Reaching high . . .

As part of our trip to Australia, Make-A-Wish allowed MacKale to choose three excursions that they would help organize during our trip to the Gold Coast.  The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was one of the locations he chose to visit.

It's really a beautiful facility that allows you to get up close and personal with some of Australia's most interesting, cuddly and beautiful animals.

Some of the residents were more cuddly than others . . . 

But even the more temperamental ones were fascinating to watch  . . .

The facility is top notch without being overwhelming large and crowded . . .

The animals were fabulous in and of themselves, but if you really want to experience the sanctuary you need to get up high.  And by high I mean, way up in the trees.  The Currumbin Sanctuary has an added attraction of having an amazing Treetops Rope Course.  There are 80 crazy rope course obstacles including 11 zip lines that will take you to the tops of their trees overlooking the park.   

Mac picked this location as one of his excursions specifically because of this feature  . . .  I admit that I was INCREDIBLY nervous about it. Since his amputation, there has been a sense of 'no fear' with this kid, but I also wanted to be reasonable about his limitations.   This ropes course was WAY WAY WAY out of my own 50 plus-year-old body's comfort zone, but there was no way I was going to go all the way to Australia and not do it.  So up in the trees we went.

The obstacles start out what they consider to be at a beginners level as they bring you high and higher into the tops of the trees.  

I had no idea how it would be for MacKale on one leg plus a loaner . . .

MaGill  had no fear . . .

And McCoy took to the heights like a regular little monkey . . .

even when they got WAY up there.

I wish I had been able to get off the course faster to take pictures of some of the more daunting challenges, but I think these will give you an idea of how physically demanding just the few I captured were and how high into the trees the course took you.

I will never forget this moment when I could hear the dingos howling from their dens below this obstacle and McCoy and MacKale up in the treetops howling back at them.

It's definitely something that would never happen back home.  And because the ropes course wasn't enough . . .

There was also zip lining interwoven into the mix just to keep things interesting. 

Most of the zip lines were through the tops of the trees . . .

But a couple of them took us over the crocodile's pen . . .

and the kangaroo enclosure . . .

Of the three courses, 80 obstacles, and 11 zip lines, Mike, McCoy and MacKale finished every single one in a little over 3 hours.  (MaGill was too short for the black, advanced course so he and I completed the first two courses and then went crock shock zip lining, and I was able to run back in the woods to get these few pictures and videos.)   Proud momma moment?  You have no idea.  

I think each of us has our own favorite moments of our trip to Australia, but for me, despite my bruises and sore body the next day (Getting old is the pits!)  The Currumbin Sanctuary's Treetop Course was favorite part.  I could have never imagined three years ago while we were in the depths of chemo and surgery that our entire family would have the opportunity to travel to Australia.  That alone was a miracle and blessing, but to think of all us  . . . our entire family in the trees above all the animals of the sanctuary and pushing ourselves beyond what we thought ever capable  . . . it made my momma heart proud.  And it solidified the fact that while we may not always understand the path that God is putting before us . . . it might not be the path we choose . . . it might be ugly and hard and there may be tears of frustration along the way . . . we will get through it, we will reach new heights, accomplish seemingly impossible tasks and there will be joy on the other side.  

We all found our joy at Currumbin!  

Wishes . . .

Make a wish . . .

https://www.facebook.com/makeawishmi/

MacKale's first oncology appointment, on that first day when Dr. Mitchell laid her plan of action out for us and gave us all the good, the bad and the ugly of what was to come with MacKale's treatment and then after, she took MacKale aside and said, 'MacKale, you have an important job. Have you ever heard of Make-A-Wish? . . .'  At which point, she began to explain to him that he had a job to think of a wish, a big wish and focus on it during treatment.  MacKale didn't know at the time what he was about to face with treatment and surgery, but he knew that no matter what he was facing, he could focus on that wish as the end goal. 

I will be honest though.  Mike and I were not real comfortable with the idea of 'a wish' for MacKale when Dr. Mitchell brought it up that first day.  We always kind of felt like there were others out there far worse off than we were, and that a 'wish' seemed a bit extravagant and it made us uncomfortable to consider 'wishes' when the only thing we were wishing for was to save our child's life.  But Dr. Mitchell, knowing us as well as she did, simply looked at Mike and me when we started to object and said, 'this one isn't about you . . . this is about MacKale.  He needs this."  And once again . . . she was right.  The ability to make a wish and have that wish as something to focus on in the midst of the chaos of cancer treatment and surgery and all that comes with it is a blessing that can not quite fully be expressed.  It sustains kids in the darkest times of treatment . . .

And so right after MacKale started treatment, our Make-A-Wish team, Rose and Sam, came and visited MacKale at home to talk about what his wish might be.  It's kind of a nerve-wracking process for a parent, because, Mike and I had no influence over the wish-making process.   Sam and Rose did an amazing job of spending time with MacKale and really helping him pinpoint some things that he may like. They told him to 'wish big' without any guarantees of a specific wish coming true, but to do it anyway.  While all wishes might not be possible, they would try their best to do what they could. Kids wish to meet famous athletes and stars, they wish for vacations to Disneyland or for bedroom makeovers, toys or even swimming pools.  It's crazy the amazing things that Make-A-Wish has been able to accomplish for kids.   At the time that MacKale was trying to pinpoint his wish, we were in the hospital watching A LOT of television.  If it wasn't ESPN or the Golf Channel, then it was Animal Planet.  As a result, top on Mac's list were things like . . . have a tree house build by the Tree House Masters, go to a Super Bowl or Augusta for the Masters or travel to Steve Irwin's Zoo in Australia.  I wasn't really sure what would end up being his top choice, but knowing his love of adventure, experiences and a wanderlust for travel over 'stuff,'  I shouldn't have been surprised that a trip to Australia topped his list. 

While most wishes don't take three years in the making, I requested that we wait to fulfill MacKale's wish until his original surgery healed and he was able to walk and could enjoy such a trip.  I couldn't imagine Australia on crutches would be much fun.  But then . . . that leg never really did heal well enough for us to make those plans in time and when we knew we would be facing reconstruction or amputation,  Mike and I kind of doubted that MacKale's wish would ever come to fruition.  I asked Make-A-Wish if we could have some more time to figure out what we were going to do about MacKale's mobility because ultimately, a trip that far wasn't going to happen until and unless we could get this boy moving.   They graciously kept his wish on hold and waited for us.  

Fast forward to this amazing year of changes . . .  Granted, his version of mobility may not be the same as other 14-year-old boys his age . . . never-the-less, MacKale is walking . . . independently and on his own. He is strong (and tall--where the heck did that come from . . .)  His amputation has been a game changer for him and our entire family.  So after a year of cancer treatment and another two years finding his way back to walking, we were finally at a point where we felt our entire family could pack our bags and embrace an adventure.

(cue the Men At Work music)  

Australia Here We Come!

There are so many people that make a wish like this possible.  The coordination and organization alone were amazing.  Everything down to the last detail was laid out for us and our Michigan Make-A-Wish had thought of everything . . . even a ride to the airport.   

The Verhey Limousine company out of Grand Rapids not only picked us up for the first leg of our adventure but when our flight out of Grand Rapids go changed and our connection in Detroit was in jeopardy of being missed, they graciously offered to drive us to Detroit. 

Once we arrived in Detroit, it was smooth sailing.  Delta and Virgin Airlines took great care of us throughout our entire trip.

And when you're traveling as far and long as we were, that's no small feat.  

The attendants were gracious enough to take care of MacKale's 'leg' so he could be more comfortable during the long 13 hour trip from LAX to Brisbane.  His leg actually flew first class and got to hang out up at the bar until they had to 'cut it off.'  (Ok so that was probably actually not as funny as it sounded after 20 hours of flying, but at the time it cracked us all up.)

From Brisbane, we drove to the Gold Coast's Surfer Paradise to get settled in our 40th-floor condo at the Mantra Circle on Cavill for the week. What an amazing view . . .

and weather!  

We were exhausted but excited for our week of fun and adventure in Australia.

There is just so much to share about our amazing trip . . . we could have blown up Facebook and Instagram over the course of our trip, but Mike and I made a conscious decision to go Social Media free and just BE.  We still took tons of photos and video that we would love to share, we just didn't want to take precious time during our trip posting pictures when we could be living and loving life in Australia.  So if you're interested in seeing more stop by MacKale's blog over the next couple of days, and I will share some pictures and highlights from our trip.  

So tomorrow . . . the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Tree Tops Rope Course Challenge and Zip Lines and my absolute favorite moment of our trip . . . I mean, if I really have to choose just one.