Things that I learned while at Disney World

• There are ALL kinds of people in this world and a good bit of them are a rare breed.

• If you drive to DW, take snacks for the nights you want just one more thing to eat before going to bed. A bag of popcorn is $3.25!!!! (It was worth it though…both times.)

• PLEASE check the mirror before you leave your room. There were several people that must not have had a mirror in their hotel or their spouse lied to them about them looking good in a particular outfit.

• If you loose your sunglasses the first night…check under the bed. That’s where we found Todd’s. Of course, I didn’t look under there until our last day.

• We visited Magic Kingdom 3 days and that was plenty. We probably could have gotten by with just 2 days, but there were several rides that we rode more than once because Mason was having a blast.

• Epcot is all about saving the earth and it makes you really think about how we should recycle more.

• I can survive 7 days without a Diet Dr. Pepper…it was tough, but I did it.

• People will definitely get in your personal space. Seriously folks, stay at least 3 feet away.

• The dining deals/packages are great if you don’t have picky eaters and you eat 3 meals a day. (There were several days that we only ate 2 meals, hence the $3.25 bag of popcorn late at night.)

• Sunblock with 60 SPF is great for young children and it seems to last longer.

• The dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom will scare your young children even if they are tall enough to ride. They really should reconsider the height requirement on that one. I’m just sayin’.

• Buy the spray bottle fans at WalMart…they are cheaper there.

• Disney has the best Coke Icees.

• There are some people that don’t really know that they should shower daily or at least wear deodorant.

• Take your choice of pain relievers with you because I promise you will be taking them at night before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning.

• When you book your trip, I highly suggest that you make reservations at restaurants before you go. I believe you can start making reservations 90 days before your trip. DO IT!

• No matter how hard you try, you and your spouse will have at least one argument.

• Fast Pass ROCKS. But remember that you can only get a fast pass every two hours.

• If you are a people watcher, then you will have a blast at DW.

• If you fly there and decide that you want to take a cab/taxi ride to the mall, it will be at least $45…ONE WAY.

• I thought Epcot would not be very interesting, but we had a blast there. We were there from open till close. It’s awesome. You have to ride Soarin'. It was unbelievable.

We had a wonderful time and I really hope that we go again next year. It was worth every dime spent. I leave you with a priceless picture from our first day.


I'll be back later with more pictures.

Toodles,
Dawn

I'm tired, but it was worth it!

Shake for Jake was once again a blast. We got to Louisiana about 10:00 Friday night and was up early to head out to watch Todd in the 5K. I have no idea how he ran 3 miles in that heat. He did it though and I am so proud of him. I have a couple of pics of him running then the batteries in my camera died. Can you believe that?? Ugh. Anyway, he did great. Our friend Judy ran the 5K as well and it was her first. She did great...way to go Judy.

It was wonderful seeing so many friends and hugging necks. It was also wonderful meeting new people. A little shout out to Lindsay...it was great meeting you. A side note to those of you with little girls, she makes the cutest little tutus. Her website is www.frillyfrances.com. You MUST check out her site.

Anyway, we made it home safe and are beat. Mason had a great time but was glad to get back to his house so he could play with the dog. He slept in this morning...I must say that I was jealous because it was back to work for me today.

Sorry I don't have any pictures to share from the weekend. I should have taken more batteries or at least bought some while I there.

Jin Jin - thanks for opening your house to us again. We love staying with you. Penny - I am so glad that Lindsay convinced you to drive down to enjoy Saturday night with us. Don and Staci - you guys are awesome. I know that Jake is so proud of you two. What a legacy you guys are making in honor of Jakester. He was one special guy and he is missed so much by so many.

JOR Foundation board members - thanks for letting us be a part of such a wonderful time. You guys rock!!

Gotta go get ready for bed. Be back soon.

Oh - Kacy Acree and crew - where were you??? We missed you. You were asked about...so you know that you were missed.

Dawn

Shake for Jake

We are headed to Louisiana this weekend for the 3rd annual Shake for Jake. Todd is running a 5K while we are there. Shake for Jake is a fundraiser for the Jake Owen Raborn Foundation. Jake was a St. Jude patient that had a rare liver cancer. He passed away Oct. '06. His parents started a foundation in his memory and honor to "pay it forward" to other cancer families. Each year Shake for Jake gets bigger and bigger. The biggest part of the event is the dinner/silent auction/live auction/ and then dancing! It's so much fun.

Give your babies an extra hug tonight and pray for the families that are in the midst of the fight against cancer.

I'll be back soon to blog about our weekend.

Toodles,
Dawn

Busy Spring

This spring has been super busy for us, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. Mason is officially a first grader now. He had his Spring Fling Fun day at school and really enjoyed it. He raised the most money in his class so he got to throw a pie at his teacher. Being the sweet child that he can be at times, he aimed below the face. He said, "I didn't want to hurt her."
He was really nervous as you can see in the photo above. He really enjoyed the day with all the activities they had for them.His last day of school. WOW, my baby is growing.

I went on my annual girls trip last month to the beach in Ft. Morgan, AL and had a blast. Now, I am not really the type that likes to get in the ocean. My theory is, if I can't see the bottom of the pool, I don't get in. I guess I am getting a little older and changing because I had blast in the ocean. Even after jumping up and landing on something sharp that cut my foot, I still kept playing in the water. Next year me and Cari plan on parasailing(sp).

On our last day there, three of us got up early to take a walk on the beach one last time. As we were walking, picking up shells, and enjoying the sounds of the ocean, I mentioned how it blows my mind that people can look all around them and see God's wonderful creation and NOT believe in Him.I look forward to going back next year and just "chillin" on the beach with the girls soaking up the sun.

Todd's nephew, Koby, graduated high school this year so we had family in town from Texas, East TN, and Florida. Koby graduated with honors and we are so proud of him. He will be going to MS State in the fall. (Go Dawgs)

(Todd, Koby, and the cake that Todd made)

We always love it when family comes in town. There is alway lots of good food, plenty of laughter, but most of all...love. I have really enjoyed being a part of the Pierce family. I am so blessed.

During the same weekend of Koby's graduation, I had my 20 year class reunion. UUGHHH, I can't believe I have been out of high school for 20 years. It was a 3 day event, but I only made 2 days of it. Friday night was the best part of it. We met at The Big League in Southaven and that's when most of the people showed up. It was great seeing so many people that I have not seen since we graduated. Some still look the same as they did 20 years ago and others I didn't even know who they were. Thank goodness for name tags and old year books. :) Thanks to facebook, we were able to get in touch with a lot of people to let them know about the reunion. We are already planning a 25 year reunion. That should be lots of fun.(Tina, me, and Sissy crammed in someone else's booth for a photo op)

Yesterday was the Pierce summer family reunion. (They like to have two a year) Anyway, the weather was perfect. It was great seeing those that couldn't make it to the previous reunion back in the fall. Aunt Lynda brought her "to die for" pimento cheese. OMGoodness it was yummy. There was lots of other yummy food as well because we like to eat!!!

In 3 weeks, we will be in Disney and we are so excited. Mason has a calendar that he is marking off the days every night. The countdown is on! I know that he can't even begin to imagine how much fun he is going to have. You can bet there will be tons of pictures taken and a long blog to follow when we get home.

Well, the boy is finally up from sleeping in. Enjoy your day!

Dawn

Thinking about Shae today

Shae has been on my mind a lot this morning and it's because of the thunderstorm and rain we are having. I did my best to teach him to not be afraid of thunder and lightening. At such a young age, he learned to respect the storms and not be afraid of them. He and I would sit by the window in our living room and watch the rain and talk about why we need the rain.

I look back and I realize that this is applied to our daily life. We need the rain in our lives to grow. We don't need to be afraid of the storms in our lives. God is there to help us survive the storms. God definitely helped me survive my storm when Shae was sick and when he died. I have never felt such pain in my heart, but God is still working to mend those scars and pick up the broken pieces.

I am thankful for the storms for they have taught me how to lean on Him during my dark days.

Enjoying the storm,
Dawn

Catching up

Well I am finally back in blog world. I can't believe that I haven't blogged in almost 4 months. Shame shame!!

There is no point in trying to go back and catch up, so I guess I will start fresh. Today has been a wonderful day. Mason and I have just chilled at the house all day. I just went to check on him and found him sleeping on the couch. There is nothing sweeter than watching your child sleep so peacefully.

I was out of town the latter part of last week and I sure missed my boys. I was in Jackson for training. There were 6 of us and we left Wednesday afternoon and came got home Friday night a little after seven. While in Jackson, we went to a new restaurant called Mint. It was YUMMY. They have a martini bar, which I thought was neat. They make the best Strawberry Shortcake martini. We had dessert while there and the cheesecake was divine!!! (Don't tell Todd.) :)

In 3 weeks, I will be going to the beach with my girl friends. We are so excited about this trip. We take one annually, but this will be our first one to stay away for 3 nights. My only dread is having to buy a new swimsuit. YUCK...not my favorite thing to do. I am looking forward to get some sun though.

I leave you with a picture of Mason that is one of my favorites. He's so precious.

Toodles,
Dawn

I'm baaaaccccckkkkk

I can't believe that I have neglected my blog for so long. Shame on me huh? I have a confession to make, I am addicted to FaceBook. I am constantly checking my FB page to see who changed their status, or uploaded photos, or whatever. It's a good thing that FB is blocked on our computers at work because I would NEVER get work done. So the reason for neglecting my blog is because of FaceBook.

It's been so long since I have been on here that I don't even know where to start. Hmmmmmm, let me think. Oh, we have been really faithful to go to the gym at least 3 times a week. I am proud to say that I have lost 11 pounds and went down a size in my jeans. Todd has lost over 30 pounds. (Why is it that men drop the weight faster than women? It's so not fair.) Anyway, it's been great wearing a smaller size in jeans and smaller tops.

December was the month for Mason to have ear infections. He had one the beginning of the month and then the Sunday after Christmas I had at the doctor again for another infection in the same ear. Todd took him this past Tuesday for a recheck on that ear and it's finally clear. The second ear infection really wore him down. He ran fever off and on for two days. He's finally back to his busy self and eating again. Poor little guy felt so bad.

Christmas was great as I took the week off to get last minute things done, visit my best friend in Oxford, MS and mostly to spend time with my boys. Mason was a good boy so Santa stopped by our house to leave some toys for the boy. I got a new watch that has butterflies on it. It's beautiful...thanks Todd. I hated going back to work, but we have bills to pay so I went back.

December 30th would have been Shae's 11th birthday. It is so hard to imagine him 11. I miss that boy. It hurts so much some times. I just want to hold him again and hear his voice. From December 29th to March 20th, I think of Shae and his time inpatient at St. Jude. January 6th was the day he received his bone marrow transplant. January 16th was the day he had to be put on the vent for the first time. He came off the vent a couple of weeks later only to go right back on it for another couple of weeks, then right back on it until the day he passed away. It breaks my heart that Mason will never get to meet his brother here on earth. I am thankful for God allowing us to be Shae's parents. We were so lucky to have him in our lives even if it was for a short 3 years.

I am sorry for the long delay in updating. I wish this was more of an upbeat update, but I am a little sad this week. BUT, I will get through it. God will see me through like he always does.

Thanks for listening. I wanted to leave you with a video of Mason, but I can't get it to work on here. I'll keep trying because you MUST see it.

Toodles,
Dawn