Travel Journal

We are exhausted, but we are home.  Our travels took us across the Atlantic and to 10 states.  We had a fantastic time!!

Matt and I had the incredible opportunity to attend a Sanfilippo conference in Northampton UK.  We decided to make a vacation out of it.  Our 12th anniversary is today, so it became our gift to one another.  We had never left the kids for more than 1 night, but my parents were willing and excited to take care of them.  My sister and her kids came down for a few days to lend a hand and my Nana also came over to assist.  We knew Waverly would be fine - she loves her Grandma & Grandpa.  We weren't sure how Oliver would do without us for an entire week.  They did GREAT!!  No crying at all.  Matt and I were able to relax and enjoy ourselves completely.

We spent the first 2 days in London.  Our friends were back in the US and allowed us to stay in their flat.  (Thanks, Gigi!!)  We did some touristy things, but we basically returned to our favorites places.  We walked the city and visited our old haunts.  It was wonderful, but a bit emotional.  London holds such special memories.  Waverly hit her developmental peak there.  It was difficult, yet so incredibly heartwarming to remember.

We then took the train to Northampton to attend the Sanfilippo conference.  It was especially exciting for Matt since this was his first MPS conference.  We heard from family members who shared their experiences as the parent or sibling of a child with Sanfilippo.  Then doctors talked about the symptoms and treatment of the syndrome.  The conference finished with presentations from researchers from all over the world on current trials and future plans for trials of various types.  It was so encouraging to hear from doctors determined to find a treatment for our kids.

After the conference, we headed down to the coast for 2 days to visit my friend Nicki and her family.  She and I got to know one another about 2 years ago via my blog.  She has 4 children, 2 of whom have Sanfilippo.  We had an amazing time.  We instantly feel in love with her children.  It was lovely to watch another family in action, with the complexities of Sanfilippo.

We returned to London for one last day, before flying home.  We relished each moment we had together.  We missed the kids tremendously, but it was so nice to have an extended break.  My mom was able to email my photos and I spoke with her each night.  Wavey loved all of the attention and Oliver loved the daily ice cream cones.  The kids were both thrilled to see us when they woke up on Wednesday (we got in well after their bedtime).  We spent the day cuddling and playing.

We drove up to New Hampshire on Thursday for a quick overnight visit.  I love New England!  We were able to explore some quant little towns and took the kids to the beach for quick visit.  Waverly loved walking in the waves.  Oliver is our little water lover.  He would have marched right into the ocean, had we let him.  He loves splashing and kicking the water.  We had a bit of a temper tantrum when it was time to head back to the car.

We were off on another road trip across New Hampshire and Vermont to New York  We spent a few days with my sister and her family.  We all went to the NY State Fair on Saturday and had a ball.  Both of the kids love crowds of people - so much to see and do and eat.  Oliver was content to run.

We said goodbye to my family this morning and completed the final leg of our journey this evening.  Home Sweet Home.  The kids were both thrilled to be reunited with their books and toys.  We still have a lot of unpacking and loads of laundry to do, but we have all day tomorrow to return to real life.  We also have to prepare for the first day of school on Tuesday.  So much to do...