DHHIR Family Reunion 7/31-8/7/09- a great time had by MOST! Final Updates 10/16 p.8

[anewmac]

Aww you all look too cute golfing together.. you know what they say a family that golfs together stays togethe LOL (i couldnt think of anything funny to say its late LOL)

Bike ride looked so fun with the whole fam bam.

And almost over aready.. NOOO ... so whats the next report we will be reading Lol

 

[Katy Belle]

Wow! I didn't really know what the Disney resort at Hilton Head was! Now I do. Its like a cruise on land! Looks fantastic. I'm glad that most of your family had a fabulous time. What a wonderful thing for your MIL to be able to do with you. I'm tempted to propose something like this to MY family.....no not really. I wish I had a family that would do something like this and enjoy it!!

Looking forward to the end of the story.
Katy

 

[podsnel]

I looked at half your pictures last night and they were so fun. The resort looks so beautiful and the Grand Villa is amazing! My fav picture so far is you and the giant black boots. Wow - there is so much to do there. What a great place to vacation. I can't wait to go someday!!!!

p.s. I hear ya about the no shade in Vero. I thought I was going to drop dead the first morning I went out running. I didn't know I could sweat so much!

That is how we felt on the bike ride we took- all 8 miles of it. Sweat city!!

I just found your trip report recently and I am loving it. We were at HH in late July. Your pictures bring back great memories of really fun times. I love seeing the cast members who are so familiar. I am hoping to try the bikes out soon. Our youngest just turned 3 so we were thinking we weren't quite ready for that yet. We love the pool party and all the activities though. A really wonderful, relaxing vacation.

Looking forward to the rest of your report.

Hi! Thanks for reading! I's nice to meet another HHI lover! My 4 year old nephew doesn't ride either (also didn't when he was 3) it would have been too far for him. My SIL did consider getting one of those tandem biles for next time, whenever that might be.

Aww you all look too cute golfing together.. you know what they say a family that golfs together stays togethe LOL (i couldnt think of anything funny to say its late LOL)

Bike ride looked so fun with the whole fam bam.

And almost over aready.. NOOO ... so whats the next report we will be reading Lol

You know what TR I'm starting next, I sent you Pix from my trip!! I just wanted to finish this first- then I figure I can combine the Sept trip with the November one. Or maybe not. We'll see....

Wow! I didn't really know what the Disney resort at Hilton Head was! Now I do. Its like a cruise on land! Looks fantastic. I'm glad that most of your family had a fabulous time. What a wonderful thing for your MIL to be able to do with you. I'm tempted to propose something like this to MY family.....no not really. I wish I had a family that would do something like this and enjoy it!!

Looking forward to the end of the story.
Katy

Hi there!! Thanks so much for reading! That is a very good way to describe it, kind of like a cruise on land. And so far as your family goes....well, I've learned from this that you can never predict what people will like or won't like. The people who i thought would love it the most were the ones who hated it. And I think it all stemmed from that first day at the beach when they couldn't park their car- from there it was all downhill. But it's ok- makes it a LOT easier for me to know who I'll never invite on a DVC vacation again!

 

[MEK]

Ellen - what are your dates for your spring Dismom's trip? I will be there May 2 - 7th. I would love to see you crazy Dismoms in action. I could be your paprazzi!

 

[podsnel]

Ellen - what are your dates for your spring Dismom's trip? I will be there May 2 - 7th. I would love to see you crazy Dismoms in action. I could be your paprazzi!

COOL!!! We're there April 30th to May 4th!! Where are you staying?

 

[podsnel]

DUH! Just looked at your ticker- WLV!!!

 

[podsnel]

When I came out of the Piggly Wiggly- well, the clouds had DEFINITELY rolled in!! It was BLACK and scary out there! But we were grilling- sooo....the guys went out to lite the 3 pieces of charcoal... OOPS! And I got the veggies ready to grill before the burgers and dogs. Except, you can't grill all that on 3 pieces of charcoal. So plan B, I roasted the veggies inside while they tried to grill dinner for 20 on 3 pieces of charcoal. In the rain. There were umbrellas involved. And a LOT of matches. The kids played with balloons while dinner was prepared-

Tyler wonders, wheeeeerrrrrreeessss the beef?

The first load of burgers came in, and were finished in the microwave. My MIL sat down and said- Where's the cheese? Ummmm...in your belly from last night, I guess.... Anyway, a million hours and mucho hassle later, dinner was done (oh, it was SOOOOOOOOOO done!) and we were ready to be entertained by the kids who were putting on a show.

And, by the way...my DH refers to this night as "Grilling in the rain with no charcoal is NOT my idea of vacation!" On the plus side, for our trip NEXT year, 3 out of 4 families do NOT want to cook so much again- they want to eat out. So I say, YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! Thank-you Jesus for the perfectly timed rain!

Ok- on with the show! Grandma had requested that on this vacation the kids put on a talent show for her and that DS10, Timmy, MC. So cute! All the kids worked it out with their families before hand, and up they went.

Timmy announced all the acts- he was very funny and professional!

Then DN10 did 5 minute abs- that his older brother, Tommy, had taught him when he was on leave from the airforce. All I can say is WOW!!! And OUCH!!!

Mr Abs-of-steel himself-

Next, his sister did cartwheels-

Then DN7 performed a magic trick he had learned the night before at the show. -

His brother showed off his lacrosse skills-

And their sister did a really fun dance routine-

Then our favorite magician went back up to do...some leg spinning around his body kind of thing-

Cont'd next post-

 

[podsnel]

Then our Ohio nephews got up to tell jokes (well, minus their little brother who was too shy to go up...Awwwww!) The boys were really cute & funny!!

Finally it was my kids turn- since we are obsessed with baseball at our house, we thought they could do Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First" routine. Timmy was Abbott, Tyler was Costello-

They're a hit!

We all enjoyed this on our last night together, I hope we can do it again next summer. When the kids had finished, Uncle Bob showed them a cool card trick-

And after that, it was....sniff, sniff... time to start packing.

Next up...our last day before we hit the road at 4:45!

 

[MEK]

What a great trip report. So sorry it has to end, but I still get to go back tonight and catch up on all the pictures.

Yes - I am super psyched to be staying at WLV. This will be a first. I'm sure you will post a PTR with all your crazy plans, so I will be on the look out for that!

 

[Mysteria]

The guy with the mazes in incredible. I can sooo relate to the people trying to grill on 3 pieces of charcoal day. Looks like it was made up for with the talent show! What a great idea.

 

[irish dancer]

Just loving this report! We've only been to HHI once and it was March so we didn't get to do all the summer stuff. We're going again this year but it will be March again. Someday I hope to get there in the summer.......

 

[S. C.]

Great report!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Grilling on 3 pcs of charcoal in the rain? I'm impressed with them for trying

What a fun family you have - sorry to see your TR ending!

 

[podsnel]

What a great trip report. So sorry it has to end, but I still get to go back tonight and catch up on all the pictures.

Yes - I am super psyched to be staying at WLV. This will be a first. I'm sure you will post a PTR with all your crazy plans, so I will be on the look out for that!

It's almost time to make ADRs for the trip- all I know is we are trying Narcoosees this time. No idea what else! Hopefully the sun will be shining more than once this trip and we'll get to relax by the pool.

The guy with the mazes in incredible. I can sooo relate to the people trying to grill on 3 pieces of charcoal day. Looks like it was made up for with the talent show! What a great idea.

Ok- I exaggerated. It was more like 12 pieces of charcoal.

Just loving this report! We've only been to HHI once and it was March so we didn't get to do all the summer stuff. We're going again this year but it will be March again. Someday I hope to get there in the summer.......

Glad you liked it! I like your autism speaks avatar with the mickey ears- Cute! I would love to go in March, not so hot! But DH is a CPA, so that time of year is off limits for us.

Great report!

Thanks! It's almost done! Then I'm starting the TR for the trip I just took with DH- hope you'll come over and say hi!

Grilling on 3 pcs of charcoal in the rain? I'm impressed with them for trying

What a fun family you have - sorry to see your TR ending!

Well, one TR ends, and another always begins!! DH & I had a really great time in VB & OKW at F&W, I'm looking forward to writing about it.

Ok- I've finished uploading the rest of my pics- I'll post the last installments soon-

Ellen

 

[podsnel]

UGH. I hate the last day. But, there was one thing making it bearable....my MIL and her generous spirit, along with her absolute joy over DHHIR. Because she had asked all the kids if they would like to come back and do it all again next year- and all of them were like, "Really?? Are you KIDDING???" So, where I had planned this thinking it was a one time vacation, well, now I was fortunate enough to be able to do it again??? WOW!! I was so happy! And yet....something in my head was saying in a very tiny voice....

Don't get TOO excited, Ellen. Something is not quite right.

Oh, SHUSH! I chose not to listen....and with a spring in my step, walked over to Tide me Over for one last Mickey waffle and a coffee mug refill. On the way I saw this guy who was actually climbing up the stairs (but I missed it because my camera was fogged)

And I saw-

And I ate-

And saw-

Then back to the great big villa to finish packing up. We were out before 11, I was impressed!! Then, of course, it was time to take some pictures-

I just have to show our pic from last year- DN4 (who was then 3) would NOT get up on that branch!! He was sooooooooo upset!! So we were very glad he did it this year!

He's so funny! I forget if I've mentioned this or not, but my DS10, Timmy, is obsessed with his 4 year old cousin. He totally dotes on him. And DN4 loves every minute of it.

Grandma was sitting down watching us, she didn't get in the family photo.

Don't you love how colorful their shirts are? My SIL got the kids' HHI shirts at the Walmart- I think they were maybe $10 each!

This one looks like Olan Mills-

I'm not crazy about taking a family photo here, because, well, my oldest son is missing. But I still did-

And then it was time to say good-bye for some of us- Ohio and NJ were leaving, Florida and this NJ family were staying until the late afternoon.

Cont'd next post-

 

[podsnel]

We went over to the Big Dipper pool and grabbed lunch at Tide me Over, and just spent the day trying to ignore the fact that the clock was ticking away like a time bomb and we would all be leaving much too soon. My MIL found a spot she really liked outside of the Community Hall and was rocking away-

The boys fit in another game of ping pong-

And then did exactly what they did last year- go on the slide every way they weren't supposed to. I was in the pool with Jejouel and we were discussing her family's upcoming cruise (YAY for you!! It's almost here!!!) while the lifeguard disciplined my kids over and over, as did I. But still, it was kind of funny. Sorry.

Anyway, my SIL wanted to know how to get to that big sundial we saw on the HHI tour, so I rode bikes with her over to Shelter Cove to show her, as I also needed to get a HHI magnet for my car. But before we went, some pics of the BEST trees-

And -

My SIL wanted to take the pics of this because she wanted to send a bunch of pics to her brother in England to show him what a gorgeous place HHI is. She & her family really, really loved it! And she thought it was a place her brother would love as well. I was just so happy they enjoyed themselves that much-
We went back, and it was sadly time for us to say good-bye, too. And thank my MIL for a fantastic vacation!

And we meant Thank-you. Time to go... We were home the next day, Saturday, as was my MIL (they broke up the trip into 2 days on the way home, too, to make it easier on her).

A few days later, my MIL phoned to ask me to hold off on HHI for next year. It seems on Sunday, my BIL called to say his version of Thank-you...including how disappointed he and his wife were in the family reunion. That there was not enough time spent together. That the resort wasn't so great. That the activities weren't all that. That the cost of the activites was too much. That they would prefer to do something else next time, but would go again if they had to.

Leaving both my MIL & I completely disillusioned and confused. And hurt. And sad. (and me, disgusted- THIS is how you say THANK-YOU????????) Still. (Although, on the plus side, they have made us choosing who NOT to bring on future DVC stays much, much easier!) Sooooo....next year, we are going to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and staying in a 5000 sq. ft. log cabin. And there will not be any $3 Mickey Ice Cream Bars for them to get worked up about, nor will there be any $12 crafts for them to fret over.

There will be $50 tickets to Dollywood.

There will be $45 white water rafting trips.

There will be $50 days at the waterpark.

There may be $60 zip lining. Not to mention golf.

And a LOT of dining out!


Should be...interesting.

Thanks so much for reading along- I hope you will join me in my next TR- about my trip with DH a few weeks ago to Vero & OKW- I'll post a link when i start!!!

 

[CRdisMom]

ahh just the reasons why we will never travel with the inlaws. The cabin trips are more than enough. Have loved the photos and the story. Definitely a place that I will add to my want want to see places

 

[podsnel]

When DH & I flew to WDW last month, I noticed we were over SC on the monitor, and I think
I saw HHI on the way south-

Dottie, if you're reading, I waved to you as we flew by!

Pods was not impressed.

 

[englishrose47]

Great pix Ellen !! Can I come with you next year and let BILgo to Pigeopn Forge !!!

 

[Mysteria]

BIL needs a smack upside the head. Leave them out of it next time. Nothing will make them happy.

On a brighter note looks like everyone else had a blast! What a fun trip. Enjoyed hearing/reading about it.

Dh and I were talking at dinner tonight about a road trip to FL with enjoyable stops on the way. Guess what I had to mention.