1st Trip (of many!) as Mr. & Mrs.--the TR-- UPDATE 9/9: Life Update--We're Moving!!

[stacikristine]

Thank you for a well laid out TR that reflected the great time you had. Good pictures and story, have a great marriage.

Aw, thank you so much! I really enjoyed writing for all of you! Thank you so much for reading! :goodvibes


Hey Staci! I missed your last few updates while I was away, but I am all caught up now!

So sad your TR is coming to an end. I have thoroughly enjoyed it!:goodvibes

Looking forward to hearing your final thoughts!:)

Thank you SO much for reading along! Sorry it's taken me forever to finish it. I'm anxious to finish my final thoughts! :thumbsup2

[jenny105]

Hello out there! How have you been Staci??

[stacikristine]

Hello out there! How have you been Staci??

Hey Jenny! Let's just say it's been one of the craziest months of my life. Things have been turned upside down! I'll write an update soon... I'm in a wedding this weekend and have to drive 7 hours by myself, but I'll be back to update next week! I hope you've had a great summer so far!!

[LilAnn]

Hi Staci! Just wanted to say I'm glad to see you checking in. :goodvibes Have a great weekend and have fun in the wedding!

[jenny105]

Hey Jenny! Let's just say it's been one of the craziest months of my life. Things have been turned upside down! I'll write an update soon... I'm in a wedding this weekend and have to drive 7 hours by myself, but I'll be back to update next week! I hope you've had a great summer so far!!

7 hours?? By yourself?? :scared1: Be careful! Looking forward to your update!

[stacikristine]

Hi Staci! Just wanted to say I'm glad to see you checking in. :goodvibes Have a great weekend and have fun in the wedding!

Hi Ann! Thanks so much! :goodvibes I'm glad I was finally able to come back to the DIS for at least a few minutes. I'm working on catching up on TRs and stuff--so I'll try to make it to yours asap! The wedding was wonderful! I hope you had a great weekend too!


7 hours?? By yourself?? :scared1: Be careful! Looking forward to your update!

Yeah, it was crazy driving that by myself! But I had music to listen to! :thumbsup2 I'll update about life next, and then I'll finish up this TR sometime soon.

[cdotla]

Glad to see you back! Have fun at the wedding, and looking forward to your next updates when you can!:)

[stacikristine]

Glad to see you back! Have fun at the wedding, and looking forward to your next updates when you can!:)

I'm glad to be back! Thanks so much--the wedding was fantastic. I'll do a life update right after this! :thumbsup2

[stacikristine]

Once again, I am SOOOO sorry for neglecting my TR. :guilty: I promise that I was thinking about all of you often, but I literally did not have the time to even get on and update.



To put it mildly, life has been CRAZY. :scared1:



May was supposed to be calmer than the rest of the spring had been, but that turned out to not be the case. While we did have some free nights (thank goodness!), our weekends were still pretty nuts.



The first weekend, we took our youth to Tyler, TX to volunteer at Pine Cove Camps again. We had a GREAT time, and Michael and I got to see some of our really good friends that work at camp.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Winter%20Spring/08PineCoveSpring001.jpg

Class of 2008

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Winter%20Spring/08PineCoveSpring005.jpg

PS. That’s me in the middle of their sandwich.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Winter%20Spring/08PineCoveSpring008.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Winter%20Spring/08PineCoveSpring007.jpg



Oh—and my cousin had her baby the day before we left, so we got to meet little Paix as well!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Winter%20Spring/07MicheDekkerBSUPaix027.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Winter%20Spring/07MicheDekkerBSUPaix028.jpg


The next weekend was actually free! It was the first in what seemed like forever.



The next week my cousin stayed with us, and then that weekend was her law school graduation party, so we went to TX for the party/mini family reunion. On Sunday I had a bridal shower to go to plus the church picnic.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Winter%20Spring/10DannaShower006.jpg

Hehe…opening my gift.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Winter%20Spring/10DannaShower010.jpg



The weekend of the 21-23, we were supposed to have a nice, quiet weekend and our only commitment was to go to our friends’ wedding. Let me start by saying that Danna and Jonathan (the ones getting married) have become some of our very best friends since January. We try to hang out at least every other week, and we’ve just gotten really, really close. So if they needed anything, we’d be the first to volunteer….

Well, Danna’s mom called me on Thursday (before the wedding on Saturday) and was practically in tears. She said their wedding coordinator backed out that day (she said she was too sick, but I work with her, and she wasn’t…but that’s another story) and she didn’t even do the programs like she said she would. So she asked if I’d PLEASE design and help them make the programs, and I said I’d love to. Then she asked if I’d PLEASE help coordinate things since they needed someone to be in charge, and she didn’t think she could. Of course I agreed, and there went our relaxing weekend. :upsidedow

It was a whirlwind of really late nights and wedding overload, but it turned out to be beautiful, and we’d do it all over again if we were given the option. And we’re so glad that we were able to help them!!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding009.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding014.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding021.jpg

The Programs I designed/made

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding039.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding049.jpg

Michael Videoed the wedding. He’s SUPER talented. I’ll have to try to get the highlight video up here sometime…

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding057.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding058.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding072.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding079.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/01BorntragerWedding080.jpg



The following Tuesday, life turned upside-down. We’d been praying for a while that we would just know when it’s time to move elsewhere. Well, some things happened that made it pretty clear, and we went from planning to stay for another year (at least) to looking to move as soon as possible. The biggest issue is that our church budget is really hurting, and we’ve been told that it’s only a matter of time before Michael has to be cut to a part-time position since he’s the only other full-time employee besides the pastor. We can’t make it on half of what he makes now, and so we want to try to move before it comes to that. We talked it over with our pastor on Tuesday and he supports us fully, and then Michael met with the personnel committee on Sunday to tell them that we’re planning to move. While they all said that they would hate to see us go, they understand that they can’t ask us to stay when the budget is how it is. So those are the only people that know as of now (so please don’t say anything on FB if we’re friends), and we’ve been job-hunting every since.


We’ve both applied for full-time positions at the camp where we worked in the summers (Pine Cove), and I’ve had my phone interview, but we really don’t know what’s going to come from that. We also interviewed at a K-6th grade school in Dallas on Monday, and it’s looking semi-promising. We think that we would both love teaching there, and it’d be amazing to have a teacher’s schedule! A church in Houston and a church in Georgia also look like they might be promising. But it’s really all just up in the air right now. He’s applied everywhere from CA to IL to FL to DC. We would REALLY appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we try to figure out where we’re going to be next year. The good thing is that we both have our current jobs until we find new ones. But it’s still been crazy.



So job hunting has been the over-arching theme of our summer so far, with everything else going on at the same time.




Cont.

[stacikristine]

Cont. from previous



June 2-5, Michael was at kids’ camp with the 4-6th graders at our church. The next week was pretty hectic since we were getting ready for youth camp the following week. We left the 14th and came back on the 19th. It was probably the best week of Falls Creek (the camp we take our youth to in OK) I’ve been a part of—both as a student and a sponsor. Our kids were incredible, and we just had an amazing time! It made it REALLY hard to think about leaving when we got back. But after about two days of questioning if this is really what we feel we need to do, we were both sure about it once again. It’s just going to be tough to leave “our kids”.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010024.jpg

Oh—and my little brother was there with his church that he works at too!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010043.jpg

Water Assassins is a SUPER fun game, by the way!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010067.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010107.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010116.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010117.jpg

I was racing one of our girls to the top

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010140.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010221.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010226.jpg

The ropes course Alpine Tower

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010263.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010264.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010288.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02FallsCreek2010296.jpg



Last weekend, I drove down to Brenham, TX (in-between Austin and Houston) for one of my best friend’s weddings. It was wonderful! Cecily was my roommate at a leadership camp a few years ago (we lived together for 9 months). She married Marcelo, who she met while she was in Chile for a year! I’m really, really sad that they’re moving back to Chile for at least two years, but I’m so happy for them. He’s a great guy, and they’re adorable together. I’m SOOO thankful that I was able to be a part of their special day!

Rehearsal

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding004.jpg

Our “practice flowers”

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding006.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding018.jpg

We made the bouquets! I’d never done this before, and I’m really glad I was able to learn something new. I worked with another girl and we did Cecily’s bouquet! (Oh—and we used all of our hair ties to hold it together since we didn’t have rubber bands)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding019.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding024.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding025.jpg




Cont.

[stacikristine]

Cont. from previous




Bridal Luncheon:

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding034.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding036.jpg

The BEST Chicken Salad I’ve ever had—and I don’t usually like C.S.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding037.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding039.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding045.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding047.jpg

Getting ready to go out for the wedding!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding066.jpg

After the ceremony:

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding071.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding072.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding074.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding076.jpg

The rest of our “Forgie” girls (the leadership program we were in is called The Forge)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding077.jpg

The cake had little pull strings in it. Instead of a garter/bouquet toss, the single ladies (and in this case, some guys as well) pulled a string and hoped for a ring. It’s one of the Chilean traditions that they incorporated.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding092.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding096.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding114.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/02CecilyMarceloWedding116.jpg




Monday, like I said earlier, we had job interviews at a school in Dallas. We decided to make a day out of it and stopped by DBU (where we went to college) to visit people. Then we went out to eat, went shopping, and had dinner with a friend.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/03RandomSummer008.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/2010%20Summer/03RandomSummer012.jpg




So I’ve been back at work for the past three days, and then we’re leaving as soon as I get off work today (around 4:00) to go on vacation!!!!!! We’re going to San Antonio, TX to visit Michael’s family and vacation at the same time. Here’s the plan so far:


Thursday: Drive to SA—arrive around 10pm

Friday: MICHAEL’S BIRTHDAY!!! Sleep in, possibly play mini-golf and go to a family fun center he used to work at, go to downtown SA and eat at Azuca's (http://www.azuca.net/azuca/index.php) and possibly stay for Salsa dancing!

Saturday: Hang around SA. Possibly visit some of the old missions and the Riverwalk, eat at the Cool Café (http://www.coolcafesa.com/RiverWalk/menu.html)

Sunday: Get up and head to the Port Aransas Beach! Michael’s aunts and uncles (on his dad’s side) have a condo at Port A, and they go there every 4th of July week. Swim, fish, lay out, have family time, watch fireworks from the beach

Monday: Hang out at the beach some more, then drive to Corpus Christi to visit Michael’s Grandma and possibly some other family (on his mom’s side).

Tuesday: Leave Corpus sometime in the afternoon and go back to SA to relax

Wednesday: Go to Six Flags Fiesta TX (http://www.sixflags.com/fiestaTexas/index.aspx)! I’m really excited about this because there’s a water park connected to it—so now when I feel sick to my stomach and like an old person (remember Six Flags last year?!), we can go to the water park!

Thursday: Go to Schlitterbahn Water Park (http://www.schlitterbahn.com/nb/)!!! This is voted the best water park in the nation, and I can’t wait!! Michael’s been a ton, but I’ve never been. It has three water parks in one, and it’s so big that you have to ride a tram from one area to the other. (Oh—and Michael’s parents are planning on going to Six Flags and Schlitterbahn with us, so that should be interesting/fun.)

Friday: Hang out at the house. We’re also going to try to visit my aunt who lives in SA either the weekend before we go to Port A, or this day.

Saturday: Sleep in, spend some more time with his fam, head back to OK. We’re also going to try to meet up with jenjolt and her husband in Austin, so hopefully that’ll work out! There’s a super yummy Italian restaurant there (http://www.carmelosrestaurant.com/) that I want to take Michael to. And then it’ll be back to the real world for us!





Again, I’m SOOOO sorry that I haven’t updated in forever, and that it’s taken me forever and a day to write this TR. I’ll have our when we get back from vacation. Oh—and we started a blog, so if you’d like the address, PM me and I’ll give it to you. I need some way to update and share pictures now that this TR is almost over!


Thank you SO much for sticking with me through this not-so-prompt TR. I really, really appreciate all of you! :goodvibes

[Leleluvsdis]

WOW staci... that's crazy!!!

I am so sorry to hear about your situation, but it's completly understandable at your church... I can't imagine if we lost our youth pastor who we've had for 10 years now, the last one we have for 6 years and it was really hard when he left (he finished school and couldn't get a job around here). Good luck on your search, it is definetly a hard thing to do, but DH and i always live on if it's meant to be it will be.

Hope your 4th of July goes well and happy birthday to micheal!!!

oh btw... those bouquets are beautiful!!!

[jenny105]

Girl, you've been crazy busy! Sorry to hear about the job situation but I'll keep you guys in my thoughts. I'm sure you'll find something and it will all fall into place. :goodvibes

Happy early birthday to Michael! I've heard of Schlitterbahn, I think I saw it on the travel channel. It looks awesome, have fun!

I like the bridesmaid dresses you guys wore, how they're different styles but all the same color.

Keep us updated!

[NeverlandClub23]

MANY prayers to you and Michael!! I hope you both find something wonderful! :cloud9:

I love your life updates and all of your pictures! You guys look like you have such busy but extremely fun lives!:goodvibes

Sending you a PM for the address :cutie:.

[praisehisname]

Wow, you've been super busy! I'm PMing you now for the blog info! :thumbsup2

[Bridora]

Wow! At least you are not going out of your mind with boredom! :goodvibes

I hope you guys have a fun time on vacation--sounds like just the thing you need!

[LilAnn]

Aww, sounds like a fun filled weekend! I love the wedding programs that you made. So pretty! I'll have to show that to my best friend, since she's planning her wedding. I'm going to PM you so I can keep hearing about what's up with you. Thank you for sharing with us! Good luck with all the interviews.

[Dancegrl624]

To say you've been busy is an understatement! Both of the weddings looked so beautiful. I love the strings in the cake...that is so neat! I hope that all goes well with your job hunting and we'll be keeping you two in our prayers. Have a fabulous vacation!!!

[khertz]

Staci, I have to say, I do not think that is any excuse for not finishing up this TR...


JUST KIDDING, of course!! I can't believe how much y'all have had going on!! :scared1: I guess especially because DH & I hardly ever have anything going on with us. :rotfl: I really LOVE the blue of that bridesmaids dress you wore! And the programs you made for the other wedding look awesome! How great of you to step in as wedding coordinator at the last minute. :goodvibes I'm really not sure I could have taken on that responsibility!

I will keep you & Michael in my prayers as you job hunt and prepare to move. I am sort of worrying about the same thing right now, but it is looking more promising by the day. DH works for a drilling company and he used to (before the moratorium) go out to rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. With all this craziness, his company has been a little transfer crazy lately, and unlike you & Michael, we are NOT interested in moving! My boss' husband works for the same company and he is being transferred to Alaska at the end of the summer. No thank you!!! So I'm hoping we either stay put with this same company or DH has some luck in finding another job that wouldn't require him to leave for weeks at a time at all. It's such a stressful situation to not know what is happening from one day to the next!!

Look at me rambling. lol Anyway, I can't wait for the wrap up on this TR, though I'll be so very sad to see it end!!

[klacey1]

You guys have been ridiculously busy!! Glad almost everything you have been doing has been fun, though! I love tihat you do so much work with youth-- I attended a leadership camp when I was 16 and now I work there for a week each summer. Now I finally have to leave, but it's so rewarding watching kids grow. Every year is so emotional!
I will be praying something turns up for you and Michael somewhere you want to live!
ETA: Have a fabulous time in San Antonio! We had a great vacation there last year!

[BippityBoo]

Hi Staci!!! I am so happy you are back! Wowza girl---you are busy, busy! What a beautiful wedding---your friend is so lucky to have you :goodvibes I will be praying for a position to open up for you and your DH soon...good luck my friend :hug:

[Roxychica7]

WOW Stace! That is some last few weeks/months! :rotfl:
Love the flowers and programs, and dresses and everything else!:lmao:
You certainly have had an exciting time, but I wish you good luck with your move and the job hunt! Blake and I are in the same boat right now, we know we want new jobs, and wanna move south, but it's just exciting and nervous at once trying to figure out where you end up! Will definitely keep you two in mind! :thumbsup2

[IluvXU]

I read through your report throughout the day yesterday and finished this morning! You are just the cutest couple and I loved your report. We are contemplating AKL for next summer, so I really loved your pictures of it, and want to remember about the FP pics in the lobby... before we are all hot and messy!Good luck with your new adventures and job searches!

[RachelNinja]

HAHA, I love the pic of the Staci sandwich!

What a wonderful friend to step in as wedding coordinator! I'm sure it solidified your friendship even more.

I'll definitely be praying for you and Michael as you do your job-hunting. I'm slightly feeling the sting of church budget issues. I got an email 2 weeks ago about how they're going to do 50/50 for the insurance premium instead of having us only cover the increase from last year. Then I got a letter yesterday saying we're most likely going to have to cover dental. I already opted out of vision for this year since I have enough contacts. It's extremely overwhelming since I don't make that much to begin with at my small, private Christian school.

It's especially difficult now because my DBF proposed this past Saturday! But we know we won't be able to get married and live together since the amount we make combined is pretty much what a lot of our friends make as singles (and often times a lot less ...). It's trying to trust God sometimes that He knows what He's doing when the world tells us that money is everything and we just don't have it!

I never thought life would be like this when I was kid. It was always "assumed" that the money would be there. God's taking us on a journey that may also require us to leave our jobs, and the "bad" thing about that is that we're comfortable where we are. I LOVE working at a Christian school because we can be more open to the kids than in a public school, so a lot of prayer will have to happen before making a decision to leave.

Haha, sorry, I started rambling ...

I LOVE the hair ties on the bouquet! Haha, so creative! And I love the Chilean tradition of the pull strings in the cake!

[stacikristine]

WOW staci... that's crazy!!!

I am so sorry to hear about your situation, but it's completly understandable at your church... I can't imagine if we lost our youth pastor who we've had for 10 years now, the last one we have for 6 years and it was really hard when he left (he finished school and couldn't get a job around here). Good luck on your search, it is definetly a hard thing to do, but DH and i always live on if it's meant to be it will be.

Hope your 4th of July goes well and happy birthday to micheal!!!

oh btw... those bouquets are beautiful!!!

It's ok--we're just glad we're not having to leave because of some scandal! WOW! That's awesome that you've had your youth pastor for 10 years! Did you know that the average youth minister stays at a church 18 months? Thank you so much! :hug: Our 4th was wonderful--I hope yours was too! I'll tell him you said Happy Birthday. Thanks! It was so neat to make them!


Girl, you've been crazy busy! Sorry to hear about the job situation but I'll keep you guys in my thoughts. I'm sure you'll find something and it will all fall into place. :goodvibes

Happy early birthday to Michael! I've heard of Schlitterbahn, I think I saw it on the travel channel. It looks awesome, have fun!

I like the bridesmaid dresses you guys wore, how they're different styles but all the same color.

Keep us updated!

Hey Jenny! It's been nuts. Thanks--I appreciate it. Yeah, I know it will all work out, but we're just ready to know where we're going to be. I'll tell him you said Happy Birthday!! We actually didn't get to go to Schlitterbahn because of the rain, but it was a great vacation anyway. :thumbsup2 It was really neat because we all got to pick something we'd wear later on. I will!


MANY prayers to you and Michael!! I hope you both find something wonderful! :cloud9:

I love your life updates and all of your pictures! You guys look like you have such busy but extremely fun lives!:goodvibes

Sending you a PM for the address :cutie:.

Thank you so much! :goodvibes Aw, Thanks!! I love being able to share. We do have SO much fun together, even when we are crazy busy. I'll be updating the blog with vacation stuff this week!


Wow, you've been super busy! I'm PMing you now for the blog info! :thumbsup2

Hey Denise! YES we have!! I'll be updating the blog soon!

[stacikristine]

Wow! At least you are not going out of your mind with boredom! :goodvibes

I hope you guys have a fun time on vacation--sounds like just the thing you need!

SO TRUE! :upsidedow Business is way better than boredom. But the vacation was just what we needed! It was great to just chill out for a week.


Aww, sounds like a fun filled weekend! I love the wedding programs that you made. So pretty! I'll have to show that to my best friend, since she's planning her wedding. I'm going to PM you so I can keep hearing about what's up with you. Thank you for sharing with us! Good luck with all the interviews.

Hi Ann! It was great!! Aw, thank you. I got the idea from a friend's wedding. They're great for outside weddings. I'll be updating the blog this week with vacation stuff! Thank you so much for reading! :goodvibes Thanks--we applied to some more places yesterday...we'll see!


To say you've been busy is an understatement! Both of the weddings looked so beautiful. I love the strings in the cake...that is so neat! I hope that all goes well with your job hunting and we'll be keeping you two in our prayers. Have a fabulous vacation!!!

Haha--yep! It's been nuts. But it should be slowing down these next few weeks. They were SUCH pretty weddings. The strings in the cake reminded me of finding the baby in the bread during Mardi Gras--have you ever seen that? Thank you!! We're just praying we find something soon...


Staci, I have to say, I do not think that is any excuse for not finishing up this TR...


JUST KIDDING, of course!! I can't believe how much y'all have had going on!! :scared1: I guess especially because DH & I hardly ever have anything going on with us. :rotfl: I really LOVE the blue of that bridesmaids dress you wore! And the programs you made for the other wedding look awesome! How great of you to step in as wedding coordinator at the last minute. :goodvibes I'm really not sure I could have taken on that responsibility!

I will keep you & Michael in my prayers as you job hunt and prepare to move. I am sort of worrying about the same thing right now, but it is looking more promising by the day. DH works for a drilling company and he used to (before the moratorium) go out to rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. With all this craziness, his company has been a little transfer crazy lately, and unlike you & Michael, we are NOT interested in moving! My boss' husband works for the same company and he is being transferred to Alaska at the end of the summer. No thank you!!! So I'm hoping we either stay put with this same company or DH has some luck in finding another job that wouldn't require him to leave for weeks at a time at all. It's such a stressful situation to not know what is happening from one day to the next!!

Look at me rambling. lol Anyway, I can't wait for the wrap up on this TR, though I'll be so very sad to see it end!!

Haha! Well, sorry to disappoint you! :laughing: We're super busy most of the time... Thanks! It was great to pick a dress that I knew I'd wear again. I got the program idea from another friend's wedding--perfect for outside summer weddings! It was good to be able to help them...it was headed for disaster. So I'm glad we could be there for them! :goodvibes

Thanks for the job hunting prayers! I'll keep you in mine too! That's crazy...I hope it all falls into place soon and you know if you're going to either be able to stay or need to look elsewhere. The unknowing is the hardest time!! And feel free to ramble away--I know it's stressful!! :sad2: I'll try to get the wrap-up today or tomorrow. I'm sad it's ending, but it's WAY past time!!


You guys have been ridiculously busy!! Glad almost everything you have been doing has been fun, though! I love tihat you do so much work with youth-- I attended a leadership camp when I was 16 and now I work there for a week each summer. Now I finally have to leave, but it's so rewarding watching kids grow. Every year is so emotional!
I will be praying something turns up for you and Michael somewhere you want to live!
ETA: Have a fabulous time in San Antonio! We had a great vacation there last year!

Haha, yep!! It's been nuts! But, yes, I'm glad it's been fun stuff too! We love working with the youth. I have a feeling it's something we'll do for a very long time. Because even if we don't work for a church as the youth ministers (well...Michael working), we'll try to help out whenever we can. Oh wow--that's so neat!! What was the camp called? That's great that you got to go back every year! Thank you--we're praying we find out soon. :goodvibes Thanks!! It was a fantastic vacation!

[stacikristine]

Hi Staci!!! I am so happy you are back! Wowza girl---you are busy, busy! What a beautiful wedding---your friend is so lucky to have you :goodvibes I will be praying for a position to open up for you and your DH soon...good luck my friend :hug:

Hey Katie!! I'm SO glad to be back! I promise I'll try to catch up on your report asap! We've been ridiculously busy. But it should be slowing down a little (besides still looking for jobs). Aw, thank you! :hug: I was so happy we could help. Thank you SOOO much--we need it!


WOW Stace! That is some last few weeks/months! :rotfl:
Love the flowers and programs, and dresses and everything else!:lmao:
You certainly have had an exciting time, but I wish you good luck with your move and the job hunt! Blake and I are in the same boat right now, we know we want new jobs, and wanna move south, but it's just exciting and nervous at once trying to figure out where you end up! Will definitely keep you two in mind! :thumbsup2

Hey Jess! It's been crazy... Thank you so much!! They were both gorgeous weddings! Thank you--and good luck to you too!!! That's so true...we feel the same way. It's so exciting that we have no clue where we're going to end up--it could be anywhere! But at the same time, it's nerve-wracking that we don't know where or when we're going. Keep me updated on yours and Blake's situation!


I read through your report throughout the day yesterday and finished this morning! You are just the cutest couple and I loved your report. We are contemplating AKL for next summer, so I really loved your pictures of it, and want to remember about the FP pics in the lobby... before we are all hot and messy!Good luck with your new adventures and job searches!

:scared1: That's a lot of reading! Thank you SO much for reading along!! Aw, thank you :cutie: Oh goodness--I HIGHLY recommend AKL. It's absolutely wonderful! I think the PP photographer is there every night. It was nice to have some non-park shots. Thank you so much!!


HAHA, I love the pic of the Staci sandwich!

What a wonderful friend to step in as wedding coordinator! I'm sure it solidified your friendship even more.

I'll definitely be praying for you and Michael as you do your job-hunting. I'm slightly feeling the sting of church budget issues. I got an email 2 weeks ago about how they're going to do 50/50 for the insurance premium instead of having us only cover the increase from last year. Then I got a letter yesterday saying we're most likely going to have to cover dental. I already opted out of vision for this year since I have enough contacts. It's extremely overwhelming since I don't make that much to begin with at my small, private Christian school.

It's especially difficult now because my DBF proposed this past Saturday! But we know we won't be able to get married and live together since the amount we make combined is pretty much what a lot of our friends make as singles (and often times a lot less ...). It's trying to trust God sometimes that He knows what He's doing when the world tells us that money is everything and we just don't have it!

I never thought life would be like this when I was kid. It was always "assumed" that the money would be there. God's taking us on a journey that may also require us to leave our jobs, and the "bad" thing about that is that we're comfortable where we are. I LOVE working at a Christian school because we can be more open to the kids than in a public school, so a lot of prayer will have to happen before making a decision to leave.

Haha, sorry, I started rambling ...

I LOVE the hair ties on the bouquet! Haha, so creative! And I love the Chilean tradition of the pull strings in the cake!

Haha--thanks Rachel! Those boys... It did--we're even closer now that we've been able to help them out so much. Leaving them will be one of the hardest things about moving--unless we convince them to join us!! :upsidedow

I'm sorry about your school/budget stuff. I know how much that stinks. My company cut our benefits a lot last year. Just fyi, if you don't have a lot of dental work that needs to be done (like a root canal or lots of fillings), opt out of dental. It's only about $100-$150 for a check-up, and if those are the only things you need, you'll save by not getting insurance. But it's always a gamble. When we didn't have it, we found out Michael needed a root canal and all kinds of stuff, and then he had to wait til the next year...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :dance3: I'm so happy for you and your FIANCE! :yay: God will take care of everything. He always does. When Michael and I got engaged, neither of us had full-time jobs. I was at a leadership program where we weren't allowed to have jobs, and he didn't know what he was going to do. He worked at Target for a while just to start saving and stuff, and then the job at the church all fell into place. But we were engaged 6 months (out of almost a year) without jobs. It'll work--even if you can't see how right now!! :hug: And you'd be surprised what a good budget can do for small incomes! We went through Dave Ramsey's stuff, and it's been a lifesaver. I'll be praying that it all works out for you and Howard!!

Haha--it's ok! Ramble away... The hair ties were definitely improvising at its best...and I loved the Chilean cake tradition too! It was a great wedding.

[stacikristine]

Thank you again for following my Trip Report!! I’ve loved sharing all about our amazing Disney Vacation with you all. I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to wrap everything up…but thank you for sticking with me!




Now, for a review of our trip…




Travel, Lodging, Etc:


AirTran Airways:

AirTran was great!! We’d never flown AirTran before, but we ended up being very impressed. Oh—and it was an added bonus to be able to listen to XM radio the whole way!

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Disney’s Magical Express:

This was my second time using DME, and once again, it was great! I wouldn’t dream of traveling to Disney from the airport any other way!

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Animal Kingdom Lodge DVC Villas:

AMAZING!!!! We really can’t say enough about how wonderful AKL is. We loved the atmosphere, service, rooms, everything. Some people give it bad reviews because it’s so far away from some of the parks, but we loved being separated from everything. It was so relaxing to come “home” and be in our own little world. We also loved that you can’t stay somewhere like this just anywhere—it truly added to our Disney experience! Oh—and as far as it being far away from things, our bus rides weren’t bad at all! We loved that we only shared a bus with Kidani Village, and there was only one stop at AKL and Kidani. The longest bus ride was to DTD, but the parks were between a 10 and 20 minute ride. Not bad at all! The plusses WAY outweigh being a little farther from the parks!! We also loved having a studio! It was great to be able to fix breakfast (toast a bagel, keep stuff in the fridge) and just spread out. It was a perfect resort for us! In fact, Michael has said that he doesn’t want to try any other resorts because after every one we visited, he’d say “I just like Animal Kingdom Lodge better.” We LOVED it!!

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http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/049Room.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/056Balcony.jpg

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Disney Dining Plan:

We LOVED this! It was my second time to be on the DDP and Michael’s first. We tell everyone that they should get the DDP when they go to Disney. We loved that it was all paid for in advance, so we didn’t have to even look at the prices on the menu—we could order whatever we wanted! It really added to our over-all Disney experience. I wish that the tip was still included (like the last time I had the DDP), and I wish they would let you choose if you want an appetizer or a dessert, but those are just two minor details. We will definitely be getting the DDP every time we go to Disney World from now on!!

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http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/084DHSsnacks.jpg




Day-By-Day Favorites:


Day 0 (traveling to Dallas):

Eating at our first frozen yogurt place where you add your own toppings

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Playing with my aunt and 2nd cousin

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My cousin A telling Michael “You can be the Witch!”

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%200/021Playing.jpg



Day 1 (Arrival and DTD):

Finally arriving at DISNEY WORLD!!

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Seeing AKL for the first time—our jaws dropped!

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Taking time to really explore the hotel and relax

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/107Exploring.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/090Exploring.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/083Exploring.jpg


Meeting Jason from Zimbabwe

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Exploring DTD and going to Goofy’s

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Day 2 (Epcot and MK at night):


Making our first rope drop

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Front and center Soarin’ seats

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Really taking our time and doing a lot of the fun “hidden” things at Epcot

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Our ferry ride to explore the Grand Floridian (I’d never visited a Deluxe resort before this trip, and I was REALLY looking forward to seeing a lot of them)

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Our first sit-down meal and getting seated next to the aquarium (by this time, Michael was HOOKED on the DDP!)

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Watching Michael try to put diapers on babies in the game show

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Finding my Legacy Picture with my Dad!

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Walking down Main Street USA for the first time of the trip!!

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Spectro and Wishes—a perfect ending to our first full day!

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Day 3 (Disney’s Hollywood Studios):


Being first at our turnstile at our favorite park!

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Meeting Jenny unexpectedly

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Riding TSM for the first time with Michael

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Riding (and LOVING) Tower of Terror

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Being SO close to the front for Beauty and the Beast (I’d always seen it from way in the back or the side)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/104DHSBeauty.jpg


Michael getting picked as an extra in Indiana Jones

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/145DHSIndy.jpg


The LMA stunt show (it was even better than we were expecting!)

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Spending ALL day at DHS

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Day 4 (Magic Kingdom):


Getting to the MK super early and seeing my first MK Rope Drop Show!!

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http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/021MKRope.jpg

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Walking towards the Castle with my best friend

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Riding Buzz and almost all of the Fantasy Land rides before 10:00

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http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/053MKFantasy.jpg


Michael (and me) LOVING Philharmagic

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/078MKPhilhar.jpg


Both of us riding the HM for the first time (we’d both been wimps before this trip!)

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Leaving for an afternoon break of Sea Raycers, touring Kidani Village, and the pool

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http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/170Kidani.jpg

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Eating at Kona—our favorite meal of the trip!!

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The peaceful boat ride back to the MK

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Seeing Wishes from Dumbo

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Day 5 (KTTK Tour and Epcot):

Going on the KTTK Tour—we absolutely loved this. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Brick (our tourguide) was amazing, and we learned SO much about Walt Disney and the MK and just Disney in general. GREAT TOUR!!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/001MKTour.jpg


My joke getting picked at the Laugh Floor

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/038MKLaugh.jpg


Getting to see Mickey and Minnie without waiting in line!! Mr. CM, you made our day!!!

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Trying a Dole Whip Float for the first time (and LOVING it)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/092MKDole.jpg


Trying on silly hats in each country and speeding through the World Showcase

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/116EWSNorway.jpg

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Picking a Pearl in Japan

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/152EWSJapanPearl.jpg


Riding our heritages’ ride!

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Wonderful view for Illuminations

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/242EWSIlluminations.jpg



Day 6 (AK and DHS at night):


Sneaking through the Rainforest Café and beating the crowds to the rope!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/006AKRopeDrop.jpg


Making every rope drop that we wanted to during the week!

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Riding EE with Michael

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Dinosaur scaring the junk out of us (but in a good way!)

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Festival of the Lion King (and sitting so close)

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Taking time to enjoy PP pictures and just savor our time in the park

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Watching Nemo for the first time!

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Finishing our exploration of One Man’s Dream (and watching the video for the first time)—and the fact that Michael and I enjoy things like this

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/259DHSWalt.jpg


DHS at night

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Day 7 (DHS and departure):


Sleeping in and an amazing breakfast

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Going to our favorite park for the last day

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Meeting Jen

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Seeing our favorite DHS shows again

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http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/099DHSCars.jpg


Michael riding RnRC for the first time

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Doing the Animation Academy

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Taking lots of PP pics (and magic PP pics)

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Almost missing our flight (it’s good for a laugh now…)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/129OrlandoAirport.jpg


Making it home safely after one of the best weeks of our lives

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Some things we didn’t like much:


Fantasmic: I know this is a lot of people’s favorite show, but it just wasn’t for us. We didn’t like the crowds, and we felt that it dragged on too much at times. It was good to see once, but we won’t spend the time to do it again.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/305DHSFantasmic.jpg


The Great Movie Ride: We thought this was WAY too long. Just not our cup o’ tea…

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/281DHSMovie.jpg


Figment: While I enjoyed this, it wasn’t my favorite thing, and Michael didn’t like it much at all. It’s one of those that we probably won’t do again until we have kids that really want to.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/060EFWFigment.jpg


Honey I Shrunk the Audience: The pre-show might be enough to keep us away from here for a LONG time. While I’m glad we did it (Michael had never been before), it’s one of those things we won’t have to do over and over.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/055EFWImag.jpg


Star Tours: I know we don’t have to worry about doing this again, since it’s being done away with…but even if we had the option, we wouldn’t. It made me a little sick, and it’s very dated.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/066DHSStar.jpg


Voyage of the Little Mermaid: I was really disappointed with this. I think I’d seen this show when I was little and I liked it, but I thought it wasn’t worth the time—and The Little Mermaid is one of my very top Disney movies. So we won’t do this unless we have a little girl who really wants to see it.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/265DHSMermaid.jpg


Splash Mountain with no poncho: We loved this ride, but I did NOT love getting soaked. So from now on, it’ll be poncho or no-go.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/119MKSplash.jpg


Lapu Lapu: I was SO excited to try this, but it ended up just being way too strong for me. But at least I got some good pictures!!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/196Kona.jpg


It’s a Small World with a long wait: While I love IASW, Michael hates it. It ended up being one of our longest waits of the trip…so next time we’ll have to make sure it’s a shorter wait, or just skip it.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/083MKSmall.jpg





Continued

[stacikristine]

Continued from previous




Things we wanted to do but didn’t have a chance to:


Epcot:

World Showcase—we really wanted to be able to spend a lot of time here, and because of the tour and wanting to finish up some attractions in the MK and Future World, we didn’t have time to spend in the WS. I had wanted to see different entertainment things in each of the countries and take our time enjoying it all… But there’s always next time!!

Kim Possible Mission—I was REALLY looking forward to this because I’d heard that they were so much fun! We actually got at FP one day, but we ran out of time to use it.


Magic Kingdom:

The Train—I was looking forward to this since I’d never done it before, but whenever we did think about it, it was already closed down for the day.

Tom Sawyer Island—Someday I want to take time to explore the island and relax. Michael and I love going on little adventures and I know we’ll like it when we get to explore Tom Sawyer Island!

Story Time with Belle—Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney Movie, and I really want to be able to do this next time—and especially when we have little kids!

Daytime Parade—even if it’s not the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade in the future, I want to be able to watch the day parade and get some good pictures.


Animal Kingdom:

Maharajah Jungle Trek—I’ve seen some gorgeous pictures from here and I want to go through it someday.

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade—I’ve never seen this and it looks SO good! I especially want to see it (and all the other parades) around Christmas-time!


Misc.:

Snacks—I still want to get Beignets from POFQ, and I want to try a Cinnamon Roll from the Main Street Bakery. I also want to try some of the different candies and pastries from around the World Showcase.

Deluxe Resort Visits—I want to eventually see all of the Deluxe Resorts. This trip, we visited the Grand Floridian, The Polynesian, The Contemporary, The Boardwalk, and (of course) The Animal Kingdom Lodge. Still have a lot to go!




Here are all of our over-all favorites:


Theme Park: Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/Image463old.jpg


We both just love the feel of DHS. The retro Hollywood theming makes it relaxing, yet exciting. We also love the shows and all of the rides/attractions. It has lots of our “tops”, and there’s enough in the one park to keep us busy for days!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/008DHSWait.jpg



Table Service Restaurant: Kona Café in the Polynesian!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/199Kona.jpg


We enjoyed the atmosphere because it wasn’t too fancy, but it still had a GORGEOUS view. Our waiter was outstanding, and it was fun being in the Poly. But the best thing about Kona was the FOOD!! We were SOOOOO pleased with our meals, and we still talk about it!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/204Konadinnerm.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/205Konadinners.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/206Konadinnerm.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/207Konadinners.jpg



Counter Service Restaurant: Wolfgang Puck Express at DTD Marketplace!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/144dinnerWolfgangPuckExpress.jpg

We really loved our meal here! I’d been told that it felt like a TS restaurant even though it was a CS, and they were right!! YUM.


Runners-up were The Mara (in AKL)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/070SLunch.jpg


And Sunshine Seasons (in Epcot Future World)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/051EFWLunchSeasons.jpg



Musical Show: Finding Nemo!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/205AKNemo.jpg

I honestly didn’t think anything would ever top Beauty and the Beast, but we LOVED Nemo! The way that the actors/actresses had their own expressions as well as their puppets’ actions and expressions was amazing. We loved the music—and the fact that they took a non-musical and turned it into one. We just liked everything about it!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/208AKNemo.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/217AKNemo.jpg



Action Show: Lights, Motors, Action!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/083DHSCars.jpg


We were SO impressed with this! And even when we watched our Disney video the other day, we kept going on and on about how cool this show was.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/095DHSCars.jpg



Non-live show: Mickey’s Philharmagic!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/047MKPhilhar.jpg

This has all of our favorite shows featured! And Michael loves that Donald is the host, because he’s his favorite Disney Character. They just do SUCH a great job with this attraction.



Thrill Ride: Staci—Tower of Terror!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/Image060.jpg

This was my first time to ride this, and I loved everything about it—the theming, set-up, and actual ride. LOVE IT!


Michael: Dinosaur!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/057AKDinosaur.jpg

He said that this is the only one that actually scared him, so it’s the most “thrilling”. He loved everything about the ride!



Interactive Ride: Toy Story Mania!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/041DHSToy.jpg

I don’t think this one needs an explanation—it’s just awesome!



Calm Attraction: Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/264DHSWalt.jpg

We both really enjoyed learning about Walt and his life—and Disney World. It’s right up our alley!



Not really an attraction: Innoventions East and West at Epcot

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/162EFWInnoWProblem.jpg

We LOVED all of the hands-on stuff here. We had so much fun exploring and enjoying all of the hidden gems of Epcot.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/102EFWPaper.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/181EFWInnoEWaste.jpg



Continued

[jenny105]

Woohoo! I made the list! :woohoo: :laughing:

Great wrap up for the trip! I really think you guys would love Wilderness Lodge (if Michael is willing to give it a chance after AKV :) ). It's close to MK but you feel tucked away because everywhere you look, you're surrounded by trees. Plus there are boat rides to MK, Contemporary, and Fort Wilderness. How about we make a promise to each other for our next trips? I'll try AKL and you try WL! ;)

I agree with you, I am not a fan of Fantasmic. I really don't get what the big deal is all about. To be honest, I'm not impressed with that or Illuminations. I don't think either one of them comes close to Wishes. I'm a Wishes snob I guess! :snooty:

Keep me posted when you start planning your next trip! :)

[stacikristine]

Continued from previous




Things we wanted to do but didn’t have a chance to:


Epcot:

World Showcase—we really wanted to be able to spend a lot of time here, and because of the tour and wanting to finish up some attractions in the MK and Future World, we didn’t have time to spend in the WS. I had wanted to see different entertainment things in each of the countries and take our time enjoying it all… But there’s always next time!!

Kim Possible Mission—I was REALLY looking forward to this because I’d heard that they were so much fun! We actually got at FP one day, but we ran out of time to use it.


Magic Kingdom:

The Train—I was looking forward to this since I’d never done it before, but whenever we did think about it, it was already closed down for the day.

Tom Sawyer Island—Someday I want to take time to explore the island and relax. Michael and I love going on little adventures and I know we’ll like it when we get to explore Tom Sawyer Island!

Story Time with Belle—Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney Movie, and I really want to be able to do this next time—and especially when we have little kids!

Daytime Parade—even if it’s not the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade in the future, I want to be able to watch the day parade and get some good pictures.


Animal Kingdom:

Maharajah Jungle Trek—I’ve seen some gorgeous pictures from here and I want to go through it someday.

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade—I’ve never seen this and it looks SO good! I especially want to see it (and all the other parades) around Christmas-time!


Misc.:

Snacks—I still want to get Beignets from POFQ, and I want to try a Cinnamon Roll from the Main Street Bakery. I also want to try some of the different candies and pastries from around the World Showcase.

Deluxe Resort Visits—I want to eventually see all of the Deluxe Resorts. This trip, we visited the Grand Floridian, The Polynesian, The Contemporary, The Boardwalk, and (of course) The Animal Kingdom Lodge. Still have a lot to go!




Here are all of our over-all favorites:


Theme Park: Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/Image463old.jpg


We both just love the feel of DHS. The retro Hollywood theming makes it relaxing, yet exciting. We also love the shows and all of the rides/attractions. It has lots of our “tops”, and there’s enough in the one park to keep us busy for days!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/008DHSWait.jpg



Table Service Restaurant: Kona Café in the Polynesian!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/199Kona.jpg


We enjoyed the atmosphere because it wasn’t too fancy, but it still had a GORGEOUS view. Our waiter was outstanding, and it was fun being in the Poly. But the best thing about Kona was the FOOD!! We were SOOOOO pleased with our meals, and we still talk about it!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/204Konadinnerm.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/205Konadinners.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/206Konadinnerm.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/207Konadinners.jpg



Counter Service Restaurant: Wolfgang Puck Express at DTD Marketplace!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/144dinnerWolfgangPuckExpress.jpg

We really loved our meal here! I’d been told that it felt like a TS restaurant even though it was a CS, and they were right!! YUM.


Runners-up were The Mara (in AKL)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/070SLunch.jpg


And Sunshine Seasons (in Epcot Future World)

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/051EFWLunchSeasons.jpg



Musical Show: Finding Nemo!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/205AKNemo.jpg

I honestly didn’t think anything would ever top Beauty and the Beast, but we LOVED Nemo! The way that the actors/actresses had their own expressions as well as their puppets’ actions and expressions was amazing. We loved the music—and the fact that they took a non-musical and turned it into one. We just liked everything about it!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/208AKNemo.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/217AKNemo.jpg



Action Show: Lights, Motors, Action!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/083DHSCars.jpg


We were SO impressed with this! And even when we watched our Disney video the other day, we kept going on and on about how cool this show was.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/095DHSCars.jpg



Non-live show: Mickey’s Philharmagic!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/047MKPhilhar.jpg

This has all of our favorite shows featured! And Michael loves that Donald is the host, because he’s his favorite Disney Character. They just do SUCH a great job with this attraction.



Thrill Ride: Staci—Tower of Terror!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/Image060.jpg

This was my first time to ride this, and I loved everything about it—the theming, set-up, and actual ride. LOVE IT!


Michael: Dinosaur!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/057AKDinosaur.jpg

He said that this is the only one that actually scared him, so it’s the most “thrilling”. He loved everything about the ride!



Interactive Ride: Toy Story Mania!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/041DHSToy.jpg

I don’t think this one needs an explanation—it’s just awesome!



Calm Attraction: Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%206/264DHSWalt.jpg

We both really enjoyed learning about Walt and his life—and Disney World. It’s right up our alley!



Not really an attraction: Innoventions East and West at Epcot

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/162EFWInnoWProblem.jpg

We LOVED all of the hands-on stuff here. We had so much fun exploring and enjoying all of the hidden gems of Epcot.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/102EFWPaper.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/181EFWInnoEWaste.jpg



Continued

[stacikristine]

Continued from previous



“Extra” thing: Keys to the Kingdom Tour!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/006MKTourJC.jpg

I could go on and on and on about this—we loved every minute of it. And we’ve decided that we’d like to do a tour every trip from now on.



Night-time entertainment: SpectroMagic and Wishes!!

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/193MKSpectro.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/215MKWishes.jpg

I know that these are technically two different things, but since they’re at the same park, I’ll count them together. These both just scream “DISNEY!” to me. I get happy even thinking about them. MK entertainment is one thing we will NOT miss during any of our trips in the future.



Rope Drop: Magic Kingdom

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/018MKRope.jpg

THIS shows what Disney World is all about! I don’t think anyone could watch this show and still be grumpy. We both loved it.







Overall, we had a truly fantastic trip! It truly was practically perfect. We wouldn’t trade it for the world, and we’re so thankful that we were able to take this trip—just the two of us. :goodvibes We talk a lot about when we might be able to go back, but we don’t have any definite plans. All we know is that we both want to have LOTS more Disney World trips as Mr. and Mrs.!



Thank you so very much for reading along and sharing this trip with us! :flower3:



--Staci

[stacikristine]

Woohoo! I made the list! :woohoo: :laughing:

Great wrap up for the trip! I really think you guys would love Wilderness Lodge (if Michael is willing to give it a chance after AKV :) ). It's close to MK but you feel tucked away because everywhere you look, you're surrounded by trees. Plus there are boat rides to MK, Contemporary, and Fort Wilderness. How about we make a promise to each other for our next trips? I'll try AKL and you try WL! ;)

I agree with you, I am not a fan of Fantasmic. I really don't get what the big deal is all about. To be honest, I'm not impressed with that or Illuminations. I don't think either one of them comes close to Wishes. I'm a Wishes snob I guess! :snooty:

Keep me posted when you start planning your next trip! :)

Of course you did!! :upsidedow Thank you--it was fun looking back on everything and picking out our favorites. I think we would too!! I'll try to convince him for next time. And we REALLY want to go at Christmas-time, and the WL would just be perfect at Christmas! DEAL--I know that you would love the AKL too! :thumbsup2

I'm glad I'm not the only one...we just didn't like it. My family loved the Fantasmic at Disneyland, so maybe we'll try that sometime. We really aren't very impressed with Illuminations either. If it was about 1/3 of the time, we'd like it more. But it just seems to drag on and on. Haha--me too! Wishes and Spectro trump all of them!!

I'll for sure keep you posted! Michael has brought up "if we get the job in ___, we can save up for another Disney trip sooner!" quite a few times! :woohoo: So now we just have to see...

[jenny105]

Of course you did!! :upsidedow Thank you--it was fun looking back on everything and picking out our favorites. I think we would too!! I'll try to convince him for next time. And we REALLY want to go at Christmas-time, and the WL would just be perfect at Christmas! DEAL--I know that you would love the AKL too! :thumbsup2

I'm glad I'm not the only one...we just didn't like it. My family loved the Fantasmic at Disneyland, so maybe we'll try that sometime. We really aren't very impressed with Illuminations either. If it was about 1/3 of the time, we'd like it more. But it just seems to drag on and on. Haha--me too! Wishes and Spectro trump all of them!!

I'll for sure keep you posted! Michael has brought up "if we get the job in ___, we can save up for another Disney trip sooner!" quite a few times! :woohoo: So now we just have to see...

If you went to WL during Christmas, I'd be SO jealous! I can only imagine how beautiful it is with the decorations. I love it so much there. :love: I always hear if you love WL, you'll love AKL and vice versa. I think they were done by the same design team.

I think the Fantasmic at Disneyland is done on the Rivers of America so that must make it better. The backdrop against the park probably makes it look fantastic. I just don't get into that show. And it's such a pain having to go early to get a decent seat and then fighting your way out because EVERYONE is headed toward the exit at that point. It's not for me! I hope no one I'm traveling with has any interest in seeing it in October. :rolleyes1 Illuminations to me just seems outdated.

I knew I liked Michael! :rotfl:

[Dancegrl624]

Love your TR wrap up Staci. It's been so much fun to read and I'm sad that it's over. Reading this TR is really what made me want to visit WDW in Sept (I should say yours and Kimmy's). Your pictures are just beautiful and I can feel how much fun you two had from your wonderful descriptions. When you do decide when you want to back, I'll be here to read all about your adventures.

By the way, Star Tours isn't going away, they are totally refurbing it. Maybe you'll like it better when they add all the cool new stuff to it.

[LilAnn]

Hi Staci! I loved, loved, loved your TR wrap-up. I always love your descriptions and the photos. You can always tell how much fun you guys are having with each other. There are so many things that I learned from your TR that I have to put on my "To do" list for our next trip, whenever that may be. We are also hoping to make a trip once during the holidays just to see it all decorated. It was fun to read along to your PTR and TR. Thanks for sharing!

[AGPrincess]

Great wrap-up Staci! Mmmm...those food pics are making me hungry for some Disney food!! I think I'm going to have to try that sandwich at the Mara. So much good info in your TR! :goodvibes You guys sound like so SO much fun, it felt like I was along with you. Thanks for sharing your trip with us! :banana:

[RachelNinja]

Thanks for the encouragement, Staci. I copied and pasted your reply to my comment and sent it to Howard, and he was comforted too! You and Michael are an example to us of a couple who trusted in God for His provision! Even now as you go through these live changes!

I'd love to one day go to Disney and do the DDP, but my health is so unbelievably wacky that it affects how much I want to or even can eat. I'm afraid having scheduled eating times would make me more tense because I'd be worried about getting sick. During this past trip, we scheduled and ADR at Brown Derby the night before. I was sick in the middle of lunch; maybe too much "fat" in the appetizer? It was a crab cake and it (along with the sauces and the fried outside) might've been too heavy for me to digest since I had my gallbladder removed. I don't know what it was, but I was miserable and kept kicking myself that we were wasting money on a meal I couldn't eat. In that regard, paying OOP makes more sense because I know I wouldn't be able to eat most of what I would be allowed to eat.

Oh, and the fact that it's dessert instead of appetizer is a big factor too, haha.

Awww, I love the day by day favorite moments! It was like the cliff notes version of your TR! I forgot about a lot of your stories until I saw the pics again! Hehe, that's the good thing about stretching out TRs. I know that I can read it over again!

The "Splash Mountain with no poncho" thing reminded me of a video that BrooklynnsMommy posted with Brooklynn saying that "ponchos are for cheaters" (http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f286/missjill5/Memphis%20Zoo%20May%202010/?action=view&current=MVI_7797.flv). Haha, might've been uncomfortable, but you weren't a cheater (although it's a diff ride)!

Boo to your TR being over! I love the recap idea though. It provides closure and lets us revisit all your fun memories. I'll have to keep that in mind when (haha, or if) I get to the end of mine. I'm still on the 1st park day in Epcot!

Glad to know I can still follow along through your blog though!

[stacikristine]

If you went to WL during Christmas, I'd be SO jealous! I can only imagine how beautiful it is with the decorations. I love it so much there. :love: I always hear if you love WL, you'll love AKL and vice versa. I think they were done by the same design team.

I think the Fantasmic at Disneyland is done on the Rivers of America so that must make it better. The backdrop against the park probably makes it look fantastic. I just don't get into that show. And it's such a pain having to go early to get a decent seat and then fighting your way out because EVERYONE is headed toward the exit at that point. It's not for me! I hope no one I'm traveling with has any interest in seeing it in October. :rolleyes1 Illuminations to me just seems outdated.

I knew I liked Michael! :rotfl:

I told my parents that I REALLY want to go in December, and they want to go with us...in 7 1/2 years... :eek: because that will be the year after my dad retires (he's a principal, and we want to go the first week of December, so he'll have to wait) Who knows...maybe we'll go in the spring before then. I want to see the F&G Festival. But I definitely want to stay at the WL if we go around Christmas because it just looks SOOO Christmas-y. When I think about Christmas, I think about log cabins and fireplaces and all of those great things that the WL has. :cloud9: I've heard that about the WL and AKL too. And just looking at pictures, you can see the similarities. I just LOVE AKL. I'm sure you'll love it when you try it too! (Not if ;) )

When we go to Disneyland someday I'll have to give Fantasmic a try...but not again at WDW! I know--the exiting was the worst part ever. We were up at the top and it was still terrible.

Haha--me too! :thumbsup2


Love your TR wrap up Staci. It's been so much fun to read and I'm sad that it's over. Reading this TR is really what made me want to visit WDW in Sept (I should say yours and Kimmy's). Your pictures are just beautiful and I can feel how much fun you two had from your wonderful descriptions. When you do decide when you want to back, I'll be here to read all about your adventures.

By the way, Star Tours isn't going away, they are totally refurbing it. Maybe you'll like it better when they add all the cool new stuff to it.

Thanks Meghan! I'm SOO glad you read along--and stuck with me! It's been so much fun writing for everyone. :goodvibes Yay! I'm glad it convinced you! It was amazing in September. Aw, thank you so much!! Hopefully we'll be able to go back in the next few years. We both really want to, but there are just so many other vacations we want to do as well... Good to know! I love the Star Wars movies, I just didn't like the ride at all--now maybe I will!


Great wrap-up Staci! Mmmm...those food pics are making me hungry for some Disney food!! I think I'm going to have to try that sandwich at the Mara. So much good info in your TR! :goodvibes You guys sound like so SO much fun, it felt like I was along with you. Thanks for sharing your trip with us! :banana:

Thanks, Emma! I'd LOVE some Disney food right now too!! That sandwich was fantastic. We were really pleased with all of our food there. Aw, thank you! :goodvibes We love to have fun together. Thank you SO much for reading along! I need to go finish reading all about your snobby Paris trip! :snooty:


Thanks for the encouragement, Staci. I copied and pasted your reply to my comment and sent it to Howard, and he was comforted too! You and Michael are an example to us of a couple who trusted in God for His provision! Even now as you go through these live changes!

I'd love to one day go to Disney and do the DDP, but my health is so unbelievably wacky that it affects how much I want to or even can eat. I'm afraid having scheduled eating times would make me more tense because I'd be worried about getting sick. During this past trip, we scheduled and ADR at Brown Derby the night before. I was sick in the middle of lunch; maybe too much "fat" in the appetizer? It was a crab cake and it (along with the sauces and the fried outside) might've been too heavy for me to digest since I had my gallbladder removed. I don't know what it was, but I was miserable and kept kicking myself that we were wasting money on a meal I couldn't eat. In that regard, paying OOP makes more sense because I know I wouldn't be able to eat most of what I would be allowed to eat.

Oh, and the fact that it's dessert instead of appetizer is a big factor too, haha.

Awww, I love the day by day favorite moments! It was like the cliff notes version of your TR! I forgot about a lot of your stories until I saw the pics again! Hehe, that's the good thing about stretching out TRs. I know that I can read it over again!

The "Splash Mountain with no poncho" thing reminded me of a video that BrooklynnsMommy posted with Brooklynn saying that "ponchos are for cheaters" (http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f286/missjill5/Memphis%20Zoo%20May%202010/?action=view&current=MVI_7797.flv). Haha, might've been uncomfortable, but you weren't a cheater (although it's a diff ride)!

Boo to your TR being over! I love the recap idea though. It provides closure and lets us revisit all your fun memories. I'll have to keep that in mind when (haha, or if) I get to the end of mine. I'm still on the 1st park day in Epcot!

Glad to know I can still follow along through your blog though!

I'm so glad it helped. We're not super-Christians or anything...we just knew that getting married was the right thing, and if it was, we knew that God would provide a way. Trust is hard, but in the end, it's worth it. :goodvibes

Oh, wow. Yeah, the DDP probably wouldn't be the best for you. I'm sorry you got sick during your only TS meal! If the ADR thing wasn't such a crazy deal, you could just pick what time you wanted to go to one of the TS restaurants without having the DDP. Did you all look into the QS Dining Plan? My aunt and uncle and their kids did it and loved it. And there are SO many great QS places at WDW!

Haha--I like that! Cliff Notes for my TR! :upsidedow I guess that's one way to look on the bright side...and it's funny, but I'd forgotten about some of our favorites until I went back and looked. There were SO many great things during our trip.

I'll have to check that video out! I don't know if it'll let me watch it at work, but it sounds hilarious. So true--at least I wasn't a cheater!

Thanks! It was fun to recap. I'm sad it's over too!! But I'm really excited about having a blog so I can write about all kinds of stuff! I'm going to start our San Antonio vacation recap today. :thumbsup2 Thank you SOOO much for reading! And I'll have to go get caught up on your TR!

[jenny105]

I told my parents that I REALLY want to go in December, and they want to go with us...in 7 1/2 years... :eek: because that will be the year after my dad retires (he's a principal, and we want to go the first week of December, so he'll have to wait) Who knows...maybe we'll go in the spring before then. I want to see the F&G Festival. But I definitely want to stay at the WL if we go around Christmas because it just looks SOOO Christmas-y. When I think about Christmas, I think about log cabins and fireplaces and all of those great things that the WL has. :cloud9: I've heard that about the WL and AKL too. And just looking at pictures, you can see the similarities. I just LOVE AKL. I'm sure you'll love it when you try it too! (Not if ;) )

When we go to Disneyland someday I'll have to give Fantasmic a try...but not again at WDW! I know--the exiting was the worst part ever. We were up at the top and it was still terrible.

Haha--me too! :thumbsup2

Ok, I promise. Next trip I will stay at AKL! Not this trip in October because that's already planned out and arranged but 2011 or 2012, whenever I decide to go again, AKL!

Did you get run over by strollers on the way out of Fantasmic? Stroller people drive me nuts. If it's little kids, fine, but that doesn't give you the right of way! And people with strollers with kids old enough that their feet are dragging on the ground? Really? What's up with that???

[klacey1]

Loved this TR!! Thank you for sharing with us-- I'm so sad to see it end!!

[Roxychica7]

I'm sad it's all over!! Girl I tell you, your trip with your DH should be like the "how do I fit everything into 7 days trip" guide to Disney!! You did SO much! And so many different things too!! Do you know when your next trip will be? Until then we'll definitely have to keep in touch and I can't wait until the next one you post! :goodvibes

[cdotla]

Awesome recap! Great reliving the trip again with you!!!:goodvibes

[stacikristine]

Ok, I promise. Next trip I will stay at AKL! Not this trip in October because that's already planned out and arranged but 2011 or 2012, whenever I decide to go again, AKL!

Did you get run over by strollers on the way out of Fantasmic? Stroller people drive me nuts. If it's little kids, fine, but that doesn't give you the right of way! And people with strollers with kids old enough that their feet are dragging on the ground? Really? What's up with that???

Woo-Hoo! You will LOVE it! And I promise to try to convince Michael to stay at the WL at Christmas. It might be hard, but I'll try my hardest!

Haha :rotfl: No--thankfully, we weren't! But I can totally see that happening! I can't really say this 100% for sure since I don't have kids, but I'm planning on them WALKING when they're able to. I won't be pushing any 14 year olds around. :upsidedow


Loved this TR!! Thank you for sharing with us-- I'm so sad to see it end!!

Thank you so much! I loved sharing it--thank you for reading! :goodvibes


I'm sad it's all over!! Girl I tell you, your trip with your DH should be like the "how do I fit everything into 7 days trip" guide to Disney!! You did SO much! And so many different things too!! Do you know when your next trip will be? Until then we'll definitely have to keep in touch and I can't wait until the next one you post! :goodvibes

Hey Jess! I'm sad it's over too...but I'm having fun with our new blog. Haha--we did fit a TON in, didn't we?! I think it was the time of year, and we didn't have any kids, and I'd read everything about every ride and park on TourGuideMike's website.

I really have no clue when our next trip will be. We were actually talking the other day about trying to go to Disneyland in a few years (maybe 3 summers from now) because I've never been to CA, and it'd be cheaper than a WDW vacation. We have SOOO many places we want to vacation, that WDW will be spread out between all of them. We're planning on Destin, FL (with my fam for my grandparents 50th anniversary! :lovestruc) next year, then NY to visit his sister and sight-see the next year, and then CA. But who knows where we'll be in life by then. We'll for sure keep in touch though! :thumbsup2


Awesome recap! Great reliving the trip again with you!!!:goodvibes

Thank you so much! And thanks for sticking with me all these months! :flower3:

[Bridora]

I loved the re-cap of your trip! You guys had a really great trip and it was fun to read all about it & see your pictures! Thanks for sharing with us! :goodvibes

[camsmomE]

Subbing! Can't wait to read about your trip! :goodvibes (we're leaving in 9 days and this seems to help pass the time...) :thumbsup2
I guess you could say this is OUR first trip as Mr. and Mrs. (although we've been married for almost 5 years); we've been waiting to be able to take our daughter, who is almost 2. SO EXCITED!! Ok, going back to read...

[camsmomE]

Took me two days, but I just finished catching up! My poor DD1 has had more than her fair share of ice pops to keep her occupied while mommy reads Staci's TR! :lmao: Just thought I might add that my name is Stacey and my DH is Mike ;) If you guys have a daughter, and name her Cameran, we will all have a good laugh! Plus, I'm a teacher (in FL) and Cameran's Godparents are youth ministers! You know I'm dying to say it... "It's a small world after all."

[stacikristine]

Subbing! Can't wait to read about your trip! :goodvibes (we're leaving in 9 days and this seems to help pass the time...) :thumbsup2
I guess you could say this is OUR first trip as Mr. and Mrs. (although we've been married for almost 5 years); we've been waiting to be able to take our daughter, who is almost 2. SO EXCITED!! Ok, going back to read...

Took me two days, but I just finished catching up! My poor DD1 has had more than her fair share of ice pops to keep her occupied while mommy reads Staci's TR! :lmao: Just thought I might add that my name is Stacey and my DH is Mike ;) If you guys have a daughter, and name her Cameran, we will all have a good laugh! Plus, I'm a teacher (in FL) and Cameran's Godparents are youth ministers! You know I'm dying to say it... "It's a small world after all."

Thanks so much for reading!! :flower3: That is too funny--who would have thought that we'd have the same names! Cameran is an adorable name, by the way! :cutie: It really is a small world. Have SOOOOO much fun at Disney World! :dance3: I subbed to your PTR so that I can read your TR once you get back!

[Shannon84]

Well I am VERY late to the party :rotfl: But I have enjoyed speed reading through your TR!! Thank you for sharing your trip and all the wonderful pictures you took along the way!

[DisneyDreamerMN]

I truly loved reading about your trip, Staci. I just joined DIS in June and discovered the TR in July. It looks like you both had an awesome time. I was happy to find your TR because it was a trip with just you and your husband. My husband and I don't have any kids yet and have taken 2 trips to Disney World with just the two of us. I will have to look into renting DVC points for our next trip. We already booked and paid for the trip we are taking in October through Expedia so I will have to look into it for the next one we go on. Wishing you the best!:yay:

[mandas08]

Wow I have so many questions and comments! I just finished reading your Pre- Trip and your TR. They were both amazing!! You gave me so many great ideas!
I loved your countdown calender. I have tried doing Post Its on the wall and they fell off and just didn't have any personality so I've already gave my husband the task of stopping at home depot after work tomorrow. (he thinks I'm crazy but he could tell I'm super excited about it) It's been absolutely CRAZY how much we seem alike. Every time I tell my husband I found out something new on disboards he asks if it's from our twin couples reports haha.

I'm so behind and have so many other things to comment on. But most importantly where did you buy your shorts for your trip? They seem a great length. I have such a hard time find cute shorts that aren't ridiculously short. So I'm forced to have all capris. I think you have inspired me to write a TR but I better get started because I'm only 51 days away!!

[stacikristine]

Well I am VERY late to the party :rotfl: But I have enjoyed speed reading through your TR!! Thank you for sharing your trip and all the wonderful pictures you took along the way!

Hi Shannon! Thanks so much for reading!! :goodvibes And it's always better late than never... I loved writing this and I can't wait for our next trip (whenever that might be...) so that I can write another. Thanks again!


I truly loved reading about your trip, Staci. I just joined DIS in June and discovered the TR in July. It looks like you both had an awesome time. I was happy to find your TR because it was a trip with just you and your husband. My husband and I don't have any kids yet and have taken 2 trips to Disney World with just the two of us. I will have to look into renting DVC points for our next trip. We already booked and paid for the trip we are taking in October through Expedia so I will have to look into it for the next one we go on. Wishing you the best!:yay:

Thank you so much for reading! :flower3: We had an amazing time. We really couldn't have asked for it to be better! Isn't it so much fun going just the two of you?! We loved it--and we would love to go again before we have kids, but who knows if that will happen! Are you going to write a TR? Let me know if you do! October is a great time to go--that was when I went in 06. We've decided we will never again go without renting points. We just LOVE it! Have an amazing trip! :woohoo:


Wow I have so many questions and comments! I just finished reading your Pre- Trip and your TR. They were both amazing!! You gave me so many great ideas!
I loved your countdown calender. I have tried doing Post Its on the wall and they fell off and just didn't have any personality so I've already gave my husband the task of stopping at home depot after work tomorrow. (he thinks I'm crazy but he could tell I'm super excited about it) It's been absolutely CRAZY how much we seem alike. Every time I tell my husband I found out something new on disboards he asks if it's from our twin couples reports haha.

I'm so behind and have so many other things to comment on. But most importantly where did you buy your shorts for your trip? They seem a great length. I have such a hard time find cute shorts that aren't ridiculously short. So I'm forced to have all capris. I think you have inspired me to write a TR but I better get started because I'm only 51 days away!!

Thank you SO much for reading! :goodvibes I can't believe you read the entire PTR and TR! :eek: (Oh--and sorry some of the PTR pics were missing...I've been trying to clean up my Photobucket.) Thanks! I'm glad I could help!

I actually got the calendar idea from lots of other people on the Dis. My husband thought I was ridiculous for stealing paint chips, but they worked perfectly--and it was really easy! Haha--that's awesome! It's so fun to find people with similar personalities! You and your hubby must have a ton of fun together! :thumbsup2

I used to wear super short shorts (I'm embarrassed at the pictures from HS) but then I started working at a Christian camp and we had to have decent length khaki shorts. I have some bermuda shorts that I like, but sometimes they look goofy with certain shirts. I find most of my shorts at Gap or Old Navy. I'll go through each day to tell you where they're from... If you're really a lot like me, you're probably a visual person! :upsidedow

Dress from Aeropostale (by the way, I just got another one from there this summer, and it's super cute--and it was $12!)
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%201/131DTDToy.jpg

Shorts from Old Navy (theirs are usually a little shorter, but still decent)
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%202/042EFWNemo.jpg

Gap (they always have really great length shorts!)
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%203/009DHSWait.jpg

Old Navy (these are the same as the other ones from ON, but a different color)
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/Image135new.jpg

Gap
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%204/216Poly.jpg

Um...I think Old Navy (this is one that needed a tighter shirt since they're loose)
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%205/Image291new.jpg

Gap (I was burning up in these, but it was all that was left...)
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/stacikristine/Disney%2009%20Day%207/Image462.jpg


Hope that helps! Let me know if you have more qs!

[mandas08]

Thanks so much. You are too nice. As I was reading your PTR I was getting excited to see pics from the wedding and the house and was super angry when they werent there...jk. :) I was suprised to find where your shorts were from. I'm a Gap junkie. Actually a Gap Outlet junkie, I find great deals there!! I went to Old Navy two weeks ago to find jean shorts because I realized I have none and normally like there length .They had some really cutes ones, but of course they didnt have any in my size. I may drag hubby out shopping tonight to look at Old Navy again, along with our Mickey paint samples. I'm actually starting to buy things for a disney scrapbook, so I will have to go to Micheals too. On a side note, I read that they are making a new Mulan movie!! ( I remember you saying you love that movie in your PTR. ) It is going to be made with real people and be in 3D. Sorry I know theres has to be a better way to explain it than saying "real people" I just cant think of it. Six hours straight in class fries your brain lol...only 4 more hours to go!

[stacikristine]

Thanks so much. You are too nice. As I was reading your PTR I was getting excited to see pics from the wedding and the house and was super angry when they werent there...jk. :) I was suprised to find where your shorts were from. I'm a Gap junkie. Actually a Gap Outlet junkie, I find great deals there!! I went to Old Navy two weeks ago to find jean shorts because I realized I have none and normally like there length .They had some really cutes ones, but of course they didnt have any in my size. I may drag hubby out shopping tonight to look at Old Navy again, along with our Mickey paint samples. I'm actually starting to buy things for a disney scrapbook, so I will have to go to Micheals too. On a side note, I read that they are making a new Mulan movie!! ( I remember you saying you love that movie in your PTR. ) It is going to be made with real people and be in 3D. Sorry I know theres has to be a better way to explain it than saying "real people" I just cant think of it. Six hours straight in class fries your brain lol...only 4 more hours to go!

No problem! Sorry--I needed to move some stuff around... :upsidedow The wedding pics should be there though...you might try again! haha. I love Gap outlet and regular Gap when they have good sales! My mom bought me some cute striped shorts there the other day for $10 or something like that! :thumbsup2 And I love that I wear a much smaller size there than I do anywhere else... :rolleyes1 Really?? I hadn't heard that about a new Mulan! I'll have to check it out! haha...I'm so glad I don't have to deal with class anymore!

[DisneyDreamerMN]

It is fun going just the two of us! The trip we are taking in October will be with my MIL and FIL. After our last two trips they would always comment that they wished they would have gone with. This trip they finally agreed. It will be fun sharing our love of Disney with them. I am not sure if I will write my own TR. After reading yours and Timandlesley's Trip Reports, I don't think I can write as well! If I do, I will let you know. :thumbsup2

[stacikristine]

It is fun going just the two of us! The trip we are taking in October will be with my MIL and FIL. After our last two trips they would always comment that they wished they would have gone with. This trip they finally agreed. It will be fun sharing our love of Disney with them. I am not sure if I will write my own TR. After reading yours and Timandlesley's Trip Reports, I don't think I can write as well! If I do, I will let you know. :thumbsup2

That will be SO much fun! Michael and I want our parents to be able to go with us someday. Even though it's WAY in the future, we want to plan an all-family December WDW trip for 7 years from now. (My dad will be retired and he can go in early Dec then--he's an administrator now, so he can only go when school is out.) I know that my brother will be married by then, and Michael's siblings probably will be too. And who knows how many kiddos there will be between all of us...

I'm sure your trip with them will be fantastic!!! It's SO much fun sharing Disney Love with people! You should definitely write a TR! :thumbsup2 Aw, thank you. I was really hesitant about it at first, but it turned out to be so much fun to write for everyone! I absolutely love timandlesley's reports! Their family is so cute. Let me know if you write one!

[Queila]

That was a great wrap up just like the rest of your trip report! Source of great inspiration for me!!

Q

[stacikristine]

That was a great wrap up just like the rest of your trip report! Source of great inspiration for me!!

Q

Thanks Queila! I just went and subbed to your TR--can't wait to read about your trip!

[khertz]

I'm already missing this TR too much...when are you & Michael going back?! :lmao:

[stacikristine]

I'm already missing this TR too much...when are you & Michael going back?! :lmao:

Thanks! I'm missing it too! Well..............Michael made it to the second phase for a job in Tampa, FL.........and if he gets it, we'll be going all the time! :dance3: We're REALLY praying that he gets that job (not because of Disney--the church sounds amazing and we would love to be a part of their ministry--but Disney would be a great bonus)! But if he doesn't get that job, then who knows. It probably won't be for years and years. :guilty:

Oh--and I just saw that you have a new TR! I'm going over to check it out now! :thumbsup2

[mandas08]

Thanks! I'm missing it too! Well..............Michael made it to the second phase for a job in Tampa, FL.........and if he gets it, we'll be going all the time! :dance3: We're REALLY praying that he gets that job (not because of Disney--the church sounds amazing and we would love to be a part of their ministry--but Disney would be a great bonus)! But if he doesn't get that job, then who knows. It probably won't be for years and years. :guilty:

Oh--and I just saw that you have a new TR! I'm going over to check it out now! :thumbsup2

I will keep you in my prayers for him getting the job..good luck!: I dream of moving away for a few years, but then I feel like we would need to move back to be close to grandma and grandpa for the kids. Ive told hubby to keep a look out.. I wouldnt mind a little adventure before we settle down :) 43 days til my disney trip yay!! :cheer2:

[stacikristine]

I will keep you in my prayers for him getting the job..good luck!: I dream of moving away for a few years, but then I feel like we would need to move back to be close to grandma and grandpa for the kids. Ive told hubby to keep a look out.. I wouldnt mind a little adventure before we settle down :) 43 days til my disney trip yay!! :cheer2:

Thank you so much!! I appreciate it! :goodvibes We feel like this would be the perfect time to move far away because we don't have any kids yet, and our parents are all getting close to retirement--7 years for my dad and a little more for his--so they can come visit a lot when we do have kids. Adventure is always good! Do you know where yall would like to move? We're really up for anything! WOO-HOO!! Have SO much fun at Disney World! :yay:

[BippityBoo]

OH my goodness! Best recap I have ever read :goodvibes I love all of the things that you posted. Kona looks AH-maZING! I read your "wish we would have" list. You MUST see the Jammin Jungle parade! It is one of the best ones in WDW for sure. The music is amazing. Also, taking a train in MK is so much fun! They have small little hidden details (like an Indian tribe spot) that you can't see from the parks. So cool!

I have to say, we never make it to Tom Sawyers or Storytime with Belle either! Two things I always wanted to do. They are replacing Storytime with the new Tangled characters starting in October. I hope they bring Belle back after, though!

LOVE LOVE LOVE your TRs. When is the next trip?? ;)

[stacikristine]

OH my goodness! Best recap I have ever read :goodvibes I love all of the things that you posted. Kona looks AH-maZING! I read your "wish we would have" list. You MUST see the Jammin Jungle parade! It is one of the best ones in WDW for sure. The music is amazing. Also, taking a train in MK is so much fun! They have small little hidden details (like an Indian tribe spot) that you can't see from the parks. So cool!

I have to say, we never make it to Tom Sawyers or Storytime with Belle either! Two things I always wanted to do. They are replacing Storytime with the new Tangled characters starting in October. I hope they bring Belle back after, though!

LOVE LOVE LOVE your TRs. When is the next trip?? ;)

Aw, thanks so much, Katie! :goodvibes I'm glad you liked it! It was fun to look over all of our photos and notes again. You REALLY need to eat at Kona someday. It's incredible. We didn't want to spend so much time watching parades this past trip, but I definitely want to see them next time!

Really? I hope they bring Belle back someday too. She's my absolute favorite! Tangled looks really cute, though!

:flower3: Thank you! I have absolutely no idea when our next trip will be. It depends on where we end up moving. We're still "in the running" for two jobs in FL, so if that's the case, we'll be going all the time! And Michael told me last night that we might be able to go back to Disney World--or Disneyland, which would probably be my vote since I've never been to CA--sooner than we were planning! :dance3: So maybe in a few years. I'll for sure let you know when we do, though! Thanks so much for reading along. I've loved getting to know you via the boards!

[Nbarker]

Just wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed your tr. I have read thru the entire thing, but just been a 'lurker'. I know you had a ball and reading all these tr's makes me soooo ready to go back. I have a six and an almost-two-year old, so we are planning on going back in about a year. We went when my daughter was 3 1/2 and it was great. Neither of my kids have been good travelers, so that is why we are waiting on Langston to get a little bigger. I am def. interested in renting points next time so we can stay in a deluxe. We stayed at Pop last time and it was fine, but my husband is dying to stay at AKL. (I say dying, but really he just commented he wanted to stay there. I made it my mission then to fulfill his dream. haha. I know he gives my every wish that much attention!) I would love to follow along with your blog or facebook page or whatever and see what happens with ya'll. I don't mean to sound 'stalkerish' but it seems like we have a lot in common, so I am interested to see where life takes you. Good luck with the job search, I know the Lord will lead you just where you need to be!

[stacikristine]

Just wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed your tr. I have read thru the entire thing, but just been a 'lurker'. I know you had a ball and reading all these tr's makes me soooo ready to go back. I have a six and an almost-two-year old, so we are planning on going back in about a year. We went when my daughter was 3 1/2 and it was great. Neither of my kids have been good travelers, so that is why we are waiting on Langston to get a little bigger. I am def. interested in renting points next time so we can stay in a deluxe. We stayed at Pop last time and it was fine, but my husband is dying to stay at AKL. (I say dying, but really he just commented he wanted to stay there. I made it my mission then to fulfill his dream. haha. I know he gives my every wish that much attention!) I would love to follow along with your blog or facebook page or whatever and see what happens with ya'll. I don't mean to sound 'stalkerish' but it seems like we have a lot in common, so I am interested to see where life takes you. Good luck with the job search, I know the Lord will lead you just where you need to be!

Aw, thank you so much for reading along and for your sweet comments! :goodvibes We did have an absolute ball! We loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back someday. 3 1/2 sounds like a great age for Disney World! I'm sure it'll be amazing when you all go back. You HAVE TO rent points!! :thumbsup2 We absolutely loved it, and I don't think we'll go to Disney any other way. It's an amazing deal, and we loved being at the AKL. I don't really keep up with fb at all, but I would love for you to follow my blog! It's http://ourfamilye.wordpress.com/ I update it pretty regularly. I wrote about our San Antonio vacation and pretty much anything that comes to mind. I'm anxious to know where we're moving so I can start blogging about that too. We don't want to tell our youth until we know where we're going--just so it's not even more tough by being drug out. Thank you! We're excited to see where that ends up being. Right now, it's pretty much been narrowed to a church in Beaumont, TX and one in St Johns (by Jacksonville), FL. We should have an answer by the end of next week. :woohoo: Thank you again for reading, and hopefully I'll see you over at my blog!

[Leleluvsdis]

Aw, thank you so much for reading along and for your sweet comments! :goodvibes We did have an absolute ball! We loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back someday. 3 1/2 sounds like a great age for Disney World! I'm sure it'll be amazing when you all go back. You HAVE TO rent points!! :thumbsup2 We absolutely loved it, and I don't think we'll go to Disney any other way. It's an amazing deal, and we loved being at the AKL. I don't really keep up with fb at all, but I would love for you to follow my blog! It's http://ourfamilye.wordpress.com/ I update it pretty regularly. I wrote about our San Antonio vacation and pretty much anything that comes to mind. I'm anxious to know where we're moving so I can start blogging about that too. We don't want to tell our youth until we know where we're going--just so it's not even more tough by being drug out. Thank you! We're excited to see where that ends up being. Right now, it's pretty much been narrowed to a church in Beaumont, TX and one in St Johns (by Jacksonville), FL. We should have an answer by the end of next week. :woohoo: Thank you again for reading, and hopefully I'll see you over at my blog!

So I am totally joining your blog!! i can't wait to here where ya'll are moving to, and I hope it is beneficial to ya'll. Good luck in the next several days!!

[stacikristine]

So I am totally joining your blog!! i can't wait to here where ya'll are moving to, and I hope it is beneficial to ya'll. Good luck in the next several days!!

Thank you so much!! :goodvibes It's been a lot of fun to write it. I'll have the moving update up next! Thank you so much!

[stacikristine]

Hi Everyone!

Even though my trip is over, I wanted to give you this life update. We're moving!!! :dance3:

Michael and I went to Beaumont, TX this past weekend/week to have our final interview at a church and we were offered the jobs!! Michael will be the full-time youth minister, and I'll be his assistant! We're so excited that we'll be able to work together and I'll actually get paid for the things I already help him with now. And I'll be able to help a lot more since I won't have another job. And a big bonus is that I'll be able to use my degree and actually get paid to do what I'm passionate about! Everyone at the church is super nice too. We really feel like we fit in well there.

We've already found an apartment, and our lease officially starts Sept 17th (this month's rent was free because they're running a special in Sept, so we decided to take advantage of it) but we're planning on not moving until October 1st or so. Everything is just falling into place. Oh--and the pastor told us that whenever we have a baby, I can stay home and just work from the house since it's part-time. This is a HUGE blessing for us because we've always wanted me to be able to stay home when we have kids (none on the way, btw).

So that's a little life update for us! Thanks so much for your well-wishes, thoughts, and/or prayers!! :grouphug: Yall are so great!

And I'd love for you to stop by our blog sometime! I try to update it regularly (these past few weeks have been not as frequent because of my back getting messed up again and then us trying to figure out all this job stuff). It has everything from life news to recipes to travel to TV shows. Here's the link in case you're interested: http://ourfamilye.wordpress.com/

Oh--and please don't mention the move on FB or the blog until we announce it there. We're waiting until next Wednesday to tell our youth students, and I don't want them stumbling upon the news sooner. Thanks!


Thank you again for reading this TR and for letting me share about our trip with you. I'm so thankful for the friendships that have been made with you all!

--Staci



PS. If I'm reading your TR/PTR, sooooo sorry I'm so behind! It's been crazy lately! But I'll try to catch up asap! :thumbsup2

[jenny105]

Congratulations on the new jobs! I knew everything would work out for you. :) Good luck with the move. I've bookmarked your blog. I check it regularly. :)

[RachelNinja]

Yay for having everything work out! I'm so glad that you're both happy with the positions! Praise God that He worked it all out for good :goodvibes

[Leleluvsdis]

Congratulations!!! It seems as if everything is falling perfectly into place:hug:

[LilAnn]

Congratulations to the two of you! I'm so happy that it has all worked out and in such an amazingly perfect fashion. It sounds like such a wonderful set up!:goodvibes

[khertz]

Congrats on the move & new jobs!! Now you can start working on having that baby so that you can take advantage of working from home. :thumbsup2 Oh how I wish it would be that easy for me!! lol But really though, congrats!

And I'm going to try & catch up on your blog. I bookmarked it the first time you posted it, but then kind of forgot. I just started one myself for my family & friends because I figured with the baby coming soon and us living pretty far from family, it was a good way to keep them updated on everything. I'd like to link yours to mine, if you wouldn't mind? Let me know!

[jenjolt]

So excited for you Staci!!! WOOT WOOT!!!!

[klacey1]

Staci, that's absolutely wonderful news!! I'm so glad the job worked out for you guys! I'll definitely be following along on your blog!

[gellybean]

That's awesome news!!! Glad everything fell into place so well for you guys!


PS... I was born in Beaumont! LOL Friendliest people ever! I'm sure you guys will be very happy there! :goodvibes

[stacikristine]

Congratulations on the new jobs! I knew everything would work out for you. :) Good luck with the move. I've bookmarked your blog. I check it regularly. :)

Thanks Jenny! We're excited. Yay! Thanks for reading my blog too--AND for commenting! It's always better when I get replies. :thumbsup2


Yay for having everything work out! I'm so glad that you're both happy with the positions! Praise God that He worked it all out for good :goodvibes

Thanks! It's even better than what we were hoping for! He definitely did. :goodvibes


Congratulations!!! It seems as if everything is falling perfectly into place:hug:

Thank you so much! It definitely is. It's been a long road, but it's finally falling into place.


Congratulations to the two of you! I'm so happy that it has all worked out and in such an amazingly perfect fashion. It sounds like such a wonderful set up!:goodvibes

Thank you! We couldn't ask for it to be more perfect---well, we'd like to be able to move my family down closer. :upsidedow We're probably the most excited about the set up! It'll be great to work together.


Congrats on the move & new jobs!! Now you can start working on having that baby so that you can take advantage of working from home. :thumbsup2 Oh how I wish it would be that easy for me!! lol But really though, congrats!

And I'm going to try & catch up on your blog. I bookmarked it the first time you posted it, but then kind of forgot. I just started one myself for my family & friends because I figured with the baby coming soon and us living pretty far from family, it was a good way to keep them updated on everything. I'd like to link yours to mine, if you wouldn't mind? Let me know!

Thanks so much! Haha--so true! :thumbsup2 Hopefully it won't be too long before we're able to take advantage of it! Paxton will be here before you know it. I'm sure you're getting SOOO excited! Yay--thanks for reading my blog! It's been a lot of fun to write so far. Could you send me the link? Yeah, I'd love for you to be able to link it to yours! Could I do the same for yours?


So excited for you Staci!!! WOOT WOOT!!!!

Thanks so much, Jen!! How is everything in A-town? :thumbsup2


Staci, that's absolutely wonderful news!! I'm so glad the job worked out for you guys! I'll definitely be following along on your blog!

Thank you!! We're so glad it did too! And thanks for reading our blog!! :flower3:


That's awesome news!!! Glad everything fell into place so well for you guys!


PS... I was born in Beaumont! LOL Friendliest people ever! I'm sure you guys will be very happy there! :goodvibes

Thanks so much! Oh how funny--small world! We just couldn't get over how friendly people were there! Thank you--I'm sure we will too! :goodvibes

[DisneyDreamerMN]

Congratulations to you both!! :banana:
I will have to check out your blog!

[pinkpixie0920]

Congrats Stacy! That is such exciting news. I wish you all the best!

[stacikristine]

Congratulations to you both!! :banana:
I will have to check out your blog!

Thank you so much! We finally told everyone at our church here, so I'll be updating the blog about the move soon! :thumbsup2


Congrats Stacy! That is such exciting news. I wish you all the best!

Thanks Nancy! We're really excited. :goodvibes

[BippityBoo]

YAY!!! Love how it all fell into place for you :goodvibes My parents live 30 minutes from Beaumont!!! DISMEET maybe? ;)

[stacikristine]

YAY!!! Love how it all fell into place for you :goodvibes My parents live 30 minutes from Beaumont!!! DISMEET maybe? ;)

YES!!! Seriously--whenever you come to your parents' house, let me know! I'd love to you meet you and your sweet family! :goodvibes

[amandaluvsgoofy]

Hey Staci!
It's been way too long since I've been on the Boards (moving was a nightmare plus being a SAHM is sooooo time consuming!) and I came across your TR! I'm so excited for you guys and your move! That is awesome that everything is working out for you. That's how you know things are supposed to be! :thumbsup2
I just opened up your blog and will read along. Can't wait to hear more details about your future! Hope you guys are doing well and congrats again!
~Amanda

[BippityBoo]

Hey Staci!
It's been way too long since I've been on the Boards (moving was a nightmare plus being a SAHM is sooooo time consuming!) and I came across your TR! I'm so excited for you guys and your move! That is awesome that everything is working out for you. That's how you know things are supposed to be! :thumbsup2
I just opened up your blog and will read along. Can't wait to hear more details about your future! Hope you guys are doing well and congrats again!
~Amanda

HEY Amanda!!! It has been so long! How is sweet baby Emma?:goodvibes

[amandaluvsgoofy]

HEY Amanda!!! It has been so long! How is sweet baby Emma?:goodvibes

Hey Katie!
She's wonderful! Gettin' sooooo big! We've been so busy it's crazy! Those folks that say SAHMs sit around eating BonBons and watch Soap Operas are crazy! (that or those SAHMs have maids and nannies to take care of everything!) I need to catch up on your PTR!!! Hard to believe you guys will be heading to Disney before ya know it! Hope you're doing well!
:hug: