Mama's Got Her Groove Back! Now Let's Go Crusin'!

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

Welcome to my pre-trip report. Sit back, relax... It's gonna be a long story!

Now you may be wondering about the title. Let me just explain. No, it's not just a cute little title to catch your attention, Mama (me) really got her groove back and is celebrating with her family.

Here's the back story, which is the whole reason we're taking this trip:

In May of 2008, I, aka "Alice," (whose name in real life is Harmony), was informed by my doctors that I had a golf-ball sized mass in my chest. Long story short, 12 weeks later I was hospitalized for 5 days, during which the surgeons removed that tumor along with my spleen. It was not until another 10 days following my discharge from the hospital that my final diagnosis was NO CANCER!!! For 14 weeks of 2008 I, along with my wonderful husband and son, was preparing for a long-haul of cancer treatments. It apprears as if the good Lord above had different plans for my life, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Our happy family

Ok, enough of the sappy stuff! I am now fully recovered and back to living life as normal. Throughout the entire health ordeal I told my husband (repeatedly) that once we made it through it all we were going on VACATION! Although at the time we hadn't decided where we would go, I remember laying in that horrible hospital bed dreaming of crystal clear waters and beautiful white beaches. Then it hit me - let's take a cruise! But not any old cruise would do. This situation called for the nothing but the best for me and my family. It didn't take long - maybe 10 seconds - and that big, bright light bulb went off in my head...DISNEY CRUISE! After all, what would be better for our sweet 4 year old son than to see the Mouse!

Let the planning begin! I must admit that I have become a compulsive trip planner from the first moment on Disney Cruise Line's website. *Is there a 12-step rehab plan for trip planning addicts? I know I'm not the only one...*

We will set sail Feb. 22, 2009 on a 4 day trip to Nassau and Castaway Cay. Ohhh...I hope and pray that those beautiful beaches are just as beautiful in real life as the pictures...

To add icing to the (birthday) cake, on the 23rd I will be celebrating my 30th birthday aboard the ship! This trip just keeps getting better!

So here are the logistical facts about our trip:

Sat. Feb. 21 - fly from Toledo, OH to Orlando, FL

Sun. Feb 22 - BOARD THAT WONDERful SHIP, BABY!

* the Exotic Rasul and Palo Champagne brunch are in here somewhere... *

Thurs. Feb. 26 - be pulled kicking and screaming from that WONDERful ship, then drive down to Port St. Lucie to meet up with family

Fri. Feb. 27 - fly from Orlando, FL to Detroit, MI (and hope that someone is there to pick us up!)

Sat. Feb. 28 - start posting photos to my trip report and go through post-trip withdrawls...


So that my friends, is the beginning of our next adventure together as a family. The bad stuff is behind us, now we've got so much to look forward to. Each of us really deserves this vacation! But what I look forward to the most is a solid week of family time. To me, there is nothing better. I value each moment we have together. I can't wait until we make memories that will last throughout our lifetime!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I can attest to the fact that a Disney cruise is great for mind, body and soul. In the midst of breast cancer treatment, we were fortunate enough to go on a cruise and it was truly magical and wonderful for my "mental health".

Congrats on the great diagnosis and enjoy your cruise.

 

[lillygator]

sounds like a great trip planned.

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

I can attest to the fact that a Disney cruise is great for mind, body and soul. In the midst of breast cancer treatment, we were fortunate enough to go on a cruise and it was truly magical and wonderful for my "mental health".QUOTE]

Congrats to YOU! I am amazed and inspired by those who have gone through the treatment process and come out stronger on the other side. Keep up the good health!

Thank you for your comment, it touches my heart.

 

[PippyLatte]

What a great outlook you have - enjoy your trip!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

Thanks PippyLatte - I sure will! I'm getting more excited by the day!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

As I peacefully slept in my cozy-warm bed this morning, I dreamed - true story - that I was in our stateroom on the Wonder, planning my room service breakfast order. Visions of sugar plums dancing in my head were replaced with sugar-coated donuts and bagels slathered with cream cheese. Ahhh, the high life...

Truly, I am so excited about this trip that I dream about it quite a bit! I talk about it constantly (much to the chagrin of my family members), I lurk on the DIS boards all day long, and my PassPorter follows me where ever I go.

-Again, I feel the need to repeat my desperate plea for someone to grab me by the hand and pull me into a 12-step rehab program for obsessive trip planning. But somehow I feel as if I'm at home among friends on these boards.

Here's what's gone down since I last wrote:

*Flights to and from Florida: booked

*First (of many) bag packed: check

*DCL show on Travel Channel: dvr'ed and watched to many times to count

Here's what I still have to do:

*find a rock-bottom deal on a rental car

*book the night-before-the-cruise hotel room

*locate my DH's birth certificate - this should probably be #1 on my list!

*make my FE

*purchase FE gifts. I've been shopping on-line quite a bit, I just have to make a decision!

Well, that's about it for now. Don't worry - I'll be back! We're under the two month mark here friends, I'll be back quite often!

Have a safe and wonderful New Year!

 

[anewmac]

SO glad you are all well!.... Cant wait to read more. Oh and I too would need a 12 step program. My family and friends all think Im a nut also for planning and obsessing over the MOUSE lol

 

[disneydarling07]

OMG!! Harmony!!! I had no idea of your "back story"!!
I am sooo glad things are all okay now!

Looks like I can give you a hug too when we meet. Why do I have a feeling we are going to be two big sobbing fools when we finally get together on the ship?!!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

OMG!! Harmony!!! I had no idea of your "back story"!!
I am sooo glad things are all okay now!

Looks like I can give you a hug too when we meet. Why do I have a feeling we are going to be two big sobbing fools when we finally get together on the ship?!!

Yeah, baby! I'm all better now! Now let the crusing and partying and hugging and sobbing and EATING and DRINKING and being merry begin!

SO glad you are all well!.... Cant wait to read more. Oh and I too would need a 12 step program. My family and friends all think Im a nut also for planning and obsessing over the MOUSE lol

Hey Drea! How's it going, girl? I thought of you this weekend as I shopped for little mini bottles to put in the FE's!

 

[anewmac]

LOL I love when all my Dis friends and "real" life friends tell me they think of me when they buy alcohol LOL.

 

[CapnJackGroupie]

Oh, you & your beautiful family deserve this trip!! I'm so excited for you! I also need to join a 12-step program...we went on our DCL trip in 3/'07 and I STILL live vicariously thru all of you and your TRs!!!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

LOL I love when all my Dis friends and "real" life friends tell me they think of me when they buy alcohol LOL.

Is there such a thing as "real" life? I spend so much time on these boards I forget sometimes...

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

Hello Friends,

I must admit, I am down in the dumps! Here in frozen-over-farmland Ohio, we are in the beginning stages of a blizzard. Temps will drop below zero for the next several days, wind chills will cut through flesh, and snow will blow for miles. I keep reminding myself I'll be on a tropical island in a month, but that seems like forever as I trek across a barren college campus day after day... I've had enough of building snowmen - I want to build sandcastles!

Plus all my friends from our meet page are receiving their docs in the mail, have all their FE gifts ready to go, know their cabin numbers, and have mostly all the details squared away. Me, not so much! Add to that a sinus infection from hell , and you've lived a day in the life of midwesterner desperate to fly the (literal) coop!

*Insert geographical note here: we don't live on a full-fledged working farm, but they're all around us...we are surrounded on all four sides by cornfields, or as I like to call them in the winter-snowmobile super highways!

If anyone can pull me out of such trip planning despair, it is you, dear DIS board friends...

 

[dvc4life]

Alice - glad to hear you are cancer free! That is wonderful.

Enjoy your trip. Can't wait to read more.

 

[Jennifer48]

Alice,

God bless you for being cancer free! Believe me, dreaming of Castaway Cay beaches will be nothing compared to what you will see. They are breathtaking.

We are in MA and we are going to get hit with those bitter temps soon. Make yourself some kind of countdown calendar and that will get you out of the dumps and jumping for joy for the warm air and sun to look forward to!!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

Thank you, dear DIS board friends, for all your kind words of encouragement. It's so nice to stop by and see such sweet sentiments.

Blessings and hugs to you all!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

So I've got a little time before I need to head to the college, so I'm actually making door magnets! Let me just tell you - I am shocked I'm doing it! I didn't think I'd find the time between my classes, and being a mom / wife every day!

Making magnets is good for the soul! Now I see why you all put so much time into it! It's a little addicting, huh?

Tonight we're heading for the city to pick up more trip necessities. Here's our shopping list:

* sandals for me & DH
* a few casual tops for me
* soft sided cooler - possibly rolling
* an ENTIRE wardrobe for DS! He has outgrown EVERYTHING!

Better get the Disney Rewards Visa out, huh? At least we'll get a few more rewards dollars out of it to use for the trip!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

Make yourself some kind of countdown calendar and that will get you out of the dumps and jumping for joy for the warm air and sun to look forward to!!

Well I took your advice, and together my DS and I made a cute little countdown calendar out of a pad of post-its! He LOVES going to the fridge each morning and pulling off another number! Thanks for the good advice.

 

[Jennifer48]

Well I took your advice, and together my DS and I made a cute little countdown calendar out of a pad of post-its! He LOVES going to the fridge each morning and pulling off another number! Thanks for the good advice.

That's great! Its always awesome to have something fun and exciting to look forward to and it seems like it moves a bit faster when you have a countdown calendar!

Have fun shopping tonight!