Dreams DO Come True!

Anyone who knows Abby knows how much she LOVES dolphins.  When she was about nine, she asked if we would ever be able to go and swim with dolphins.  We told her, "Maybe when you're thirteen," thinking that it would be a LONG way off.  Well, in April she turned thirteen...

With all that we have been through in the past couple of years, we really didn't know how it would be financially possible, but it is amazing how the Lord provides.  Remember our accident from last year?  Well, we received a small settlement just before Abby's birthday.  Out of a painful experience was able to come a most joyous one.  (I don't know why it always seems to work out that way, but it does.)

We headed down to Discovery Cove in Orlando over Mother's Day weekend (more on that in another post) and were able to make Abby's dream come true.

We had an amazing "visit" with a dolphin named Roxy.  She was so much fun (I think she's probably done this a time or two...or a thousand)!

Our family with Roxy

belly rub!

The one-on-one pictures with Roxy were fun!

Travis

Jenn

Shelby



Emily

and ABBY!!! 

(Look at that smile...I don't think it left her face the entire visit!)

Next, of course, we got to do the "dolphin kiss." 

(I left out the pictures of me and Travis kissing Roxy...since adults kissing dolphins aren't nearly as cute as kids kissing dolphins.)

Shelby

Abby

(I love how she's even smiling through the kiss!)

Emily

The last thing we got to do with Roxy was to have a dorsal fin ride.  We walked out in the water a ways and she swam us back to shore.

Since it is my blog, I have left my "ride" picture out.  Apparently I am not incredibly photogenic while riding a dolphin--I will file that away in the "good to know for future reference" part of my brain!  :)

Travis

(It's amazing that this is one of the BEST smiles I have seen on him--another thing to file away for future reference.)

Abby

Emily

Shelby

We had a big poster-sized pictures made for each of the girls with their favorite picture of themselves and Roxy.  The posters are hanging in their rooms reminding them (and me too) of our amazing weekend, and the fact that the Lord ALWAYS answers our prayers, just not always in the way we expect.