Commencing Operation Christmas Miracle Trip 2010: PTR

[PoppyGirl]

I'm here and all caught up. Things sound very similar here too. LOL! My DH and his brother are partners, but his brother would be happy if no one ever left and all stayed working 24 hours around the clock. They usually tell each other last minute when they are going somewhere.
I know what you mean about 2009 being a not so good year. That is one of the reasons we did not go in March this year. The year before was a good one though.
I about feel off my chair when I read your check in date is Dec 8th. That is my planned check in date as wel...at AKL. But we will only stay there 2 nights and then off to Pop for free dining. Or at least thats my plan....
We will have to try and meet up. Our DH's can talk dairy! My plan is to basically stay at the resort those 2 days. I have an ADR for 1900 PF dor the 9th for breakfast and considering making a resort photoshoot at GF after that, but then it's back to AKL. It sounds like there are alot of activites going on there, so I thin kwe might not have enough time to even take it all in.

I know the panic feeling you are talking about. That is how I get too, but if I tell Skip, he gets mad. He's got all the time in the world to plan these things...well he does NO planning...and can't be bothered by a deadline. If things are reversed it's a whole nother story though.

How much is the Safari? I think it looks neat, but probably out of the price range for us for now....well we could if we went CL, but then I would feel guilty and cut out other wants.
I would love to see pictures from your DL trip too. Thats another want of mine...someday.

Hi Jen! Thanks for reading my PTR! I sliced my finger last night cutting up tomatoes for salsa (my first time making my own with my very own tomatoes and jalapeno peppers) and had a ginormous bandage on my finger thanks to my DF (dear friend) Suzanne who is here visiting me. So I couldn't do much typing yesterday. Today we spent traipsing around the battlefields in Gettysburg...sweating and looking at statues of dead people. (I suppose that's a bit irreverent, but I don't think I've fully recovered from the heat stroke). DS loves to dress up in his Civil War costume and play on the battle field but we didn't have much time for that today. We had borrowed a 12 passenger van from some friends so that our family & Suzanne's family could all ride together and we had to have it back by 4pm. Anyway....

I got excited too when I realized we have the same check-in date at AKL! We (Ok, who am I kidding..I am the only one doing the planning right now! ) plan to check in as soon as ME can get us to the resort and then head over to MK for the day on the 8th. We have dinner ADRs at Tonys there. The next day we will be getting up early to go to the Safari and then be at AK all day until dinner ressies at Boma at 6:20pm. Then we will be hanging around AKL enjoying the resort that night.

The cost for the safari was $65 per adult and $32 per child. I tell myself it's cheaper than a trip to Africa

I'd like to do a resort photo shoot too, but I've been having a hard time finding out any solid information about it.

 

[PoppyGirl]

Random photos just for fun
This is me with DS last year at WDW.

Here is our kitty, Mocha Latte (DS fondly refers to her as "Crappacino" ). She's a hoot!

This would be me at California Adventure in DLR....standing by the "L" for "Lenora". We usually get a photo by the "F" for "fun." My friend took me to DL to celebrate our birthdays in February.

Meet Dara Paulette...our beautiful rescue doggy that we adopted in March. I never thought I was a dog person until Dara came into my life. Dara has shown me what it is to be worshipped.

The whole family....my request for Christmas 2008....show up....get a family picture.

And finally, here is one of my favorites from my 2008 trip with my BFF Anita. (Well, that's actually Eeyore in the photo with me, but I swear Anita was really there!)

 

[Tinkermom76]

Great Pictures!!! I can never get my teenager to get in a picture with us... did you bribe them???

 

[PoppyGirl]

Great Pictures!!! I can never get my teenager to get in a picture with us... did you bribe them???

Well, not really. I just told them that ALL I wanted for Christmas was for them to show up, wear the shirt I bought for them and be in the photo. Our photographer was a lot of fun and she took some really fun photos with just the boys. I'll see if I can post one of them later. They probably thought "whoo hoo! Cheap Christmas gifts!" They are actually just really good boys and they love my kids. Life is always more fun when the big boys are home.

 

[PoppyGirl]

The kids and I are off to IL later today. We are heading off to see my family and celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I am amazed at how popular my parents are and how many people are coming from all over the country to celebrate. It will be a lot of driving for a short stay, but totally worth it.

 

[PoppyGirl]

Nooooo! The latch on the back door of the van won't work. I'm at the dealer waiting......I can't driv e 14 hours with the back door hanging open!

 

[jenseib]

Oh no! I hope you can get it fixed quickly! Be safe!

 

[PoppyGirl]

Oh no! I hope you can get it fixed quickly! Be safe!

Yes.....they can fix it.....for $463.......on Tuesday! So, DH bungee corded (is that a word?) the door shut and here we are in OH....driving the rest of the way to IL today. I would rather drive with the bungee cords than use the other car which has no A/C.

 

[jenseib]

Yes.....they can fix it.....for $463.......on Tuesday! So, DH bungee corded (is that a word?) the door shut and here we are in OH....driving the rest of the way to IL today. I would rather drive with the bungee cords than use the other car which has no A/C.

Oh My Word. Thats alot of money. And of course what good does Tuesday do you now. Glad you got the redneck fix though! I've been there done that!
Hope you are having fun. I would love to do a day trip or go anywhere at this point. We seem to have done nothing lately and I'm getting buggy about it.

 

[starann]

Just started reading! I'm hoping having some PTR and TR started when we go in Sept won't make it seems so sad when I come home. My DH has warned me that our 110yo former farmhouse (not on a farm anymore) needs a roof, so no 'big trips for a LONG time, and that means Disney'!!!!! So while I really look forward to our Sept trip, it also makes me sad to think it will be awhile until we go back.

 

[PoppyGirl]

Just started reading! I'm hoping having some PTR and TR started when we go in Sept won't make it seems so sad when I come home. My DH has warned me that our 110yo former farmhouse (not on a farm anymore) needs a roof, so no 'big trips for a LONG time, and that means Disney'!!!!! So while I really look forward to our Sept trip, it also makes me sad to think it will be awhile until we go back.

Hello! And Thanks for reading my PTR. I'm always so happy when someone new comes along! We had to do a new roof over the last 2 years. We did half of the house one year and the other half the next year. Maybe you'll be able to find a way to squeeze in another trip.

 

[moparop]

Also joining in! We are going in December, but a little earlier in the month. I love that you made a list of everything you want for the trip and were able to get it!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

Also joining in! We are going in December, but a little earlier in the month. I love that you made a list of everything you want for the trip and were able to get it!

I gotta start on that list for myself.

 

[moparop]

I gotta start on that list for myself.

I am feeling a real need to do the same. When we hit 99 days, I am going to tell the kids about the trip, pull out the maps, and make lists with them of all the things they want to do. But, I have not considered making my own lists in preparation for this. Since they've never been at Christmas time, they are only going to think of rides and such!

 

[PoppyGirl]

Also joining in! We are going in December, but a little earlier in the month. I love that you made a list of everything you want for the trip and were able to get it!

Hello! Are you on our December trip thread too? Welcome to my PTR! Thanks for reading! It makes me happy! For this whole trip I've felt like everthing has just fallen into place...it really feels like a gift from God! I can't believe I was able to get EVERYTHING that I set my mind to! That has never happened before!!

I gotta start on that list for myself.

So, have you started your list? I've been gone for a week to my parents' house and have a TON of catching up to do on everyone else's PTRs. I did however read about your crafty shirts! I have to say I'm pretty impressed! I need to get on your PTR and see the photos!

 

[PoppyGirl]

My parents' 50th anniversary party was lovely! They were both SO happy and it was really gratifying to do something for them. It was a really busy weekend. We had visitors there from AZ, SD, KS, MD, IN, and all over the state of IL. We had not told them who was coming and so it was a lot of fun to watch their faces when dear friends showed up from across the country to see them! I was able to visit with family that I haven't seen in 20 years! We counted the signatures in the guest book afterwards and figured there were at least 150 people who came. Mom & Dad had expected maybe 100! I'll try and post some photos soon.


On another exciting note.....my best friend and I have been talking for a couple of years about taking our daughters on a mother/daughter trip to WDW.....and when the discount codes came out for 2011, we decided to take the plunge! So we've booked a 5 day trip for February! And THEN, just for fun I decided to see if I could get CRT for breakfast with DD during our February trip....and YES! I could!!!!!! You may be asking (given my history with DH) how he feels about it .....well, this time I booked it and I'll just have to use the "boil the frog" method (invented by BFF) to convince him to let me take her. I also have to see if it's going to be feasible for her to miss another 3 days of school. She got accepted into the gifted program at school this year and I'm expecting a lot more work for her....so, we are holding onto this one loosely for now. DH needs to give the OK and it needs to work out with school. (Is there a smiley for "hope, hope, hope?" There should be! I'll use this one for "waiting to see what happens.")

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

So, have you started your list? I've been gone for a week to my parents' house and have a TON of catching up to do on everyone else's PTRs. I did however read about your crafty shirts! I have to say I'm pretty impressed! I need to get on your PTR and see the photos!

Um, haven't started the list. And the crafty shirts project still hasn't happened. I have cut out the plastic Mickey Heads for the reverse tie-dye thing. For the regular tie-dye I need to get one of those round fabric stretcher things. I figure that will make the sewing easier. Not sure how I messed up the one. Oh well. I have time.

 

[jenseib]

How exciting. I would love to do a mother / daughter trip. But I think I will have to wait a few years for DH to warm up to that idea. His 2 girls away from him for very long would make him panicky.
Alothough I have thought, that if we don't make it down to Disne ythis year or early next, I may approach him about Claire and I going to CA to visit my best friend. And she doesn't live too far from Disneyland!

 

[stephielela]

subbing! I'm not really sure how I had made it this long without doing so! There are just so many of us going, which is AWESOME! I loved your "operation" in convincing DH into the trip. I used a similar tactic with my parents. They kept acting like it was an "if" while I referred to it as "when". I even told my dad he could present a counter argument for a different trip for the holidays. By the time his dead line arrived, he had already been won over to my side and didn't even bother!

 

[skater]

Best friend here. Who needs school anyway? Let the sweet DD enjoy the real life scenario of WDW .

I can't believe you mentioned "boil the frog." If my DH reads this... ! Besides, I've been trying to tell him that boil the frog is a joke . Wonder if I can convince him we need hopper passes next month?