Plane #6

Our last plane ride was a hard one for the girls, and our pilot was so kind! We made it to Rochester, though! We got out to the van , and the battery was dead. A nice girl from the airport came to help us jump it, but it wasn't working. I called AAA, who came within 1/2 an hour. Their powerful battery started it up right away! Thankfully, during our 2 hour wait at the Rochester airport, there was basically no one else there except the really nice girl working. She set the girls and I up in the pilot's lounge - flat screen TV, leather recliners, computer, and cookies. She even kept the girls amused while I was on the phone trying to get help with the van! Thank you airport girl! You saved me! So, we arrived home at 9:15 PM - and are still recovering, almost a week later. But the trip was amazing! A BIG thank-you to Lifeline Pilots! Without the pilots who volunteered their planes and time, this trip would not have been possible.

Plane #5

This plane ride was a breeze! These two girls were really exhausted and slept through the entire flight from PA to Fort Wayne, IN. Sadly, I don't have a photo of the outside or the pilot. Someone at the airport took it for us, but it apparently didn't capture on my camera.

Going home - plane #4

Mike had to fly out Tuesday evening. So after our museum trip, the girls and Mike went back to the hotel for some quiet time, and I hopped down the street for a (desperately needed) haircut. Then we took daddy to the airport again and went back to the hotel for another swim. We got to swim with our friend Whitney, who was still there from the conference, too! We had to be at the airport by 8:00 am the next morning, so it was an early bedtime for all 3 of us.

Here they are inside and outside of plane #4! The excitement seemed to be dwindling, and they were just ready to get home! They still enjoyed flying, though they were a bit crabby and would not go to sleep. Our pilot even tried going to a higher altitude, which he said usually works to get people to sleep. I guess he hasn't met kids as strong-minded as mine. :) We were able to take some time at this airport in PA and have a nice lunch before we had to hop on the next plane.

Museum pictures

The USS Constitution museum had a great floor for kids to play and learn about the ship. Here are the girls laying in the "beds" of the sailors.

Another surprise!

Another surprise happened to us Sunday night! After we were back in our hotel room, daddy called. His flight was overbooked, and they were looking for volunteers to be bumped and get a $300 voucher - so he took it! Off we went to pick him up! We all went back to the hotel to swim. Then Monday we went sight-seeing together. We went to the USS Constitution museum. Here are photos from that trip.

Miss I. preparing and shooting a cannon.

Daddy and girls in front of "Old Ironsides." (The USS Constitution)

Exta time in Boston

Well, we were scheduled to leave Sunday morning, but the weather did not agree. Taking small planes, the weather has to be just right in order for it to be safe to fly. It was just right in Boston, but not in Chicago, which was where we needed to change planes. So we were given 2 extra days in Boston! Daddy took the subway with us on Sunday afternoon before his flight was supposed to leave. Unfortunately, we never got to our destination - the Paul Revere House - because the girls were just way too tired and cranky! But the subway ride was fun! After taking daddy to the airport, the girls and I went to Target to buy some more diapers and groceries to get us through our longer stay.

Special friend

Here is Miss O. with Miss D. Miss D. is the sibling of one of the 1p36 kids, and both Miss I. and Miss O. really love her! She was great with the kids, and such a sweet girl to be around!

Sibling Group

Thanks to Gavin who led the sibling group at the conference. It made Miss I. feel very special, and she really enjoyed playing with the other siblings of 1p36 kids! What a blessing! She is still talking about them a lot!

More conference pictures

Miss O and Miss I coloring with some of the siblings.

Miss I playing with Miss A.

Miss O Playing with Miss A

Miss O with her friend Miss E and her grandma.

So the conference was really quite informal, and the speakers were very gracious with all the commotion going on. The speakers were really interesting and informative. If you would like to know more about their presentations, visit our friend Whitney's blog. www.raisingadisabledchild.blogspot.com Her daddy is on top of things!

Conference time

During the conference, the girls played in the back of the room, daddy sat with them, and mommy took notes.

The 1p36 crew

Here's a group picture of those who were at the conference this yaer. Aren't the kids adorable? We feel so blessed to have found this "family." There's nothing like being with others who understand what you go through day-to-day.

Boston Community Gardens

When we got downtown, we found our way to the Community Gardens. They are really beautiful! We took a ride on a swan boat, and read "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McClosky while we were riding. It was a really great way to spend the afternoon! (Although it would have been more fun if the girls had not been so tired.) It's nice to be able to connect books we read with "real life."

Here are the girls on a swan boat!

Here the girls are on the bridge that goes over the pond.

This is the pond in the gardens. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a good picture of the island in the pond where Mr. and Mrs. Mallard built their home.

A view of part of the gardens.

The girls in front of the George Washington statue in the park.

Subway

For our second full day in Boston, we decided to take the subway downtown. This was a new experience for mommy as well as the little ones. It's fun to learn things together! No book can tell you exactly what it's like to ride the subway.

Picking up daddy

The girls (including me) were EXTREMELY tired out from the day. We went to pick up daddy from the office in Boston, and they both felll asleep - so we just waited in the parking lot for him for a while.

Aquarium favorites

Below: Miss O. is posing in front of the girl's favorite exhibit at the aquarium: the penguins!

Below: My favorite animal at the aquarium was this sea turtle. It was really much bigger than it looks here!

And above is my favorite picture from the aquarium: my girls sitting on fake turtles. :)

New England Aquarium

Yes, just like at Valleyfair, they take your picture when you enter, and then charge you a ridiculous amount to purchase it when you leave. And I bought it! I figured it was my only chance to actually be in a picture on this trip. :)

Here are the girls each posing in front of the sand tiger shark measuring thing.

Above: the touch and feel tank took some getting used to, but eventually they each touched a starfish, and Miss O. also touched a hermit crab.

Above: There was a fun play area in the aquarium as well. Miss O. discovered how to throw the magnet pieces to the wall and get them to stick, as her arms were too short to reach. She's so resourceful!

More whale watching

Here we have Miss O. watching as the boat docks after the whale watching tour is complete.

To get the girls to pose for this picture in front of the boat, I had to bribe them with going to the New England Aquarium (which we were going to do anyway, but don't tell them that!).

And that completes our whale watching trip! Even though they seemed a bit squirmy and impatient waiting for the whales, they have both shown a much greater interest in marine life in general since this trip. :)

Whale Watching

On our first full day in Boston, the girls and I went whale watching!

Below: A view of downtown Boston from the boat as we went to sea.

Below: Miss I. on the bow of the boat

Below: I really loved watching the whales, and the girls thought it was fine. But the highlight of the trip for them was that there was a dog on the boat with us! - $30 well spent! :)

Above is the only picture of a whale I took that is anywhere close to decent. Unfortunately, trying to keep both Miss I. and Miss O. interested in watching for whales, while also trying to run a camera, didn't go too well for me. The girls won out, and I didn't get the best pictures.

Plane #3

These are pictures from plane #3, which took us from somewhere in Pennsylvania to Boston. This was the fastest plane we were on.