A Final Post - A Catchup Entry & a Video Summary

Hello all, I am sorry that I didn't keep updating the blog on a daily basis. I do have a video at the end of this with pictures from the whole week from start to finish. Many of the pictures probably need an explanation. Today actually marks the one-year anniversary of when TJ went into Children's Hospital and the start of all of this. Tomorrow is what I consider to be his "Heart Birthday". As the trip wore on, I just got too tired each evening to post more to the blog. The one thing that I would have to say is that this truly was the trip of a lifetime. For us, going to Disney World and Washington D.C. was really not in our plans, mainly due to time it would take away from our business. For this trip my family really stepped up and did a big show for us while we were gone and I can't thank them enough for all they did. Where I left off on the blog was actually after the amazing awards ceremony. We spent the rest Thursday at EPCOT and went to the Magic Kingdom for the evening light parade and fireworks. It is amazing how they can do this night after night. The next few days were filled with more trips to the parks and totally wearing the kids (and us) out. We kept running into other CMN families wherever we went. On one walk through our resort, TJ was jumping around on the sidewalk and curb and at just the moment he jumped off of a curb a squirrel jumped out from under a bush an TJ landed on it...this was one of TJ's highlights. Sunday was a travel day to Washington D.C. The CMN set it up as a charter through Delta airlines. Everybody (and I mean close to 300 people) traveled by bus, luggage and all, from the Coronado resort straight to the tarmac and onto the plane. Delta supplied a great meal, free headphones and movies. As we took off, two of the airport's fire engines flanked the taxiway and shot an arc of water over the plane to drive through wishing us luck, a very cool effect. This is the way to travel. Upon landing, we once again were greeted with buses and were taken to our hotel...and what a hotel. Just a block off of the National Mall and two blocks from the visitors gate to the White House. The kids said the mattress and covers were like sleeping on clouds. Monday was a sightseeing bus trip around Washington D.C. and ended with a group photo in front of the Capital. We then had a group luncheon at the Senate office building in a hearing room. One of our Senators from Nebraska, Sen. Ben Nelson stopped by. Our congressman from our district, Lee Terry was out of town but asked us to stop by his office that afternoon at 4:00pm. He had literally just gotten off of the plane. We talked in his office for a bit and then he spent the next two hours giving us a private tour of the Capital. We got to ride the tram subway form the office building to underneath the Capital. He took the kids into the House of Representatives chamber and they got to stand at the podium and sit in some desks. For me. it was so surreal to be under the Capital dome and standing in the Rotunda at the exact place where Presidents Lincoln, Kennedy, Reagan and Ford and many others had laid in state. We essentially had the place to ourselves...it was so quiet. He also took us into the old Senate Chamber and we got to stand on the balcony(outside of Nancy Pelosi's office) above where Obama's inauguration and got a great high view of the National Mall. We could see all the way to the Washington Monument and to the Lincoln Memorial. He showed us some little seen areas like the small winding stairway that the British general used to climb up with his horse when they burned the Capital down in 1814 (I think). He also showed us a neat chapel not much bigger than a large closet. Tuesday we walked for miles on the mall...much to the kids dismay. At 12:30 we met the rest of the CMN Champions and their families back at the hotel and we walked to the White House. We had to wait a bit to get in because President Obama was still meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia. We went through security and were then left to wander the White House on our own. We got to spend time in the East Ballroom (where Obama was having a televised press conference that evening), the Red Room, the Green Room, The Blue Room and the formal state dining room. We also stood in the main foyer and saw many grand portraits of past presidents. The stairwell to the private quarters is right off of the foyer and well protected. We then went downstairs and out onto the South Lawn where a group picture was to be taken. The kids were on a large set of risers and the families were grouped on each set of stairs and also on the balcony. The President casually walked over outside from the Oval Office. He was very cordial and TJ even got to shake his hand. All TJ said after that was that his hand felt cold. He sat down with the kids on the riser (TJ was 3 kids away from him) for the picture. After that he stood and asked the kids if they had any questions...and the first one was about health insurance for kids. Another kid asked if they could play on Sasha and Malia's play set. The President said yes...and if anyone said no that it was an Executive Order. The President then went back to the Oval Office. You could tell this wasn't something the Secret Service wanted to do. It took a bit for them to move some vehicles away. I even saw some guys in camouflage and uzi's come out of the bushes and actually move away from the kids...It turns out that the play set is just about 40-50ft. away from the oval office, directly behind the main window you see in pictures of the Presidents desk. The kids played on the play set for about 15 minutes and then President Obama came back out for about 5 more minutes. It seemed very casual very genuine when he said he liked to see kids out his window. What was amazing was that this was done without any media present even though it seemed like every moment would have been a great photo op for the President. Each family was allowed one still camera and no video cameras were allowed. For me, this was the highlight (of many others) from this trip. Unfortunately, for TJ and Kaitlyn, because of their age, the real importance of all of this was lost but they will really appreciate it as they grow older. That night was a closing party at the ESPN Zone. It started off with all of the buses singing a song they had written. We were on the orange bus. The red bus had a great song but of course they had Mark Wills. We had a surprise guest in the way of the actual Elmo from Sesame Street. Miss America even did a song with him. The formal part of the evening concluded with a concert by Mark Wills and his guitarist. He sang some great songs he had written that seemed very appropriate for all the Champions and for what they and their families have gone through. We all then ate at the best buffet and desert bar. The kids were also given cards to play on the hundreds of video games they had all night long. The next day, Wednesday, we were bussed to the airport and on the way saw that many of the cherry blossoms on the trees were just popping open. We flew on a plane with probably 5-6 other CMN families into Atlanta to transfer to another plane to Omaha. Everything on this trip went like clockwork. It is amazing how well organized all of the staff is at the Children's Miracle Network. One thing, and I have been involved in many conventions, you learn that you can't please everybody, but I never heard a single complaint from anybody the whole week. An amazing accomplishment. The next day was a rude awakening. Had an early morning breakfast to set some equipment up for and the kids went to school. Back to reality. TJ's principal did write a great story about TJ's Miracle in the school newsletter and let TJ show off his awards medal at a school assembly. Now we have dozens upon dozens of thank yous to do. I am going to try and attach a video I did of pictures from the trip. Thanks to all. Tim