Surfing

To say today was amazing would be an understatement.  

We started the day with breakfast with Bethany.   The entire Hamilton family is so kind.  Bethany's parents, uncle , two brothers , sister in laws and niece spent  the day with us also.  Mrs. Hamilton taught Grace how to make ti leaf lais.  

The girls spent the day surfing with Bethany and playing on the beach. Even Emilia surfed.  Bethany's coach  tandem 

Surfed with her.   All the girls had the best time .  They accomplished a dream

They never thought they could.

Tonight everyone had dinner with the entire Hamilton family.  The wish children then had individual time alone with Bethany and had the opportunity for autographs and more photos.  

After dinner everyone was treated to a movie under the stars on hanalei bay ....soul  surfer .  After the movie we all got the   inside scoop on the making of the  movie.

 Hanalei Bay on Kuai is breathtaking .  It was kinda neat to see in the movie the same beach the girls were surfing on. 

Tomorrow the girls will surf with Bethany in the morning and then go tubing down the ditch In the afternoon . 

We are all loving  the island life. "No worries" and " island time" are fantastic! 

"If you have faith anything is possible". Bethany Hamilton 

" I get my strength from Jesus Christ"  Bethany Hamilton 

Kauai

Tonight we had dinner with the ten children attending the first Bethany Hamilton surf camp for Make A Wish.  Gemma quickly became best friends with another little girl from Phoenix.  There is also an adopted little girl from Gemmas  province in china with the same medical condition as her.    All the children learned how to do the hula. Tomorrow morning the girls will have their first surfing lesson with Bethany ( even Emilia).   They are so excited.    Kauai is such a beautiful island .  Several movies were filmed here. ( pirates of the Caribbean , South Pacific , Jurassic park)

Gemma is having the best time.

 

Make a Wish

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We are in Hawaii !  Gemma wished to surf with Bethany Hamilton and she is so excited.

2014

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted.

Christmas was a difficult time for us this year.  Not only was it Christmas but it also was Teresa's 7th. Birthday. 
We decided to do things a little bit differently.  Thank you to our friends and family who didn't judge us and ask why?

We could not wait for 2013 to be over  since it seemed like such a bad year.   But after thinking about exactly what a "Bad" year entailed , I realized that 2013 could not have been bad.  It was probably one of our best years ever.
It was the very last year we would ever have Teresa here with us, so it could not be bad.  It was filled with so many happy memories and the sounds of Teresa's magical laughter.  But it  also held a very sad , life changing time in our lives.  We became very different in 2013 because of it.  And I have to say for the better.   The journey that Teresa started us on 4 years ago was never an easy one, and we knew that going into her adoption.  But what we never expected along the journey was exactly how life changing it would be. 

I don't think I could even put into words exactly how our lives have changed.  It is something that we all  just feel, know and believe every day.  Teresa changed us.  She came to change each one of us in the way  that only God knew we needed. 
She lived for 6 years with half a heart and when she died she took half of our hearts with  her.

Many things have been happening ... Emilia is doing so much better with her legs healing.  She will have the external fixators removed in 2 months and she will be three inches taller. The infections are all gone!!!
Lucy will be performing in the schools spring play... Willy Wonka.  She tried out for Veruca but was cast as Umpa Lumpa #3.  She is so happy to be a part of the play she really did not mind being an Umpa Lumpa. And she makes an incredibly cute Umpa Lumpa!
Ed and I feel so blessed to be enjoying the pure love of our first grandchild.  He brings us all so much happiness.
Gemma is so excited for a very special event.... she is going on her Make A Wish trip.  She has waited for almost 2 years  and she is beyond excited.  She wished to learn to surf with  Bethany Hamilton from Soul Surfer. After watching the movie she felt a connection to her.  She said Bethany kept going after losing her arm and didn't give up.  She said she was just  like her because she doesn't give up either. Bethany is such an amazing role model for girls.    It's your choice how  you  react when life throws you a curve ball.  You can stay down and crumble or you can get back up and follow your dreams.