10 people, 8 days and 3 rooms, IT WAS WILD!!!! *7/16* pt 3 on pg 20

[meriann]

Thanks to my loyal pre-trippie friends. It has been hard since Christsmas but espically the last 2 weeks.

We thougth things were looking up for dad and the treatments were working, but then the day before Easter we thought he had a stroke, come to find out, his cancer was just taking over and he had 4 new brain tumors. The Dr said he had about a week or 2, but thankfully for him he passed just 4 days later. He had said all along he didn't want to linger and be in pain and he wasn't.

I was just greatful I got to be there for his last moments and hold his hand.

He was truly a special man and was so excited for our big trip to Disney, so that is what I am going to focus on!!!!!

We are down to our 2 month mark and TIMES A WASTING!

I have been making my list of things I need to get done before I go, Please add to my list if you think of something

1. Make my countdown calendar.
2. work on my personalized maps and get them sent
3. order disney crocs for the kids
4. Pray gas prices go down so we can afford the trip down there, yes we are driving the 13 hours to Orlando, IN 1 day!
5. Look for a new camera. I have a large digi rebel that I will take for AK and a few places, but I am thinking I want something smaller for other days too. any good recomendations?
6. look for or make water bottle holders for the kids so we aren't stoping at EVERY water fountian we pass. My 11yo LOVES water fountains.
7 shop for some sort of bag/backpack to carry camera, park tickets, room keys, purell ect... in any ideas on what is nice, easy?


ok what else am I missing, I am not packing yet. Oh do I need to call and just re-comfirm room and dining ressies? I am getting nervous even if I have it all written down.

 

[jordanyosh]

Take it from someone who knows, nothing more therapeutic than planning a WDW vacation.

It certainly doesn't take away the pain, but it does help....

Being on the DIS with all the crazies will help too...

Glad you're back M. If you ever want to talk....you know I can relate...

 

[mousescrapper]

Meri,

I'm so super sorry to read about your Dad, but thankful you had the time to spend w/ him just before....

Here's hoping the Disney trip will bring some much needed for you and your family!

here are some thoughts on that list of yours:

I have been making my list of things I need to get done before I go, Please add to my list if you think of something

1. Make my countdown calendar. FUN!! I know on one of those kid Disney sites you can make custom calendars w/ characters...go to the main Disney site to find the link
2. work on my personalized maps and get them sent I was able to just print mine right at home, did it a few months back w/ out even ordering a first set
3. order disney crocs for the kids doing that too! got the Ariel crocling kind for my middle DD 5 HUGE Ariel fan!
4. Pray gas prices go down so we can afford the trip down there, yes we are driving the 13 hours to Orlando, IN 1 day!
5. Look for a new camera. I have a large digi rebel that I will take for AK and a few places, but I am thinking I want something smaller for other days too. any good recomendations? It's not awesome, but sufficent Kodak Easy Share (4.0)
6. look for or make water bottle holders for the kids so we aren't stoping at EVERY water fountian we pass. My 11yo LOVES water fountains. Would a lanyard work?
7 shop for some sort of bag/backpack to carry camera, park tickets, room keys, purell ect... in any ideas on what is nice, easy? I know everyone is in love w/ Baggalini around here...but I (well actually DH) won me a Vera Bradley Backsack on Ebay...I really like backsacks, comfy.
ok what else am I missing, I am not packing yet. Oh do I need to call and just re-comfirm room and dining ressies? I am getting nervous even if I have it all written down.

Looking forward to hearing the final countdown details! It sure is fun to be in the 60 day and down countdown!

Best Wishes and lots of &

 

[kindakrazy2]

Yay! Meri's trip report is back on!

Missed seeing you over here girl!

 

[meriann]

Well I started working on the LIST!

I finsihed my maps and I "hope" they are being printed and shipped SOON!

I am planning my countdown calendar in my head but have to start on it. Do I do a 30 day countdown? I have my cricut, so I don't have to steal all the mickeyes from the depot I also need to decide how I want to mark off the days. TOO many choices.

MIL just informed me that they are flying in at 12 that day and BIL and SIL will be there at 10:30 So now we are trying to decide how they will all get to the hotel since we are at SOG not ME for us. I "think" we will have SSGT drop us off at the hotel at 10ish and have them just store our luggage since its way too early to get the rooms, then the kids and I will hit the pool and hubby will go and pick them all up then bring them back. Sat was our nothing day anyway.

I just need to call the hotel to make sure they will do that, but I am pretty sure they will.

just under 2 months and I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cherbear]

Meriann, I haven't been around here but I just saw your post about your dad. You are a very strong woman. It is good that you realize that he's in a better place and not suffering anymore.

My prayers are with you and your family.

 

[meriann]

Meriann, I haven't been around here but I just saw your post about your dad. You are a very strong woman. It is good that you realize that he's in a better place and not suffering anymore.

My prayers are with you and your family.

Thanks cherbear! Its amazing how at peace I am about it all. I miss him and think about funny things he did constantly. I even am about to finsh up a scrapbook I made of his life. I did this for his 60th birthday and it went from birth to his wedding day.

I am now going to finish it up and go from wedding to his passing. It was the only thing of my dads that I truly wanted because I am the scrapbooker and I wanted his pictures preserved. Everytime I look at his old pictures I smile. He was so sweet looking.

It think as a surprise for Christmas I am going to have the pages color copied for each of my sisters so they will have their own album.

Just for fun here is a picture of him with the kids and I last year

 

[kindakrazy2]

Thanks cherbear! Its amazing how at peace I am about it all. I miss him and think about funny things he did constantly. I even am about to finsh up a scrapbook I made of his life. I did this for his 60th birthday and it went from birth to his wedding day.

I am now going to finish it up and go from wedding to his passing. It was the only thing of my dads that I truly wanted because I am the scrapbooker and I wanted his pictures preserved. Everytime I look at his old pictures I smile. He was so sweet looking.

It think as a surprise for Christmas I am going to have the pages color copied for each of my sisters so they will have their own album.

Just for fun here is a picture of him with the kids and I last year

I love that picture of you guys all together. He looks so happy. And I have to say it is one of the best ones I have seen of your oldest L (not sure if you are using their names here) he looks so relaxed and natural there. Not posed at all. Beautiful!

I hope you are going to show me the album. I know all the girls and I over there would love to see it. We all loved him Meri. He was the daddy we all wanted.

 

[meriann]

I love that picture of you guys all together. He looks so happy. And I have to say it is one of the best ones I have seen of your oldest L (not sure if you are using their names here) he looks so relaxed and natural there. Not posed at all. Beautiful!

I hope you are going to show me the album. I know all the girls and I over there would love to see it. We all loved him Meri. He was the daddy we all wanted.

Thanks Sarah, I love that picture too. I am sure once its all done I will show you the book, but I may just have to bribe you to make one of your stateside visits one to ME in order to see it

 

[jordanyosh]

Great picture....

What a great thing that you're thinking of doing for your sisters...!!!!!!

 

[meriann]

Great picture....

What a great thing that you're thinking of doing for your sisters...!!!!!!

Thanks J, I think they will like it too.

 

[meriann]

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL I spent a few hours this afternoon playing with my cricut and this is what I came up with, drumroll please......................................................................................................................

ta-da

its the countdown calendar!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I just need to decide how we will mark out the days. I thought of putting a smaller mickey head over each number OR a star sticker or just the basic X, hmmmmmmm


that is one thing off my list!!!!! Oh and I need to pin dh down on exactly what day we will leave. Its a 13ish hour drive and we will either leave thursday afternoon and stop part way then head the rest of the way on friday to my friend Jen's house. OR drive all day on friday and get in late friday.

I am pushing for a thursday departure so I can spend more time with Jen catching up but it will really depend on his work

whooo hooooo its coming fast!

 

[jordanyosh]

Wow you're under 2 months....

 

[cherbear]

<~~~~~JEALOUS! (that's me )

 

[disneygirlinnj]

Beautiful pic with your father! I love it!

Love the countdown calendar too! Did you pick a camera yet? I also have a canon rebel as my 'main' camera but for a smaller camera I bought the Pentax Optio W30. It's waterproof too so you can take it to the beach and everything and takes some pretty nice pictures for just being a point and shoot!

 

[kindakrazy2]

Love it Meri!

We put star shaped stickers over the numbers on ours as we counted off the day! We also took pictures each day with the girls holding the number card! Makes for a cool scrapbook page when you print out all the pics as a 2x3....I'm just saying....

See....like this....

Here is what it looked like when it was finished....

 

[meriann]

Wow you're under 2 months....

WAHHHHOOOOOOOOO

<~~~~~JEALOUS! (that's me )

I am so sorry! but SOOOOOOOO EXCITED! I will take you with me in spirit!

Beautiful pic with your father! I love it!

Love the countdown calendar too! Did you pick a camera yet? I also have a canon rebel as my 'main' camera but for a smaller camera I bought the Pentax Optio W30. It's waterproof too so you can take it to the beach and everything and takes some pretty nice pictures for just being a point and shoot!

Thanks about my daddy pic, I love it too.

I am still up in the air about my camera. I will probably just take the digi rebel with me and tough it out. I just love the pictures so much that I am sure I would end up taking it each day even if i did buy a new camera.

Love it Meri!

We put star shaped stickers over the numbers on ours as we counted off the day! We also took pictures each day with the girls holding the number card! Makes for a cool scrapbook page when you print out all the pics as a 2x3....I'm just saying....

See....like this....

Here is what it looked like when it was finished....

gotcha! but did you put on the number each day? Mine are already stuck on with glue dots so I coudn't take it off, so maybe just a pick of that person putting on the start that day? I have to do a 3 day rotation with my crew on who does what each day.


oh and MY MAPS CAME!!!!!!!!!!

I sent away for personalized park maps from disney and they came today!

the kids were super excited to start reading them and figure out where they want to go first. They are map kids like me so once we hit a park everyone has to have their own map to read and figure out what is where. Its a bit of Overkill but I am the same way and i don't share maps

 

[disneygirlinnj]

I agree with the camera. I'm a HUGE picture person (we took over 1000 pics for our 7 day trip in December!). I didn't have the rebel at the time but I borrowed my dads Olympus DSLR. I carried it all over with me every single day and night. I personally never used the small point and shoot (i gave that to my mom to play with..lol). I also had a telephoto lens that I also carried around with me. The camera bag I had was too bulky so I just 'borrowed' a towel from the hotel, wrapped the lens in the towel, and put the lens in my huge pocketbook. Worked like a charm! The extra lens definitely wasn't needed except for Animal Kingdom though.

Ohhh I'm getting excited for you!!

 

[kindakrazy2]

I am still up in the air about my camera. I will probably just take the digi rebel with me and tough it out. I just love the pictures so much that I am sure I would end up taking it each day even if i did buy a new camera.




gotcha! but did you put on the number each day? Mine are already stuck on with glue dots so I coudn't take it off, so maybe just a pick of that person putting on the start that day? I have to do a 3 day rotation with my crew on who does what each day.


oh and MY MAPS CAME!!!!!!!!!!

I sent away for personalized park maps from disney and they came today!

the kids were super excited to start reading them and figure out where they want to go first. They are map kids like me so once we hit a park everyone has to have their own map to read and figure out what is where. Its a bit of Overkill but I am the same way and i don't share maps

take your drebel.....you won't be sorry!

The mickey heads did have a number on them but I just stuck them on the foam board with tape. I have since adhered them properly and modge podged the whole thing....

Congrats on getting your maps! I had to be sneaky and get them sent to Tande and she mailed them up to me because apparently Disney doesn't like to send things to Canadians!

Too bad - I got them anyways!

 

[meriann]

take your drebel.....you won't be sorry!

The mickey heads did have a number on them but I just stuck them on the foam board with tape. I have since adhered them properly and modge podged the whole thing....

Congrats on getting your maps! I had to be sneaky and get them sent to Tande and she mailed them up to me because apparently Disney doesn't like to send things to Canadians!

Too bad - I got them anyways!

\

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH your in trouble, I am telling DISNEY!!!!!!