Well we are past the 4 year mark, hard to believe sometimes it still seems like just the other day. We have a new addition to the family with Breezy's new little baby girl Elena. She is a lot of fun now, she is trying to turn over and she smiles, she giggles just turning into a baby, slowly away from the a newborn. We had a great spring, Keri and Chris came to stay for a couple weeks with Teagan and Keely and boy did we have a great time. You know every day she seems more and more like Mason it's just unbelievable. We have decided to go out to Corpus on Labor Day weekend and take Breezy and Elena so they can visit. Little Teagan just loves her little friend Elena that Teagan calls her Coco. I will be back soon. Thanks for visiting.

Well here we are in a new year , I know it's been a while since I have been on.We went through another Christmas without Mason and I am finding that it still doesn't get much easier. I still talk almost 3 times a week on Skype with my little friend Teagan and her little sister Keeley and they are growing up so fast, they get bigger every time I see them. Teagan is just like her dad full of energy and so much full, I have some new pictures of her that I wish to share with everyone so take a look at the new one. Till next time I wish every one well. Pat

Well it has been much to long since I posted because I have been working on a newer site, which I hope to have up soon. Well we had a great summer, Had both Teagan and Keely here and a blast they had. We gave T swimming lesson and they did not start out well but in the end she really enjoyed herself and learned the basics of swimming. Keely was also a real joy and she learned to take a bottle while she was here so everyone learned something this summer. The summer brought back alot of old memories of raising Tyler, Mason and Breezy and what a joy it is to have everyone home. Can't wait for next summer. I will start updating more often so please check back soon.

 

Thanks Pat

Well we are coming up on the 3 year mark, still seems like it was just yesterday when he was here at the house playing both his mom and I in a game of wii. The wii fitness board had just come out and we were skiing on it all day that Thursday. I remember him asking his mom if we might get him one for his birthday which was only 2 weeks away. We never made it to his birthday. On a happier note this May about the end of the month Teagan will be coming home with her new little sister Keely and we just can't wait. I am also looking forward to seeing Keri and Chris. Tyler and Debra will be coming up along with Breezy so this will be a great family gathering.

In the days of Coach Kane, all cooking on Thanksgiving morning ceased, temporarily that is.  Soccer players from near and far, alumni and rostered, gathered together to see who still has what it takes to play the beautiful game.  There was always love, always laughter and always a story.  Moms, Dads, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Grandma and Grandpas came out each year not only to give thanks and celebrate the holiday, but to stroll down memory lane and catch up on all the happenings. 

This year we have brought back the Turkey Bowl in Mason's honor as a fundraiser for his scholarship at Choctaw.  There will be food, family and friends and of course....the beautiful game.  This year is dedicated to the Alumni of Choctaw and Fort Walton High School who wish to play.  We look forward to seeing everyone!

Love to all, Lori

We'll as we get closer to the holidays it makes living that much harder because this was a very joyful time for our family. All of the kids enjoy the holidays but Mason really did. I remember one Christmas bout 4 years ago and it seemed like everything Mason got was the wrong sizes so Tyler ended up with his new shirt and pants but he was ok with that because he knew we would get him something else, but that was Mason. One fond memory of Mason was when he was younger he met a new friend name Johnny that was from Honduras  who played soccer with Mason, Johnny went with us to play soccer and one time did not have a good pair of cleats and Mason took his money and bought Johnny a pair of cleats on one of our trips. That was Mason and I'll always remember that he sure had a big heart. We'll that all for now, take care and please check back for more. Pat

Labor Day weekend was filled with anticipation as we, Pat and I, went on a mini vacation to Texas to see our little grand-daughter, Teagan and of course, Keri and Chris too! We had such fun talking, painting, eating, wrestling, playing in our pool, going to Teagan's favorite places like the Aquarium, McDonald's and Chuck E Cheese!  It was wonderful to hold her, to laugh with her, to make her laugh and the conversations!!!! We all talked about everything! It is amazing how much joy and love one person can spark in another and that is exactly what Teagan does to us! 

We sure miss our family and can't wait until all of us are back in the same state!  We do have news to share, Keri and Chris are expecting a baby!  A little girl, Ava is growing and is expected to have her birth-day in January, 2011!

Our very own Chef Tyler is still doing a great job at the Dolphin Resort!  He has made us so proud by living his dream!  Even though he is busting his butt, working all kinds of crazy hours but loving what he does and that makes us so very proud! Tyler and Debra are doing a great job raising our grand-dog, Lacey!  She loves her treats, toys and walks!

Our little Breezy, is doing a great job playing soccer at FSU!  All the work she put in this summer training has been paying off!  We have enjoyed watching her games and welcome everyone to check out her progress, stats and photos at www.seminoles.com.

We continue to figure out how to live with our grief.  People tell us how well we are doing, but I think we have done a great job of putting our feelings of sadness, loss and grief in our pockets.  We always carry this within each of us, we just don't wear our heartstrings in public, because the pain is still to raw and real.  We just keep our faith and hope and of course, love.

Thanks to all of you who keep up with us and continue to visit us and Mason on his site!  Look for new pictures of our visit to Texas uploading very soon!

With love and gratefulness, Lori 

We'll life has changed for us again as Little Teagan and Keri have moved to Corpus Christi and have now started a family of their own with her new husband Chris. Chris has stepped in and has taken a great love for Teagan and we are blessed that she is in very good hand to help her along her journey without her daddy Mason.

We have learned that even with miles between us that with the advantage of computers and Skype we still get to enjoy Teagan, Keri and Chris, believe me when I say without Skype it would be very hard to keep pressing forward, but with it we have not missed a beat. We speak to Teagan about 3 times a week and what a joy it is, when Teagan see us it's like game on because she shows us everything that we have been missing, she has not missed a beat with us she even tries to give us a big kiss through the screen. I hate to think what Keri's computer screen looks like.

Thank you Keri and Chris for keeping us close and teaching Teagan about her Daddy Mason. We also wish to thank all the people that continue to enjoy his site by the numbers close to 5000 people have already stopped by.

Please keep stopping by and checking, and drop us a line. Pat

Today, we honor and remember Mason's life as today is the 2nd anniversary of his entry into Heaven.  Each of us privately recall where we were, what we were doing, who we were with, how we felt and what we did when we learned that Mason died Tuesday, May 27, 2008. 

Fast forward to today where we are honoring Mason by eating crappy fast food like TOPS burgers or Sonic's chili cheese dogs...he loved that kind of food but also loved to cook and would whip up delicious and believe it or not, nutritious meals.  He loved his community and frequently went a little bit out of his way to make someone's load a little lighter, smile a little brighter, day a little better.  We practice that everyday anyway and will continue to pay it forward.  He also loved his family, the beach and river.  We visited the beach with Teagan today and just soaked up the sun and each other.

There is love and there is life.  There is honor and there is glory.  We are still broken, but are learning to live with our broken-ness and have begun to bud and hopefully blossom.  Mason's journey has not ended as he is alive is those who love him and remember him and in that sweet little girl who spirit soars.

There were many people who took the time to tell us that they remembered Mason today and words cannot express our heartfelt appreciation for letting us know that he is with you too.   

Thanks for taking the time to visit, read and catch up.  Drop us a line.  With love, Lori

The weather has turned beautiful.  The days are longer, the sun bright and warm once again.  Flowers, shrubs and trees are blooming!  The smells are wonderful and the color bursts are truly God's work.

We have all continued to put one foot in front of the other and do our best everyday to move.  Sometimes moving forward, sometimes sliding backward, sometimes going in circles!

We decided that after 22 months it would be okay to clear our dining room area of Mason's clothing. It took two weekends to carefully sort, fold and stack it all!  He had more clothing than Belk's Department Store!!! Some of the shirts still had his scent on them like he just took it off and left it laying around, which he was pretty good at doing.  We found his favorite cargo shorts....even tried them on.  We found his beloved boxer collection, some that are pretty funny, some very colorful, some brand new and some gently worn.  The most amazing thing we found was his enormous surplus of white athletic socks!  Some of which I have been missing and thought I was losing my mind looking for!!!  

We shed many tears.  We shared many memories.  We said good bye, once again to a bunch of stuff that was Mason's and wished for one more day....

Thanks for keeping up with us and for reading our blogs, sharing our photos and for leaving your own message.  Happy spring!   Love, Lori

Time.  It is amazing how quickly time passes you by.  I thought I was here, on-site, last Saturday.  It turns out it was two weeks ago! 

Hours progress into days, days into weeks, weeks into months, months into years and so on.  It is the events during this time that mark where you are, how you are doing, where you've been and hopefully show you where you want to go or at least the direction you are heading in.  If you pay attention to the signs along the way, over time you can see how events shaped your life or the end of it. 

We hope that when you remember Mason's life you are reminded of love, laughter, energy, kindness, athleticism and a pure joy and quality of life.  A lot of time, when people remember someone who has passed away, we often remember how that person died and the events that led up to their demise.  We forget that they lived and loved and dreamed before they died.  Perhaps we can be more present minded and remember how they lived, their legacy left behind that we can emulate and carry forward. 

Mason's zest for life reminds me of a beautiful Golden Retreiver on a soccer field with the sun shining warmly and brightly, chasing a soccer ball, in full stretched out sprint across the entire length of the field with a huge smile on his face.  I also see this happening again, again and again.  

I miss you "girl" and hope each and everyday that we meet in my dreams.  I love you forever, to the moon and back and stretched out across all of the stars.  Thanks for reading...here's to life.  Love, Lori

P. S.  Happy Birthday, Ali!  (02/21/86)  

The opening song of this website is by a band named 'Shinedown' and in it it says ..."by the way, I made it through the day."  We think that, a lot.  Sometimes we say "Whew!" and are glad the day is over.  Sometimes we thank God the day is over and sometimes we thank God for the day.

It is still hard to kick yourself in the pants to get moving.  Getting out of bed is still the hardest and I don't know why because it isn't like we are sleeping or even resting for that matter!

I read this incredible book,  'The Shack' about 4 months after Mason died and understood the words but I didn't truly grasp the meaning until recently.   In this book,  there is a father who's daughter died and he speaks about the great darkness.  The great darkness is a place where sadness sits and I suppose it just sits and hibernates until someone or something jars it awake and you are faced with with this overwhelming grief.  And you become consumed in this massive wave of emotion that is so deep and raw and painful.  You hurt all over again, your head aches, stomach aches, muscles tremor, lungs gasp for air at the memory of the sudden loss of your child, our son, who along with his sister and brother were the center of your universe.   I often wonder why God allows this grief to be repeated over and over and over again, not only with my family but there are millions of families, moms and dads who are experiencing such loss.  I don't understand.

When your child dies it doesn't just break your heart or leave a hole it in where they used to live, but your entire soul down to your core, your center shifts and it can become so far out of alignment that your lose you way, your direction or your inner connection.  Until....it wakes up. I do believe that the light will shine in us again, maybe in a different color or hue or maybe we will shine brighter. Maybe we will even see a rainbow.

I know Mason wouldn't want us feeling this way and he would want to make it better for us and he has by leaving us with Teagan. He is alive in her and boy is he ever!  There is a lot of his bouncing spirit in this little angel!

By the way, if you haven't read 'The Shack", do so.  It has different meanings for each person who reads it but we all walk away with hope.  Thanks for reading and keeping us going...Love, Lori

 

We had a few blogs that had to be deleted because apparently I wrote in chinese, webease, some sort of ease that turned out to be anything but legible.  I guess something got lost in translation and posting of our site.

As I sat down to write tonight, I was feeling sorry for myself, my family and Mason's friends who truly loved him and lost, but mostly, sorry for myself.  I guess a part me always feels sorry for myself just a bit everyday, but most days I try to push this away and count my blessings.  I thank Mason everyday for the gift he gave us in Teagan.  We also are very thankful for Keri for her choice to keep us close to her and Teagan for becoming a part of our family.  We have experienced such love, joy and hope that we thought was lost and are truly grateful for this phase in our lives, except we are missing a key link, Mason.

I thank God for the time we had with Mason for Mason taught us that happily bouncing through life spreading joy to everyone you meet and doing good, even while giving someone a hard time with a smile, is doing God's work and left a legacy.  Tonight I give thanks.

Thanks for reading....love, Lori 

The Christmas season is upon us.  This will be our second Christmas without Mason. 

Christmas was one of Mason's favorite holidays.  Our thoughts and conversations often turn to him this time of year.  Just this morning we were talking about how Mason always believed there is a Santa Claus.  His last Christmas Eve that he was home, he was 21, he left a note for Santa pledging his goodness all year long!  (HaHaHa, the jury is still out on that!) But let's not let Tyler and Breezy off the hook as they too left Santa a note along with cookies and milk and carrots for the reindeer! 

Santa will come for Mason this year, but he will leave gifts to Teagan in Mason's place.  You see, God sent us an angel in Teagan and we are truly blessed that Mason left us this gift. Mason is still with us, in Teagan.

Teagan and I went walking last night looking at our neighborhood's decorations and lights. It reminded me of the magic of the holiday as we now see it in Teagan's eyes.  She grew more and more excited with each house we visited. (You know some probably thought we were casing their houses as we walked up their driveways and lingered a bit!) She clapped, laughed, squatted and stared at the displays as if the twinkling lights were speaking to her.  All of the lit up animals, snowmen, penguins were there just for her to enjoy.  Our walk together gave me a feeling of hope and love for this little being that I only thought possible with our own children.  Teagan lights up our lives, just as her Daddy's megawatt smile lit up a room! Our walk gave me peace and reminded me that we will all be ok.  Happy Holidays and thanks for visiting. :)

All over the world, day after day, year after year, children die.  Some by accident, fire, illness, war or something completely different.  Family, friends and entire communities come to mourn the deaths of children who have died before they could reach their full potential. (Thank you, our family and Mason were honored and deeply touched.) This Sunday, 12/13/09 for one hour at 7pm local time is the 13th Annual Worldwide Candle Lighting sponsored by the The Compassionate Friends, a grieving organization for those of us who's children have died, no matter their age, too young.  Please join us in honoring our son, Mason and other children who are loved, missed and forever remembered. All you have to do is light a candle for one hour.  If you are interested in attending the lighting in person, please contact us for further detals.  If you know of anyone who has lost a child, please contact them over the holidays, just to say hi, share a story or simply to let them know their son/daughter has not been forgotten. Thank you for taking the time to visit and Happy Holidays to you all.

Well here we are at our 2nd Thanksgiving without Mason. But this year was even more different because Tyler and Debra had to work and stay in Orlando. We were also without Breezy because she was preparing with her FSU women's soccer team; getting ready to play Notre Dame the day after.  We have enjoyed our little bundle, Teagan Mason and what a joy she has been!  We missed the turkey bowl at Choctaw for the 2nd striaght year. I remember the year before Mason passed,  when out of the clear blue sky he came home, all sweaty from a great holiday game!  Mason always made sure when he went and played at pickup games he would always say to Breezy "grab your cleats so you can play too" and he always made sure that she got in, no matter who was playing. Thanksgiving reminds us that we are incredibly thankful for the family and friends who continue to share their Mason stories on this site, our emails and in person.  We value this connection and absolutely love the tales.

 

Well here we are at the first birthday of Mason's little girl Teagan. What a wonderful birthday it was, she looked so sweet in her little outfit that I could not but help to wonder how proud of this little girl Mason would be. He seemed to have that joy for kids that seem's to elude most people his age. He went out of his way to entertain little kids of all ages. Teagan has turned out to be such a blessing that I now understand how sometimes the circle of life seems to take us in a new direction with a new plan of how we are suppose to live. As the holiday season comes upon us again we will again wonder WHY. Thanks again for visiting Mason's web page.  

I haven't run consistently in a month.  When Mason died, I turned to running as a way of therapy/coping; as a positive outlet that would make me hungry enough to eat; sweaty enough to shower; tired enough to sleep.  Lately, though I haven't gotten up in the mornings with the alarm.  I keep turning the alarm off and rolling over and hoping I don't have to start another day without Mason.  But I/we do. I am still amazed at how tomorrow keeps coming.  Every night I really try to be my own cheerleader and tell myself that when tomorrow comes I can get up and face the day.  I've been telling myself that since Mason's year anniversary.  I still have hope, I just don't have the drive.  I know that life goes on, after all we are living proof, but how do we pick up the pieces and make each day count?  When your soul is aching and your heart is broken.....(Can you tell I have a bad case of the blahs?) I know, I know, we still have a lot to be hopeful and thankful for (Teagan and each other) and I really do know that and believe we will all be ok.  I have held my feelings in check for quite sometime and thought I should find an outlet, perhaps journaling, but anyone who knows me lately, knows I have a HUGE mess in my house and that keeping up with a paper journal is futile! So maybe writing here will help.  Thanks for listening.  I love you Mason and miss you terribly.  Dad says, ditto.  :) Forever,  Mom/Lori

Well here we are again at the beginning of another school year and the start of soccer, which we all know has always been a big part of our lives.  

Breezy is now off at FSU and already started preseason training.  We believe that Mason would be also playing at the next level since his UWF soccer experience would have been completed last season.

Tyler is still in the Orlando area cooking away and seems to be enjoying it.  Our lives continue to be on the new journey, which we all know is very different than we had planned.  We continue to remember the special person that Mason was and still is to us all, reflecting on the little girl that he leaves in his place to hopefully continue on the journey that he has started.

Teagan has been practicing her walking skills and has several times gone for her "solo" stroll.  She would rather walk holding onto our fingers than without.  She LOVES going outside even if it is just to walk some more.  Teagan's words are the same, Dada, yaya and other sounds that we feel is a sure sign of our next motor mouth.

Well we are into another month of missing Mason, I understood that in time things are suppose to get easier but we am still having a hard time believing that because as of today it still seems like it was yesterday,  that we lost such a wonderful son, brother, and friend.I wish to thank all of the people that visit his site and continue to do so. We also like reading all the entries tht are on the guest book. We encourage you to leave your personal funny stories about Mason  and we will list it so everyone can read. One thing I remember about Mason was his ability to brighten up any room that he went into. He always talked about Breezy and her ability to play soccer, He was so proud of her and wanted her to go and play at the next level and always believed that she would. Make him proud Breezy.