Morning all. It's hump day! Can't wait until Friday! We have used our DVC points to cruise. When they first introduced the seven day cruise they gave a phenominal deal to DVC members and we used points, took friends, and the friends gave us cash for their portion. So they basically paid for all my excursions, tips, and airfare to get there! Then when we took all 12 of us, I used the points to our advantage and paid part points per stateroom and part cash.
On this cruise, it was so expensive, but I booked me and DH with points and then the other 11 (13 of us total) I am paying cash for
but I saved a bunch of cash that way and made it possible for us to go on the first ever Disney 10 day cruise!
I noticed while in Maui (and I missed all the fluff), I think Mary had asked about why people booked this cruise-here's my honest answer: Since my DH's divorce (1987), he has never been able (or should I say the ex never allowed him) to spend Christmas Day with his children. She always had to have. Then the 3 kids grew up and got married and now they alternate between in-laws and mother (so where does dad fit in?) Well, we fit in the weekend after Christmas or the weekend before. The DH has always felt a little slighted by this........so, I took it upon myself (without telling or asking anyone) and I booked the cruise for all thirteen of us. When we finally got together (first weekend in Jan to celebrate Christmas), I had taken each day of the cruise and our location (i.e. 19 Port Canaveral, 20 Key West) and die cut leters and put in separate envelopes, I told the grown kids that since they didn't give me their list for Christmas of what they wanted I took it upon myself to choose their gift and they could either accept or decline. They each opened their envelopes and had to unscramble their "words" and figure out what it meant. As they did each day they glued it to strips of colored butcher paper and we hung them on the wall in order.
It took them awhile to figure out what they were doing, and I was so excited I couldn't stand it, and I was the only one that knew the final result. My DH was so confused and the kids thought at first it had something to do with the cruise we took in 2002. Fortunately, the final envelope (it was the luck of pixie dust), the last envelope had a Christmas Tree and our port for Christmas Day.
They were busting at the seams trying to figure it all out and then I gave each family their envelope with their confirmation, stateroom number and itinerary. Then I told them (through teary eyes) what I was doing for Christmas 2005 and if they wanted to join me they had a stateroom all paid for, and airline tickets too.
Of course, the subject came up about their mom and that 2005 was her Christmas, but after a few minutes (and with son-in-law's help) they all agreed that dad had never spent Christmas with them since 1987 and why did mom get every other year anyway and why was dad left out? See......grown kids can work through things (sometimes).
Anyway, lots of tears....step daughter asked dad if he was okay with it and he said of course he was (he has no idea what this is costing us!)
Hopefully, the kids will realize that in the future dad needs to be included too. X-wife didn't take the news too well at first (poor me syndrome), but she is adjusting. She decided she might go to Oklahoma for Christmas to visit her brother. The three kids told her they would buy her airplane ticket for Christmas present.
Okay, that's my story. Now you know the real reason we are going on this cruise!!!!!
Now I am going to go to get to work.
Have a great day everyone!
Linda
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It's like our County hasn't figured out how to do baseball yet. We don't even have lights on the playing fields. A new county park/sports facility is being built about 7 miles from us and they're already in huge debates about whether to have lights there. Duh......no wonder we have sooooo many conflicts with games - everyone has to use the fields in daylight hours. But, then again, we don't get home all that late on school nights. Trade offs. (But, a concession stand would be nice!)
Hope everyone has a great day!
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