Amazing, Simply Amazing

I'm pretty sure that Saturday was the most amazing day my kids have had in a very long time. After months of really hard news, a lot of struggles and disappointments, thanks to the Starlight Foundation, we had a day full of smiles, wonder and simply being a kid.

Starlight provided us awesome tickets to a Jacksonville Suns baseball game. Jax is a little over three hours from here so I decided to make a day of it. I surprised them with a trip to the Jacksonville Zoo before the game. We got all the way to Jax and into the parking lot of the zoo before they had any clue we were doing anything but the game. They read the sign "Jack...son...ville...zoo...and...gardens" then a pause, then "JACKSONVILLE ZOO AND GARDENS!!!!" I so got them good :D
The pictures speak for themselves, it was amazing. From seeing the elephants, to feeding sting rays, to riding the train, to feeding giraffes, we'll definitely be making a return trip (though maybe we'll wait for a little cooler weather ;)

After the zoo we headed to the ballpark. My kids have never been to a game before (*blushing*) so this was an entirely new and exciting experience. Starlight got us amazing seats, refreshments, and my kids really enjoyed being with other kids with chronic health conditions. When it was time for Beans' tube feed, there were no stares, no comments, it was just normal.

Perhaps the highlight of the whole day was when the kids got to hang out in the Suns' dugout right before the game, run out the field with the players and stand with them during the national anthem! I was trying to choke back tears the whole time, seeing my kids out on the field, knowing they were having the time of their lives. What an amazing moment!

Here are the kids running back to the seats. Beans is just to the right of middle in a blue shirt, Little Man is in purple but pretty hidden by the kid in yellow. Thank you Starlight! Thank you for giving my boys some happiness. Thank you for giving them time to be kids. Thank you!