Family Christmas 2006



Click here to see a larger slide show.

Disney World Comes to a Close...

Tomorrow will be our last day at Walt Disney World. We have been thrilled with so much fun and have enjoyed so many incredible sights, sounds, smells and “magical” dreams. We will post a comprehensive blog complete with pictures when we return to the “real” world this weekend. For now here is our Christmas picture that we used for our cards this year.

Disney or Bust!

We are on the road on our way to our first Walt Disney World Christmas vacation! Marizza, Spencer along with Nanny and Popose (Melissa’s mother and father) and Melissa and I piled into a minivan on a "fantastic voyage" with a final destination of what many say is the happiest place on earth. We left late on Friday and stayed overnight at the Isle of Capri in Biloxi, Mississippi. The heavy fog made for difficult navigation as we arrived late in the evening where literally huge hotels could not be seen and then would suddenly pop-out of the foggy abyss. We woke up Saturday morning and toured the hotel ate a very enjoyable breakfast buffet which included many southern favorites such as fried green tomatos, cheese grits, cornbeef hash, along with other favorites like smoked bacon, fried eggs, country ham, buttermilk pancakes… ok I have to stop because I'm getting hungry again…Anyway, with Biloxi in our rearview mirror we continued on towards Mobile, Alabama then continued on to the Florida border. Florida truly reminds us of the grandeur of God’s creation with its miles of tree lined countryside. We are all feeling the “vacation feel” as we have been leaving our daily routines, work and school behind and embracing the open road as we travel towards Orlando! It is sure to be a great time.

I started this post on Saturday and we have arrived in Orlando!!
Along the way Marizza and Spencer caught up on some movie watching as we made our way through Mobile, Alabama then Tallahassee. We were very blessed this evening as we arrived late to our hotel they had already released our room however do to a mix up with Nanny and Poposes room they had two beds so God to care of us... once again. Praise be to the God of details. We are very tired but are now all asleep except for me. I am posting this before I go to bed. Lots of excitement is to be had by all tomorrow morning as we set out to conquer Magic Kingdom.

MADD 2006 Online Candlelight Vigil

Christmas Tree 2006

Our New Tradition

We decorated our tree today. This was something we had put off because we would be spending Christmas break on vacation in Disney World this year and we did not intend to cut down a live tree (as we have the past 4 years) due to the watering that it needed and that we planned on being away from home spending time with our families. However, John woke up this morning and announced that he wanted us to have a white tree this year to start a new tradition. We found a suitable “artificial” white tree and bought blue lights that matched the blue and silver color palette that Melissa has established as our family Christmas color aptly called “Winter Wonderland”. Christmas sounds and songs filled the air in our home as we decorated this new tree and we were very surprised at how beautiful the tree turned out. Melissa then commented, “I think we found our new tradition.”
With the death of Austin, Melissa’s youngest brother, still fresh in everyone’s mind the one year anniversary of his tragic loss is fast approaching on December 25th. Christmas this year will be especially meaningful for our families but mostly for the incredible way Austin’s death has brought us so much closer over the last year. We have cried together, hugged, held hands, prayed, listened, talked, made meals together and created so many lasting memories. This Christmas we will be most thankful that we are all together.

Winter Piano Recital

December 8, 2006

Marizza and Spencer had their first piano recital tonight. They both were very nervous having never played in front of anyone besides their piano teacher, Mrs. Rita Widener and our family. 21 students played selected pieces for an audience of family and friends. There were over 40 people in attendance including Grandma Linda (John’s Mother). Spencer went first and played Once A Man Was So So Mad and Knock Knock Joke. Marizza played Lullaby and Goodnight and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Both Spencer and Marriza started lessons over the summer and to see them play tonight was a great pleasure for us. We can’t wait until the next recital in the Spring.

LifeGift Memorial Service

LifeGift Memorial Candelighting Ceremony

Tonight we joined Melissa’s dad, Robert and sister Erin for the LifeGift Organ Donation Center’s Memorial Candelighting Ceremony honoring organ and tissue donors. The ceremony was held at the Arabia Shrine Center in Houston, TX. The service included the announcing of each donor at which the family members came up to light a single candle in honor of their loved one lost. The service ended with 12 donor recipients thanking the donor families in attendance for their “gifts” of life. We also were given a commemorative candle votive and a rose to remember the ceremony. It was a very touching time for all of us.

MADD Take the Wheel

M.A.D.D – Take the Wheel Initiative
Nov. 29, 2006, 1:29AM
MADD pulling out all the stops in Houston area
Group uses both education and prevention in one area for first time

By ALEXIS GRANT
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle After launching a nationwide campaign last week to eliminate drunken driving, Mothers Against Drunk Driving decided the Houston area, with one of the highest rates of drunken driving fatalities in the country, needed some extra attention.
For the first time, the group will implement all of its educational and prevention programs in one area, in an effort to cut down on alcohol-related crashes here. Leaders plan to unveil the pilot program today, with the support of local families who have lost loved ones to drivers under the influence.
"Drunk driving is a choice," said Melissa Roschal, whose 17-year-old brother, Robert Austin Reyna, and three of his friends died last Christmas after their van was hit by a drunken, underage driver.
"These little kids in that van didn't have a choice," Roschal said. "They were robbed of a choice because somebody else decided to be irresponsible."
MADD is hoping to prevent that from happening to other Houston-area families with its Take the Wheel initiative. The organization will hold four town hall meetings, support a MADD chapter at the University of Houston, and implement all of its youth programs, from elementary to high school, in the Humble Independent School District.
"We figure if we're going to work on an initiative like this nationwide, we need to hit the area that has the biggest problem," said Lynn Fields, co-chairwoman of the MADD Southeast Regional Council in Texas.
See full story here http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4365993.html