Today was our big Amazing Race Auditions!
Last night I was so excited I couldn't sleep...I went to bed at around 11:30 (probably later), and then I woke up at 3:00am and stayed awake til probably 4:00am, and then woke up at 5:15am to get ready for the day.
We were already packed and ready to go, because I packed last night knowing this morning we would be tired and probably all over the place and panicked if I tried to find things.
So I got dressed, woke up Levi and got the kids to the car. Then we drove them to our friend Roberto's house so he could watch them while we auditioned.
Then we drove our sleepy heads over to Fun Spot Orlando only to find we were 5th in line.
Wohoo! If we were on the show, we would have still be in the game ;)
We set down on the concrete and I tried to hand out mini muffins to people who had already arrived, but no one was interested yet--too early for food.
We had 3 1/2 hours to wait.
We made conversations with the teams in front of us and the team directly behind us, and everyone was actually really friendly.
One team had even traveled all the way from New Jersey just to audition, and they had a script. The girl had seen all the seasons, and all of this started to sink in under my skin and I started to feel my self doubt kicking in.
But as the line grew longer, I decided to make a few trips up and down the lines handing out muffins, and people began to ask about "Team Elijah."
I watched their faces as I explained that Elijah was my son who had passed away, and they would all frown very quickly--to which I quickly reassured them that this was a positive thing.
I told them all the names on our shirts were the names of children in heaven and to a few I explained that one in four women actually lose their child during pregnancy or during the first year.
But I told all of them that we were auditioning to prove to these children's parents that you can still have an Amazing Life even if your child has passed away, and you should because you still love your child (or something close to that).
And then I went and sat by Levi some more...
and it started to get hot.
Even though it seemed like a long wait, it went really fast.
And then as soon as the crew got set up, we even started auditions early.
We were separated in to three groups of teams and then we were brought inside into the airconditioning in a room that was divided with curtains and hand drawn numbers.
We were the 2 team to audition in our group, and when they called us into our little "curtain booth" I felt my heart race and my brain fly away from me.
We had to state our names first for the camera and hold our number up.
Then we had a minute to say whatever we needed to say.
We kind of threw some kind of idea what to say right before we got into the room. I didn't want to plan too much, because then I would get super nervous about forgetting something I was supposed to say, and then I would fixate on that instead of what we were really there for.
Our minute had began.
I introduced myself, then Levi introduced himself and then we both said we were "Team Elijah."
I told them I was a blogger and author and I was trying to change the world one act of kindness at a time.
Levi told him was training fulltime to become a MMA fighter.
Then the rambling began...lol.
In my head a minute was so short--but in the booth it seemed soooo long.
I can't remember everything I said, but it was along the lines of:
We are doing this for our son Elijah who passed away this past September.
We are also here to prove to all other parents who have lost their children that their lives can still be amazing.
All the names on our shirts are the names of children in heaven (and this is where I don't remember what I rambled off because my nerves got the best of me).
Next, I remember asking if we still had time...lol.
Then I added:
Oh yeah, we have been married 10 years, have 4 children, and have been homeless so we can handle anything your race throws at us...BOOM!
Go Team Elijah.
Haha...
And then we left.
We were done.
All that planning and adrenaline for one minute. And I rambled so much that poor Levi didn't get to say much other than his name.
And we have no idea when or if we will hear anything.
But I am asking for all your positive thoughts and prayers, because this really does mean a lot to us, and it is very unsettling not knowing what comes next.
Right now I need to go get my clothes out of the dryer from the laundry mat, and then I will probably conclude my evening by another Amazing Race binge watching marathon.
Thank you all for your support! We have done all we can, now it is out of our hands, and hopefully in the hands of someone else that believes in us too.
#teamelijah
Elijah, if we don't make it this season, we will try again until we make it...
Either way I got to speak your sweet name today and
I will find a way to change the world in your memory.
I love and miss you so much my boogie--always.
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