5-15-2022
Dear Madelyn,
The past few weeks we have been busy with visitors and vacation. Dane came to KC to visit us which was fantastic. We ate a lot of BBQ and since you and daddy were sick I got to joining a Sporting KC soccer game. I had never been to professional soccer game so I had a lot of fun. The weird thing about soccer is you can end the game 0-0 after 90+ minutes of play time. Even when the score is 0-0 chatting with the friends you came with and other fans in the surrounding area is where the fun is truly at. Overall I would say I am not a big fan of going out where there are crowds even before the global pandemic, but there is something magical about being in a crowd of people cheering on the local team. It is one of the most beautiful gatherings of community…don’t miss out on events like this with your friends, they are memories you will hold onto forever and as you get older, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to gather with your friends as you grow up and take on more responsibility as an adult. This growing up is necessary but makes the time spent with friends when you’re young even more special.
After a weekend with Dane, we then took our long awaited family vacation to Disney World!!! Yes we took you at 7 months old to the most magical place on earth and it was so incredibly fun. I know you probably don’t remember it but pushing you around in the stroller with all the people, taking you on your very first Disney ride which for the record was the Kilimanjaro Safari jeep ride, and taking it slow through an amusement park I once raced through as a kid myself was so much fun. No wonder everywhere you turn in Disney you see families of grandparents, parents, and children of all ages. Sometimes I think of how new Disney is and I wonder if this amusement park or amusement parks in general will stand the test of time beyond a century, but one thing is certain. Disney has mastered the story telling experience and are experts in immersing visitors into the worlds they’ve created and Disney World specifically does a great job within the different themed parks (Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, and Epcot). I know no one is asking but I also want to document for the record that my favorite park to visit for the atmosphere is Animal Kingdom and my favorite park that I could spend all day in if I had to would be Frontier Land in the Magic Kingdom that houses Splash Mountain, Thunder Canyon, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Dole Whip, and the Enchanted Tiki Room. All of which, in my humble opinion, are a culmination of the best rides for thrill, story telling, humor, and even a sweet treat and a cool place to rest your feet while you listen to the birds sing and flowers croon (in the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room). I can’t wait to take you back and for the days you want to run from ride to ride because girl am I ready for that!
Still in Florida after Disney World, grandma and grandpa Dwyer knew we would be exhausted and need a vacation after our vacation so we went about 2 hours north to Flagler Beach where they rented a beach home for us to rest at. We were there for 3 days and had our own private beach with its own dock right down to the sand. One of my newest favorite pictures I have of you is from that beach. You had learned clap while we were in Disney so you were sitting in the little plastic swimming pool that was stored in the garage of the rental home with your hands clasped together mid-clap looking up at me, smiling, enjoying your time like the rest of us relaxing at the beach. Something else I know you won’t remember but was also very special about this part of the trip was all the wildlife we encountered. We saw many pods of dolphins multiple times a day swimming along the shore searching for fish to eat. We saw dozens and dozens of pelicans dive bomb into the water doing the same as the dolphins and even one hawk flew right over the beach house with a huge fish in its claws that I’m sure it was going to enjoy for dinner very soon. I saw a stingray was up briefly in the waves then get pulled back out into the ocean and in the morning an ATV drove up and down the coastline looking for new turtle nests. Our house was surrounded by two turtle nests one on each side. They would rope the area off and put up a sign not to disturb the nest so in 60 days the baby turtles could hatch and make their way into the ocean. Aside from being restful, it was beautiful being surrounded by the local wildlife we don’t get to see often or at all here in Kansas.
Always be looking for this kind of beauty wherever your feet may take you. There is something beautiful in every part of this world when you take the time to look for it.
Love,
Mama
Dear Madelyn 