Make-A-Wish Party (With Guns, Dogs, and Robots)

I know this is so late, but it was too good not to post!  Someday I'll get caught up!

For the last few years, my sister has been in charge of a Make-A-Wish holiday party at her squadron's hangar in San Diego.  This year, we got to attend.  The kids made Rainbow Loom bracelets to give out to the Make-A-Wish kids and they did great seeing their project through.  It was the highlight of our Christmas season, I think.  I was so thankful for my healthy kids and we were thankful for the great opportunities we've had to experience Navy stuff.  I'll let the pictures tell the rest.

Kendra and a co-worker welcoming the families.  They had a guest speaker who survived being burned badly at the Pentagon on Sept. 11th and who now is a spokesperson for the Wounded Warriors.  It was sweet to see the way he connected with families who are surviving difficult circumstances.  They had a time for families to share how they are making it through and a mom shared an emotional story of how a younger sibling had just given bone marrow to save the life of his older sister.

The party took place in the hangar...it was full of interesting Navy stuff--and totally hands-on and up-close.  I didn't get a picture of the dive tank where Navy divers were submerged and talking to the kids on head sets thru the glass of the tank.  The kids could write messages in dry erase marker to the guys (and girl) in the tank and the divers would write back on the other side of the glass (I guess writing backwards is a skill they probably never thought they would need when they joined the Navy) :)

The boys spent a long time playing with these robots.  They look simple but are actually very useful and advanced.  We learned more about that later at dinner when Kendra said, "The party went good except for when some kid broke a $300,000 robot" and Sam burst out "It was Evan!!!"  Ooops!

All the presenters were so sweet and attentive with the kids.  This helicopter is the only kind that has ever landed on Mt. Everest!

The kids in the C2--Kendra's old airplane.  

In front of Kendra's current plane, a 737.

Evan, possibly in the process of wasting taxpayer money.  The dive tank is in the background.  The kids could also get personalized dog tags made.

Santa arrived on a fire truck, much to Annie's dismay.  She is not a fan.

She IS a fan of dogs!

One of the sweet Make-A-Wish kids.  They all got really great presents from Santa!  My kids had a good lesson in being thankful for what you have when they saw the other kids getting gifts but not them.  It was good for them!

They did some exciting demonstrations with the dogs and the poor sweating young guy who had to keep running around in that big suit.

Sam likes Santa!

Sam was talking on the Navy police PA system.  The guy in the driver's seat was telling him people's names so Sam could give them commands and they had to obey.

Here he is making a guy do the Chicken Dance to the amusement of  his co-workers.

Annie was shy and resistant, but did want to tell Santa her Christmas wishlist.

She warmed up a little.

She was much more comfortable with an automatic weapon instead.

Watching a helicopter take off.

Super fun until it turned and then became VERY loud!

Sweetness

A great way to spend our day.  Thanks, Aunt Kendra, the US Navy, and Make-A-Wish Foundation!