Continuing My Magical Quest, the Moms Panel 2014 Recap

My "I'm Celebrating" pin I received the day I learned I was in Round 2

I love being an RN, and I went into nursing because at the end of the day, I wanted to leave work knowing that I had made a difference.  Making all the money in the world means nothing if you can't feel good about the person that you are each day.  Every patient brings new experiences, new skills and new challenges.  And with every patient and family I learn a little bit more about myself. More than a decade in obstetrics has taught me many things, but a few stand out the most:

Babies are amazingly resilient.

You can endure more pain than you thought possible and live to tell the tale.

Sometimes life just doesn't make sense, nor is it fair.

The best things in life are worth waiting for.

My Disney pins make a great ice breaker with my patients!

These aren't just things I see on the labor and delivery floor, but themes that extend into our everyday lives. We are all incredibly resilient!  We can take on amazing amounts of physical and emotional turmoil and come out a better person on the other side.  Sometimes, I want to revert to a child on the playground, upset because life just isn't about how much you want something.  Then I remember I'm supposed to be a grown-up. Walt Disney said, "Adults are only kids grown-up, anyway", and when you are hurting, it's easy to let the kid in you take over. The past few days that little kid in me has wanted to come out and play.

But indeed, sometimes the best things in life are worth waiting for.  My husband wasn't the first man I dated, my job is not the first occupation I tried, and I certainly appreciate the gift that is my daughter more as the fourth child, than I would if she had been the first.

This past Friday, five years of hoping, dreaming, working, writing, rewriting, videoing and interviewing came down to a single email. Sadly, it did not say what I hoped it would.  I know in my heart that I did my absolute best, and I can look back and feel good about what I submitted.  I don't think I could have done anything different that would have changed my fate this year.  But making it to the final round, out of thousands, is still an honor, and I hope it means "maybe next time", because the Disney Parks Moms Panel is something I am willing to wait for.  In fact, in a generous gesture, anyone who made it to the final round and completed the entire application process, but was not chosen, has been given a FastPass of sorts.  Next year, I have already qualified as a Round 2 Semifinalist for the 2015 Disney Parks Moms Panel.

"Even Miracles Take a Little Time" - The Fairy Godmother

I did meet a ton of fabulous folks, who like myself want so much to be part of the pixie dust.  My twitter account is blossoming with new Disney friends! It also means I'll have all the time in the world to continue to help my friends, their friends, and random folks I meet on the street, plan magical Disney vacations.

With baby princess getting more independent, my goal this year is to grow this little blog of mine. So if you like it, please share it!  You can also sign up in the upper left corner to "follow" this blog and you will get a copy of my newest posts in your inbox (don't worry, not too many! Probably once or twice a month).  You can also follow me on Twitter! @dizkrazkate

Upcoming for this year is a trip to run my first race longer than a 5K, Disney's Princess Half Marathon (I'm only half crazy), and a possible trip to the Disneyland Resort in April.  Since this year I elected to apply as a specialty mom for the Disney Vacation Club (DVC), I hope to spend a bit more blogging time on my beloved DVC.

"When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming!" - Dory from Finding Nemo