This is the amazing journey of our two miracles. John Craig was born on November 30, 2005 at 24 weeks and 5 days gestation. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 inches long. John is a true miracle and an inspiration to all that meet him! Hope Amanda, our perfect little girl, is currently recovering from two brain surgeries to remove a 6cm mass from the center of her brain. Hope represents everything good in this world and she too is an inspiration to all.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29.11

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Courtney's Sandcastle


We just returned home from a fun filled vacation to San Diego!!!!  I thought I'd start with our grand finale first......Courtney's Sandcastle (John's Disneyland!)

I touched briefly on this AMAZING park that my BFF took us to in March....it's a new park in San Clemente, CA built for kids with all abilities.  It has wide ramps for wheelchairs/walkers, sensory activities, musical instruments, cushioned ground, braille, large swings.....EVERYTHING you can think of that children with special needs may need.  It's a place where all kids can play together...a place where John can safely roam and play on all the equipment by himself......giving him a sense of independence!!!!!!!!!

So yesterday we drove two hours in California traffic (that's how wonderful this park is....and how wonderful my best friend is) to meet my BFF and her family before heading home!

The kids had a blast and tears were shred as we literally pulled them off the equipment to leave.


 










My dream is to one day have a park built just like Courtney's Sandcastle (here in Arizona) in honor of my little man! 

Dream BIG or don't dream at all!!!!!!!!!!!

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2 comments:

Grace, Ruby, Hazel OR Katie said...

Dream Big girl. You guys are so amazing. I am so glad that we all got to meet up...I love watching the kiddos all playing together. Love you guys so much!

Mina Santoro said...

Thank you for writing about your visit to Courtney's SandCastle. We are so happy that your family enjoyed it. We are working hard to get the second phase of the playground built. This phase will include a sensory garden and several water features. We will be presenting at the Oct. 16th San Clemente City Council meeting to encourage City Council to help us complete the playground sooner rather than later. We would like to share your story! We hope that you will allow us to share your blog since it is truly the reason we designed the playground so that all children have a place to play, regardless of their ability.

Thanks!
Mina Santoro, President of the Courtney's SandCastle Charitable Foundation