Day 250: Work Hard, Play Hard

So, it has officially been over 12 hours since my band director told us that we're going to Disney World, and I'm starting to wonder if it's bad that I'm still crying. I just can't believe that this is actually happening. I am so proud of the band for helping me make this dream come true. It certainly wouldn't be happening without each and every one of them.

But as I was laying in bed this morning and listening to the confirmation recording for what is probably the 20th time, something occurred to me. Once and a while, when I'm having a bad day or am just missing Disney, I'll go and watch videos of families surprising their kids with a trip to Disney. I've talked about it before, and about how I can't wait to have that experience with my kids. I've always thought, for many years, that I would never have the opportunity to have a surprise like that. I go to Disney all the time, so my family announcing it is more of a "finally you picked a date for us to leave." But standing at that game last night, I feel like a video camera could have been there filming us for one of those commercials. I had no idea that was coming, and it was the happiest moment of my life. Obviously it is if I'm still like crying.

I have no clue how my band director came up with that brilliant way of telling us, but I am so glad that's how he decided to do it. There could not be a more magical and meaningful way for us to find out that we got accepted to march at Walt Disney World. Not a better way to tell me that my dream is actually coming true, the one that I, in all respects, thought would never ever happen. So I just want to thank him for that!

And you know what's even funnier? A few weeks ago I opened a fortune cookie, and you know what the fortune was? "Your fondest dream will come true within the next year." Looks like those things don't lie after all. That or you really can wish upon a star and your dream will come true. Whatever it was that made this possible, what made all the hard work we put in pay off, I want to thank that.

All I know is that I really hope someone has footage or pictures of that moment (I know someone does!). And that all the hard work that I put in, that WE put in, is finally paying off. As our director (and the recording from Disney) say, Work Hard, Play Hard. And now we get to do both at Walt Disney World.

Honestly though, I really do feel like we could be in this commercial, only instead it would be for Disney Performing Arts. I never ever thought I would get to have an experience like that, but I'm so glad that I did.  

For #Frumpstagram today the prompt was "Palm Trees," and if I'm being completely honest, I don't have a lot of pictures of palm trees. Probably because there really aren't a ton of them, but I did eventually manage to find a picture of one! It did take some looking though! 

And here's today's Disney History: 1994: Disney theme parks welcome their 1 billionth guest - Mary Smith from Illinois! After walking through the main gate of Walt Disney World, she is awarded a lifetime pass for her and her family and a cross-country flight to Disneyland. 

Have a magical day!