Am I really trying to write a PTR during Shark Week?!?! I guess so!

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Ahhhhh, Shark Week! Every year I wait for you to come onto my DVR! Every year you clog up my DVR and cause my other shows to get deleted....I forgive you though........Oh wait! I'm not here to write about shark week! Im here to write about a trip to DISNEY WORLD!!!!!

I am a compulsive planner who never ends up on the trips I plan.......Someone always backs out and the trip fizzles out. I know, It's sad. Why would these people do such a thing to lil' ole me?

Let me start with a quick 5W's:

Who: Well, it'll be 2 kids, 2 parents and 2 "old" folks. The kids and parents have been to Disney before but the "old" folks have never been

What: Really? You have to ask that? Have you forgotten what website you are on?

When: November 27th through December 3rd 2011

Where: 6 nights at Pop Century Resort!

Why: Why not? I want to go because I am only 6 hours away now. I've only been once and am dying to go back!

Coming up: Elaboration on all of the above!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Table of Contents​

~A quick intro!

~Who are these fantastic people going to Disney World???

~How this trip came to be!

~From Virginia to Florida.....Part 1!

~From Virginia to Florida.....Part 2!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Who are these fantastic people going to Disney World???​

Great question! This trip includes 6 of us! I will introduce you to us all!

~A~ A is our wonderful 5 year old son! He loves all things Disney and is a HUGE fan of all things Toy Story. He is our special little guy and has already overcome some pretty crazy things in his little life. He is a firecracker and although he is small, he is the craziest one of the bunch!

Ahhhhhh, the infamous Turkey Leg! He was 2 at this time!


~K~ K is our 9 year old daughter. She is at that age where everything is "lame"! She secretly loves Disney though. She is a huge soccer fan and loves to "Rock Out" to Selena Gomez! She loves Winnie the Pooh although I can't get her to come to the new movie with me She is almost a "tween" and already acts like it!

She was 5 and not too impressed with the infamous Turkey Leg!


~DH~ DH is a Disney Pro. He was able to go many times while he was growing up. He is in the military and is a career guy! He is a huge fan of The Pirates! His favorite ride is Space Mountain! He isn't a die hard Disney fan but, he is willing to put a smile on his face and whip out the credit card for us!

It's moments like this that remind me why I married this Goofy Guy!


~ME~ I am the Mom! I am a Stay at home mom and I sell Scentsy in my spare time. I am the taxi cab for everyone listed above. I am the judge who must listen to both sides of the story and make a fair and just ruling. I am IN LOVE with Disney World. I have only been once and it was amazing. I have been hooked ever since! I think my favorite Disney show at the moment is Phinneas and Ferb.....Those guys crack me up! I am most looking forward to roaming the World Showcase with DH!

Thats me! Im the little one!


~My Mom~ My Mom has never been to WDW. She has always wanted to go but raising 4 kids on a Navy guys salary was pretty tough to do. Recently my mom has been going through some pretty crazy medical stuff. She has a Kidney disease called FSGS (i think). She is a great mom and has always been the best. Leaving her was the hardest thing I ever did.

This isn't really her! I just don't know if she wants her picture posted!


And last but not least:
~My Dad~ My dad is a truck driver now. He did 20 in the Navy! He is a great dad but, he isn't around much.....maybe that's why I am the way I am! HA! He has never been but, is really excited to get this chance to go with the kids! He doesn't realize it yet but, he is the babysitter! HA! Just kidding......or am I?!?!?!?!

This is really him! Really!

Thats it for now! Next time I will tell you how this came to be!!!!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

How this trip came to be:​

Well, As I said in my introductions, DH is military. We have lived in Virginia since we met over 10 years ago. In November 2010 we finally got orders. We are now living in Ft. Walton Beach FLORIDA!!!

We went on our first family trip to WDW in August of 2008. ~A~ was 2 years old and ~K~ was 7! We went with DHs family. We had a great time although I would have liked to slow down a bit. I became hooked on WDW on that one trip. Each year since we have tried to "rally the troops" for another trip, this time involving my side of the family. Each year, plans are made and deposits are paid and then someone cancels for some reason.

Now that we are in the state, we decided that it was time to really talk again. It would be a great treat for the kids and a break for us. We decided on 11/27 to 12/03 when the Free dining promo was leaked out. That is the perfect week for us. I know that the kids will miss school and Im ok with that! As long as their grades are good it will all work out.

Once we decided on the time to go we decided it would be nice to take my parents. We called them and offered to pay 1/2 of their trip if they can come. My mom jumped on board IMMEDIATLY! My dad is still working on taking time off from work though. My parents have never been and I really want them to see why I am so obsessed with Disney! I have never been away from my mom for so long.....it's weird!

I called today to see if my nephew could come. I offered to pay for his trip minus his flight.....My sister said no! UGH! It would have been great to have him with us.

My kids are super stoked to go. Life in Florida has been a little rough but we are making things work!

Up next: From Virginia to FLORIDA~~

 

[mrsksomeday]

YAY!!! I am first !! So happy you are writing a PTR!! It will be great to finally meet you!

 

[Nature Mom]

You had me at 'Shark Week.'

I'll be following along.

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

YAY!!! I am first !! So happy you are writing a PTR!! It will be great to finally meet you!

Well look at you Tracy! Always have to be first! Sheeeeeeesh! Just kidding! You know I'm glad to have you and of course I can't wait to make the plans to FINALLY MEET YOU AND BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You had me at 'Shark Week.'

I'll be following along.

Welcome!!! This shark week is KILLING ME! It's making me kind of nervous about going to the beach....Did you know that Great Whites are known to swim in water as shallow as knee to waist deep??? WHAT THE HECK?

Everytime I start to write something I get caught up in the DVR and forget I'm writing. Too bad it's almost over and I'll have to wait another year to be scared to death! HA!!!!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

From Virginia to FLORIDA!!!!!!!!!




Ahhhhh, THE MOVE! Wow! Even though I was a Navy BRAT I was NOT ready for this.

My Dad retired from the Navy in Va. That is where I stayed. I graduated from highschool there and had established myself there. I met my husband there. He was 22 and I was 20. Our ENTIRE history was in VA.

We talked about "orders" from time to time and we wished and we talked about what it would be like to live here or there. We never really thought it would happen though. DH has been in the military for 15 years and has been stationed in VA the ENTIRE TIME! Unheard of in the military world. There was always something that kept us from getting orders. In one case it was his job....he was just too good to be able to leave! Another case it was our son. He needed to be kept in the area because that was where his Surgeons were. Over our 10 years we have had "almost orders" to Hawaii, New Mexico and Alaska. Each time, the process would start and come to a crashing HALT.

We had pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that we weren't meant to leave VA. My family was there and that was a great treat for my kids. They got to see them ALL the time. We are a very close family.

In November of last year (2010) Eric came home and handed me some papers....With a scowl on his face he told me to read them. I thought I had done something and he was in trouble (We lived in housing so anything could have gotten him in trouble). I read the papers and low and behold it stated that we had gotten orders to FLORIDA! Our report date was no later than June 30,2011! That meant we had 6 months to get ready and go.

We didn't rush anything in the begining. We had to deal with Christmas and everything else before we could even think of leaving. We started the process in January. Paperwork to be signed, medical stuff for ~A~, planning, movers, packing....etc. We hit a rough patch where it looked like the orders were going to be cancelled. We were having problems getting medical clearance for ~A~. By the time we got that taken care of it was MAY

In order to schedule the movers we needed to have everything done by the end of April and as you may have guessed......we missed that date. We had to move ourselves

In a matter of 5 days, we bought boxes, packed, rented a u-haul, loaded it, and cleaned the house for the final inspection. Our friends really stepped up and saved the day. We were going to be on our way!

We cleared out of the house on Monday June 1st at 11am. We were done! We had our "going away dinner" that night and spent the night at my Moms house.

The next morning we woke up, parked the u-haul on base (ill explain) and loaded up into the van. Even though we were going to Florida, we had to head north first. We spent the next 7 days in PA and Buffalo. We know that we won't be heading up there as much as we always have so it was nice to see them before we came to FL.

The Falls!

Kata sitting on the grass taking in the falls!

In total, We logged more than 2,000 miles in 9 days!

Coming: Finally heading south!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

So, when we left off we were parking the u-haul to head north. We didn't want to take that huge truck with us all the way up to Buffalo so it made more sense to leave it on base! We loaded up and headed to Pittsburgh. We got to see DHs family for a few days. Swimming, shopping and even an amusement park! We had so little time but, so much to do.

We were only in PA for a few days and we left to head to see the rest of my family in Buffalo. This part of the trip was great because we got to go to the falls. I haven't been in Canada since ~K~ was a baby.....With the new passport rules we can't cross in!

As we were sitting on the American side of the falls ~A~ told me that he was going to jump over the rail and just "go sit on the edge of the falls and maybe dip his feet in"......... Uhhhhh, No child....never gonna happen. ~K~ really enjoyed the falls. She sat in the grass and just listened and watched the massive amounts of water flow over the side. It is a memory that she will keep forever. Having grown up in Buffalo, the falls are still very impressive to me. The power is awe-inspiring. It is amazing what God can create.

We only spent 2 full days in Buffalo before we had to start the 2nd part of our journey. We drove straight down from Buffalo to VA.....WHOA! We only spent that night and woke up early to get the truck and head to Florida.

That morning was pretty normal. We all talked and laughed. It was like any other time at my moms house. Everything was loaded and we began to say our goodbyes. I had made it through both sisters, my brother, my dad and my nephew with no tears or any really "raw" emotions. Hugging my Mom was impossible. She and I said our goodbyes and I had to walk away. It was HARD. Holy cow.

The u-haul was parked on base which is about a 15 minute drive. ~K~ and I bawled the entire way. It was horrible. ~K~ has lived by my family her whole life so it was super hard for her to leave.

We decided to split the drive from VA to FL into a 2 day drive. We made it to SC and started hitting bad weather so it was time to stop. ~K~ and I had a blast driving together. DH had ~A~ in the u-haul with him. DH tried his best to lose us but, we prevailed and poor hubby is stuck with us. We stopped at a great hotel with a pool that night somewhere in SC. We unloaded and went across the street to eat. After dinner we decided to swim for a bit. I really hate it when indoor pools don't have great ventilation and you walk in and can't breathe because of the chlorine....UGH! Swimming didn't last very long at all. Sleep came early and easy to us all that night.

The next morning was a rough one. The kids were fighting and I was just "done" from the day before. The only light at the end of the tunnel was the fact that we would be in FL THAT day! We drove and drove and drove.....Florida seemed to be getting farther away rather than closer to us. The stinkin GPS took us some horrible way through Po-Dunk Alabama.....1 lane roads, thin roads and winding roads.

We finally arrived in Ft. Walton Beach Florida at around 5pm! What a relief....it seemed like the weight of the world had been lifted. Now we were homeless!!!!!!!

Up next.....Homeless, starving, and annoyed!

 

[afwdwfan]

You drew me in with your mention of shark week, and then when I saw that you're going the same week we are I knew I had to read this PTR. Thanks to your father, husband and your family as a whole for serving our country.

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

You drew me in with your mention of shark week, and then when I saw that you're going the same week we are I knew I had to read this PTR. Thanks to your father, husband and your family as a whole for serving our country.

Thanks for joining in! We are stoked to go! Thank you for thanking us It means a TON to my husband and my kids that he gets recognized! Can you believe that shark week is over? Can you believe that a Great White can attack in knee-waist deep water? Can you believe that knowing that, I am still willing to take my kids to the beach? Crazy!!!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

So here we were.....In Ft. Walton Beach and with no plan and nowhere to live! We spent our first night in a hotel by the water. It was fantastic!!! The next morning we checked into the hotel on base. We were only given 3 days in the 2 bedroom room and then we were told we would have to move to a 1 bedroom. We knew that we needed to find a place to live ASAP!

The first thing we had to do was find a storage unit to unload the U-haul. We found one pretty fast and were able to unload the truck the next day. Have you ever unloaded a u-haul when it is 2 million degrees out? No? Well, take my word, it isn't fun at all!

With all of our possessions locked away in a sketchy storage unit we were off to find a place to live. Base housing wasn't an option for us this time. There is always too much drama involved and I just can't take it anymore. We pinned down our max rent and set out to find something. The week we arrived there was also an influx of Army dudes coming here too so rentals were few and far between. The ones we could find were at the top of our budget. We learned 3 things: 1) Bedrooms in Florida are SMALL! 2) Backyards in Florida are SMALL! and 3) Dens/Family rooms are undeard of!

We had to re-evaluate what we needed and what we wanted! We found 1 house that wasn't ideal but, would work. When we called, someone was signing papers This was the trend for the next few houses that would work for us. Everytime we found one, someone had beat us to it!

We decided to look at one last one before we were going to start searching in another city. The price was at the low end of our budget but, we figured it wouldn't hurt to look. The house was UGLY.....when I say ugly I mean UG-LY! The inside was laid out weird but, it had 3 bedrooms, a back yard and even a small room that would work as a den. We called and signed papers right then. We couldn't wait or this one could be taken as well!

We spent a total of 10 days in the hotel on base and looked at at least 50 houses. We attempted to rent 5!

We are currently in "Big Ugly" as we call it. It is not ideal but, it is affordable and has the space that we need for now. We will not be here in a year. We are moving! Hopefully, we will be able to buy a house next year. The housing market is Ah-Mazing down here. Rentals....not so much.

We spent the majority of our first month in Florida exploring and getting our bearings down here. We found "our" beach. We have learned that turn signals aren't used here. We have also learned that some parts of the world aren't caught up to the rest just yet. We are adapting.

The area is OK. We are pretty close to Destin which is where everything that we are used to is at. We go up there quite often.

We are all still having a rough time with being so far from my family. I guess it was just time for me to grow up!

 

[mrsksomeday]

Waiting for an update woman!!!