"This is the best day of my whole life," Anna said. The amazing thing was that 9-year-old Anna said the same thing every single day of her wish experience. Anna's love for skiing and mountains compelled her to wish for a vacation in Vail, Colorado. Wish granters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of the Mid-Atlantic, with gracious assistance from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado, ensured that Anna and her family would have an unforgettable wish trip – during which she never skied once!

Anna, her brother Joey, sister Maria, and her parents were picked up in a chauffeur-driven limousine on route of the airport; Anna was so excited that she woke up at 3:00 a.m. The youngsters thought the television, VCR, refreshments, and sweets available in the limousine were very cool.

Upon arriving in Vail, the family was overjoyed to learn that they were residing in a condo conveniently two minutes from the only gondola in Vail. The heated gondola is a wonderful way for people to travel to the top of the mountain.

Anna and Joey's experience on the slopes began with snowboard lessons. Anna fell in love with snowboarding, and had absolutely no interest in skiing for the remainder of her vacation. Anna and Joey took two full days of snowboarding lessons, and eventually conquered the green, blue and even the black slopes on their snowboards.

There were plenty of other exciting activities in Vail, and Anna and her family took full advantage of them. They went ice-skating at an outdoor rink, played outdoor laser-tag and went snow-tubing. Every night Anna selected a different restaurant to visit.

One of the activities Anna awaited with fervent expectation was horseback riding. She was introduced to her horse, Sam, and spent a day riding around the gorgeous countryside.

"The trip was so amazing and so good for the whole family," said Anna's mom. "We are so thrilled with what Make-A-Wish did for her."

The family has created a special Web site just to share the memories for the trip, calling it "an awesome way to celebrate Anna's health."