... And Beyond

We just finished out third of three days in the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks. Tonight, we also finish Lorelei's fourth year. When she wakes up in the morning, she will be a four year old little girl, the big sister of a miracle who is just as much a miracle herself.

This trip has been a dream. It's hard not to feel magic in every cell of your body when you spend several days in the happiest place on Earth. Lorelei has been so excited about everything. Hands down, her favorite rides were the rides Lily was also able to enjoy. Her favorite part of the whole trip was to go to lunch at Ariel's Grotto with her sister. (She still thinks it's amazing that her Nonni is friends with the princesses.) Even with the entire Magic Kingdom at her disposal, her favorite experiences were the things we all did together. That, and the tea cups. She really loved those tea cups.

Friends in Faraway Places

Not surprisingly, when Lily is out in public, she attracts a lot of attention. Most people just look, and most of those with smiles, but every now and again, someone stops long enough to ask. Almost always, we end up with another friend.

This happened a lot today. We ran into the pastor friend of one of our heart transplant friends (Frank), someone we've never met before. We made a new friend from Utah (Michelle), and a new Disney employee friend (Alyson). All of these people instantly fell in love with Lily and her story. It's hard not to. It's hard not to fall in love with a little girl who loves life so much that she'd fight so hard for it.

It also adds a lot to our experience to make these friends, to permanently add to our lives through these shared wonderful experiences. So Frank, Michelle and your two lovely sons, and Alyson, thank you for sharing in our day. It means so much to us.

Magic Moments

There are moments in life so amazing that just the thought that another magic moment exists is enough to carry you through the deepest trials. we've had some of these as we've gone along on Lily's crazy journey. The kindness of strangers, the loving curiosity of children... Just one more little magic moment.

No amount of these moments could have prepared me for seeing Lily's face on It's a Small World. She lit up like a little girl on Christmas morning. You could feel the joy in her eyes, it was so strong.

Today, this experience, was one of those magic moments that kept me going through her worst of times. And it just feels so full of wonder.

The Castle in a Castle

Tonight, we are staying at the Castle Inn and Suites in Anaheim, right across the street from Disneyland. Lorelei still doesn't know what's happening tomorrow, but her sheer joy at staying in a castle is so sweet to me.

In our room, we've set up her castle tent. Our soon-to-be birthday princess is enjoying her castle in a castle experience. Mommy is enjoying her enjoyment and the special way that Lorelei is so eager to share each special detail with Lily.

If my daily life is my castle, these tender moments are my castle in a castle. And they are so incredibly worth the journey it takes to get them.