Home Again!

Well, we're back and while it's good to be home, it was also really good to be away. Venya survived the long car ride home (along with the long car ride across Florida and the car ride to pick up Bobby at the airport.) Lord knows how many miles we put on Bobby's car, but I sure enjoyed the journey...stopping at the fireworks store in South Carolina and the peach stand in Georgia. Here is a shot of the kids in the back seat just as their delirious state of "We've been in the car too long" began on our ride back to Wilmington.

As a side note, we finally figured out what Venya was talking about with the cheese and the "Pow, pow, pow." One day we were making sandwiches together and he picked up a slice of Swiss cheese and pretended to shoot some holes through it. Anyway, all that time (and through all that laughter) he was just trying to tell us that the Swiss cheese that he and Bobby bought at the store looked like someone shot holes in it.

The highlight of our trip was visiting the place in Florida that so many people refer to as "magical" and while I would agree with that, when it begins to rain, it loses its "magic" a little. In spite of the weather, we had a great time and Venya's face as we approached the magical world of Disney was just as you would picture it. I texted Bobby as we walked through the gates at Magic Kingdom..."You should see his face...one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done." To see Disney through his eyes...to see everyday life through his eyes...it really is more fulfilling than it is work and at moments, I get overwhelmed with sentiment and gratitude for all that God has provided us with and now, all that we are able to provide.

Venya loved the rides...the faster the better, so we quickly circled the park and made our way to Space Mountain. I tried to explain in my English-Russian blend that it would be fast and it would be dark. Was he up for it? While we had already been on Thunder Mountain, I wasn't sure that he (or his stomach) would like the speed of Space Mountain, but I would have felt like a failure if we didn't at least try to make it happen, so Venya and I got in line just as the wait time read, "40 minutes" which was also hard to explain. After 40 minutes, I think he figured it out.

I kept looking Venya's way as we were approaching the loading area. I kept trying to read his face...look for fear...look for anxiety. I kept asking him if he was okay and giving him the thumbs up...waiting for him to give me one in return. I was trying to remember back to my childhood...what else happens in Space Mountain that I might need to warn him about? What's my plan if he gets sick? What's my plan if I get sick?

We finally loaded the "shuttle" with Venya in front of me. I became a little alarmed as the back of his seat now blocked my view of his face and there would be no more reading of his body language until the ride was...over. I quickly yelled over the space noise one last time, "Venya...okay?" to which I got no response. Great, I thought. Here we go.

We immediately shot into the darkness and I remember thinking, Wow! This is a lot faster than it used to be! When did they decide to turn up the speed? I looked toward the blond fuzzy head that was in the seat in front of me but could see NOTHING until that one "magical" moment. We were approaching the starry sky in an upward high speed motion when I suddenly saw Venya's skinny little arms shoot up in the air as if reaching toward the heavens. The silhouette of those arms against the black starry backdrop was priceless. He was okay...he was more than okay and I laughed in my seat as I suddenly decided to follow suit and raise my own arms. Thanks God!

Disney can be a place of true bonding...travel there. Walk 5 miles around the park in the hot sun together. Have a Mickey bar. Walk a few more miles in the rain. Stand in line 40 minutes and speak with signs and sounds and a few words in between and then finally, raise your hands toward the heavens and smile. It was a great trip, with great reward and once again, I'm grateful.