Eastern Caribbean Fantasy Oct. 5, 2013

[tiggerb]

Debbie ~ Sorry to hear the news of your brother. I will keep your family in my prayers for healing and strength for everyone. Nothing is impossible, including healing!

As for my family and cancelling, it was a tough decision but had to be done. We are hoping for a family driving vacation this Fall. The air fare was the final kick, especially since we had unexpected high car repairs this spring. Life goes on, just wanting a Disney fix Would have been cool to meet everyone and from around the world.

 

[pixiehallow]

tiggerb, I am so sorry to hear this. I was hoping things were going well. We will keep you in our prayers and thoughts.

Tink, on a sad note, I would like to add the Colon Ca ribbon to our page. My brother has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Ca, just had a large tumor removed and we know there is mets in the lung and liver. Please keep him and his family in prayer.

Debbie

I will add the ribbon, and the prayer request.

Another thought. When I get home later, I will set something up on the group page so we can compile a list of ribbon needs.

 

[Viking]

Sorry to hear that you won't be cruising with us, tiggerb

On a lighter note:
Even though we're usually not fond of wearing costumes, we decided to make an exception and get some pirate garb for the cruise. We already have about a dozen different ones in our shopping basket on Amazon and now we need to make a decision. We most probably have to have Anja's costume altered as she wears XS, sometimes even XXS and so we want to start early to have time for the changes.
As I will be in the States in two weeks I got a question:
Are there any US-stores that carry good costumes? If that is the case, I'd wait til my trip.

 

[Kprovax]

Tink,

I didn't want to miss any Girl Scouts on the cruise and have a list of a few, but would it be best to put it on the Yahoo groups board under Extra FE information. What do you think would be best?

We have just made some extra gifts for them. We don't have to be paired with those rooms that have a Girl Scout we would just deliver a special gift to them. Even if they are not in our group we will deliver a special gift.

We have been making FE gifts and are having a great time. Had a hard time figuring out the teenage boys but I think we got it. Oh this will be so much fun!!


Kim

 

[Kprovax]

We have several family members that have battled breast cancer and then the beginning of this year an Aunt diagnosed with melanoma. Cancer unfortunately touches us all, somehow.

I am a pediatric nurse and see children with cancer and it just breaks my heart what they and the families go through. I will keep you all in my prayers.

If you need any help making ribbons, please let me know.
Kim

 

[pixiehallow]

Tink,

I didn't want to miss any Girl Scouts on the cruise and have a list of a few, but would it be best to put it on the Yahoo groups board under Extra FE information. What do you think would be best?

We have just made some extra gifts for them. We don't have to be paired with those rooms that have a Girl Scout we would just deliver a special gift to them. Even if they are not in our group we will deliver a special gift.

We have been making FE gifts and are having a great time. Had a hard time figuring out the teenage boys but I think we got it. Oh this will be so much fun!!


Kim

Kim,
Great idea. I will add a spot to the new form on the group page.

So.... calling all girl scout families (whether you are taking part in the FE or not) head over to the group page and add your group name, cabin #, and # of girl scouts in your family. If you are not going to do the FE make sure to note that.

 

[Mrsvstol]

My family and I will also be on this cruise in October. I've tried to sift through the other posts but 50+ pages is overwhelming. Is there a group we can be added to? What is FE? I think I missed an acronym page somehwere. lol On another note, as a cancer survivor, I think the idea of dedicating this cruise to survivors is beautiful. Looking forward to hearing from everyone!

 

[pixiehallow]

Sorry to hear that you won't be cruising with us, tiggerb

On a lighter note:
Even though we're usually not fond of wearing costumes, we decided to make an exception and get some pirate garb for the cruise. We already have about a dozen different ones in our shopping basket on Amazon and now we need to make a decision. We most probably have to have Anja's costume altered as she wears XS, sometimes even XXS and so we want to start early to have time for the changes.
As I will be in the States in two weeks I got a question:
Are there any US-stores that carry good costumes? If that is the case, I'd wait til my trip.

Eric ,
Costumes are usually available closer to October. But since we are headed that way, and the guy that owns the franchise that Chuck manages lives in Colorado Springs , I will check the Denver area for you.

 

[TamaraH]

Mrs. Stevenson: I just requested to join the FB group. thanks for starting it!

PixieHallow: Personally, I would like to request to be in one of the smaller FE sub-groups...for budget, traveling, and not taking up too much time..thanks!

No one mentioned that yesterday marked the 3 MONTH MARK!!! YEA!!!

Im planning on staying up until midnight to book some things....mixology & massages!!! yea!! getting more and more excited!!

I must have missed that someone had set up an FE group. I too just requested to join.

 

[Mrsvstol]

Roxy,
we'd love to have you as neighbours - we both are avid readers of the Stephanie Plum-novels by Janet Evanovich, so living next to someone from Jersey sounds like fun

Pluto,
my DW and I don't like Nassau either. We'd be glad to have a spectacular view of a different island

Have you read her new Wicked series? Love it.

 

[TamaraH]

Well, it is with great sadness, and is official, we have had to cancel this cruise. One of the original members, but no more. Tink is well aware of this and I know she has already removed our name from the FE list.


And, I apologize that the other cruise thread for this date was not kept up. I have not been able to give Tink editing of the thread.

I am sorry we won't be meeting you, but I am still following the thread, and can not wait to hear all about the cruise. I have some FE gifts... , but now, they will sit and collect dust. We do not know when the time will ever come for a DCL trip, so, we shall live vicariously through all of you.

Yet, Tink is soooo on the ball with everything, and it sounds like a few more are helping out the organizing of the meets!

Enjoy the trip!

I'm so sorry to hear this.

 

[TamaraH]

We have several family members that have battled breast cancer and then the beginning of this year an Aunt diagnosed with melanoma. Cancer unfortunately touches us all, somehow.

I am a pediatric nurse and see children with cancer and it just breaks my heart what they and the families go through. I will keep you all in my prayers.

If you need any help making ribbons, please let me know.
Kim

Kim - where are you a nurse at? Malia is a hepatoblastoma survivor and all of her treatment was through PCH but we have been to Mercy Gilbert as well. I just wanted to say how much we value the nurses. Through our treatment journey, we fully came to realize how much we relied on the nurses and how a good nurse can make you feel so safe while a bad one can throw you into a tizzy! Luckily we never had a "bad" nurse...just one that was not at the top of my list. LOL Thank you for what you do!

 

[pixiehallow]

My family and I will also be on this cruise in October. I've tried to sift through the other posts but 50+ pages is overwhelming. Is there a group we can be added to? What is FE? I think I missed an acronym page somehwere. lol On another note, as a cancer survivor, I think the idea of dedicating this cruise to survivors is beautiful. Looking forward to hearing from everyone!

Welcome to our group Mrsvstol

We are excited you found us....

To answer a few of your questions...We do have a group page..I will send you an invite in just a few minutes (check your Personal Messages).
The group page has a plethora of info...from answers to your FE question, to helpful tips for trip planning. We have picture shares, meet sign ups, and even a practice sheet for your cartoon drawings in Animators Palate.

As for an FE (this will be just a quick run down...for more detailed, you can google it, and find much more wordier explanations), it is a fun gift exchange. Those who sign up will hang a Fish Extender (hence the FE) out side their cabin door on the Fish on the wall. Then through out the cruise other participants will deliver special gifts to your bag. In return, you will have made (or bought) gifts that you will deliver to the other cabins. We currently have 41 cabins participating...don't let that number scare you. We have already decided to split this number in to smaller sub-groups.

Congrats on surviving cancer. I too am surviving Melanoma.

We have several past cruisers so if you have any questions, ask away. Everyone is very friendly and always eager to help.

Now all that is left.....get excited about planning.

~Tink~

 

[Kprovax]

Kim - where are you a nurse at? Malia is a hepatoblastoma survivor and all of her treatment was through PCH but we have been to Mercy Gilbert as well. I just wanted to say how much we value the nurses. Through our treatment journey, we fully came to realize how much we relied on the nurses and how a good nurse can make you feel so safe while a bad one can throw you into a tizzy! Luckily we never had a "bad" nurse...just one that was not at the top of my list. LOL Thank you for what you do!

I work at Cardon Children's Hospital - Desert Samaritan. I have been there since 96. PCH is so far away since we live in Gilbert. I love my job!! Hope everything is going wonderful. Thank you for the kind words.

Kim

 

[Viking]

Have you read her new Wicked series? Love it.

Not yet. So far I have read only the Stephanie Plum-stuff and the two Motor Head-novels.

Presently I'm reading the third volumes of the Tomorrow-Series by John Marsden. I guess Ozdisneyfan knows that one as it takes place in Australia.

 

[Viking]

Eric ,
Costumes are usually available closer to October. But since we are headed that way, and the guy that owns the franchise that Chuck manages lives in Colorado Springs , I will check the Denver area for you.

Thanks, Tink.
Last night we found two costumes we liked so much that we ordered them right away. Mine comes from Berlin, Germany and will be here by Thursday or Friday, Anja's we ordered in the UK and it will arrive next week.
As we ordered both via Amazon it will be easy to return them if they don't meet our expectations. So it's good to have a Plan B.
I will be in the Colorado Springs-area on Sunday when visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. That is, when the weather's fair. If it rains I'll probably be in teh Science Museum in Denver as they're having free Admission that day.

We also ordered inflatable swords and will look for some inexpensive jewellery that matches our costumes.

 

[Viking]

Talking about cancer:
Fortunately neither of us has been affected by it directly. My sister's daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at age 5 and had to undergo several chemos in about 18 months. She's 27 now. We've been registered in the National Bone Marrow Donor-database ever since, but so far I only came close to donating once, but eventually they found a better match.
Anja worked as an RN on an oncological ward (Uterus/ovarian CA) for several years applying chemo and losing many patients, but transferred to an emergency surgical ward some years ago.
She's having her 25th anniversary with her hospital shortly before the cruise on 10/1

 

[pixiehallow]

Thanks, Tink.
Last night we found two costumes we liked so much that we ordered them right away. Mine comes from Berlin, Germany and will be here by Thursday or Friday, Anja's we ordered in the UK and it will arrive next week.
As we ordered both via Amazon it will be easy to return them if they don't meet our expectations. So it's good to have a Plan B.
I will be in the Colorado Springs-area on Sunday when visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. That is, when the weather's fair. If it rains I'll probably be in teh Science Museum in Denver as they're having free Admission that day.

We also ordered inflatable swords and will look for some inexpensive jewellery that matches our costumes.

I am glad y'all decided to dress up
So are you going to want to take part in the pirate dress up / costume contest ????
I have only had one other person sign up on the group page for this so far

 

[Deb T.]

We've been registered in the National Bone Marrow Donator-database ever since, but so far I only came close to donating once, but eventually they found a better match.

I am very proud to say that I am a bone marrow donor! DH and I registered on the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry in 1998, which is now called "Be The Match National Marrow Donor Program". I was notified in January 2008 that I was a potential match to a 54yo male with non-hodgkin's lymphoma who lived in a completely different country than us! I underwent many, many blood work-ups, a complete physical, and received shots to increase the marrow in my bloodstream prior to finally going through the donation procedure in August 2008. There was a courier waiting at the hospital for my procedure to finish so that they could immediately fly my marrow to the recipient! Because he lives in a different country with restrictive contact regulations, I've only heard from him once through a translated letter thanking me for my donation. If he had lived here in the U.S., I might have been able to eventually meet him. But, I am satisfied that I did all I could do to save a life! BTW, DH is still jealous that he has never been a match!

 

[pixiehallow]

I closed the poles for FE sizes and cut off date today.

In the FE Group size pole:
43% of the votes were for a group size of 20 -25 cabins
(no other option even came close)....So, it looks like a majority of y'all are in favor of sub-groups.

***a side note to this, several of you have replied that larger is fine with
you, so if you would like, after the sub-groups are set, I can make sure a
list of all FE cabins is available to those that want to give to cabins that
are in the other group as well as there own. Just let me know.***

In the Cut off Date to join the FE pole:
45% of the votes were for closing the FE at the end of July
(the end of August was in second place with 33%)
....So, the FE sign up will officially close on July 26th. That will be after I get back from Colorado, and before I start our next homeschool semester. This should give me enough time to take care of getting the groups set and sending out lists to everyone.....

I hope this fits everyone elses time frames as well. If this will cause a conflict, please let me know, and I will do what I can to accommodate.