GKTW Slideshow….finally! Just click HERE
This is Rachael's dance photo from her end of the year performance…gotta brag…she's gorgeous!
Cure Kids Cancer Challenge + more vacation fun
The Pediatric Cancer Foundation is kicking in gear to raise awareness and funds for research and to really bring National Pediatric Cancer Month to the public.
The Pediatric Cancer Foundation is not just a local foundation – they work with hospitals around the US . . . The Pediatric Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to funding and spearheading research initiatives that will lead to a cure for childhood cancer. To date, we have funded over .4 million in grants to the nation’s leading institutions. Most recently, we launched The Sunshine Project, a novel collaborative research initiative that has united the country’s top institutions and investigators in working to fast-track new treatments and increase the survival rate for children battling cancer. This year, we anticipate having three clinical trials in place with about 25 patients participating in each trial. With an estimated cost of 12,000$ per patient, donations have never meant more to our mission.
The PCF is having a walk/run for Childhood Cancer and it’s going to be an amazing event that I know that hopes and plans are to see this event be an annual event the likes of Relay for Life and Light the Night, but with proceeds going strictly to research pediatric cancers.
Cure Kids Cancer Challenge
September 29th @ 12PM
Park Square, FishHawk Ranch
5K Walk/Run, 1 Mile Family Walk
Your contribution to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation will yield immeasurable dividends by helping us save precious lives. We are challenging you to help cure childhood cancer! Please give these amazing children hope for a cure by joining us as a sponsor, a walking team, a volunteer! Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Lisa Orlando at 813.269.0955 or lorlando@Pcfusa.org. Every dollar raised, every item donated helps bring us closer to a cure!
Registration: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1469152 http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1469152
Donation: www.active.com/donate/kidscancerchallenge www.active.com/donate/kidscancerchallenge
Of course, we are also reaching out for sponsorship for our event, because the more sponsorship we can get, the more money goes straight to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation for research.
**SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES**
Presenting Sponsorship – 10,000$
• Name/logo prominently displayed in conjunction with event logo on all printed materials
• Name/logo prominently displayed on Pediatric Cancer Foundation Website
• Recognition in Pediatric Cancer Foundation newsletter (distribution of approximately 12,000)
• Logo prominently included on event t-shirts
• Two complimentary team entries for up to twelve (6) walkers total, including t-shirts & goodie bags for each
• Premium placement of corporate banner at post-walk party in Park Square
• Opportunity for company representative to speak at post-walk party
• Opportunity for sponsors recognition through table display at event
• Opportunity to distribute promotional items in walker goodie bags
• Product exclusivity for brand when available
• Inclusion in all press releases & media materials
STRIDE SPONSORSHIP: 5,000$?
• Logo prominently included on event t-shirts
• Complimentary team entry for up to six (6) walkers, including t-shirts &?goodie bags for each
• Premium placement of corporate banner at post-walk party in Park Square
• Opportunity for sponsors recognition through table display at event
• Opportunity to distribute promotional items in walker goodie bags
• Inclusion in all press releases & media materials
PACE SPONSORSHIP: 2,500$
• Logo included on event t-shirts
• Complimentary team entry for up to six (6) walkers, including t-shirts & ?goodie bags for each
• Placement of corporate banner at post-walk party in Park Square
• Opportunity to distribute promotional items in walker goodie bags
STEP SPONSORSHIP: 1,000$
• Logo included on event t-shirts
• Two (2) complimentary walk entries, including t-shirts & goodie bags for each entry
• Sign with logo recognition along walk course
• Opportunity to distribute promotional items in walker goodie bags
WALKER ENTRY: individual 25$ family 100$ (up to 6 members)
• Includes t-shirt & goodie bag for each walker
• Family fun post-challenge party with food and drinks following walk
If you can be a sponsor for this event, please contact me….if you know someone who would be a good potential sponsor, please contact me…please take a moment to forward this information to the businesses and companies that you patron, you never know whose heart you might touch.
Day 4 – Sunday
Let me just say that Epcot ROCKS! We had so much fun on Sunday, and it was especially fun for Pete and myself because we knew what to expect from Magic Kingdom, but it had been so long since either one of us had been to Epcot it was like the first time all over again. So, we had the whiplash effect of trying to look at everything at once, take in all the cool sights and watch all that was going on.
The kids got the biggest kick of going around the World Showcase, we lingered so long in some countries that we never got to finish the whole park and missed out on a lot of things. The kids may be Korean by birth, but apparently they’re Japanese by choice! The girls were thrilled to see obnoxiously abundant Hello Kitty stuff and Nathaniel ran straight for the swords….which is exactly what he did in EVERY country. He enjoyed Norway as well, he grooves on the Vikings and Norse Mythology so he was all about getting a Viking sword.
My son, the Korean Viking!
I think all of Peyton's wishes came true
I teased Rachael that she looked a little like Princess Leia with those things on her head.
However, at the end of the night we got the chance to watch the fireworks from a very special spot down on a dock in the lake. We had such close seats that the girls had to wear protective earphones to keep them from jumping out of their skin….Nathaniel is of the firm belief that the louder the better. The fireworks over the lake at Epcot are by far the best, and we enjoyed them from our closer than close seating. We dragged ourselves back to GKTW with barely the energy to get everyone in bed.
It was such a toss us for us to decide whether we wanted to do what the parks had to offer or what they were brewing up for fun at the GKTW village. Every night there was so much to do that we were torn. We are just so thankful to everyone involved with making this trip happen that allowed us to have this opportunity for fun and relaxation.
f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
–Anissa
Our Angel has a sense of humor
Peyton brought me the sticker in her card from our Chemo Angel…they're a group of wonderfully huge hearted people who adopt a cancer family and give us the invaluable support of cards and gifts for the kids, just constant encouragement…and she asked me what is said.
I told her it said "Listen to your mom and dad and use the potty"….I don't think she bought it.
Please don't encourage her, people! Thank you, Karalyn, for cracking me up.
f.r.o.G.
–Anissa
Back home again
We got home yesterday afternoon from the hospital….Peyton was well-rested, fever-free and it took all of 5 minutes for her to get in a screaming match with her sister….it was good to be home!
Pete was sweet to take the kids swimming at the Y while I took a snooze. Normally I sleep regardless of who's doing what at the hospital, but this trip I was awake a lot, so I needed to catch up on some rest.
Pete's mom came over and watched the kids while we went and played poker with our friends….neither of us won, but we always have a good time.
But more importantly….more vacation catch-up
Day 3 – Saturday
We decided that we weren’t going to kill ourselves hitting the parks every day, so we took every other day off to do something low key. Pete’s mom Sharon came over to spend the day with us, my mom and dad were supposed to come, but because my dad wasn’t well they couldn’t come. We went to Downtown Disney after showing Grandma a bit of the Village and the villa we were staying in.
I think every vacation has the “IT” moment and for me, Saturday had that moment. We went to DD so that we could hit the Lego store, which ranks high up on the list of Pete and Nathaniel’s favorite places on the face of the earth. We took the kids to the Rainforest Restaurant, which thrilled them because it rains in the restaurant and there were animals and fish to look at. Pete and Nathaniel took off for the Lego store and Grandma and I took the girls to the Bippidy Boppidy Boutique. This is set up at DD and will soon be opening a shop in Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom. Princess Peyton and Princess Rachael showed up ready for their turn at the ultimate little girl pampering party. Each girl was set up with two “fairy godmothers” who painted their nails, put makeup on their faces and then did some serious fancy work on their hair….now I use the word hair loosely. Rachael, of course, had hair for them to work with and they did an amazing job of making her into a fun princess with a huge spray of color all over her head. But when Peyton pointed to the princess hair-do she wanted the fairy godmothers were sort of stunned by the fact that they had no idea what to do. I had tried to explain to Peyton that because she had no hair, there would be no fancy hair-do….but in the thrill of the moment with all the other princess getting their hair done, she wanted the same. It broke my heart to see her little face just fall in disappointment when I told her again that they couldn’t do that style because she didn’t have any hair….I think it was the first time that she realized that she was really different from the other girls because of being bald….and I just hated that. She got all teary, I got all teary and I thought that maybe the day was going to be ruined because of this. I wanted this special time for my girls and it was just going to be an event that made Peyton feel bad because she couldn’t fully participate.
Her fairy godmother told me to hold on and took off and I was surprised to see her come back with a wig. I didn’t even think of it, but they came back with a costume wig from Belle and they put that on her little head and glittered her up and she got to see herself as a princess. I’m not too big with the tears, but I bawled throughout the whole thing. She was just so beautiful and happy (even though she quickly ditched the wig because it was scratchy on her head, and they just sprinkled her little bald head with sparkles like the other girls) and it was phenomenal to see her so perfectly thrilled.
When I looked at her celebrating her inner princess….THAT was my It moment of the week…that was giving my little girl the world.
f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
–Anissa
**Another valiant cancer warrior went home to the Lord.
Skylar-Jade Maxson battled so bravely, fought for so long, she finally earned her Angel wings and is now perfect, whole and cancer-free in Heaven. Please keep her family in your prayers as they grieve the loss of their sweet girl.
I miss the waffles
As for today, Peyton’s a big fat faker!! No new fevers, nothing happened with her blood culture, no symptoms or signs of ANYTHING! She just wanted to get away from the family for a couple of days, order room service and veg out….who can blame her?
Her counts are looking really good, she was a little dehydrated so she’s all full of fluids again, and she’s rested up. We’ll head home tomorrow since all she has is a great big case of Faker Syndrome.
Anyway….on with the vacation recap
Day 2 – Friday
Every morning they serve a Gi-normous breakfast, fresh made waffles every day (I seriously considered packing a whole suitcase of these to bring home because they were the BEST!) and we found out that Perkins restaurant donates all the food, the chef to cook it and takes care of every meal that is served at GKTW. They serve breakfast and dinner at the Gingerbread House every day, and the place is just bustling with volunteers from all over the place to help you get your food, to make sure you have everything you need, to clean up after you and to just make sure that your family is given every single thing you can think of. One morning the Fruit Loops were all gone and Peyton was just devastated…I’m pretty sure that if they could have cut off an arm and have Fruit Loops pour out, these volunteers would have. They were just awesome at every meal, taking care of all of us.
After we stuffed ourselves silly, as if it were the last meal we would eat for the week, we headed off to the Magic Kingdom. Now, we’ve been to the Magic Kingdom before…but never quite like this. GKTW gives you a special button to wear everywhere that announces that you are staying there, plus a card for the park that basically says “Hey, treat this special family with extra care!” At every ride and attraction we either got Fast-Passed directly onto the ride or we spent the least amount of time waiting humanly possible without inciting a riot. We breezed through the lines and took advantage of every possible privilege that special pass gave us, it was AWESOME!
Peyton loved the rides she got to go on, the characters (Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Belle, Sleeping Beauty….and the one that makes it all worth while, Cinderella) she got to see and the rest of us just breezed along for the ride. It was phenomenal to see her hesitate when meeting the characters and then suddenly light up when she couldn’t hide her glee any longer. The highlight of day 2 was definitely her meet and greet time with the princesses….I think it overwhelmed her a bit to see them up close and in person, bigger than life and talking to her, but she loved it afterwards.
It was a long and hot day in the park, but we also got the privilege of the GKTW lounge. It’s a special room set up for kids who are there on wish trips only, all comfy, air-conditioned, a private bathroom, drinks, a place where they can lay down and rest in comfort when the day gets too much for them. Peyton and I spent an hour there napping while Pete took Nathaniel and Rachael off to do the big kid rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Safari. After a little rest and recoup, Peyton was ready to roll for the rest of our Magic Kingdom time, we shopped and ate and had a ball.
We left the park in time to get back to GKTW for dinner and bathes, we missed the nightly party and we crashed early. It’s hard trying to juggle the GKTW schedule because if you stay in the village and enjoy all they have to offer then you miss out on time at the parks, or if you spend your day at the park, you get back too late and too tired to enjoy all the scheduled fun at the village. We did an even amount of park and village time and just feel like we got so much more out of it. It was worth it to give up park days to spend time with our friends and experience all that GKTW has to offer.
f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
–Anissa
As a jump ahead in the "what happened in Orlando" timeline, we did get sent to the Bucs training camp and made the news!! whooo hoooo
