Mattie Miracle Walk 2023 was a $131,249 success!

Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation Promotional Video

Thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive!

Dear Mattie Blog Readers,

It means a great deal to us that you take the time to write to us and to share your thoughts, feelings, and reflections on Mattie's battle and death. Your messages are very meaningful to us and help support us through very challenging times. To you we are forever grateful. As my readers know, I promised to write the blog for a year after Mattie's death, which would mean that I could technically stop writing on September 9, 2010. However, at the moment, I feel like our journey with grief still needs to be processed and fortunately I have a willing support network still committed to reading. Therefore, the blog continues on. If I should find the need to stop writing, I assure you I will give you advanced notice. In the mean time, thank you for reading, thank you for having the courage to share this journey with us, and most importantly thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive.


As Mattie would say, Ooga Booga (meaning, I LOVE YOU)! Vicki and Peter



The Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation celebrates its 7th anniversary!

The Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation was created in the honor of Mattie.

We are a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. We are dedicated to increasing childhood cancer awareness, education, advocacy, research and psychosocial support services to children, their families and medical personnel. Children and their families will be supported throughout the cancer treatment journey, to ensure access to quality psychosocial and mental health care, and to enable children to cope with cancer so they can lead happy and productive lives. Please visit the website at: www.mattiemiracle.com and take some time to explore the site.

We have only gotten this far because of people like yourself, who have supported us through thick and thin. So thank you for your continued support and caring, and remember:

.... Let's Make the Miracle Happen and Stomp Out Childhood Cancer!

A Remembrance Video of Mattie

June 11, 2014

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2003. Mattie and I were standing in front of Bodie Island Lighthouse in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We were doing our lighthouse tour. We got to practically every lighthouse on the barrier island during that visit.... Currituck, Bodie, and Hatteras. The only lighthouse you could actually walk up into and tour was Currituck, therefore the others were quick visits with a toddler in tow!








Quote of the day: When you tend to another's dying embers, you find both warmth and an increase in the glow of your own fire. ~ Richelle E. Goodrich



Something woke me up at 6am! I couldn't quite place the sound at first but then I realized, we were having a massive storm! Rain, wind, thunder and lightning! As the morning progressed things calmed down and as always, our dolphins did not disappoint! In fact, we had quite a show this morning from our balcony! What I like about this photo is you can see how close this dolphin is to the shoreline. 

Peter was snapping photos for several minutes. There were dolphins everywhere! The water was very smooth and calm, but a cool 53 degrees by the way!







More dolphins!












Today we ventured into the town of Duck. Which is on the northern end of the barrier island. As you enter into Duck, this is the sign that greets you. Duck maybe our favorite part of the Island, and it is certainly the part of the Island which holds the most memories for us. 





Duck is filled with shops, like you see here! Today was "Scarborough Faire" day in town! Actually every Wednesday seems to be Faire day in Duck! In which there are games, crafts and pony rides for children! The Outer Banks are known for their wild ponies or wild mustangs, who are said to be descendants of the wild horses which date back to over 500 years when the first Spanish settlers came to the shores of North Carolina. I remember a decade ago when we were here there was an occasional mention of wild mustangs, but NOW there are actual bus tours and promotional materials everywhere on these ponies. The Faire Days definitely encourage the children to ride a "mustang!!!" These are NOT just pony rides, but apparently you are buying tickets to ride a mustang! 

What are your thoughts on this? Is it a shell sculpture, a bunny, or a person? It does leave it up to the imagination and it is up for interpretation since it isn't named!








Part of the boardwalk of Duck which meanders around shops!











We drove passed this restaurant earlier in the week and I liked the look of it! So while in town today, we walked to it and went in for lunch. As in most beach towns, many of the wonderful restaurants aren't open for lunch. Only dinner. Yet since Peter and I got here on Saturday, we have yet to go out to dinner. I am just not in the mind set for it. This can happen with me at times. I can get in these moods where I do not want to go out. I prefer going out during the day. Which is problematic since my schedule doesn't always match up with how things work at the beach. In any case, we went to the Aqua restaurant today. It was a very special treat on the sound in which we had wonderful views, food, and service. 

Our view of the sound
at lunch time! It was another cloudy day but VERY humid!











It was a hot day, and yet the appetizer special was hot soup no less. Don't you know I ordered it too! It was a crab and corn chowder. Huge pieces of crab, it was absolutely wonderful and then I had a mahi mahi with pineapple and mango salsa served with coconut rice. It was a stunning combination in a beautiful setting. 


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