Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied with a bow. Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go. But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home. Why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone. But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say. What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today. But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone. And that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home. But the little girl went to school eager to tell them all. About a dad she never sees a dad who never calls. There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet. Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats One by one the teacher called a student from the class. To introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching, a man who wasn't there. 'Where's her daddy at?' She heard a boy call out. 'She probably doesn't have one,' another student dared to shout. And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say, 'Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day.' The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mom. And looked back at her teacher, who told her to go on. And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique. 'My Dad couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know. All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so. He loved to tell me stories he taught me to ride my bike. He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him. I'm not standing here alone. 'Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we are apart I know because he told me, he'll forever be in my heart' With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress. And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years. For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life. Doing what was best for her, doing what was right.
When she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd. She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud. 'I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star. And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far. You see he is a Marine and died just this past year, when a roadside bomb hit his convoy and taught Americans to fear. But sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away.' And then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day. And to her mothers amazement, she witnessed with surprise. A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes. Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside. Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side. 'I know you're with me Daddy,' to the silence she called out.
What happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. No one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose. And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining star. And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Palm Bay Christmas Parade
Sometimes you can wait all day for a parade, and then just poop out at the last minute. The girls tried to stay awake, but...
We started out during daylight, waiting for the Palm Bay Christmas Parade to start. Kaylie and Tricia were relaxing and being silly.
These are Makenzie's "Christmas Eyes".
And here are Kaylie's "Christmas Eyes".
Remembering Dan the Magical Way..
http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=10691912709064ed438910&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url
This year we tried to turn things around and begin to embrace the beauty of the holiday season while remembering Dan. In the past 4 years we were focusing on just him, not on how he impacted our lives during this season. This year was different...
We started our day by Tricia, Jan and I meeting Josh at Disney World. You had to know, it was the coldest day so far this year, with the high reaching 62. We froze. We all planned to "do the day" the way Dan would have, enjoying all his favorites. It started with a Monorail ride to Epcot. One of our favorite spots at Epcot was the Rose and Crown Pub, remembering our lives in England and all the friends we have there. We enjoyed a great lunch, having our favorite potato and leek soup followed by Shepard's pie. That's just the way to bring back some great memories. Jan tried an ale for Dan, but she didn't care for it, saying she'd best leave that for Dan. We laughed a lot and just enjoyed the atmosphere. A quick walk through England brought back not just the sights, but even the smells we knew. Mmmm...
You can't go to Epcot without touring the worlds, so off we went. France was our first stop. I must admit, Bevan was also on my mind as I remembered going to Paris. I'm sure he and Dan would have enjoyed a great time there! America is always a good stopping point for anyone whose ever been in the US Military. They keep it very patriotic, making remembering Dan very easy. Germany was decorated very nicely and I remembered the time we spent there with my brother Steve and his family. Dan said he finally felt like he got to know them after that trip. We had to go to Italy and remember my brother-in-law John teasing Dan about the "great Italians"! At the end of the worlds is an area we shared with the memory of Dan's favorite of my cousins, Jerry. When Jerry died, we dropped a seagull in the water there to remember Jerry. It's still there, and I'm sure the guys check on it now and then to be sure it stays there.
Josh left us after the worlds to get things done at home. We thanked him for sharing time with us and once again making this entire day possible for us. We love you Josh! Tricia, Jan and I headed for the Nemo ride and the giant aquarium. It was very nice, but hot in there. We walked around a bit more and decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Celebration. Just our luck, the monorail was out of order so we jumped on a bus to get back to the park. We got on a different monorail once we got to Magic Kingdom. Dan loved to ride the monorail so we looped the park twice before we got off.
Main Street in Magic Kingdom was decorated so beautifully. Dan loved to decorate our outdoors at the holidays and even motivated our entire neighborhood in Fawn Ridge to decorate. We checked out the decorations, noting which ones Dan would like best. You'll see them on the montage. Tomorrowland was a must see for us and there were indoor things to do there, which would keep us warm, so we went there first. Disney really is magical. It can take your problems away and put your head in a better place. We had to go to Small, Small World as Dan loved to take Kaylie there. There were a few emotional moments as we passed the carousel, remembering Dan taking Kaylie on her first ride... Keep smiling!
By now we were getting hungry again so we had a bite before heading for the show at the castle. Mickey and his friends gave us a great show, including lots of holiday cheer and music. The finale was fantastic! Cinderella decided she wanted the park to look more Christmassy. Of course, Fairy Godmother overheard her and made a change. She covered the entire castle in white lights! It looked like it was covered in ice. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful! As you watch the montage, notice how the castle keeps changing colors. It's just amazing!
During the down times we would talk about how Jan's husband Bob, and Josh would go outside every night to look at the neighborhood decorations. There was a "Tool Time type rivalry between Jan's house and ours for decorating. Kristy, Tricia and Dan would always decorate the outside together. When all our lights and Bob's lights were up, the competition would begin. If one of added a decoration or lights, the other would also add something. By Christmas night we lit up the whole neighborhood! We had our hot chocolate and cookies to warm us up.
Disney World wouldn't end without a parade, and a great Christmas parade it was. My pics don't show all the pretty colors, and the people in front of us kept me from getting some good shots of the dancers, but I'm sure by watching the montage you will still enjoy it. We talked about how Dan and Bob would have decorated everything. Disney missed out on two great decorators! As we boarded the Riverboat to head back to the car, we were exhausted. It was a day full of happy memories and touching moments. Dan would have been proud. We turned a day that was normally full of tears, into a day filled with memories and warm moments. We miss you Dan, but we will be decorating for the first time this year. We won't do it as well as you would have, but we will try... We love you Dan!
This year we tried to turn things around and begin to embrace the beauty of the holiday season while remembering Dan. In the past 4 years we were focusing on just him, not on how he impacted our lives during this season. This year was different...
We started our day by Tricia, Jan and I meeting Josh at Disney World. You had to know, it was the coldest day so far this year, with the high reaching 62. We froze. We all planned to "do the day" the way Dan would have, enjoying all his favorites. It started with a Monorail ride to Epcot. One of our favorite spots at Epcot was the Rose and Crown Pub, remembering our lives in England and all the friends we have there. We enjoyed a great lunch, having our favorite potato and leek soup followed by Shepard's pie. That's just the way to bring back some great memories. Jan tried an ale for Dan, but she didn't care for it, saying she'd best leave that for Dan. We laughed a lot and just enjoyed the atmosphere. A quick walk through England brought back not just the sights, but even the smells we knew. Mmmm...
You can't go to Epcot without touring the worlds, so off we went. France was our first stop. I must admit, Bevan was also on my mind as I remembered going to Paris. I'm sure he and Dan would have enjoyed a great time there! America is always a good stopping point for anyone whose ever been in the US Military. They keep it very patriotic, making remembering Dan very easy. Germany was decorated very nicely and I remembered the time we spent there with my brother Steve and his family. Dan said he finally felt like he got to know them after that trip. We had to go to Italy and remember my brother-in-law John teasing Dan about the "great Italians"! At the end of the worlds is an area we shared with the memory of Dan's favorite of my cousins, Jerry. When Jerry died, we dropped a seagull in the water there to remember Jerry. It's still there, and I'm sure the guys check on it now and then to be sure it stays there.
Josh left us after the worlds to get things done at home. We thanked him for sharing time with us and once again making this entire day possible for us. We love you Josh! Tricia, Jan and I headed for the Nemo ride and the giant aquarium. It was very nice, but hot in there. We walked around a bit more and decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Celebration. Just our luck, the monorail was out of order so we jumped on a bus to get back to the park. We got on a different monorail once we got to Magic Kingdom. Dan loved to ride the monorail so we looped the park twice before we got off.
Main Street in Magic Kingdom was decorated so beautifully. Dan loved to decorate our outdoors at the holidays and even motivated our entire neighborhood in Fawn Ridge to decorate. We checked out the decorations, noting which ones Dan would like best. You'll see them on the montage. Tomorrowland was a must see for us and there were indoor things to do there, which would keep us warm, so we went there first. Disney really is magical. It can take your problems away and put your head in a better place. We had to go to Small, Small World as Dan loved to take Kaylie there. There were a few emotional moments as we passed the carousel, remembering Dan taking Kaylie on her first ride... Keep smiling!
By now we were getting hungry again so we had a bite before heading for the show at the castle. Mickey and his friends gave us a great show, including lots of holiday cheer and music. The finale was fantastic! Cinderella decided she wanted the park to look more Christmassy. Of course, Fairy Godmother overheard her and made a change. She covered the entire castle in white lights! It looked like it was covered in ice. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful! As you watch the montage, notice how the castle keeps changing colors. It's just amazing!
During the down times we would talk about how Jan's husband Bob, and Josh would go outside every night to look at the neighborhood decorations. There was a "Tool Time type rivalry between Jan's house and ours for decorating. Kristy, Tricia and Dan would always decorate the outside together. When all our lights and Bob's lights were up, the competition would begin. If one of added a decoration or lights, the other would also add something. By Christmas night we lit up the whole neighborhood! We had our hot chocolate and cookies to warm us up.
Disney World wouldn't end without a parade, and a great Christmas parade it was. My pics don't show all the pretty colors, and the people in front of us kept me from getting some good shots of the dancers, but I'm sure by watching the montage you will still enjoy it. We talked about how Dan and Bob would have decorated everything. Disney missed out on two great decorators! As we boarded the Riverboat to head back to the car, we were exhausted. It was a day full of happy memories and touching moments. Dan would have been proud. We turned a day that was normally full of tears, into a day filled with memories and warm moments. We miss you Dan, but we will be decorating for the first time this year. We won't do it as well as you would have, but we will try... We love you Dan!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
A New Life
We all know what today is. We all remember four years ago today. But something has changed this year. Although the pain of losing Dan is as strong today as it was four years ago, today we are beginning to celebrate his life. We have so many wonderful memories of him. Tricia and I made a conscious decision to make this year different. Starting today we are going to focus on the good changes we made and Dan made in our lives.
Dan really didn't care for the Christmas season after the year of his fathers accident. As a matter of fact, he almost hated it. He grew extremely depressed at the holidays. His feelings of guilt for not being able to be there to help his family and his father seemed to sometimes consume him. Slowly, over the years, we were able to show him that there were other good things to remember at Christmas... like what it was really about!
The start of it ironically came at a time when Dan had been laid off of work the day before Thanksgiving. I really thought that was going to be a year he was going to succumb to the depression badly. I sat him down and asked him to try something different that year. We were going to focus on making the holiday about the kids and the true meaning of Christmas. The kids got up on the morning of Thanksgiving and began our routine of preparing the meal. We all had special jobs to do, as in our house, everyone was involved in the meal prep, just like the Pilgrims and Indians. However, on this day, I was the Chief in the kitchen. (Dan usually was as he loved to cook.)
We enjoyed our parades and meal, but then something different happened. Instead of Dan watching football, he disappeared out into the garage. Pretty soon he was calling the girls out to help him. Dan was getting out all the outdoor Christmas decorations! That year, as you can ask the girls, was one they will never forget. Dan made it through the season, still a little down, but determined to move forward.
Whenever our family wanted to have great family time and just "put away" the troubles we may have been going through, we would go to Disney World. It was just a short drive and we had annual passes, so it was easy. We would go to the Osborne Light Show and see all the lights and decorations. Disney would have an annual pass holders night and we would go to it, enjoying the cookies, music, lights and Disney snow!
So today, we are going to move forward in a new way. Our friend Josh has invited us to Disney World again. He is getting us in and helping us to enjoy and remember. We are going to moved forward and change to a positive mood for the holidays. Are we going to forget what today is? Absolutely not! But because of what today is, we are going to remember Dan happy, follow his lead to move out of the depression, and get back to living. I'm sure there will still be tears, but hopefully they will be more happy tears than sad. Dan really wanted to go see the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and planned to do so before he got sick. So tonight...we're going! And we will enjoy it for you Dan! We know you will be with us.
Check back with us tomorrow because we will post pictures as our gift to Dan for his birthday!
We love and miss you constantly Dan!
Dan really didn't care for the Christmas season after the year of his fathers accident. As a matter of fact, he almost hated it. He grew extremely depressed at the holidays. His feelings of guilt for not being able to be there to help his family and his father seemed to sometimes consume him. Slowly, over the years, we were able to show him that there were other good things to remember at Christmas... like what it was really about!
The start of it ironically came at a time when Dan had been laid off of work the day before Thanksgiving. I really thought that was going to be a year he was going to succumb to the depression badly. I sat him down and asked him to try something different that year. We were going to focus on making the holiday about the kids and the true meaning of Christmas. The kids got up on the morning of Thanksgiving and began our routine of preparing the meal. We all had special jobs to do, as in our house, everyone was involved in the meal prep, just like the Pilgrims and Indians. However, on this day, I was the Chief in the kitchen. (Dan usually was as he loved to cook.)
We enjoyed our parades and meal, but then something different happened. Instead of Dan watching football, he disappeared out into the garage. Pretty soon he was calling the girls out to help him. Dan was getting out all the outdoor Christmas decorations! That year, as you can ask the girls, was one they will never forget. Dan made it through the season, still a little down, but determined to move forward.
Whenever our family wanted to have great family time and just "put away" the troubles we may have been going through, we would go to Disney World. It was just a short drive and we had annual passes, so it was easy. We would go to the Osborne Light Show and see all the lights and decorations. Disney would have an annual pass holders night and we would go to it, enjoying the cookies, music, lights and Disney snow!
So today, we are going to move forward in a new way. Our friend Josh has invited us to Disney World again. He is getting us in and helping us to enjoy and remember. We are going to moved forward and change to a positive mood for the holidays. Are we going to forget what today is? Absolutely not! But because of what today is, we are going to remember Dan happy, follow his lead to move out of the depression, and get back to living. I'm sure there will still be tears, but hopefully they will be more happy tears than sad. Dan really wanted to go see the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and planned to do so before he got sick. So tonight...we're going! And we will enjoy it for you Dan! We know you will be with us.
Check back with us tomorrow because we will post pictures as our gift to Dan for his birthday!
We love and miss you constantly Dan!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Lego Party!
Remember Legos? We did too, so we decided to have a Lego Party...
We made lots of fun things and invented a few new buildings. By using the trees we even made what looked like a Christmas tree. I was amazed at how much attention to the "details" Kaylie insisted on having. The windows needed shutters, the yard needed plants and trees, the house needed windows and doors with frames. Makenzie made a car with tires, not just wheels, a driver (of course) and even made it work with the crank! These girls are so creative!
Makenzie still loves playing on our laps. She sure loves her Auntie Tricia!
What do you think? I love the flag and the antenna in the yard. We should have shown you the whole thing! Legos are so much fun!
We made lots of fun things and invented a few new buildings. By using the trees we even made what looked like a Christmas tree. I was amazed at how much attention to the "details" Kaylie insisted on having. The windows needed shutters, the yard needed plants and trees, the house needed windows and doors with frames. Makenzie made a car with tires, not just wheels, a driver (of course) and even made it work with the crank! These girls are so creative!
Makenzie still loves playing on our laps. She sure loves her Auntie Tricia!
What do you think? I love the flag and the antenna in the yard. We should have shown you the whole thing! Legos are so much fun!Sunday, November 16, 2008
Watching the Last Night Launch...
Talk about bringing back memories! I can remember being at Edwards AFB, CA right after Kristy was born, and watching the first shuttle landing in the desert. We were all mesmerised by the event, knowing we had just witnessed history being made. After the landing we took Kristy, a little baby at the time, and went to see a display of an actual shuttle. It was amazing to me to see the famous "tiles" that cover the out side of the shuttle. They looked like they were about a foot thick! Dan and I stood there with Kristy and talked about how we wished she was old enough to remember that moment. We never realised she would be living so near the Space Center when she got older.
FLASH FORWARD ALMOST 30 YEARS! Tricia, Kristy, Makenzie and I decided to go watch what may be the final night Space Shuttle launch ever. It's one of those things you can't imagine, you just have to see. We wanted Makenzie to have a memory of this special night, so off we all went.
It was a short drive to the beach to find a good viewing spot. That's funny actually, because anywhere you are you can see a night launch. When the shuttle blasts off, it literally turns the night sky to day. It's so amazing! I can remember taking sisters, brothers, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and parents to see launches when they were here. I wonder who remembers them?
When we arrived, Makenzie and I decided to go exploring until launch time.
We found a "secret sidewalk" that no one else was on, and decided that was the perfect spot to start our exploration. As we walked along, Makenzie stopped to touch beach grass. I said close your eyes and touch it, it tickles!
The moon was hiding in the grass.
When we got back to the car, Makenzie had a Star Wars moment and showed us all how Yoda looked. (Even his funny eyes.)
Tricia had a birds eye view out the car window.
It was time for the launch to start. Makenzie was so excited!
Blast off! (We are about 20 miles from the actual launch site.)
Heading up!
Entering the clouds...
Good luck Space Shuttle. Stay safe!
Space shuttle on the left, moon on the right!
FLASH FORWARD ALMOST 30 YEARS! Tricia, Kristy, Makenzie and I decided to go watch what may be the final night Space Shuttle launch ever. It's one of those things you can't imagine, you just have to see. We wanted Makenzie to have a memory of this special night, so off we all went.
It was a short drive to the beach to find a good viewing spot. That's funny actually, because anywhere you are you can see a night launch. When the shuttle blasts off, it literally turns the night sky to day. It's so amazing! I can remember taking sisters, brothers, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and parents to see launches when they were here. I wonder who remembers them?
When we arrived, Makenzie and I decided to go exploring until launch time.
We found a "secret sidewalk" that no one else was on, and decided that was the perfect spot to start our exploration. As we walked along, Makenzie stopped to touch beach grass. I said close your eyes and touch it, it tickles!
The moon was hiding in the grass.
When we got back to the car, Makenzie had a Star Wars moment and showed us all how Yoda looked. (Even his funny eyes.)
Tricia had a birds eye view out the car window.
It was time for the launch to start. Makenzie was so excited!
Blast off! (We are about 20 miles from the actual launch site.)
Heading up!
Entering the clouds...
Good luck Space Shuttle. Stay safe!
Space shuttle on the left, moon on the right!
I try to imagine what Makenzie will remember of the launch. Even more wondrous is what she may be showing her children 30 years from now. I hope she tells them the story of her first night launch, even if it may be the last night launch ever...
Friday, November 7, 2008
It Hurts
I came home that day, from another numbing doctors visit. This time my cancer had moved to my colon. Now all I had to do was tell my family and fight like mad, just to live longer.
Telling Dan was so hard. He'd been through so much with the first cancer. He had been doing everything for me during that cancer. I was going to do more this time. I already made up my mind that he'd been through enough. We decided we had to tell the girls...
My daughters will tell you, if you need to talk to them about anything serious, don't ask them to sit on the couch to talk. They associate the couch with where they were sitting every time we had to tell them about cancer in our family. Couch off limits!
I can't begin to tell you how much harder it was to tell them the second time. Their lives had been turned upside down before and they were just beginning to regain some sense of normalcy.
But, like the strong women and husband they are, we all hugged, cried and decided this would be different. It was.
First cancer: 5 chemo treatments, 14 radiation treatments. Second cancer: 48 chemo treatments, 12 radiation treatments. I was determined to beat it, just because of the hell it was putting my family through...
That was 5 years ago today. I beat it again. You may be thinking, man she's strong. But the one cancer I couldn't beat is the one that will haunt me forever. I prayed for God to give me Dan's cancer. I dared Him to. I swore I'd beat it in the past and I could beat it if he gave it to me, not Dan. He had other plans.
So today I celebrate beating the second cancer. My heart breaks that I couldn't beat Dan's for him.
Telling Dan was so hard. He'd been through so much with the first cancer. He had been doing everything for me during that cancer. I was going to do more this time. I already made up my mind that he'd been through enough. We decided we had to tell the girls...
My daughters will tell you, if you need to talk to them about anything serious, don't ask them to sit on the couch to talk. They associate the couch with where they were sitting every time we had to tell them about cancer in our family. Couch off limits!
I can't begin to tell you how much harder it was to tell them the second time. Their lives had been turned upside down before and they were just beginning to regain some sense of normalcy.
But, like the strong women and husband they are, we all hugged, cried and decided this would be different. It was.
First cancer: 5 chemo treatments, 14 radiation treatments. Second cancer: 48 chemo treatments, 12 radiation treatments. I was determined to beat it, just because of the hell it was putting my family through...
That was 5 years ago today. I beat it again. You may be thinking, man she's strong. But the one cancer I couldn't beat is the one that will haunt me forever. I prayed for God to give me Dan's cancer. I dared Him to. I swore I'd beat it in the past and I could beat it if he gave it to me, not Dan. He had other plans.
So today I celebrate beating the second cancer. My heart breaks that I couldn't beat Dan's for him.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Cars...
Fess up on this one!
Everyone, at one point or another has named their car or been in a named car. Tricia and I were talking about England last night and one of her favorite memories of going places there, was our British car. The girls were very young so we named our American car Ernie, and our Brisitsh car Bert, like the Sesame Street characters. Bert and Ernie were best friends, and our cars were always parked next to each other, just like best friends hanging out together. The girls like riding in the British car because it didn't have seat belts. Every time we would turn the corner, the girls would slide across the vinyl seats and laugh away. (Sometimes I think they "helped" the sliding process a bit.)
When we moved back to the States we had a Ford Escort named Sammi. The girls loved that car. When we went to sell it, they layed across the hood telling it they loved it and it would be ok. It was like losing a family member. :(
Then came our green Chevy Malibu we dubbed the "moldy green machine." It was such an ugly green color we couldn't come up with a good name for it.
Cars come and cars go, but none the less, somewhere in your past or present I think everyone has named their car. So think back a bit and add a comment to share any names you had for your cars. I'd love to hear some.
Everyone, at one point or another has named their car or been in a named car. Tricia and I were talking about England last night and one of her favorite memories of going places there, was our British car. The girls were very young so we named our American car Ernie, and our Brisitsh car Bert, like the Sesame Street characters. Bert and Ernie were best friends, and our cars were always parked next to each other, just like best friends hanging out together. The girls like riding in the British car because it didn't have seat belts. Every time we would turn the corner, the girls would slide across the vinyl seats and laugh away. (Sometimes I think they "helped" the sliding process a bit.)
When we moved back to the States we had a Ford Escort named Sammi. The girls loved that car. When we went to sell it, they layed across the hood telling it they loved it and it would be ok. It was like losing a family member. :(
Then came our green Chevy Malibu we dubbed the "moldy green machine." It was such an ugly green color we couldn't come up with a good name for it.
Cars come and cars go, but none the less, somewhere in your past or present I think everyone has named their car. So think back a bit and add a comment to share any names you had for your cars. I'd love to hear some.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Makenzie's "3"
It was really important to Tricia and me to be able to share a special birthday with Makenzie this year. Whatever our budget would allow us to do, we wanted to be sure Kaylie was a big part of it too. With limited funds we decided to make plans for a very special day. Thank God for Josh, one of Kaylie's Godfathers. Josh works at Disney. When we went to visit him he said he'd help us get in and have a great time. That he truly did!
We started the day early, getting ready and over to Disney World. Josh met us all there and we began what I knew would be a day full of memories for the girls. Of course, Cinderella's Castle was the first thing that caught their eyes. "Zamma, it's so big! Does she really live there?" If you look at the upper castle you can see her bedroom! We watched the characters perform while Makenzie directed the music. We toured the castle and enjoyed the beautiful mosaic walls inside. Kaylie loved Cinderella's glass slipper scene.
Josh was able to spend a good portion of the day with us, so the girls could enjoy him too. He showed them Mickey and Minnie's house. Everyone tested out Minnie's sofa. We all loved meeting Mickey and Minnie and getting our pictures taken with them both. You should see Minnie's kitchen!
We started the day early, getting ready and over to Disney World. Josh met us all there and we began what I knew would be a day full of memories for the girls. Of course, Cinderella's Castle was the first thing that caught their eyes. "Zamma, it's so big! Does she really live there?" If you look at the upper castle you can see her bedroom! We watched the characters perform while Makenzie directed the music. We toured the castle and enjoyed the beautiful mosaic walls inside. Kaylie loved Cinderella's glass slipper scene.
Josh was able to spend a good portion of the day with us, so the girls could enjoy him too. He showed them Mickey and Minnie's house. Everyone tested out Minnie's sofa. We all loved meeting Mickey and Minnie and getting our pictures taken with them both. You should see Minnie's kitchen!
Both girls got to ride the roller coaster with William. I think it was Makenzie's first Disney roller coaster ride! Kaylie loved it so much she went on twice. We had a great lunch, but Josh had to cut it short so he could go to work. We made plans to see him later. He has "connections" and got us perfect seats in the VIP section to see the Daytime Parade. It was so awesome to watch the girls faces as the characters came by and waved to them or high fived them. Cinderella wished Makenzie a special Happy Birthday as she was wearing a Disney birthday pin from Josh. She was totally awestruck! (He really spoiled us all.)
No child can go to Disneyworld without riding on Dumbo. The girls loved it! We also went into It's a Small World, where we all sang and watched as the girls tried to take it all in. Their eyes were huge! We girls agreed that was the best part. They all went to see Snow White, but Makenzie says the witch "is mean and nasty!"
At 5:00 pm daily, there is a flag retreat on Main Street. We all watched Josh during the retreat. The girls said that was for Papa... It was so amazing. I was so proud of them as they stayed still with their hands on their hearts. Good Girls!
Next came some more rides, and then the night time Spectromagic Parade. Once again we got to spend time with Josh. He took the kids out in the street to play a game until the parade started. Kaylie wanted to stay by him the whole time. We ate our Mickey ice cream, and then watched a beautiful night parade. All the floats and costumes were lighted, making the girls faces easy too see. (That and their huge eyes!)
I've included a short montage of our day. I hope you enjoy it and decide to visit Disney to create your own memories soon. It truly is a "magical"place, and definitely the best place to celebrate your 3rd birthday. Just ask Makenzie! Remember, make those good memories!
After you watch the video, click over to Kristy's blog. She's got some wonderful photos too!
http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=7001e0dc5ae01bc242d422
Kristy's blog: http://thelavellafamily.blogspot.com/
At 5:00 pm daily, there is a flag retreat on Main Street. We all watched Josh during the retreat. The girls said that was for Papa... It was so amazing. I was so proud of them as they stayed still with their hands on their hearts. Good Girls!
Next came some more rides, and then the night time Spectromagic Parade. Once again we got to spend time with Josh. He took the kids out in the street to play a game until the parade started. Kaylie wanted to stay by him the whole time. We ate our Mickey ice cream, and then watched a beautiful night parade. All the floats and costumes were lighted, making the girls faces easy too see. (That and their huge eyes!)
I've included a short montage of our day. I hope you enjoy it and decide to visit Disney to create your own memories soon. It truly is a "magical"place, and definitely the best place to celebrate your 3rd birthday. Just ask Makenzie! Remember, make those good memories!
After you watch the video, click over to Kristy's blog. She's got some wonderful photos too!
http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=7001e0dc5ae01bc242d422
Kristy's blog: http://thelavellafamily.blogspot.com/
Friday, September 12, 2008
First Visit
The first overnight visitors to our house were, of course, the girls. They had a lot to explore and just wanted to know that Zamma and Auntie were doing OK. We played in all the boxes and totes, hiding and just having fun. 
Tricia and Makenzie slept in the bedroom, while Kaylie and I took the sofa. We had such a good time just "hanging out together". The traditional popcorn was popped, and we watched our favorite TV shows. I loved watching their faces when we unpacked something and they would say "Zamma, this is like opening Christmas presents!" We had to play the "Guess what this is " game to see who could guess what we were about to unwrap next. As usual there were traditions that had to be upheld. Most of all, we had to resume the Oreo Cookie Party. Five cookies each and a great glass of milk, makes for a tradition not to be forgotten. We all know that grandmothers are "required" to have cookies!
After a crazy night of fun and laughs the girls now know Zamma and Auntie are OK and ready for them to visit again soon!
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