Friday, March 23rd

Good Morning,

Well, we survived the Mouse! Just barely, but we made it through. Last Wednesday was strictly a travel day that started at 7:30am when the limo arrived. It was a fun ride to the airport, but that was probably the last bit of fun until we arrived in Orlando. The flight was long and since Zoe is under two, crowded! Upon arrival, we were greeted by a volunteer from Give Kids the World resort. He had a Smartecart for us and took us to our rental car, which was too small to hold our luggage and double stroller. So we ended up with a minivan, which was a Godsend! We loaded up and headed for the hotel. Upon arrival, we were given a brief orientation and shown to our villa. It was a very nice two bedroom, two bath (w/ jacuzzi tub) duplex with a cozy porch furnished with rocking chairs. We immediately ordered the free pizza and started the unpacking process. My sister had arrived a day prior and was at the beach when we arrived. Her clan ended up at GKTW later that night and Alex and Zoe loved seeing their cousin Evan. They even had their first sleepover! It was great.

Okay, day two. Magic Kingdom. Spring Break. Party of eight. Need I say more? Let's just leave it this way; I did not enjoy the Magic Kingdom. I don't do crowds well and when we finally made it through all of the shops to the kids' rides, Alex did not want to ride any of them. He just wanted to stay in the shade. I proceeded to lose it! My dreams of seeing Alex smiling and going from ride to ride with joy and freedom from his ills were dashed and I cried and cried. It was not until the Birthday party with Pooh and his friends that I was able to get myself together. The rest of the day is a blur. But I know I have never been so glad to leave an amusement park in my life!

The rest of the vacation included a day of sleep (Monday); we were all completely worn out;Pirate dinner theather, WD's MGM studios, Universal studios and Universal Island of Adventure and WD's Animal Kingdom Kilimanjaro Safari. Alex's favorite parts were seeing Lightning McQueen at MGM, as well as meeting all of the characters. He met Pooh, Tigger, Buzz, Green Army Man, Woody, Spiderman, Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Captain America, Wolverine, Jimmy Neutron, and Spongebob Squarepants.

I think Steve's favorite part was spending the day at Universal with his friend Scott and his two boys, Mattie and Mitch. They drove two and a half hours from Boca Raton to spend the day with us and it was great! We had burgers at Margaritaville and rode some great rides. My favorite was probably the time we spent with my family outside of the parks. Alex, Zoe and Evan were having a great time together and Alex really perks up around other boys his age. He pretty much smiled constantly when with his cousin or Mattie. That was precious!

The resort, Give Kids the World, is a magical place in and of itself. They have a movie theater, ice cream palace open from 7:30am to 9pm everyday, putt-putt with huge dinosaurs; heated pool with wheelchair access; restaurant that served all meals at no charge; and last but not least a magic castle with a carousel. Inside the magic castle were 80,000 stars representing all of the children that have stayed at GKTW. Alex's star was added on our last day. The magic castle also houses the magic pillow machine that with much ado snorts out magic pillows for the kids. Every day the kids received new toys in the villa and there were planned activities everyday, all day. It really is a very special place. I feel so blessed to have been there. Another huge gift was that Alex was given special passes that allowed him/us to go to the front of any line for any ride or show. He did not have to wait in long lines, which was such a treat! Every character that saw him also spent some extra special time with him. Overall the trip was wonderful for the kids, which is what it was designed to be. I have to say that Make-a-Wish Foundation and Give Kids the World really know how to fulfill children's wishes; I highly encourage everyone to support these groups.

Well, we got home late Wednesday night. Had chemo Thursday morning and an MRI today. Unfortunately, the MRI showed no change in the tumor which is normal but still disappointing. We are still very tired and I have a stack of mail yet to go through. Roxie had a great time with our friends in Erie. I hear there were some potty training issues but overall they enjoyed having her around. I know she enjoyed being around a family rather than a kennel. But I think she may be slightly upset with us. When we arrived home from the hospital this morning, she had eaten a cushion on our outdoor sofa. I think she needs a walk! I'd take her but Alex is lounging and Zoe is sleeping.

Okay, one last thing. Zoe is one of ten candidates for a local modeling contest. It is really not a big deal, but we still want her to win. So if you are so inclined please go to the link below and cast your vote for #6! She's the one in pigtails!

www.cephotos.typepad.com

I hope everyone is enjoying Spring! It sprung here while we were gone and seeing the little buds popping out is wonderful! I love living here!

Okay, tah tah for now (ttfn) as Tigger would say!

God bless!
G