March 2012: The Year I Almost Survived Spring Break

[mom2_3girls]

I'm joining in too!! can't wait to hear more about your trip

I seem to be the only one not doing a trip report. I guess I will have to see if I can find some time and start one.

 

[Lidian]

I gave it a temporary fix until I can figure out the smart way to do it.

It'll do.

I know... I think Allison wanted to trade you Victoria for your dd.

Clearly, it was me - I had my neck tilted a strange way. LOL

I know, we are thinking Oct, as well. I'd love to do both 2013 & 2014, but I'd have to make and sell a lot of bags for that to happen.

You're right - that would be totally epic and FUN!!!! We should plan that!

That's too funny, and cute, about A willing to trade V. I'm sure after a couple of days, A would totally miss V and try to get her back. Then I'd be without a DD.

Well, I can't wait to see what deformity you're speaking of.

I'm still hoping for a 2013 trip ... but my options are kind of limited being in school. So it is either my Spring Break (never again) or summer. I don't get a fall break (the kids do though). And once I graduate, then I'll have a job ... so it will be awhile before I could ask for a vacation. I dunno when I'll get to go back ... because summer just doesn't sound amazing. Maybe the end of May next year. I could handle that. :

Joining in....I've been reading D~'s PTR and TR now. I'm glad I found yours today and I'm sorry it seems that you did not have as good of a time as you wanted.

Our first trip was ROUGH so I'm hoping that this next trip will be GREAT!!! My DH needs a great trip so that he wants to go back often.

Don't be sorry about our trip! It was still special and magical! Sure, it was the worst trip we've ever taken ... but you have to have a last place somewhere, right?

Honestly, our first trip was rough, too. And to be honest, DH was surprised I wanted to go back after how horrible it was (yay for sun poisoning!). So my fingers are crossed your trip will be an epic vacation!

Are you doing a PTR? When is your trip? Would love to hear details!

Woo hoo!!! I'm here! I'm here! I can't wait to hear all about your trip!

Yay! You're here!

I am here late to the party once again. My laptop started having issues so on my iPad keeping my fingers crossed that I can find someone to do a data recovery for me around here.

Going back to read now if I start a TR it will be late in coming I am afraid.

Yay Sheila! I'm sorry that I never tackled you. I did quite a bit of tackling ... but none of the ladies were you. Fingers crossed you can get your laptop issues sorted out! I'd love to read your TR if you decide to start one!

I'm joining in too!! can't wait to hear more about your trip

I seem to be the only one not doing a trip report. I guess I will have to see if I can find some time and start one.

Yay, you're here too! If you decide to do a TR, I'd totally be in! I'd love to hear all about your adventures!!

 

[jmendez24]

joining in.

We were there during this time as well. It's nice to read about others adventures.

 

[Lidian]

It was Friday, March 2nd ... the day we were going to leave for our trip to WDW!

The only problem?

It was slated to storm. BAD.

We started off our day as normal. The kids went to school. DH went to work. I went to class. After class, I ran some errands. When the kids got home, we went to the store so they could pick out breakfast items and snacks for the room. Then it was off to dad's house to switch out vehicles.

As I came in, dad was pretty upset. He began lecturing me immediately about my precious cargo and not getting them out in the storms. He was watching the news, and I sat down and let him know that we weren't sure what time we'd leave or if we'd leave that night.

We saw tornadoes run through some surrounding areas, leaving not much behind. He said that the watch (or warning, I never can remember which is which) advisory was in effect until midnight.

After reassuring dad that I wanted to SAFELY get to WDW and I'd never put the kids lives at risk, we made calling arrangements (how late he'd be up and when it would be okay to call). He wanted me to call the minute we got into the car, and the minute we stopped for the night (since we were only driving for a few hours and would stop about halfway there for sleeps).

I agreed to everything and grabbed his keys, the kids, and tried to go home. It was then that DS started saying he'd rather stay with Dendoggy than go to WDW (Dendoggy = Granddaddy from when DD was little and had issues with D words -- and it just stuck). DS was adamant on staying with Dendoggy, and I was at a loss for what to do. I tried everything ... nothing would work. We finally convinced him to get in the car.

It was raining off and on. In the meantime, I pulled all the luggage into the living room to be ready to load into the 4-Runner. Then I started dinner. Yum for spaghetti with meat and sauce! (I browned some ground beef and put into the sauce.)

When DH walked in, I was setting all the bowls on the table. It was time to dig in! After dinner, DH started loading up the car -- err -- SUV. It didn't look very nice outside, so I imagined it would be VERY late when we left. DH came in and told us all to use the restroom so we could go.

I stood there and argued with him for a few minutes, and he said that we'd be missing all the storms, he was sure of it, and that they were heading in the opposite direction. Yes, I believed him.

DH asked for his Indy hat (ballcap) and I told him I couldn't find it. We did scout around for it about, and finally found it on the other side of the couch.

It was around ... 6:15 or so when we pulled out. We stopped by a gas station so he could grab a soda and then it was down the highway towards Lenoir City where we would get on I-75.

Around the time we got to Lenoir City, DH hands me his phone. I assumed he wanted me to play Navigator again -- which I've already told him was a BAD idea ... but instead, it was to a weather app with a radar. Yep, he was wanting me to watch for the storms.

I felt like we were on that TV show where those people drive those funky cars and chase storms to learn more about them (Storm Chasers or something?). Anyway, DH reassured me over and over that we'd be fine and if needed, he'd pull over somewhere. I just kept watching the app and praying. I confess, I was a bit worried ... and very scared. I wanted to yell at him so badly, but it wouldn't have done anything but put him in a bad mood, and I didn't want to upset him while he was driving (that comes later).

The entire time we were in the car, I kept feeling like I was forgetting something. I kept running over all my lists, but couldn't quite place my finger on it. (And yes, I did eventually figure out what it was -- later.)

Around 7pm, I snapped our first picture:

The kids in the backseat:

They were so good on the trip down!! I was very proud of them. I created an activity bag for each of the kids, plus one for them to share. Their personal ones contained a couple of items they picked out themselves, and tons of surprises that I bought for them. They also grabbed a few toys and their lovies to pack into the bags.

Around 9:05pm, I took a video of the sky. It's about 4 minutes long and you can hear the radio in the background (I don't think anyone spoke during this time). I can't recall what was on the radio, but it may or may not be appropriate for young ears. Also, if you can't handle seeing a video from a moving vehicle and auto-focus, you may want to skip it and take my word for how awful the skies were.



Around 9:30 or so, we hit Atlanta. DH had already made fun of me for taking a video ... so adding pictures really pushed him over the edge with poking fun. I didn't care. I think Atlanta is beautiful. I wouldnt want to live there ... but it sure is pretty to look at!

We continued dodging storms and I continued to try to recall what I forgot ...

Throughout the evening, I was texting with several people (Corrine and D, to name a few) as well as checking in on FB and chatting some there.

What really worried me was getting a message from an old friend asking if the tornado hit our home and if everyone was okay. So at this point, I have no choice but to call dad. He said he heard on the news that our city had been hit and was practically gone. Dad said that he hadn't heard anything, but around that time, we heard an announcement on the radio, and I swear they announced our city had been hit (it hadn't). I think there was some misinformation somewhere. But once daddy found out we were on the road, he yelled and yelled at me.

I don't blame him ... as I wanted to do the same to DH ... but at this point, we had pretty much passed all the storms and were in the clear. We were a bit outside of Valdosta, and DH was hoping we'd make it there for the night. So I let dad know our plans and hung up the phone.

We actually stopped in Adel, GA. We first tried the Hampton Inn. Booked full. So we drove over to the Days Inn. Full again. So we tried the Super 8 (my fingers were crossed that it was full, as well). DH got us a room. It wasn't the worst room we stayed in ... but it was definitely not the greatest. It was fine for a one-night stop. The room seemed clean, but the carpets were a tad dirty (they needed a good shampoo, or replacing). However, the room was pretty spacious!

We pulled in only what we needed and got ready for bed ... when I discovered one of the things we forgot.

 

[Lidian]

joining in.

We were there during this time as well. It's nice to read about others adventures.

Jennifer! I wonder if our paths crossed any? You'll have to let me know if you spot yourself in any pictures.

 

[johnsonginad]

Oh my goodness...oh my GOODNESS! I remember the weather that day. It was pretty bad up our way too. I am so glad that you guys made it to Valdosta safely! Especially with dodging all of that bad weather.

And a cliff hanger??? I kept scrolling the page down hoping another post would appear.

 

[Lidian]

Oh my goodness...oh my GOODNESS! I remember the weather that day. It was pretty bad up our way too. I am so glad that you guys made it to Valdosta safely! Especially with dodging all of that bad weather.

And a cliff hanger??? I kept scrolling the page down hoping another post would appear.

We didn't quite make it to Valdosta. We stopped in Adel ... hmm ... about an hour north of Valdosta, I think. DH was tired and I had been nodding off. He really wanted to stop in Valdosta ... but he just couldn't make it. However, had the Super 8 been full, he would have drove on to Valdosta. He asked if we should stop now or Valdosta, and I told him that it was his call since he was driving.

And yes, the weather was nasty on our way down. I kept telling DH ... big storm coming up! But we'd end up missing it. We drove in and out of a lot of rain, but nothing horrible that made us stop. We'd just drive a bit slower during the rain. None of it was nasty rain... just rain.

And I gotta keep things interesting, right? It will be a day or two before I can get the next update in.

Tomorrow is DS's birthday! And his party is this weekend. So busy, busy, busy!

 

[BridgetR3]

Don't be sorry about our trip! It was still special and magical! Sure, it was the worst trip we've ever taken ... but you have to have a last place somewhere, right?

Honestly, our first trip was rough, too. And to be honest, DH was surprised I wanted to go back after how horrible it was (yay for sun poisoning!). So my fingers are crossed your trip will be an epic vacation!

Are you doing a PTR? When is your trip? Would love to hear details!

Yep, I have a PTR but I'm not a great writer like you and D~. We are going back June 8-15 and we just booked airfare last night! If you have time and want to check it out, my link to it is in my signature. It's the Taking Time to Smell the Roses.

 

[DMGeurts]

OMG!!! LIDDY!!! I don't remember you ever saying on FB or anythign that your town might have been hit! I am so thankful for you that it wasn't.

I totally love Dendoggy - I know I've read about that story before - but I still think it's the sweetest thing ever!

So glad you made it to your stop over hotel safely... I was so worried about you that day!

D~

 

[Lidian]

Yep, I have a PTR but I'm not a great writer like you and D~. We are going back June 8-15 and we just booked airfare last night! If you have time and want to check it out, my link to it is in my signature. It's the Taking Time to Smell the Roses.

Hmm... your siggy wasn't showing up the other day when I asked -- but it is now. Totally heading that way to read your PTR!

Grats on booking airfare! I've never been on a plane ... we always drive.

OMG!!! LIDDY!!! I don't remember you ever saying on FB or anythign that your town might have been hit! I am so thankful for you that it wasn't.

I totally love Dendoggy - I know I've read about that story before - but I still think it's the sweetest thing ever!

So glad you made it to your stop over hotel safely... I was so worried about you that day!

D~

I never said anything on FB about my town being hit (mostly because it wasn't and secondly, because I didn't want to alarm anyone). I got a message from an old friend and then called dad. That was all.

We're all thankful that the storms passed over us. I did hear that there was another hail storm (there was several hail storms last May when we were at WDW) ... but it wasn't as bad as last years.

I'm a huge fan of "Dendoggy". DS made a Thanksgiving craft last year, and each feather had something he was thankful for. Dendoggy was on one of them. It was so precious! (Of course he had mamaw on another feather, as well!)

D, to be honest, I was worried, too. I was fine when DH said we'd miss all the storms. And then when he put me on storm-watch duty. I wanted to slug him! When we got to the hotel, we were safe, so I only yelled at him a little bit ... but sheesh! What if we had hit something nasty?

 

[KatMark]

I found you!!!!!!!! I love your intros and accompanying photos. Sorry your DH doesn't love Disney (I count my lucky stars that Mark is a Disney lover).

Those storms sound really scary, but glad you had no issues with the driving.

Can't wait for the next update.

 

[Lidian]

I found you!!!!!!!! I love your intros and accompanying photos. Sorry your DH doesn't love Disney (I count my lucky stars that Mark is a Disney lover).

Those storms sound really scary, but glad you had no issues with the driving.

Can't wait for the next update.

Sorry Kathy. I haven't had a chance to alert everyone yet. I've been so frazzled with getting caught up on homework, scrubbing house, and now DS's birthday. I haven't even posted that it's started on FB yet. I'm glad you found me!

I'm a bit jealous of all these wives with Disney-lovin DH's. But I count my lucky stars that DH loves me enough to do whatever I want if I ask enough times.

The storms were kinda scary. It was crazy to be in a mostly lit car (from lightning) and watching the clouds to make sure none of them were doing anything crazy. But it was a rush of adrenaline, and in the end, it was kind of fun to pretend to be a storm chaser. However, I am very thankful that we were SO lucky!

And ... just want to mention ...

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET DS!

 

[KatMark]

Happy 6th birthday!!!!!!!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

to DS!!!!

You chased storms to get to Disney??? Such diehards! So glad you all made it safely, though! Waiting now to see what you forgot...

 

[DMGeurts]

Happy birthday little DS!!! I hope you have an amazing day today! Do you have any fun plans?

I am sure the girls will wish him a HB too - once they are home and know about it. LOL

D~

 

[mtgirl29]

I found it!!! Great start, Lidian!!! Sounds like a frightening start! So glad you guys avoided the storms. They can definitely be scary! I am so living through you on this TR, since we won't be going this year, afterall. Cannot wait to find out what you forgot! Looking forward to continuing this journey with you!!

 

[sjs314]

Liddy what a way to start your trip storms are the reason I started flying the last trip when we drove we hit storms from CT to Fl and then same thing coming home. Glad you guys made it safely there and back

Watching that video has me re thinking our road trip yep I am a big chicken

 

[loveysbydesign]

Hopping aboard as I need a good Disney fix!

 

[solana131]

Hey Liddy Found it. I've been neglecting my newfound love (the DIS) lately since I've been in sunny FL for the past week and it was just too nice to sit at the computer. But now that I'm back in Maine.....wait a minute....its just as nice here! Seriously, I think its warmer here than it was in FL

But anyway...count me in. Can't wait to hear all about it. Great start. Its funny, I was picturing you guys traveling and just before you mentioned that you felt like the storm chasers, thats what I was picturing That would've been freaky for me. Glad your town wasn't hit after all!

 

[dara00]

I'm joining in! I have a ds who is a year younger than yours but they have similar interests! BTMR was closed when we were there - I am not sure if he would have liked it or not! But he does love trains!