Thursday, October 23, 2014

Noche De Niños

     On Saturday October 11th, we had the tremendous pleasure to take part in Children's Hospital Los Angeles' biennial Noche De Niños Gala.  This fabulous event gathers over 1,000 hospital employees, supporters, celebrities and philanthropists for an unforgettable evening that honors and raises funds for the remarkable work that is being done at the hospital and also celebrates the children who fill it's rooms.  After our "Pizza Bonanza" last year, Hazel has inadvertently become one of the faces of Children's Hospital Los Angeles (an honor we certainly feel blessed to have!).  We have been able to use this recognition as a unique opportunity to spread awareness for both Childhood Cancer and CHLA.  And on top of that, we are able to give hope to others facing similar battles.  For this particular evening, Hazel's story was shared on the big screen at the event and then we were invited onstage to give everyone an update on how she was doing!  When Dr. Wayne, who joined us onstage, introduced us, he shared with the crowd that Hazel is cancer free, and she received a standing ovation!!  In fact, they never sat down for our entire segment!  To say that I was touched is a gross understatement, and it took every fiber of my being to not break down in hysterical tears (although several did escape from my eyes!).  After a few questions were asked, Hazel and Dr. Wayne "ordered" pizza for everyone to enjoy!  We spent the rest of the evening taking photos with well wishers and watching Hazel be the belle of the ball!  She even received a s special rose from Seal as he performed his hit song "Kiss From A Rose"!!!  She was still up dancing at 11:00PM when we had to pry her from the dance floor to go home!  Thank you CHLA for such an unforgettable night! At the end of the post, you will find to videos from the evening, so don't miss them!



























Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Make A Wish Trip

     In case any of you missed it, here are the results of our little Hazelnut's scans:


     We are absolutely overjoyed to be able to share this news!  It almost feels like a dream that our daughter has been and continues to be rid of the beast we call Neuroblastoma, and we couldn't be more thankful.  God has truly given our family a remarkable story of hope and faith, and I pray that we can continue to share His faithfulness with the world!

     For those of you who may not have heard, at the beginning of this month we were able to travel to Orlando, Florida for Hazel's "Make A Wish Trip" to Disney World and Universal Studios!  We had a fabulous time making memories, and especially being all together as one family unit for an entire week!  You could see how much of a difference that made for the children, and watching them be filled with joy and magic was unbelievable. Each day was packed full of so many details that I could not even begin to share, but I think these photos tell a better story anyway!


Arriving at the airport





Our first day in the Magic Kingdom


The main street electrical light parade was spectacular!


Following a pirate map in Adventureland to find treasure!
Checking to see if she is tall enough to ride
Princess Merida gave her a kiss and said, "You cannot rub it off, you can only rub it in!"

At the Animal Kingdom
The children got to be wilderness explorers for a day!







At Diagon Alley in Universal Studios
After trying butter beer!
Hogsmeade was beautiful!

My parents traveled with us to help us with the kiddos




Our home for the week at Give Kids The World Village
Pretending to sleep by Elmer the Sleeping Tree

Carousel Rides at the village


Ice Cream any time of day!  (This was such a special treat since we have cut out sugar!)
Miniature golf at the village
Swimming at the village







EXHAUSTED!