"Reach for the sky!" We're finally getting there in JAN 2012!!!TR LINK PG 69!

[Victoriasmom98]

YOU GUYS TOTALLY ROCK!!!! I'M FRIENDS WITH NOW FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS!!!

 

[mousescrapper]

It's COUNTDOWN TIME!!!!! Oh yes, We're 153 days out and we made our chain! This is tradition, we like to string it up along the windows in the living room!

Here it is strung across the windows this morning...

great chain...we had the super long 100+ days chain last yr for our Nov trip...it was great fun I now think it will be a tradition

We did a Pirates day last year, you might want to look in my old PTR, the kids had a blast that day! Let me see if I can find it....

had to go looking for it, but found it finally!
POTC Disney Day!


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Awesome Pirate day...love the outside treasure hunt...DH and I had a priate day for our kids countodown last yr...her made a fort and boat out of carboard and we had a sock battle

We also did something a little different this time at the end of our day. The girls wrote down different ideas of Disney Days that they would like and drew to see what we would do for our next Disney Day. I think they liked having more input!

I am in awe of your KP mission day and table that is great work by you and Hope and I love the idea of getting the kids on board...our Disney days countdown were all our idea (DH & I) but for the next fam trip I want to get their ideas too! very cool!

I entered a photography competition and got an honorable mention! It's nice to be recognized for my work with all the other photographers that were there! Here I am with my ribbon (the photo is above my head, but hard to see in this shot)

congrats to you Karen that is great!

 

[DrMomof3]

CONGRATS Karen! Well-deserved!!!

Amanda

 

[Lidian]

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! ​

 

[exwdwcm]

Congratulations! what a gorgeous photo. I so wish i had some photography skills!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Congratss on the photo award. That's so exciting!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Thanks Everyone! I'm typing up an update right now, so keep your eyes peeled. It's nothing big that has changed in the trip, but it's emotional for me...sort of a Disney-emotional-dumping-feelings sort of post!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

So, I'm sorry for being MIA. I'm sure it doesn't really even seem like I haven't been around, but I haven't been reading people's PTR's and I'll just have to try and catch up on those, I'm far behind. I've been avoiding the DIS for a couple days.

Money got tight all of the sudden, Rey had some unexpected medical bills and we're behind on the mortgage. The other day I just completely broke down while talking to Rey and I wasn't sure where it was coming from until I started letting it out. Last year took a bigger toll on me than I thought. We've always struggled or just made ends meet and then been fine, it's the nature of me having stayed home with our kids and Rey being a truck driver. Living paycheck to paycheck, but doing alright and still enjoying life. There were times of real hardship, but last year took the cake.

I guess I just didn't realize that I hadn't really dealt with it until we were late with the mortgage and then I started to panic. I realized that I needed to pull money from the Disney savings to pay it and I panicked. It seems like such a simple thing, but I think it symbolized everything we went though last year, almost losing the house, giving up our car, etc. I didn't realize those feelings were still under there and not dealt with.

When I was talking to Rey, I said I knew it sounded stupid, but I burst into tears when he told me I didn't seem happy lately and I told him I just needed to go to Disney World! It sounded so stupid, but honestly, explaining it to him, I have used getting back to WDW on our own as a symbol of making it out of the He!! of last year. Taking money out of the Disney fund terrified me and made me feel like that might not happen. So, there is my psychoanalysis of how I hadn't dealt with last year. I feel like just talking about it and realizing that I still have a lot of fear about going back to that dark place really helped.

Soooooooo, I WILL pull from the ticket fund and we'll get caught back up and the money will get replaced. I still have TONS of time to save this money and we WILL go on this trip! I feel it in my heart.

 

[Pixiedust530]

So sorry to hear about all that you've been going through Karen. I know how it feels to live paycheck to paycheck and just barely make ends meet. Good luck with getting through the hard stuff and getting back to your HAPPY place....Disney!!!

Your absence was noticed and you were missed! Glad to have you back!

 

[-Hope-]

 

[Victoriasmom98]

I tried posting yesterday but again, my laptop wouldn't keep me logged in!

I'm sorry for how you've been feeling, but you'll work it out and it will be ok. We are all here to listen and comiserate with you!!!

 

[exwdwcm]

HUGS Karen. So sorry you experienced this, but glad you got it out. I know Disney must mean the world to you and having to dip into that money must have broke your heart. But you are right, you will replace it. Hang in there and know we are all wishing, hoping and praying for you!!!!! sometimes just talking about can relieve a lot of the stress too.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Thanks ladies! I'm feeling pretty ok about everything right now, I'll have to pull from the Disney fund, but we already know that Rey is getting a big check next week, so I think I'll be able to replace it pretty fast hopefully!

In Disney related news, I have a few things I've gotten for the trip so far! I've been doing Mypoints for months, since last fall, trying to accumulate lots of points so we can have some free meals and I have quite a few gift cards already!

I have 125$ for Rainforest Cafe! WOOT! That's a whole meal for us, and then some!

I also ordered a $25 Subway card and then after getting the kids Subway the other day for the kids, I ordered another $10 card b/c I think we'll use it on our trip down and back. These cards were FREE, I just ordered things I normally do through Mypoints, and accumulated enough points for these meals. If you aren't signed up, you should, but before you do, have me send you a referral...I'll get more points for referring you!

And last but not least, I got SUNGLASSES!!!!!! I'm sure you are saying to yourself, sunglasses? But, I assure you, this is VERY exciting! I wear glasses, so for YEARS (actually since I was a teen and my parents purchased prescription sunglasses) I have gone without sunglasses b/c it's expensive for prescrip. sunglasses and I just never wanted to shell out the money. Sometimes I would buy cheap regular sunglasses at the store and wear them OVER my regular glasses..does not work to well and is certainly a strange fashion statement! Anyway, again, through Mypoints, I found a place that sells cheap prescription glasses. I got an email that they were having a sale on prescription sunglasses and jumped on it! I got them for 32$, that included shipping, and if you wear prescription sunglasses, you know how much more expensive they usually are. SO, I'm super excited to wear them not only all summer, but on the trip!

 

[MARsMama]

It can be very stressful when planning a Disney trip and other financial burdens come up, and it must be extra hard given what you've already been through. It's good to get it 'off your chest' so to speak. You've put too much into this trip, you will make it happen even though you have to dip into the funds for it, keep positive There's still some time left for saving.
Great news about your sunglasses I, too, wear glasses and know what it's like. I have opted for the ones that are specially made for going over glasses, although I've gone through two pairs already as they seem to fall apart easy even though they're $30! I am looking into just getting a cheap pair to wear over my glasses for this summer, and into our Disney trip. Even if I have to get two cheap pair it's still less money than one of the other ones.
I am a member at Mypoints, but find it very limited for Canadians. I ended up sending two WalMart gift cards to a US friend with my points. It is a great program and I'm glad to hear that you've been able to get some great gift cards out of it

 

[Minnie_Mom]

Soooooooo, I WILL pull from the ticket fund and we'll get caught back up and the money will get replaced. I still have TONS of time to save this money and we WILL go on this trip! I feel it in my heart.

Awwww, Karen, I am so sorry you had to dip into your Disney fund, but what a blessing you had that fund to dip into so that you could make the payment. I have all the faith that you will have the fund replaced in no time!

Thanks ladies! I'm feeling pretty ok about everything right now, I'll have to pull from the Disney fund, but we already know that Rey is getting a big check next week, so I think I'll be able to replace it pretty fast hopefully!

So glad you are feeling better and that you are on the right track to replace the funds quickly!

In Disney related news, I have a few things I've gotten for the trip so far! I've been doing Mypoints for months, since last fall, trying to accumulate lots of points so we can have some free meals and I have quite a few gift cards already!

I have 125$ for Rainforest Cafe! WOOT! That's a whole meal for us, and then some!

I also ordered a $25 Subway card and then after getting the kids Subway the other day for the kids, I ordered another $10 card b/c I think we'll use it on our trip down and back. These cards were FREE, I just ordered things I normally do through Mypoints, and accumulated enough points for these meals. If you aren't signed up, you should, but before you do, have me send you a referral...I'll get more points for referring you!

Ummmm... more information, please! How long did it take you to get you Rainforest gift cards? Those would be really useful

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Awwww, Karen, I am so sorry you had to dip into your Disney fund, but what a blessing you had that fund to dip into so that you could make the payment. I have all the faith that you will have the fund replaced in no time!



So glad you are feeling better and that you are on the right track to replace the funds quickly!



Ummmm... more information, please! How long did it take you to get you Rainforest gift cards? Those would be really useful

It really depends on how much money you normally spend online. I'll admit that we made a big purchase in Feb. (Rey got a new laptop) and I just clicked thru from Mypoints to HP and purchased.

The important thing is to sign up to Mypoints with a junk email that you only intend on using for Mypoints. That's what keeps me sane. They will give your email out and sometimes you get points for signing up for websites/newsletters/emails, so you can do that with an unused email without worrying about mixing junk with your regular emails.

They have almost any store you can think of (Target, Kohls, Walmart, Sears...) that you can get points from, basically all you do is go to your Mypoints page and then click and it takes you to that actual store (but keeps track that you make purchases and you get points for it). The only store that you don't get points from that I use regularly is Amazon. I would have TONS more points if they gave me points for Amazon! They also send emails where you can just click and it sends you to a site/shop and gives you 5 points for clicking.

My $50 RFC cards were 6750 points EACH, I have been using MP since September or October, I think.

Anyone interested can PM me the email they want to be invited with and I'll refer you. You get points as well for being referred!

 

[PixieMama]

Oh, I love MyPoints!

I recently redeemed points for a $50 gas card, which we'll use for our trip. I'm hoping to earn enough points for another one... only 1300 more points to go, LOL!

 

[Kari-B]

Awesome you finally got some great sunglasses for yourself!! My little girl wears glasses and I feel bad for her out in the sun. She either wears sunglasses over her regular glasses or takes off her regular glasses in lieu of sunglasses. Neither works great, but with her going through a pair of glasses (and new prescriptions) every year, I can't afford prescription sunglasses.

 

[DrMomof3]

1st Karen, I'm sending you big hugs for everything you've been through. You are an amazing and strong person!
2nd, I'm so happy for your sunglasses. As moms we sometimes sacrifice everything for our family and I'm happy that YOU are getting something!

Amanda

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Thank you so much everyone for your support!!!

I HAVE GOOD NEWS!!!!!!

I was poised to transfer some of the Disney money this morning and what should arrive in the mail??? A check from his old job, they owed him almost $400 apparently. With my petsitting money from the next upcoming few days, I should have enough and not have to pull from the disney money at all!!!!

Rey totally doesn't get it, he figured we would just replace the money, but not touching it was really important to me and now I don't have to!!! WOOT! I even went to see if they were selling the tickets yet, and they aren't, but it looks like they have listed more of the homeschool classes and are gearing up to sell the tickets pretty soon! I'm purchasing those tickets as soon as they go on sale!