Pre TR | I'm moving in

[ilovedisneymm]

Introductions for anyone beyond the camping forum that decides to follow along or new camping members since our last trip report.

Me (Melissa)...homeschooling mama
Hubby (Daniel)...farmer of cattle, corn, beans, wheat, alfalfa
Kailan (18)...college kid that now wants to go back to Disney this trip and bringing a plus one
Grace (7)...my lego master builder
Daniel (5)...my little farmer

Here are my three loves in one of my most favorite pictures of them.



Were coming down January 4 - January 29. Planning on hanging out the first week around FW with no real solid plans. Probably, do some canoeing, fishing, all things FW related, maybe visit the ocean, and DTD. The second and third week plan to be park weeks and the last week sitting around recovering from the parks and watching the kids do loops on their bikes while listening to them tell people we live here. Hubby and I got a real kick out of the last trip when they started telling new kids that we "live at 1509".

I can't tell you the count down till we get there cause that racket they call MDE is not working right now for me. Something about wanting me to change my password. Well.....No. I'm not going to do it. I don't want to do it cause if I have to change it, then I have to go and change every other password in my life cause I only have the mentality to remember one and only one at this point in my life. So I'll just check back tomorrow or something. I do know that we are going for 4 weeks this time in January and if my math is right, that means we will be there for 1/12 of the year and that means I kind of live there, so I'm moving in. I want to be like that lady in the 400 loop that hasn't left in six years. I'm kidding...kind of....I'm pondering on how to get FL residency cause after 30 days of living there you can qualify for that and that sure would help out on the tickets But I would probably have to have a utility bill and I don't think the "1500 loop at Disney" would justify for the address. I'm kidding....kind of.

So why am I going for that long of time? Cause my husband farms and works the equivalency of 3 men from March 1 - last week. I need my husband to not die at an early age and enjoy life. So winter time equals down time and a lot of down time. Don't get me wrong, we make plenty of time throughout the year for various things and I spend a great deal of my time in the spring and in the fall by the field serving meals to him, his father and their hired men and rotating kids so they can ride with their dad in this or that piece of equipment or whatever the farm day is like. The kids are usually done with their school work by noon and hubby will swing by and pick one of them up if not during planting or harvest time.

This picture was taken on the last day of harvest. They started 47 days prior and had worked every day from about 5am - 10pm or later every.single.day without fail. We had no rain, NONE during this harvest and only when it rains does a farmer get break during harvest. So he and his father and hired help were weak and weary here. His dad, the kids' grandpa is on the right in the blue jacket with the green hat.




You might remember my kids from my last trip report. They most often wore their John Deere tshirts and well wouldn't you know it......still do. I can't get them to wear much else....

This pic was taken on Thursday. Today is Grace's turn to go. She plans on helping daddy check the deer stand and then feed the cattle. Little Daniel is not happy. He has been screaming and fitting for about 20 minutes at this point and tells me that I'm ruining his life by not letting him work with his dad. Mind you, the boy goes twice as often as Grace. That boy is strong and determined and I don't know how much longer I am going to be able to refrain him. He's pretty darn good at driving the skid steer. He has been riding in that thing with his dad since he was 18 months and could load a semi full of straw if you let him. I'm thinking if I hired him out I could get about $25 an hour for his services. Again, I'm just kidding. We don't allow him to drive it by himself.....yet.




For the first few minutes after Grace left with her dad, little Daniel stripped off all his clothes and rolled around on the floor as if he was on fire. It took about another 10 minutes to get him to calm down. I pulled up Santa ideas on the Ipad and that seemed to appease him. We do a great deal of reading in our homeschool life. We use a classical approach and it seems to fit our family and lifestyle perfectly. Right now we are reading Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse. I read him a few chapters and then we snuggled and he took a nap.



Yesterday we did yard work in preparation for winter. It was nice, warm, sunny and 65 degree kind of day. The kids played outdoors for hours and then danced around the fire while hubby burned the sticks and shrubs. Then today, it snows...





I'm kidding. I took this from the internet. We live in IL and I turned the AC on for a little bit on Thursday and guess what I turned on Friday? Yep, the furnace......sigh. Then, the next day we get a mini blizzard. $@(*#

I have more to say about our pre-trip report, lots more, but the kids are awake and I thought they were asleep. Church tomorrow so I have to get them to bed.

I'll come back tomorrow and tell about our purchase we made tonight for the trip. That purchase tonight was my main reason I started this pre-trip report....until tomorrow my DIS friends.

Add in - No, it's not a camper. No surprise. Just a small purchase that kicks off our "lets get ready for our Disney trip".

 

[G719]

Can't wait to hear more!

I don't think you can avoid changing your password. Disney changed the password requirements. And some accounts were a little messed up in the process. I had to call to get all my info restored online the day before the trip. I could see everything on the app but not on the website.

 

[bjschil]

Yeah John Deere. Also our brand on our farm. We actually have several leased leased "blue" tractors on our dairy. Seems J.D.needs to step up to a better leasing program! Glad you finished corn, hope it was a good crop year, even though prices stink. We will gladly send you the snow. Here in SW Wisconsin, received a blessing of 15 inches Friday evening through noon time on Saturday. Can I say that this farmer is also anxious to relax at the Fort in just 37 days. We are pulling our fiver down, so will keep a watchful weather eye for departure the day after Christmas.

I am anxious to see your surprise. Does it have wheels? See you at the Fort.

 

[MotherRunner]

Yay!! I loved your last report. Will you include your packing list this time? And maybe some things you took last time, but won't this time? Or vice versa?

I also homeschool, sort of. DD goes to a church school Tu/Th and I teach MWF. It's like homeschool-lite. The best part is flexibility with vacation scheduling!

 

[Teamubr]

Great start on the pre-TR, Melissa.

And no love for the "red" tractors? I only say that since IH/Navstar used to make the engine in my F350.

Hope the harvest went well. The season started out great here, but the last half was awful dry and most of the crops didn't look great by harvest. Not sure what yields really were. I should ask my DS's FFA teacher.

Have a great time getting ready for your move to the Fort and we are anxiously awaiting to hear about your new purchase, even if it's not a new camper.

j

 

[tiggerdad]

I own one John Deere, everything else is old school Massey Ferguson, the "200 series" tractors from the 70's and 80's. Good work horses that are easier to work on which allows me to do alot of my own repairs and save lots of dough. The Perkins diesel engines were some of the best ever built. Of course, my farming isn't on your scale. I was raised on the farm and learned my trade of bailing hay for the public from my uncle and still do it to this day, though not nearly on the scale I used to due a career in medicine. But, I still love the farming more.

Great start on the report, the kids seem to be jockeying for position on the farm which is probably a good thing for the future because most kids today know nothing of work and can't survive without an I-pad or Kindle. So what's the surprise? You purchase a squirrel feeder!?

Looking forward to following along with you. This years reports have been some of the best I have seen in years and I hope they only continue to get better.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I own one John Deer

1) Alas, never owned a Deere.
2) I ran an International Harvester Cotton-Picker assembly plant and foundry (in Memphis).
3) Thus, my allegiances are toward "IH-Red", not "Deere-Green".

 

[ilovedisneymm]

@bjschil we don't lease anything. Every piece of equipment with exception to the combine is 20 - 40 years old and even a few pieces older but no payments to make to any bank either. I look forward to meeting you.

@MotherRunner I don't plan on doing a detailed packing list. What works for our family will differ from yours. So many variables to take in and consider. What might be important to me, might not to you.

We will be bringing everything we took our last trip minus the two box fans. I didn't even pull them out of the box our last trip and if weather is warmer than last trip, well then, that is a problem I can handle Yes, flexibility with homeschooling is awesome. We will be taking a six week break starting Dec 18 - January 31.

@Teamubr I have no ill feelings toward any make or model. Harvest went well for us, no cornfield under 200 in yield and our best being 248. Beans varied from 63 - 68. We are no doubt blessed to live in an area with the richest soil in the country. Surprisingly, you can travel 30 minutes north or south and the yields will start to drop because of the soil changes.

And thank you, I am starting to prepare for the "move".

@tiggerdad hubby went to pick up the kids from "church school" as they call it and then load some guy buying 100 bails. I will have him chime in on the Massey Ferguson and the Perkins Diesel.

I sure hope I'm raising future farmers. Time will tell. We don't own any gaming toys with the exception of the Ipad and that is my weakness. They get their computer time but no much.

I sure have some big shoes to try and fill, I'll do the best that I can.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

We are doing the tents again this year. We spent a great deal of time looking at several travel trailers and made a few trips out of state with hopes of bringing home a new TT but that didn't happen. Honestly at no point during this experience did we get super excited about buying a trailer. Yes, it would be nice to have. We wouldn't have to worry about getting leaks in the tents and the daily work load would be less. The ability to shut a door verses zip a tent would be nice. A bed verses a cot would be sweet, I'm not going to lie there....but....and there is a big but.....

They COST A LOT! We wanted to stay in the $17,000 - $20,000 range and for the money, I couldn't justify it. Each trailer we looked at gave me great doubts. The new trailers are built CHEAP I don't see how they could build them any cheaper if they tried. Now, I'm sure the more we spend, the better they get but I'm not interested in spending more for something that I classify as a toy and I'm not financing anything. What really kept me from handing over a check was the gut feeling that something is going to go wrong with it much sooner than later. The fridge....the water pump....I just know it. My kids fighting and one of them putting a hole in the back bedroom wall. My husband is 6 foot 6 inches and can barely fit in the bathroom. I can just see something going out within a year or directly after the one year bumper to bumper and then having to spend the time dealing with that hassle. Maintenance will always be there and that right there is time. So time is going to be a factor regardless of going with a new travel trailer or tents. So we are going to keep our money and live in tents cause it was a blast last year and I hope it is the same this year.

So no surprise, nothing big, just a simple purchase. To me though, I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!

A deep freezer...

I'm spoiled with meat from my backyard and prefer it. We brought down several packages of hamburgers and steaks but they only keep for about a week in the cooler. Getting ice from the ice machine is like getting a watery mix. It really doesn't last long. We started getting our ice directly from the meadows and seemed to last a day longer. We will still be using the cooler for the milk, juice, things like that.

Now we can bring our home grown meat and have it the whole trip long! Yes. It's the little things, you know.

We will be eating out about 50% of the time and cooking 50% of the time. We both like cooking so I don't find this to be a hassle.

So we were at the Home Depot last night getting some things to repair a damaged fence and found this little gem just begging to take us home.

I have been wanting a small deep freezer but had yet to find one small enough until last night.

It is the perfect size!

I plan on making a couple lasagnas, couple bags of chili, cooking up several bags of ground beef for tacos and a few more bags for pasta. Several packages of steaks, roasts, bacon, sausage. Pre-packed hamburger and pork patties. This should make my trip a bit easier in the food area.

So hello new wonderful small deep freeze! I'm so excited about the possibilities with you.

Yes, if one brings a deep freezer to Disney then one can say, they are moving in

 

[Teamubr]

I sure have some big shoes to try and fill, I'll do the best that I can.

From the sounds of it, you are doing a great job. I grew up a "city boy". We lived in the country for 12 years after we were married. I was friends with our farmer neighbors and learned to appreciate everything that went into it. Sounds like your kids already have the love of it.

We spent a great deal of time looking at several travel trailers and made a few trips out of state with hopes of bringing home a new TT but that didn't happen.

I know how you feel about the new trailers. The industry refers to the entry level trailers as "stick and tin". It's sad that something that costs as much as a small car doesn't give you a good feeling.

So no surprise, nothing big, just a simple purchase. To me though, I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!

A deep freezer...

You are going to LOVE having that! Even in my camper, freezer and refrigerator space are always a challenge.

j

 

[PaHunter]

I saw that picture of the freezer and was thinking, hmmm trailer modification.

Very nice.

 

[bama_ed]

Melissa,

Sounds like you are ready to move in at the Fort.

I can't remember what vehicle you travel to the Fort in but even a small freezer takes up space. Do you use or would you consider using a tow-behind cargo trailer to carry all your camping stuff including the freezer? It could also store your camping stuff at home (all in one place -tents, freezer, air mattresses, etc).

We are counting down until our March trip too.

Good luck with the planning.

Bama Ed

 

[tiggerdad]

I won't disagree with the "built cheaper these days" thinking. Goes for farming equipment too. This is why I stick to the old MF tractors. Very little plastic and very little electronics to go bad. Built to last.

P.S. my newest edition to my old farm stuff is a MF 135, another good Perkins diesel.

 

[JETS70]

I just have to chime in on the farm equipment.......I'm not a farmer but grew up spending quite a bit of time planting, cutting, and hanging tobacco as well as being cheap child labor throwing slabs off the sawmill and shoveling sawdust from around the mill when I wasn't being the well behaved hired hand. I was the guy who got to be the middle man balancing between barn rails when hanging tobacco or putting up hay. You know.....the guy in the middle who had to reach down and hand up. I did learn to drive my dad's old C10 Chevy 3 speed on the tree when I was about 10 years old. Bob, he is the one that owned the farm, told my dad I was going to meet old man Smith coming around the corner and it ain't gonna be good. All that to say that even though I didn't own a farm I did have the opportunity to restore a 1947 Farmall Cub. Probably not the kind of tractor that you would use on your farm but a neat little tractor nonetheless.
Looking forward to your TR Melissa.

 

[JETS70]

As far as buying a manufactured camper, the DW and I would have liked to purchase one but just as you have said Melissa, cost and quality were huge issues as well as finding one that did what we wanted it to do.
That is the reason that I chose to build both the teardrop and then the cargo trailer toy hauler conversion. I was very fortunate that my dad took time to teach me many things about woodworking and construction in general. Many might think that some of these things might be outside their skill set. My response would be you never know until you try. There are countless resources on the Internet to either show (youtube) or describe in detail how to do many things such as wiring a power converter for a camper. Bama Ed mentioned an enclosed cargo trailer to haul your camping gear in. Great idea!! With a little more time and resources you could convert it to a camper with fold down beds that would also be your means of hauling all your camping gear....including that new deep freeze....... A portable AC totally changes the inside environment. You could still do your cooking outside but you would have your sleeping arrangements inside away from those weather events that can make tent camping a little uncomfortable. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

@bama_ed We will be pulling a small trailer and our golf cart. Most things that can't get wet or don't want stolen ride in the back of the mini van (tents, blankets, clothes) and other things we stack and pack like Tetris around the cart. We'll make room for the freezer. Think Jed Clampet, Beverly Hillbillies kind of stacking ;

@tiggerdad Hubby says we never had any Massey Ferguson dealers in our area but sure is a great brand. That sums up our equipment in a nutshell 70s & 80s. I have heard that same quote many times before from hubby "less the bells and whistles, the less to go wrong". He does own other equipment besides JD. The latest is a CAT 65c.

@JETS70 I love hearing everyone's agricultural experiences! Hubby says he has a 1951 Farmall. He also said he grew up on a mid 60s yellow and white cub mowing roadsides.

As for the DIY enclosed trailer...Believe me when I say that I tried to talk hubby into going down this road both two years ago, two months ago, and directly after you posted your interior pics! I love that you included aged wood. I have a hoards size of 100 yr old plus wood stashed away from corn cribs and barns for a rainy day project.

The mentality, the skill set, the tools, the space to build it, every component needed is all there! But it's TIME that is the greatest factor. I wish he worked normal hours to build something like that but he doesn't. A few hours a couple nights a week and a couple Sundays a month just aren't there for him. I envy what you have done with both the teardrop and the enclosed trailer.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

I'm not much of a Black Friday shopper. I loath holiday shoppers more than I like to save a buck. So we decided to set up the tents and check for any holes or mold issues. Everything looks good on them except one rain fly needs some mending. Guess I'll break out the sewing machine and patch it up.

On our last trip we blew a tire on the trailer and it bent the fender up. Today, hubby is doing some welding and touch up painting on it.

Me, I'm snuggling in my cozy recliner watching a Christmas Story and then maybe Christmas Vacation. I keep looking over at our tree wondering when those elves are coming to hang the decorations!

Today sounds like a good day for a fire and I might just knit something

 

[Nan P]

Followed along with your last trip report and it was great! Will be tagging along on this pre TR and the full TR in January. We will be at the Fort Dec 5 for a week, so I am in count down mode right now and sooo excited to see the Christmas decorations again. Maybe you'll catch a few still up in January? Have fun planning.

 

[disneydadben]

I LOVED your last report. I can't wait to read along with this one!

 

[ilovedisneymm]

@Nan P sure hope we catch a few still up. This will be the earliest we have ever been by 10 days - fingers crossed!

We are winding down with the homeschool work. Just reading, writing and math through Dec 18 then done with book work for six weeks. Well, nightly reading we will continue

Our days are light and the focus is shifting to this and that for the holidays and all to be done in preparing for the trip.

Yesterday, I pulled all camp supplies out from storage and gave everything a wipe down. Still need to wash up all the camp dish supplies and wash all the camp blankets but will do that closer to the end of the month.

This afternoon we are taking the golf cart in and getting it turned up. Last year owning our own cart saved us $1400 in Disney cart rentals and by the end of this trip it will have paid for itself.

I'm thinking I want to use something different for food storage and cloth storage but not sure what yet. I think a trip to Home Depot is in my future.

Our mall has a newly opened Field and Stream store so we plan to stop in and look around. Might find something useful for our site. I want to get some exterior tent lighting, maybe make some LED picnic lights. It being a Wednesday in all, I think I can safely December shop without much of a crowd.