Happy Halloween!!!

 

last day of vacation

"Look Chloe….it's a beautiful day….it's sunny!"  That is what I woke up to today compliments of my little brother, on our last day of vacation.  We are heading to the airport later today but hope to get in some more fun before we leave :)
 

Animals galore!

Day 6 of our Make a Wish trip was an adventurous day at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. A sanctuary of sorts for some endangered animals, including the southern white rhino. We learned there are only 7 in the whole world and San Diego Zoo is home to 2 of them. It was also fun (and a little scary) to get up close and personal with lemurs. We learned a lot, saw a lot, and had a great time!

Simply sensational San Diego!!!

Hello San Diego! Talk about BEAUTIFUL....if you haven't been here, you need to come! We are staying at a beautiful hotel, right on the water and the staff left me a basket and a nice note welcoming me to this amazing place. My Mom and Dad tell me it is always this beautiful here. I have to say I am impressed..... After having breakfast outside watching the boats and the seals, we headed to the San Diego Zoo. My Mom and Dad, being the West Coasters that they are, have been telling us kids that there is no other zoo like the San Diego Zoo. Well, let's just say they were right! We had so much fun and learned some very interesting facts about the largest collection of plants and animals in the entire world.... Did you know there are only three other places in the United States to see panda bears and we saw some today! So cute! The San Diego Zoo has the largest collection of koala bears outside their native home in Australia. Who knew? Pretty neat! We also got to ride a sky tram and a double decker bus when we were there. And double bonus....when we got back to the hotel I got to go swimming with my sis and Dad!!!! More San Diego fun to follow tomorrow...... :)

Goodbye Disneyland….hello San Diego!

Today we got to sleep in a little bit (because we were up so late last night!) and hit the ground running when we arrived at California Adventure.  Dad, Claire and I did Soarin' and then did some repeat rides (I just can't get enough of Radiator Springs!)  Then we headed back over to Disneyland where we saw the Tiki Room, I did the Matterhorn for the first time (and two!) and we were busy…busy…busy.  And how about Toot Town and Roger Rabbit's Ride?  Super fun! 
Grandma and Grandpa went home today so it wasn't quite the same without them there but we still managed to have a fun time :)  It was so nice to have them here!
Oh….and I know I mentioned this before, but Make A Wish gives a "wish child" a blue piece of paper called a genie pass.  This allows you to basically go to the front of any line (and the lines have been very long since we have been here!)  Everyone here at Disneyland has been very nice to me and sometimes they even ask if I want to ride the ride twice or sit in the front row.  Very sweet.  And it really does make me feel special.
So, our amazing time at Disneyland is now over (yes, there were some tears shed over it…..) and we are headed to San Diego where we will spend the last few days of our vacation.  I can't wait!!!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terrific times at Disneyland day 3!

Let there be princesses...and Cars....and California Adventure......and Halloween fun at night!...I met Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, and Princess Aurora at breakfast and Woody later in the day.  I discovered the California Adventure park (WOW!) and Cars Land.  I think Radiator Springs was my favorite ride (I think it is everyone's favorite!)  And then there was more fun at night during Mickey's Halloween Party.  SO NEAT!!  And I even got to go trick or treating around the park and wear my costume all night.  We had a blast and didn't get back to our hotel until 11 p.m.  Can you say TIRED???!!!!

Dynamic Disneyland Day 2!!

Day 2 Highlights include:
Halloween…..Nightmare Before Christmas and the haunted mansion (simply awesome!)….More Pirates of the Caribean…..exploring Tomorrow Land and my first time on Star Tours.  And check out the cute t shirts my Mom bought all of us!  Mickey and Minnie really liked them and told us so when we had a private meet and greet with them at the Wish Lounge.  Come on!!!  We hugged, laughed, danced, played charades, colored and had a simply magical time with our two favorite mascots.  It was really special and I couldn't stop smiling :)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st day at DISNEYLAND!!

We started our morning off with a stretch limo picking us up for our trip to O'Hare…compliments of Make A Wish.  Wow!  I have never been in one before!  The trip to John Wayne Airport in Orange Co. was great (long, but great!) and I got to bring my new doll, Emily, on the trip.  Super fun surprise and more on that later…..
We get to Disneyland this afternoon and guess what they give us?  A pass that lets us surpass all of the lines.  What???  Super cool!  And the park was BUSY today so it was really, really, super duper cool!
And the biggest surprise of the day….guess who was waiting for us at the very first ride we went on….It's A Small World???  Grandpa and Grandpa!  Come on!
We had tons of fun exploring Fantasy Land and ate dinner at the Blue Bayou, overlooking the Pirates of the Caribean Ride.  I went on some rides I have never been on before like Storybook Land boat ride, Alice in Wonderland, and some old faves like Peter Pan.
Our trip has been completely magical and amazing so far.
Tomorrow I get to meet Mickey Mouse at the Make a Wish lounge.  I think my little brother is totally flipped out about that.
My Mom said she is going to try to keep everyone updated every day of our trip.  Good luck with that, Mom :)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wishes do come true

Tomorrow we leave for our trip to Disneyland compliments of Make a Wish.  I honestly couldn't be more excited as I have never been there before and most of you know that I am known as the "ride queen" around my family and friends so I am excited to try some new and exciting ones!
And a girl never gets tired of seeing her buddy, Mickey Mouse (and the princesses, of course!)
 

bear buddy

Sometimes all I need is a hug from my big bear friend at Living Well to make my worries float away….
 

fun at clinic….over!

I felt a little like this today when I was at clinic….loopy…..tired…..kooky….and I am so relieved "the fun" is over.  It was a doosy of a day complete with chemo in my port….chemo in my spine….and my first dose of steroid for a week.   Not sure I will be smiling like this tomorrow but I certainly hope so!  And actually there were some "fun things" that happened when I was at my home away from home.  More to follow :)
 

patiently......waiting......

The anticipation is making me a little crazy but as you can see from this picture at the apple orchard....apples seem to have a zen effect on me.  Well, maybe not the apples....but definitely the apple donuts! 
So, in case you haven't heard, my fun day at clinic (aka...spinal tap and lots of yucky stuff!) got moved to this Thursday.  Sadly, there are some new kids at clinic (newly diagnosed) and the docs need to spend more time with them and give them their treatments before I can get mine.  Totally understandable.  Been there...done that.
So, this time on Thursday, you can send me some "good feeling, happy, zen, apple doughnut" thoughts as I will be having my spinal tap.  I am a little nervous about it and keep asking my Mom when clinic is.....so will be really glad when it is over.

 

facing my fears

To be truthful, jumping off the high dive is not that scary compared to having cancer.  And on Monday I will have another spinal tap, which does freak me out a little bit.  It never used to bother me (or maybe I just didn't really know what was happening) but now that I don't get them that often, they seem a little more scary.  Plus, I can't eat or drink anything for like 6 hours before my procedure and Mom has to take me out of school for it (let's just say she is not too happy about that!).  I also start my monthly dethamethasone (aka…icky steroid!) burst for one week.  I have a feeling I won't be feeling too great at the beginning of the week but I am hoping I am feeling back to myself by the weekend.  A girl has to be ready for a fun weekend!
 

 

tea with the dermatologist

See this fun rash I have on my face?  Well, the docs at clinic had NO idea what it was and so they told me I needed to go see a dermatologist.  But not just any dermatologist….one of the only pediatric dermatologists in the area.  And boy, was she hard to get into see.  But after much begging and pleading from my friend, Miss Kathy, at clinic (think Oklahoma!), I was able to get in to see her.
And she was a hoot!  Funny, SO nice, and really upset that my Mom had any trouble getting an appointmnet to see her in the first place.  One of her nurses liked me so much, she brought this cute "paint your own tea set" to me and made me promise I would let my sister help me paint some of the pieces.  How nice!  Presents at the dermatologist?  Who would have guessed?
So…..you might ask….get to the point of the whole story!  What is the funky rash on my face (and arms…and legs….and neck…..)?????
Eczema folks.  Plain and simple.
And apparently it is pretty common with kids who are immunosuppressed….lucky me!
Maybe I will bring my new tea set in next time I see her and we can have tea and talk skin problems of 6 year olds on chemotherapy.... ;0
 

 

the good ole' days

Before leukemia struck…..there were happy times, lots of hugs and smiles, and wonderful memories…..
 

 

 

And after nearly two years of treatment for this awful disease, lots has changed but....we are still smiling, hugging, and making even more wonderful memories.  

 

 

 

"A good friend is like the sun in the sky . . . You may not always see her, but she’s always there."
~author unknown