really haven't been up for it, and so instead of taking her in June as planned, it got held off until just over a week ago. I still wasn't up to it, but I managed to pull it off. I honestly think angels held me up or something because it has hurt to even walk.
We made the 8-hour drive on Friday, Aug. 15th. Started off early so we had plenty of time to make numerous stops along the way and stretch our legs, take a break (my arms felt like lead trying to hold them to the steering wheel for too long at a time), and so forth. We trekked back home on Monday, the 18th.
We had a good time! Ashley's two favorite rides are the Scrambler & the Tilt-a-Whirl so they are the ones that we rode the most, and when I couldn't handle anymore, she rode them by herself, still delighted as ever so that was great. I love listening to her laugh with such excitement & joy... it feels as though it could make your (my) heart burst!
The first day (Sat), she did not get to see Garfield, which had been her biggest hope in choosing this particular location for her special trip with mommy. So, that was a bit of a disappointment. We asked some shop personele, but were told he didn't have a set schedule, and you just had to take your chances basically. I personally thought that was dumb.
Ashley picked out a few choice souveniers, and there was no doubt that she is a HUGE Garfield fan. I'll post pictures as soon as I can get to them,.. what a cutie! She had a Garfield ballcap, Garfield necklace, Garfield, backpack, plushie Garfield keychain, Garfield shoelaces, and a plushie Garfield doll and Odie doll from their equivalent to a "Build-a-Bear" type shop.......... but no actual Garfield that day. *insert sad face*
The next morning (our 2nd & last day), Ashley decided to dress up in her orange outfit so she'd match Garfield (we had included in our prayers the night before & that morning that she would get to meet him before we left), and off we went.
This time the first thing we did was go to the Information Center to inquire about Garfield. Ashley wore all her Garfield "things" again, and had such high hopes of getting to see him that I wanted to do my best to try to find a way of making it happen for her. So we went to ask if they could perhaps let us know about when he might make an appearance so that we could go and wait for him. What we did not expect was what actually happened.
The Security Manager & other staff there were so delighted with Ashley and how much she adores Garfield that they were determined to make sure she got to see him, and without missing out on other fun by waiting for the 'chance' to catch him. Also, someone had told us that he doesn't usually come out on Sundays.... BUT! This is what they did for Ashley, and I must say that this, to us anyway, came as such a wonderful blessing..... this was one of those experiences that a child will never forget. If you would like to share in this joy, please read on! :)
We owe a HUGE thanks to the staff at Silverwood for making this possible. They bent over backwards for Ashley. It started out because she is such a tremendous fan, but it grew...
They arranged an appearance with not only Garfield, but Odie as well! Not only was Garfield not schedule to appear that day, but they never appear together. It's always one or the other, but not both. So this was a special deal just for her. They took my cellphone so they could call me as soon as they were ready, and that way Ashley could go enjoy some rides while they got everything arranged. I was so stunned (all we had wanted to know was if he would be out that day & approximately when so we could try to catch him), and so I pulled the Security Manager to the side where Ashley could not hear & told her how much this meant... that it was alsmot like Ashley getting a "wish". And then I briefly told her about Ashley's NF... NOT to gain sympathy or special favor, but so that she would know how much more this special arrangement really meant. I cannot tell you how many times I started to cry throughout the remainder of the day!
They ended up doing even more for Ashley (thus the continued tears). I did pull the gal off to the side again to make sure it was not because of what I had divulged to her b/c then I felt bad, but she assured me it did not (I am sure it did), but that it was because "Miss Ashley is one of Garfield's biggest fans & we don't see that often so I think she deserves some special treatment" (I did note that there are some things that they used to do with &/or regarding Garfield shows, etc. that they no longer do due to a lack of interest..... that made me sad! So, they were pretty excited to have a guest who loves him SO much!
And I understood their excitement about that even more when Garfield & Odie came out in the Pavillion to meet Ashley... I was prepared to have kids flocking all around in wait for their turn, but you know, nobody really did. Besides Ashley, there literally were only THREE other children who even cared he was there. How incredibly sad,.... he's Silverwood's mascot for cryin' out loud! So, no wonder they were so thrilled about Ashley. :(
Anyway, they let me take all the pictures I wanted, and then they brought out their photographer to take a photo... and surprised us with 6-8x10s and some wallets. Ashley's special copy reads: "Silverwood's Little Ambassador" across the bottom. While I waited for the photos to print out, they took Ashley to a nearby shop & gave her a bunch more Garfield souveniers... stuff she didn't need of course, but what fun for a child to experience! Little things like a banner for her bedroom wall, magnets, extra outfits for her plushies, and so forth... and they kept referring to her as the "Little Ambassador of the Day". She gleamed!
After that, they arranged for us to have a complimentary lunch at their restaurant, then gave Ashley a "pass" so she didn't have to wait in line at the rides (that helped me, too, b/c I was hurting so much!).
They have an ice show at Silverwood with Champion skaters from around the globe (my personal favorite was the gal from Russia!). Anyway, there is a portion where they select a child from the audience and that child gets pushed around out on the ice in a glittery sleigh by none other than Frosty himself, while various other skaters skate/dance around to the "Hot-hot chocolate" song from the Polar Express... very cute, and they made sure that Ashley was that chosen child for the 6:00 show. No one is allowed to take photos or video or anything inside the show,.. period. But, they allowed me to take photos during the portion where Ashley was out on the ice. Due to the low lighting and the fast movement, they are not real clear, but at least I got to take them! They are still ones to treasure, and I am very thankful that they allowed me to do that. I remember thinking, I wish I could take a picture when she goes out there! And then a few minutes later, the staff came over to explain at what point in the show they would come and collect her, and also that I could take pictures at that time. *yay!*
They also let her up in the steam engine of the train, with the engineers... it was 124 degrees in there at 7:00 PM! This engine is almost 100 years old (I think it's actually 96 or 97), and has quite an incredible history, although unfortunately I cannot remember it b/c of my stupid Fibro-brain, LOL! They were going to let us ride up there with them, but Ashley got frightened so we just checked it all out, got to watch them light it & everything, took pictures, and then Ashley & I got to go ride back in the caboose instead with the train's tour guide, Sheriff Steamer (he is such a neat man!), and he made her his little Deputy Sheriff, badge & all, and told her it was her job to make sure that everyone had a good time at Silverwood by sharing her beautiful smile. *aww* We got to talk to him quite a bit in between the tour info stuff so that was really neat, too.
We had an unforgettable time thanks to the staff at Silverwood who went above & beyond to make Ashley feel like a VERY special little girl, and I cannot thank them enough for that.
And what I love even more, is that Ashley knows how special this was, but she has also not let it make her "proud". She has shared her joy in it with a select few family members, enough that you experience her delight, but without arrogance. It only proves that we are doing something right in teaching her good values, and I am thankful for that. That we can share good things without being boastful... we can celebrate our blessings and share them with those who can embrace those good things with us.
Ashley is such a kind & loving child, and she has been through so much... it has just overjoyed my heart for her to get to experience a treat such as this, and I do believe God had His hand in it.
I only wish others could have actually shared in the experience with us! :)
I will post pictures soon... Love to all! xoxo
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