Monday, August 22, 2011

850!

That is the number of pictures we took while we were away on Gavin's Make-A-Wish trip!

I'm a little overwhelmed by so many pictures.....that's why it's taking me so long to update everyone on our vacation.

But, here's a sneak peak of our AWESOME, HUMBLING, AMAZING, FUN, INSPIRING, WONDERFUL and BLESSED trip!

Here we are at the airport, just after landing in Florida:



Gavin really seemed to enjoy himself on our trip! Here are some pictures of him enjoying a few of his favorite things on the trip:

I was very worried about how he'd react to flying since Gavin is easily overstimulated by uncertain noises and situations.....but as you can see from this picture, one of Gavin's favorite parts of our trip was the airplane ride! He LOVED it!



Another highlight was each evening when we returned to our villa, after our fun-filled days at the parks. Gavin loved to lay on our bed and play with Mickey Mouse! As soon as we laid him on the bed, he would go crazy! He would smile, laugh, squeal, "talk" and have so much fun!



Another thing he really enjoyed was the safari ride that we went on at Animal Kingdom. It was a bumpy ride, and Gavin thought it was the best!



It was VERY hot while we were in Florida! But, we managed to stay somewhat cool by making frequent stops into the air-conditioned shops throughout the parks. We also kept Gavin cool by using his stroller fan and spraying him down with water frequently. Also, all of us filled up on extra fluids throughout the day. But, it was SERIOUSLY HOT!!!



Gavin as a very cute and happy Mickey!



We enjoyed our time away tremendously! We had to keep pinching ourselves because we couldn't believe how blessed we were by this opportunity! We were, and are, so blessed!




"It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

12 comments:

Cari Weymouth said...

What great pictures. You guys looked so relaxed. Is Jake taller than both you and Joel??

Anxious AF said...

He had so much fun!!!!! Love this.

Colleen said...

So fun!! Gavin looks so happy in the pictures!

Lacey said...

I've been waiting for pics! I can't even imagine how hot it was, because we roasted in May! Jax liked the airplane ride too, we almost bought him a Mickey fan, because ours broke!

Robin Zondervan said...

Could Gavin be any cuter?! I love the picture of him on the plane! I'm so glad you all had such a good time despite the heat.

Team Carter Jay said...

Awwww, he looks so SO happy! I'm so glad you got to do this trip. What a blessing!!

Heather said...

850!!! Oh my goodness. That is definitely a sign of an awesome trip!

I love all his smiles and that he tolerated the plane well. Mark is in NY with just the boys ... I was too worried about Zoey and how she would handle it. I think Gavin has inspired me to give it a try!

Can't wait to see more. so beyond happy that it was all that you hoped and wished it to be, and more!

Heather said...

Oh my gosh ... did you see that we both had almost the exact title of our last posts? Well your previous one to this and my last. Too funny.

Debbie said...

Precious Gavin....oh how I've missed your smile!

Kristen's mom said...

what a fun trip! I want Catherine! She does look like Kristen.My heart hurts when I think of the children on Reese's Rainbow. I literally get sick to my stomach. My husband says that we are too old to go and get Catherine. I don't think we are. I keep telling him that 50 is the new 40.

Annette Gysen said...

It really is a magical place, isn't it? I'm so thrilled that you all got to go. I can see from the pictures that Gavin loved it! Nice to see such big smiles on all the VanderWalls!

Reagan Leigh said...

So glad you guys had a great time on your trip...you certainly deserve it! Love the pics! Gavin looks SO happy!!!