I have so many memories of Toni that I don't know how I can even begin to pick which ones are my favorite. Some of my best memories where going with Toni up to visit her daughters in college. I can't tell you how many nights were spend laughing so much we almost peed are pants in hotels and walmarts in Statesboro and Valdosta. On of my favorites is when Toni, Allie and I went up to Statesboro to visit Jacki and three of us went on a late night run to walmart. It was right before Valentine's day and all of the Valentine's crap was everywhere. I honestly don't remember how it happened but Allie and I ended up with small stuffed Rhinos and we carried them around Walmart laughing and calling each other Rhinos. Were were loud and silly and Toni never seemed embarrassed, she just laughed with us and told us to throw the Rhinos in the cart because we weren't leaving the store without them!. From that day on Allie was my little rhino and I was Allie's big rhino and Toni was our mama rhino. Let's just say that we all ended up with many rhino things from that day on. Another one of my funniest memories of Toni was when I was working at Summer Waves, I hurt my ankle for the first time. Toni rushed me to the ER and held my hand while they took the most painful x-rays of my life. I was so happy when that nurse stopped grabbing my ankle. We were waiting to here the results when the x-ray nurse came in and said that she didn't get the right angles the first time and she need more x-rays. I just sat there in shock and started to cry. Toni told her no way she was going to let her touch me again to do x-rays, the nurse needed to figure it out. I remember being so thankful to have her be my voice in that situation. The hospital said it was a bad sprain (a few years later, we found out the real problem) and I was not allowed to be on my foot for a week, that meant no work for a week. Let's just say in the waterpark business, a week off is virtually impossible, but Toni didn't care. She took me to my apartment, packed up clothes for a week, and took me back to her house. She took my car keys, so I couldn't sneak out (which I totally would have done) and I was officially on lock down. She moved the recliner to the living room and made me rest there all week with my foot elevated and iced. When I say lock down, I am serious, she would sometimes even yell at me when I got up to go to the bathroom. She did take me on one field trip that week and it was to Publix to get groceries. The deal was that I had to ride in the cart, and not the scooter cart, the carts that have the little kid seats that look like a car, yeah that's right a 20 something women riding in a cart pushed by Toni. Looking back at it now, we probably looked so silly, but you listened to Mama Toni, just like your own mother and you did not argue. I have great late night memories of making chocolate houses with her. Halloween was also a great time in the Mugavin house. Toni LOVED Halloween and I always had so much fun helping set up and act in all of her Halloween Haunted Houses. Toni was also always in charge of taking care of my two cats Surf and Coral when I went up to visit my family in Ohio. My cats loved her and I know she loved them. One time when she was watching them, Toni and Jackie stopped by and Surf escaped out the front door. Toni and Jackie chased Surf around and tried to catch him. Jackie was not a whole lot of help since she is so allergic to cats and couldn't even grab Surf. Toni finally caught him and then called and told me about their small adventure. I remember when I found out that Surf had cancer and passed away. Toni called me and we both cried over the phone with each other because our fury friend was gone. She always had a great heart for people and for animals. Some of my favorite memories were those when Toni was on a mission to help people. I learned a lot from her about being a servant for people in need. When Hurricane Katrina hit, I remember spending hours collecting items from all of Brunswick that she was sending to the effected areas and she did the same for Hurricane Sandy and any other disaster locally or far way. She bought a bike for a little girl who's bike was stolen from the girl's yard. She literally would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. Sadly, because she gave so much, people tended to take advantage of her and her generosity, but that never stopped her, she just kept giving and giving. She always had the ability to throw together amazing fundraisers at the drop of a hat and everyone knew her and would donate whatever they could to help any cause that she supported. I have so many memories of the great times I've had with Toni. I remember sitting many a day and night on the Mugavin's front porch with Toni laughing, crying, venting, dreaming or scheming. She always listened, said her opinion (even if I didn't like what she was saying), and always had a plan of action, always. She was always wonderful with that. She was always there through the good, bad and crazy guys I dated here in the South and was over the moon excited when I started dating, got engaged, and married to Chris. She of course at our reception asked about babies. I was happy that I was able to tell Toni that I am pregnant and was going to finally have that baby she always asked about.
Toni Mugavin was such a wonderful woman and over the years I have learned so much from her. There will never be a day that goes by that I will not think of her and miss her. I know that she is in a much better place and is having the time of her life laughing it up with God. She is probably talking his ear off and telling some angels what to do. I loved her so much and I just hope that when she looks down on all of us, we are making her proud by doing everything that we can for each other. Goodbye my dear friend.
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