Life’s too short...to never sleep in a treehouse! 8/27 TR is up! Link in siggie

[Lady Lallie]

Awww, the kids are all adorable!

My cousin goes to Berklee! I think he graduates either this spring or the following December. It is one great school for music.

I love the furry members of the family too. My Sully kitty LOVES to drape himself across my keyboard. I wake up in the mornings and everything is pushed off my desk!

 

[eandesmom]

Awww...your family is beautiful!! Eric and I can't wait to start one. I think I feel like you do. Going to the "world" with kids is going to be WAY different, in a good way!

Thanks! I like them It's all good! I think the most important thing is going with someone, or someones that are open to the magic. A couples trip can be so incredible and there are so many things I'd love to do with just DH it could absolutely be it's own trip! And may well be when the kids are older.

Awww, the kids are all adorable!

My cousin goes to Berklee! I think he graduates either this spring or the following December. It is one great school for music.

I love the furry members of the family too. My Sully kitty LOVES to drape himself across my keyboard. I wake up in the mornings and everything is pushed off my desk!

Are you serious? Oh boy, I would LOVE any insight he has. Poor T just has never really found that "mentor" that I think would make all the difference in pointing him in the right way to achieve his goal. He is incredibly talented but we really worry he is being too narrow in his focus. There are an awful lot of great guitar players!

Jeff would be SO mad if he found that in the am. Hank will come up and knock stuff off of Jeff's side (we share an architect style desk that is 2 sided) when he wants my attention and it drives Jeff crazy! Then Melvin sleeps in his chair and gets that white hair everywhere!

And I confess.

I let them get away with it for the most part!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Are you serious? Oh boy, I would LOVE any insight he has. Poor T just has never really found that "mentor" that I think would make all the difference in pointing him in the right way to achieve his goal. He is incredibly talented but we really worry he is being too narrow in his focus. There are an awful lot of great guitar players!

Jeff would be SO mad if he found that in the am. Hank will come up and knock stuff off of Jeff's side (we share an architect style desk that is 2 sided) when he wants my attention and it drives Jeff crazy! Then Melvin sleeps in his chair and gets that white hair everywhere!

And I confess.

I let them get away with it for the most part!

My cousin I know started with taking only 1 or 2 classes, he wasn't considered a "full time" student or however they term it but he wanted to go there so badly that he took what he could. He's now considered a full out student, he even went to Greece to study for a semester. He's always been very involved in any type of music he can. I know he plays in a very heavy metal band but his solo music is very different from that. My brother went to school for audio engineering so they work together in making albums.

I totally let my cats get away with everything. They are my babies!

 

[KathyRN137]

Hi Cynthia!!

You know that I'll be along for this ride! Your family is beautiful... and so was your opening post.

My dad is having heart surgery next month and of course, we're all worried about him. Both his parents had already died from heart attacks by the time they were his age. I understand how worried you are about DBIL... how absolutely awful it must be to have to cope with hospital bills when you don't have insurance.

A magical trip to the World would be "just what the doctor ordered" (if we were the doctors!!)

I'm looking forward to reading about all your planning...


Kathy

 

[cjackearl]

Found you! I'll catch up on what I'm sure is an awesomely insightful and well written introduction when I can keep my eyes open.

 

[eandesmom]

My cousin I know started with taking only 1 or 2 classes, he wasn't considered a "full time" student or however they term it but he wanted to go there so badly that he took what he could. He's now considered a full out student, he even went to Greece to study for a semester. He's always been very involved in any type of music he can. I know he plays in a very heavy metal band but his solo music is very different from that. My brother went to school for audio engineering so they work together in making albums.

I totally let my cats get away with everything. They are my babies!

Oh that is great information! Thank you so much!!!!

I'd love to hear how he was able do that! DH asked me to ask for more info lol! It sounds like he had plenty of will and found a way to make it happen, very encouraging.

Hi Cynthia!!

You know that I'll be along for this ride! Your family is beautiful... and so was your opening post.

My dad is having heart surgery next month and of course, we're all worried about him. Both his parents had already died from heart attacks by the time they were his age. I understand how worried you are about DBIL... how absolutely awful it must be to have to cope with hospital bills when you don't have insurance.

A magical trip to the World would be "just what the doctor ordered" (if we were the doctors!!)

I'm looking forward to reading about all your planning...


Kathy

Yay! Kathy! Welcome

I know, I spent tonight looking up medications, bleh! Right now it looks like about $300 out of pocket a month. Which frankly Jeff and I were expecting a lot worse and we are hopeful that we can find some of it cheaper and find him some resouces. No word on the hospital bill yet but he did get to go home today and has a follow up with a cardiologist in 6 weeks. Turns out he has a kink in one of his arteries which likely contributed to the problem. Of course now Jeff wants to make sure that HE doesn't have a kink. And is convinced I'm not cooking healthy enough.

And then asked for me to add cheese to the pasta and poured himself a glass of wine.

I can relate to your situation, having seen my dad through it for gosh, 12 years now? Wow. It's funny, at times we actually completely forget about it. Until thanksgiving when he pulls out his tofurky What is your dad having done? It's great that he is on top of it, I know my GGP died from heart disease quite young as well, but the reality is they just didn't check and know things like we do now so I don't think there is quite the cause for panic that may have been in the past IF you are aware of your genetics and get things checked appropriately. I know I had a major cholesterol scare myself about 7 years ago and it really made a difference in my life, my diet forever changed, for the better. It is so easy to think it can't happen to you, I was 36, relatively fit (I thought) and had a decent diet (I thought). I was floored when I got my results but wow, they really were a blessing.

Found you! I'll catch up on what I'm sure is an awesomely insightful and well written introduction when I can keep my eyes open.

Hi Christine! Welcome!!! So glad you found me Oh my, I'm not sure my intro can possibly live up to all that but gosh, thanks!

 

[eandesmom]

All right, I KNOW it's not Disney but it is one of those contributing factors for this trip.

Just in case you haven't seen this....

Harry Potter


I Harry.

I figure no matter how fuzzy your math is, spring 2010 is NOT late august! lol. I hope. That gives them up to 2 months for delays, right? I am excited about the dueling dragons, it was a huge favorite in our 04 trip. Picture 12 adults, splitting in half. Racing to duel to see which group finished first, yelling at the other dragon's coaster as it went by.

Actually there may have been more than 12 of us racing but someone had to have been watching all those kids!

Good memories.

And on a completely unrelated note....my washer is fixed! Oh my goodness, I may never get caught up but oh what a sweet sound it makes.

 

[eandesmom]

I have a funny life. I actually have THREE sets of in-laws and am lucky enough to really love and enjoy them all. This set is DH’s mom Sandie, her husband Paul and then, as already mentioned, his baby brother Doug! Because there are so many in laws it is easier to do first names, Step FIL just sounds weird!

Here we all are, last summer, in front of their townhouse in Denver with their FABULOUS dog, Brady! Doug may have been taking the picture? I think not, if memory serves he just met us later that day.

And the two of them, I love this picture

Sandie.

I LOVE this woman. She just “gets” me. We have a ton in common and a lot of fun together. My only issue with Sandie has been a bit of the history between she and her ex, my FIL. She drug Jeff into it more than I’d like (when he was a child) and it has definitely influenced his relationship with his Dad. Which is neither here nor there EXCEPT for the fact that with Doug’s situation, there is more interaction and poor Jeff is in the middle. I don’t know what is true, not true, I’ve heard different versions and frankly don’t care. I just think kids don’t really need to know that, or at least not in detail. It’s a hard thing and a fine line and I may change my tune as the E’s age. Evan in particular is starting to ask some questions and I don’t believe in lying so at what point is it badmouthing and at what point is it simply being honest?

Hmmn. At any rate my dearest MIL is a very savvy and stylish woman. She ran her own business for years and recently retired. She just went back to work part time at a florist. That’s my dream retirement job, how fun! We love to do girly things together, swap recipes and just don’t get to see each other nearly enough. So when we do it usually involves too much wine but oh do we have fun! She sends me girly presents for no good reason and I have to admit, it’s nice to be spoiled! She just sent me an apron that I kid you not, is a cross between Donna Reed…and Anthropologie. I LOVE Anthropologie. It is the cutest thing ever and while I cook, a lot, I’ve never been an apron wearer. I smile every time I put it on, thinking of her. Someday I’ll wear my pearls with it. Just because I can.

Sandie, like most grandparents, does not feel like she gets to see the grandchildren enough and is always a bit down about the fact that they aren’t closer to her, Kendall in particular. She does take it a little personally when really Kendall is just being…thirteen. She’s been trying to figure out a time to come see us, the last visit was in April and it was just her, her husband had a conflict. Originally she wanted to come for Kendall’s birthday. That didn’t work, Kendall was on vacation with a friend. Then she wanted to come for thanksgiving. That doesn’t work, Kendall has a tournament in San Diego. Christmas is an option but Sandie has commitments in her beloved home of Denver (and Paul, with his job is always busy then, even though he is retired he is in demand!) not to mention the fact that they have a very active social live and love to entertain and so… it doesn’t work well for her. With 5 schools to contend with, there are no common dates off until summer so we’d been discussing this as an idea since we returned from our last trip. The combination of Doug, and no other good times to actually see the kids pushed up the need to get this on the schedule and start planning. We ALL need it to look forward to. She will take it VERY hard if Kendall can’t go. There isn’t a lot we can do about it so hopefully she can roll with whatever happens, when it happens.

SANDIE HAS NEVER BEEN TO DISNEY WORLD!

When we came home from our February trip, Sandie visited us not all that long after, over Spring Break (the ONE year all 4 kids had it at the same time). We discussed how great it would be to go together and plotted to go for Food and Wine in 2010, during free dining, combining the best of all worlds and everyone interests. This was (gasp) pre-awareness of the existence of the Treehouse and all plots involved a certain Beach Club and the mythical Storm Along Bay. As you can see dates and more have changed since then but I’m getting ahead of myself.

I learned something very interesting during these discussions. Her DH, Paul, is a DISNEY FREAK! And she knew he’d be all over our ideas!

She does take a VERY long time to get ready in the morning, I do not expect her to be a morning rope drop person! Not that we have ever been either...

Paul.

In his element, at our wedding. He was SO sick during this, it was awful!
Paul and Sandie married about 9 years ago. Oh the pictures of Kendall are amazing, apparently the wedding started late as it was all spent curling her hair. He is an Episcopalian priest who married Jeff and I.

And both of them, with the grandkids in 07. I love this picture!

He’s retired but I swear, is always working! He is a jazz musician (plays in a band) , a golf player and an all around great guy. Extremely intelligent, well read, and FUNNY! We like Paul a lot. The E’s love Paul. Evan in particular. Paul does have some very significant hearing loss so that may be a challenge but thankfully he can hear higher pitched voices better so I’m fine! We haven’t seen Paul in over a year, when we visited them as part of a huge road trip across America. Paul and Sandie (and Doug) did come out to visit us for Christmas in 07. While it was a good trip, I have a huge family and I think they felt a little lost in it and Paul in particular felt like he was imposing. I’m not sure how much of it was my family who admittedly can be overwhelming (just ask Jeff) and how much of it was the fact that they are both used to being the host and hostess. Of course he wasn’t imposing at all and my family really liked him but he is definitely more comfortable on his own turf. We’ve only had one night of vacation “away” with them and in separate hotel rooms and only really together for meals so I don’t have a good feel for what he will be like to travel with. I do know that he and Sandie travel quite a bit, and have a great time. I think that he will be more relaxed in “neutral” territory. We shall see. I’m excited to learn how much of a Disney freak he really is!

Paul has some issues with Doug. He has even more issues with Doug’s girlfriend. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. He cares about Doug but Doug does have some self destructive behaviors and I think Paul worries that Sandie does too much bailing out of Doug. Which I can’t say I disagree with although I’d never say it out loud! All that said, this may be a wake up call in more ways than one.

Doug.

This is from our one "trip" together, we all went to Keystone for 2 days and it was really Doug that created the monster snowboarder Taylor is now. Altough at the time, he was not. I vividly recall the three of us (Doug, Jeff and I) strategically placed on the run so that T would make the correct turns and we wouldn't get separated. It's funny now!

And, the brothers

It’s funny, though not really. I feel like I barely know my only brother in law. That makes me very very sad. I’m incredibly close to my siblings (as the oldest of 6, I have a lot of them) and it makes me sad that Jeff doesn’t have that. Growing up I think they had some hard times after their folks split up and I know that Sandie worked a lot and the boys were alone a lot in their teens in particular. From what I gather Doug fell in with a less than ideal crowd, or one individual in particular and took off in HS. He didn’t graduate and kind of dropped off the face of the earth for a while. No one really knows what went on during this time. Eventually he resurfaced, rebuilt a relationship with his mom and Jeff. He really hasn’t rebuilt one with his Dad. He is a general contractor and does AMAZING work. Unfortunately while he prefers to work for himself, he isn’t the greatest at managing the business end of things and has been struggling for some time to make ends meet. So, as you might imagine, this news and the financial impact of it is scary. The good news, if there is some (and there always is, I am a silver lining kind of gal) is that he sold his house a couple years back as he couldn’t make his mortgage. So from a dept standpoint, other than his business, he’s not in horrible shape and if he had to go stay with someone and give up the house he rents, he could.

What I do know about Doug is that he loves hockey, used to play quite a bit but I’m not sure if he still does. He is also an avid snowboarder (again, not sure if he still goes up) and likes things like Nascar and Monster truck races and well, some other bar type activities that we might not go to lol. He is also quite a gamer. Xbox, Playstation all that stuff. He is a good guy but in general has very very different interests than Jeff. Doug is not married and does not have any kids. He was single….until relatively recently. To our knowledge he has never dated anyone seriously until now.

I’ve probably spent a total of 2 weeks, tops, with Doug over the years and typically it is with the larger group so it isn’t like I’m spending a ton of time with him. We did have some nice alone time with him when they were out for Christmas in 07 and it really helped me understand the family dynamics better. I also feel like he and I grew closer, which while it isn’t saying much, is something! He actually told me about his girlfriend (the fact that he had one) before anyone! No clue on his feelings about Disney truth be told other than I’ve been told he likes the plan. We did spend a day together at Elitch Gardens, he and Laura ditched us for much of the day to ride on rides that for whatever reason we didn't want to do (I cannot for the life of me recall but suspect it had a lot to do with T&K's pre-disney thrill ride wimpiness, something Jeff and I are very happy is over!). It also well could have been that the E's didn't meet the height requirements. I don't really remember, my MIL was too busy freaking out and I was talking her off a ledge.

Cue…Laura.

Laura.

This is the only picture I have of her and it's a side shot! This is from Elitch Gardens last summer so we do know she likes rides. Whoo hoo!

Laura is Doug’s first long term girlfriend according to both Sandie and Jeff. They’ve been together about a year and a half now. It doesn’t appear any more, or less, serious than it did then. She has 2 children but does not have custody and does not seem to see them. We don’t ask too many questions. We’ve only met her once, last summer on the big road trip. It was also the first time Sandie and Paul had met her, Doug used our visit to deflect, which was probably smart! She is super nice and sweet and really made an effort to talk to all the kids when we met her which was great. She seems to be a very genuine person and I know works really hard. From what little I can tell, she has a heart of gold. She does like to do the same kinds of things that Doug does. Which, while great for Doug, does concern his mom.
From our perspective we are just happy he has someone who seems to make him happy and we see true genuine affection there. But. Isn’t there always a but? If Jeff and Doug are very different, well Laura and Sandie are polar opposites. It is fine for a dinner or something like that but extended conversation is..hard. There just isn’t much to talk about and it is awkward. It stresses Sandie out to no end. It is hard to watch, and I see her struggle. I petered out halfway through a really long ride line, just ran out of small talk!

As much as Sandie is happy that Doug is happy, she really wants him to be with someone she can hang out with and enjoy since he lives so much closer to him and she sees him all the time. But that just isn’t the case and so she worries she will become less close to Doug. As time has gone by Doug and Laura seem to do their own thing and she isn’t around Sandie and Paul too much and it has settled into a bit of a pattern that everyone seems comfortable with. At the hospital it sounds like she visited but they didn’t really cross paths. And so the Laura factor will be interesting. I don’t know if Doug will want her to go. I don’t know if she will want to go. Who knows where they will be at 11 months from now. Whatever happens is fine with me. But it will be interesting. Hopefully drama free but these things rarely are.

If Laura does go, and Kendall can really go, well then we won’t fit in a treehouse. And it is what it is. I’m far more concerned about the who, and the why, than the where (we stay). Yes, the where is important but at the end of the day, not really as long as we are together.

So there we have it. A motley crew complete with the usual family dynamics and minefields but one motivated to be together, to try to experience something special together.

Moments.
Next...A year ago

 

[MainStMandy]

I'm really enjoying your TR. I love your writing style. I am also not close with my soon to be BIL. I see them on holidays but we have never been to their home, nor have they been to our new apartment. We brought the nieces and nephews gifts home from our last WDW trip and we still haven't heard a thank you...or even acknowledgement. I totally get where you are coming from as I am very close with my brother.

 

[All7OfUs]

Hi Cynthia!

Finally made it through, and I must say your introductions are quite detailed, putting mine to the kind of shame one feels when just taken a glug out of the milk carton and gets caught!!

Seems like every family has its minefields and funky dynamics. I'm 42, and just now learning more of the deeper family dirt! Odd how parents can sorta just keep it hidden like something moldy and oozing the back of the fridge you pray won't be found by your MIL when she comes to visit.

Anyway, your family is looks like a great one! I love your detailed descriptions of each one-and it's so very obvious you love them to pieces!

Looking forward to more...

Liesa

 

[eandesmom]

I'm really enjoying your TR. I love your writing style. I am also not close with my soon to be BIL. I see them on holidays but we have never been to their home, nor have they been to our new apartment. We brought the nieces and nephews gifts home from our last WDW trip and we still haven't heard a thank you...or even acknowledgement. I totally get where you are coming from as I am very close with my brother.

Thank you! That is so sweet
Ah...thank you's. Acknowldegment. Two things that go a very very long way and are rarely used by many.

That reminds me that Eric and Kendall both need to write their birthday thank you's, starting tonight! Thanks for the nudge. Sadly it is not common for kids to write them anymore, my kids can't stand it but they will thank me one day as it will be ingrained in them. I am grateful my folks made me do it. Nothing takes the place of a handwritten note! Especially if it is on cute personalized note cards. Yes, I use my kids to feed my obsession with cute and clever correspondence. It never hurts to take a post mortem and ask if the kids liked the items, sometimes that spurs a response! I know my MIL was upset that Kendall hadn't thanked her for some makeup she sent. I didn't even know she'd sent it so couldn't nag Kendall, Jeff seems to think Kendall should just call her grandma (which isn't going to happen) and Sandie was too busy being hurt to call K. Ugh.

Had I known I could have nagged and there would have been a written note but gosh, you can't force a phone relationship with a 13 year old!

You know, I'll take "not close" over high maintenance and difficult any day. I had one of those once, a exSIL who shall not be named. Oh that woman did a number on my wedding. And yet she is STILL mad at me about something else even though we haven't been "related" in 8 years! That's another scary in law story but I'll spare you.

Not close and just "different" is fine with me!

There is a reason I still consider my exMIL an in-law, she doesn't want me to leave her with just exSIL as her only daughter in law. And besides, she is the grandmother of my E's! I know how hard it can be, harder I think when there are kids involved. All you can do is your best, and keep trying. You never know, once you guys have kids things could change, or they might not. Is your DF close to his brother? If so then eventually you probably will be too but if not, that's just their dynamic I guess.

Families are like marriages. Work! But always worth it, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. I think it's too important to just grow farther and farther apart though inaction, although it's much easier that's for sure!

That said. I know my family is rare. We are a clan to be sure. I can't wait to plan another WDW giant trip with them one of these days. It was SUCH a great trip! Blew away the DL trip we did 2 years prior to that. SO much fun!!! I hope to have a girls only trip over the next couple of years, either during F&W or Flower and Garden.

But it is hard on the spouses/fiances. My new BIL to be is still a bit gun shy and freaked out by all of us but I think he will come around. Somehow we all always seem to pick a spouse that only has one sibling and a small extended family. But oh do we have fun! I am very very blessed. So excited to go look at wedding venues with my little sis (and middle sis) later today! btw I updated my bio pics (had to do some photobucket re-orging and broke my links) and you can see my wrap if you want lol.

Hi Cynthia!

Finally made it through, and I must say your introductions are quite detailed, putting mine to the kind of shame one feels when just taken a glug out of the milk carton and gets caught!!

Seems like every family has its minefields and funky dynamics. I'm 42, and just now learning more of the deeper family dirt! Odd how parents can sorta just keep it hidden like something moldy and oozing the back of the fridge you pray won't be found by your MIL when she comes to visit.

Anyway, your family is looks like a great one! I love your detailed descriptions of each one-and it's so very obvious you love them to pieces!

Looking forward to more...

Liesa

Hi Liesa! first of all....


I'm probably oversharing lol! Considering I did virtually NO introductions on my last PTR and TR I'm compensating. And I really enjoy reading others histories and figured with 11 months...I need something to talk about

I LOVE your PTR, don't change a thing.

Better to just get caught drinking out of the jug, then dribbling it all down your front which is usually my style!

And truth be told, it's a lot simpler when it is just your immediate family. You know that dirt and those dynamics like the back of your hand and have years of training of how to deal with it. Or ignore it. Or laugh at it. With inlaws, there is a learning curve!

There are still agendas to be sure but you are the main stakeholder. In a trip like this, we've got a lot of influencing factors which may well equal drama and changes. So I figure better to lay it out up front, so everyone can talk me off a ledge if and when it happens!! I may have great intentions on focusing on moments...on breathing in the pretty colors and breathing out the bad but...I am human. But I do love them to pieces!

 

[KathyRN137]

Hey, its not oversharing... its important to know the backstory when you've got a grand gathering on your hands!


Kathy

 

[Sandy321]

Hi Cynthia

I followed you over from another thread - your title is very eye catching!!

I know I talk too much, and I share too much - if you read my pre trip report - I've changed it several times - reasons - TMI!! then I'll read it and realize it doesnt make any sense whatsoever!!

So I enjoy you sharing the backstory!! It works for me!!

Chi-town hmmm - I love CHICAGO!!! I'm in a northwest suburb, and love to visit and Priceline hotels - its such a fun city and has such a special place in my heart!!

Life is short - dont sweat the small stuff... easier said than done - until you have one of those moments... How sweet that you went out on the blankets and looked at the stars!! THAT is a memory maker for all time for all of you!! Take time to smell the roses - AND look at the stars!!

We have family..."issues" as well... and DH's father had severe heart disease, several heart surgeries (starting at 42) so my dh is a big believer in living in the moment... but those hospital bills - Even if you might have insurance - the things they dont cover.... and then the premiums - if people had a better understanding of what companies paid out + their cut + what you have to pay OOP - I think (not that I know, I just was surprised when I got our hospital bill for my son!!) people would be more open to figure something else out!!!

Great start! Thanks for taking me along for the ride!!

 

[eandesmom]

Hey, its not oversharing... its important to know the backstory when you've got a grand gathering on your hands!
Kathy

Whew! Thanks

It's a fine line...the oversharing. I realized mid TR last time I didn't share enough at the beginning, I mean why would anyone be interested in our trip if they didn't feel like they knew us?

Hi Cynthia

I followed you over from another thread - your title is very eye catching!!

I know I talk too much, and I share too much - if you read my pre trip report - I've changed it several times - reasons - TMI!! then I'll read it and realize it doesnt make any sense whatsoever!!

So I enjoy you sharing the backstory!! It works for me!!

Chi-town hmmm - I love CHICAGO!!! I'm in a northwest suburb, and love to visit and Priceline hotels - its such a fun city and has such a special place in my heart!!

Life is short - dont sweat the small stuff... easier said than done - until you have one of those moments... How sweet that you went out on the blankets and looked at the stars!! THAT is a memory maker for all time for all of you!! Take time to smell the roses - AND look at the stars!!

We have family..."issues" as well... and DH's father had severe heart disease, several heart surgeries (starting at 42) so my dh is a big believer in living in the moment... but those hospital bills - Even if you might have insurance - the things they dont cover.... and then the premiums - if people had a better understanding of what companies paid out + their cut + what you have to pay OOP - I think (not that I know, I just was surprised when I got our hospital bill for my son!!) people would be more open to figure something else out!!!

Great start! Thanks for taking me along for the ride!!

first of all

thanks on the title, oh the pressure of a good title!

Are you in a NW burb of Chicago? I used to live in the western burbs after about 4 years in the city. I love Chi town too but am glad to be living back "home". I'd love to go back for a weekend, preferably around blues fest! stay at the Monaco, dine at Frontera...sigh. Jeff and I went once several years ago (actually he tagged along on a business trip) and we had so much fun on a tandem bike, cruisin along the lake.

Jeff and I were just talking about the insurance thing the other day. It's crazy. One E cost 10K, the other E 4. Both had complications. Granted one was more than the other but still..a 6K difference? His big fear is our premiums going up as a result but boy something has to be done, it is just scary. And to your point, even with "good" insurance it can be mind boggling what isn't covered at all. Or barely covered. And wading through the billing codes to make your case...UGH!

Welcome welcome! I'll try to get by your PTR later today

 

[Sandy321]

Cynthia -

Its a small world after all...

Thought I'd share DH's pictures of Mt Ranier in your trip report!!

(see how I was always hijacking trip reports?!!)

DS #2 just competed in the Chicago Triathlon - what a wonderful weekend!! The weather can be wonky - but its amazing this past summer!! NO oppressive heat waves - no humidity to speak of.... but today - it feels like Fall - a comfy 72 deg - nice breeze... its amazing!!

 

[cjackearl]

I finally have the opportunity to reply properly! I adore your first post. You're right. Living in the moment is tough, but so satisfying. Its what makes up a contented life. We often talk about what's important in life being overshadowed by the "tyranny of the urgent". All of those things, minutia, that require our attention RIGHT NOW, like the laundry and the carpools and the bills and, and, and and take us away from relationships and enjoying the life we're living. I'm glad your BIL is ok.

I LOVE Chicago also. We live about 3 hours away and visit regularly. Oh how we enjoy the museums and aquarium and, having girls, the American Girl store. Our favorite restaurant is Brasserie Jo. Heaven!

Your introductions were wonderful. Definitely not too much, its great to really get a feel for family dynamics on these trips.

Beautiful wedding pictures, lady. It sounds like you and DH have figured out how to cherish your couple time, which is something my DH and I are working our way back to.

 

[eandesmom]

Cynthia -

Its a small world after all...

Thought I'd share DH's pictures of Mt Ranier in your trip report!!

(see how I was always hijacking trip reports?!!)

DS #2 just competed in the Chicago Triathlon - what a wonderful weekend!! The weather can be wonky - but its amazing this past summer!! NO oppressive heat waves - no humidity to speak of.... but today - it feels like Fall - a comfy 72 deg - nice breeze... its amazing!!

It is a small world. Isn't that a beautiful thing?

Chicago in the fall is fabulous, definitely my favorite season. I do NOT miss the humidity. I've camped and hiked at Rainer many a time but never actually climbed it...we shall see! Hijack away!! Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing.

I finally have the opportunity to reply properly! I adore your first post. You're right. Living in the moment is tough, but so satisfying. Its what makes up a contented life. We often talk about what's important in life being overshadowed by the "tyranny of the urgent". All of those things, minutia, that require our attention RIGHT NOW, like the laundry and the carpools and the bills and, and, and and take us away from relationships and enjoying the life we're living. I'm glad your BIL is ok.

I LOVE Chicago also. We live about 3 hours away and visit regularly. Oh how we enjoy the museums and aquarium and, having girls, the American Girl store. Our favorite restaurant is Brasserie Jo. Heaven!

Your introductions were wonderful. Definitely not too much, its great to really get a feel for family dynamics on these trips.

Beautiful wedding pictures, lady. It sounds like you and DH have figured out how to cherish your couple time, which is something my DH and I are working our way back to.

thank you thank you thank you! I can honestly say though I never made it to the American Girl store though I've certainly shopped there for my niece online! Kendall went through a VERY brief AG phase, I wish it would have been longer. Brasserie Jo = YUM!

Thank you for the couple compliments, we really try, it is far to important not to and so easy to lose sight of it. It is work but worth it.

 

[eandesmom]

Isn’t it amazing how time flies? I look at my children and barely notice the milestones until I step back and compare. Were did those chubby cheeks go? Where did my abs go? LOL.

So much has happened with my family over the past year it’s just crazy if I start to list it all out. But this is about DISNEY. And so much has happened related to DISNEY in the past year it’s just crazy if I start to list it all out!
Hmmn. A theme?

So check it out. One year ago today I was busy rescheduling our Disney trip, playing the resort hopper game. Ok maybe I missed it by about 4 days but it was around this time, exactly 46 days before the trip so the last day to make a change! Today , realizing that we actually pulled off a trip that had a lot going against it from the start, caused me to reflect on how we got there in the first place.

Faith.

Faith in things working out as they are meant to and faith in having goals, making plans and moving forward even if it seems like you shouldn’t.
As most of you know, I was laid off in February of 2008. I took some time to hang out with the kids and write a book. All of a sudden I had a lot of extra time and it turned to Disney planning! And so, despite not having a job I booked a trip on faith. A trip Jeff and I both wanted to happen but knew was a long shot. We had just started our new vacation CD’s for the year and they wouldn’t pay out until Feb of the following year. What was our goal?

Well it started out as…

BWV, 7 nights over Thanksgiving. We figured we had a better chance of getting K&T for the week if it involved limited missing of school. We really didn’t want to finance anything but knew we could put it on the Disney Visa and then the CD’s would pay out before any interest was due so while not ideal, doable.

I had my heart set on BWV because we’d eaten dinner at the Big River Brewery and Grill on our last trip and had really loved the atmosphere of the Boardwalk. Despite the layoff, I’d just gotten a huge bonus and then a very nice severance package and it seemed fitting to dedicate some of that to the trip and splurge more than we would normally do. Our previous trip, (which in retrospect was also a grand gathering, just an off-site one) had involved rental homes from All Star. The houses were GREAT and a perfect fit for that group but….we had other ideas.

We had arrived one night before the rest of the clan due to flight times, work etc and b/c we wanted to head out to Cape Canaveral for the day before the clan descended. We booked one night at ASM. I’ll talk about that magical day later but suffice to say we were HOOKED on the idea of staying on property and there was no we we’d go back, with all 6 of us and NOT stay on property. And while there was nothing wrong with ASM, it also wasn’t a place we could see staying a full week at.

We wanted to do it, and we wanted to do it right! All the way baby!

We hemmed and hawed for about 2 weeks and decided to take the plunge and book.

And BWV was GONE!

I was shocked, saddened, really really bummed out. But I rebounded and booked….OKW. I wasn’t jazzed BUT it was Disney and I liked it better than SSR. Neither excited me truth be told but…with 6…not a lot of options out there! All the other options were quite a bit pricier or so it seemed at the time. Peak season. Now that I look at it, WL and AKL seem to be not all that much more than OKW and SSR (and certainly far less than the Epcot resorts) but I just didn’t have my info down, nor had I seen any of the resorts. So OKW it was and I moved forward planning that.

Fast forward to 1 year ago. We spent ALL summer looking at flights. We spent a CRAZY amount of money on gas for our summer trip, spending up to $4.25 a gallon as we drove to the grand canyon and back. It was supposed to be a “cheap” trip, that really wasn’t due to the gas prices. Jet fuel prices were destroying airfares and we could not find anything less than $580 a ticket. And we'd had some significant unexpected medical expenses, including one VERY sick kitty...it would have been nice to have pet insurance). Some of that splurge money had gone to gas...and to the vet. Deluxe and all the way baby just really wasn't a good idea regardless of whether we could afford it or not.

So, sadly, we said goodbye to our dreams of a cooking free Thanksgiving, of seeing Christmas decorations at the world, the whole nine yards. 1 day before we had to make full payment, I moved the trip out to spring break, which was late April/early March.

But what was this I found? Something new! Something that hadn’t crossed my radar before! Something that actually slept 6 but wasn’t at the deluxe 2 bedroom villa prices! I didn’t even know these existed!

Be still my heart. I love you Fort Wilderness

Fate. Faith.

Soccer threatened to intervene, rendering a spring break trip impossible due to state cup rescheduling. K&T didn’t have a full week for mid winter break but we figured a couple of days of missing school was doable. And what?

What was this?

BUY 4 and GET 3!

That meant opening a whole new world…the DDP! With the 4/3, the savings paid for the plan! Well almost. Lol.

Fate. Faith.

Fuel prices came down and 46 days before our trip was to start, December 26th…we paid it off. On New Years Eve we bought our plane tickets, at $208 each!. On New Years Day I found the DIS. 42 days before our trip I made our ADR’s. Which sounds INSANE now but it was back in that period of 45 day booking windows so wasn’t really as crazy as it sounds and I actually got what I wanted. Though we sacrificed explosives to do it! We paid off that Disney Visa the minute we got the bill, regardless of the zero interest because those trip CD’s were ready when we got back! Ahhhh. How lovely is that!

What a difference a year makes. How happy am I that we re-started those CD’s the minute we returned!

Fate. Faith.
I promise to try to keep it!

It’s not always easy. I don’t think it trivializes faith, or fate to apply it to Disney. At the end of the day it isn’t really about Disney, it’s about believing in your gut instinct, about following what feels right, about believing in magic and insurmountable odds. Dreams and Goals.

It is with this spirit that I begin this planning journey.

Moments.

Next...The BFP v0

 

[Sandy321]

I love reading those moments!!

It is funny how easy it is to forget the blessings - to name the God Sightings in our lives.

we also "walk on water" live on Faith, for Faith... (we're not sure where dh is supposed to be, he has been laid off, and is just getting "contracting jobs" piece meal hours here and there.. no severance pkg, sad but... walk on faith)

We have had the reality check on life is short, and you cant take it with you... maybe that changes you when you hold your best friend the night she dies, and feel the spirit of the Lord take her with Him... (I was 19 - she is my best friend, Love is beautiful) When your fil passes away at 62 from heart disease, after fighting the fight for 20 years...

Glad you found the DIsboards - glad you are sharing your journey!!

 

[Angies1274]

Yay!! You started your PTR!! Where have I been?

Awe..What a wonderful introduction and so true. I think we spend alot of time getting caught up in day to day stuff and we sometimes forget to just stop, look around and enjoy every moment to the fullest. It's so hard to ignore the distractions but also very necessary!! Life is too short not to make every moment matter.

I loved that the boys went out to lay down and look at the stars!! "They wanted stars." It literally gave me chills....it's so great that they decided to create those moments for themselves!!

I enjoyed your writing style so much as I was reading your TR. I'm so happy you decided to write a PTR!! I can't wait to hear about all your planning!!

BTW--great pictures of everyone!!!