~~~~~ Sew, off we go – on another mother-daughter adventure! May 2020!~~~~~

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Big news??

Honestly! She does know how to keep an audience in suspense.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

 

[Chicago Mo]

Tell me about it - Even just since we went in June - so much has changed. I haven't even read anything about Star Wars yet - I honestly think we might skip it for this trip? Unless V feels like figuring it out? It just seems like such a mess.

i hear the rides are better then anything else. so this is mus do for us!
it's a mess cuz we don't understand it just yet! LOL

It will be so fun to do V's 21st in WDW - we are very excited about it. And even better that she wants to spend her 21st birthday with her MOM. LOL Partay!

I love it and hope mine want to do the same.

Not sure about the pics - I haven't been here in Eons... I need to investigate. Stay tuned!

please do i wanna see them!

October.... I hope it works out!

you know me by now to know things change like the wind.. LOL

 

[tinkbell13]

Hi D~!
So I haven't been on here for quite some time. But I pop on here today and find you have a PTR going! Page 3 isn't bad for being 3 months behind. Lol! I think it is awesome that V wanted to go to WDW for her 21st. We will wait and see if DS will want to go for his 21st in December 2021.

My last time on the DIS was probably a month or two after our trip last year. We didn't have a trip on the horizon any time soon and weren't planning to go back until at least 2021 since we had friends that wanted to plan a 50th birthday cruise (DH, her and her DH all turning 50 within 6 weeks at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020). Unfortunately the cruise plan kind of fell apart after she just couldn't decide where or when to go. DH was really looking forward to cruising again and was crushed when they decided not to go. Then another friend asked us if we wanted to do an all-inclusive resort. Never done one before, but we were up for it. Unfortunately that never got off the ground as her DH said no. So DH and I have been excitedly wanting to go somewhere for the past 4 months to celebrate his big birthday and everything has fallen through.

Then Thursday my DH sends me a screen shot of a trip. It was something that we had discussed, but for the future. Like November/December 2021 or January 2022 future. Because we figured we would need to plan it about a year in advance in order to get the reservation. But this, this was only weeks away. Whaaaat? We took a couple of days to think about it, took the leap and booked it yesterday. We are super excited to be going back to Disney and staying at Fort Wilderness for a week in our motorhome! And because we have the motorhome, we are bringing Buffy (our German Shepherd) with us. So it will be a bit more of a laid back trip this time. We are really looking forward to seeing Galaxy's Edge as we are both big Star Wars fans and DH has been wanting to go since Smuggler's run opened. He said he wanted to wait until Rise of the Resistance had been open for several months and the hype had died down a bit. But with the other trips falling through, he looked at WDW just for fun's sake and boom . . . there is our dream reservation. DH really, really, really wants to ride Rise, so we decided to do something we haven't done before and get park hoppers. That way we can hit HS and try for a Rise boarding group every morning until we get on the ride. We were well into our 60 day FP window, but I was able to snag them for the rides we really want to go on. Dining, however, is another story. The restaurants we really want, are already booked. So it looks like I will be stalking the dining page over the next few weeks to see if anything we want pops up. There will probably be some last minute booking too as people cancel the closer we get. Otherwise, we will just go back to the motorhome and eat.

I am so glad I found your PTR and can't wait to hear all your plans!

 

[Texan]

Good, still not to far along haha. We need your big news Dorine!!

I cannot wait for June - I cannot wait to FINALLY meet you and Allison. You will be in Texas when it starts to bake you know? July and August are much worse though.

Just my two cents, I will never, ever set foot in anything Star Wars at Disney. The madness is completely overwhelming.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

SEW, this is just me waiting for some big news....

 

[DMGeurts]

Oh guys - such a slacker here!!!!

I must admit - I have not been planning this trip at all... Since it's V's birthday trip - and she begged to plan - well, I passed the baton on to her.

I don't even remember what my "big news" was????

We have made our dining reservations... We've opted to "go to Disney on the cheap" this time - which as you all know, is still quite expensive. We have 3 dining reservations for our entire trip... Lunch at Via Napoli, a (new to us) lunch at Chefs de France, and breakfast at The Wave. That's it. No character meals either! Can you believe it?

We have our park tickets (in hand) - which was a nerve wracking experience... SoG no longer emails them to you - so we had to wait for FedEx to deliver. We did receive them in plenty of time to make our FPs - but it was still unnerving to have them in the mail - those suckers aren't cheap!

Our FP day is quickly approaching... We've had our FP meeting and we know what we are trying to get. Make that - we know what V is trying to get. Lets all just say MULTIPLE large and long prayers that the girl is able to wake up on time to make these... We all know and LOVE V for her early riser status. If not... I guess we will just have lots of rides on BLSRS.

******************************************************************************************************************

The girls are incredibly busy...

Allison is still living with Gus nearby... Gus joined the Air Force right before Christmas (to help him pay for law school) - he leaves for basic training soon. Allison is still in college - she JUST declared her major (secondary education - but she will be starting out in elementary education) - we went and toured a few colleges yesterday, and she now has some big decisions to make. We are very proud of her - her GPA has earned her MANY scholarship opportunities. She continues to work at her job at the assisted living/nursing home, and she continues to run her photography business as well. She is a busy girl these days and it's hard to nail her down for more than a few minutes to catch up.

V and Carter broke up (I can't remember if I mentioned that?) - it was V's decision, she is not seeing anyone - nor is she looking - she is just enjoying life. She still lives at home. Right before Christmas, she gave her notice at the daycare and went back to work full-time at the pizza restaurant (the one she's been at since high school) - she makes about the same amount of $$, but the hours are much more flexible with her school schedule. She is still in college and working hard... She also just switched her major from Elementary Education to Child Psychology - I feel like this will be a much better fit for her and excited to see her go into this field.

This year promises to be a CRAZY and WILD year for us... Josh and I sat down last weekend and planned our our travel schedule for the year... Let's just say that I am glad we did this.

May - V and I are in WDW
Josh also has opening fishing
Memorial Day weekend

June - Josh's annual fishing trip with his dad
Allison and I go to TX

July - Lake trip
BMTL arrive until mid-August.

As you all may remember - we were planning to build the garage this year... However NOT ONE PERSON got back to us with a bid. (very angry about this!) So, we've decided to divert our resources to the main floor bathroom project - which we don't need to beg anyone to bid for us... Paying cash - of course. We want to have this complete by the time BMTL arrive in July... If you look at our schedule - they only time we can really do it is in March and April... So thankful we looked at our schedules and realized we needed to get going on this project sooner rather than later, or we would have been scrambling to get it done in the midst of doing other things - it could have been awful.

Josh did do a small project for me a few weeks ago - which I love so much!!! It turned out awesome! I've been struggling with our TV wall for years - ever since we updated our living room in 2016 - I just couldn't get it to flow the way I wanted to... So I came up with this idea... Showed Josh and bunch of Pinterest pics and youtube videos... And the amazing man he is - built me this feature wall:

Here's the before... Such a huge transformation!!! And the best part - the new wall was a TOTAL COST of $300 (including the new lamps) - can't beat that!

That's about it for us... Life promises to be crazy for us until V and I leave on our trip... Then it's back to back travel and trips, and hosting guests for the remainder of spring and summer!

I'll try not to be such a slacker - but I have a feeling that I will be. I'll try to update as I can... However there WILL be a TR for this trip.

Prayers and pixie dust to all!!!

D~

 

[Terkina]

It's nice seeing a post from you in here.
Sounds like the girls are doing great.
Your project in the living room looks great.
I hope your dad is doing well.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi D~
It is great to read your update.

We have 3 dining reservations for our entire trip... Lunch at Via Napoli, a (new to us) lunch at Chefs de France, and breakfast at The Wave. That's it. No character meals either! Can you believe it?

Character meals have gotten really expensive. We only have a few reservations each trip now, too.

Allison is still living with Gus nearby... Gus joined the Air Force right before Christmas (to help him pay for law school) - he leaves for basic training soon. Allison is still in college - she JUST declared her major (secondary education - but she will be starting out in elementary education) - we went and toured a few colleges yesterday, and she now has some big decisions to make. We are very proud of her - her GPA has earned her MANY scholarship opportunities.

Congratulations to Allison for great grades and lots of scholarship opportunities. Will she be going away for college or stay nearby?

That is a big step for Gus.

Allison and I go to TX

Maybe this is your big news. What are you are Allison planning to do in Texas?

main floor bathroom project

You'll have to post pictures.

And the amazing man he is - built me this feature wall:

That feature wall looks great. I can't believe how much it enhances the room.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

So many exciting things going on with your girls! They are shaping up to be some amazing young women, D~!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I love that you forgot your own BIG NEWS!!

The wall project with your TV turned out just great. We are having a similar issue with how our front room TV fits in with the space. I'm loving how you added the shelf above, and I think you've inspired the fix that will do the trick at our house, too. SO THANKS!!

It's always so good to hear how your daughters are doing. I can't believe they're in college and planning futures for themselves, but you must be SO proud! It sounds like they've got great plans in motion so far.

Always nice to hear from you, D~!!

 

[DMGeurts]

It's nice seeing a post from you in here.
Sounds like the girls are doing great.
Your project in the living room looks great.
I hope your dad is doing well.

Thank you - I wish I had the time to check in more often!

The girls are doing great - both of them - I am very fortunate that they grew up to be such well rounded adults!

Thanks - I am still so happy with it!.

Dad it doing well - thanks for asking - I forgot to update on him. His health is stable and I think he secretly enjoys seeing Allison every day - even if it is just in passing... He has many friends at his new place - however - he still doesn't participate in many activities. Though - he has taken his scooter on their little bus to Walmart a few times - which I think is fantastic! And this is honestly a lot easier for him to do, than it is for me to try and load him and unload him - he just drives his scooter on to their bus and drives it off.

Hi D~
It is great to read your update.

Character meals have gotten really expensive. We only have a few reservations each trip now, too.
Congratulations to Allison for great grades and lots of scholarship opportunities. Will she be going away for college or stay nearby?

That is a big step for Gus.

Maybe this is your big news. What are you are Allison planning to do in Texas?

You'll have to post pictures.


That feature wall looks great. I can't believe how much it enhances the room.

Thanks Sue!

Character meals are SO EXPENSIVE - and to be honest - now that the girls are older, character meals are a little awkward too. We are kind of enjoying the freedom of planning this trip and going where ever we want to.

Allison will stay nearby - as in - she doesn't even want to move out of her apartment... This is good for me - but it does limit her options.

It is a huge step for Gus - and totally unexpected... Like if you would have asked me 3 years ago (or even a year ago) what Gus' top 100 job options would be - this would not even made that list. LOL Allison and I are going to TX for Gus' graduation from Basic Training.

We will definitely post bathroom pictures... Sadly - I don't think there will be much of a visible change? As of now, I am planning to keep the same paint color and same cabinetry color... We are just swapping the only bathtub in the house for a step-in shower (unless I chicken out) - this is kind of a wishy-washy thing for me yet... For us - I want it - but the whole "resell" thing still makes me hesitate.

Thanks - I am still so happy with it!

So many exciting things going on with your girls! They are shaping up to be some amazing young women, D~!

Thank you - I am so proud of them!

You have been on my mind a lot this past week my friend... Please know that you all are in our thoughts and prayers!

I love that you forgot your own BIG NEWS!!

The wall project with your TV turned out just great. We are having a similar issue with how our front room TV fits in with the space. I'm loving how you added the shelf above, and I think you've inspired the fix that will do the trick at our house, too. SO THANKS!!

It's always so good to hear how your daughters are doing. I can't believe they're in college and planning futures for themselves, but you must be SO proud! It sounds like they've got great plans in motion so far.

Always nice to hear from you, D~!!

Yah - it's my old age, I think? LOL

Thanks - I am glad you like it. If you do something similar, please let me know - I"d love to see how it turns out! I love the mantel shelf too - it was super easy for Josh to build - and even though it's a "little" bit awkward as far as spacing and having it over the TV vs. over a fireplace... I really like it and I am so glad we did it. And one more thing for me to decorate!~

Thanks - I know - they grew up so quickly! We are very proud of the adults they have become!

Great to hear from you too!

********************************************************************************************************

Thanks all for continuing to follow along! I will be doing an update just as soon as we get our FPs selected! We are very excited!

Prayers and pixie dust to all!

D~

 

[Terkina]

How great that he has gotten many friends at his new place. Hopefully he will participate in more activities soon. How great that he has taken his scooter on their little bus to Walmart and that he can just take the scooter on the bus and then off the bus without leaving the scooter on the journey. It sounds like that is much easier than you taking him in your car.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Hey D! I just hopped back on the Dis after a bit of a hiatus (a new baby will do that ) and tracked down your most current PTR. I know with the current state of the world you aren't able to go this month, but I hope you and V were able to get something else in the books for a later date! I miss your daily life and healthy living updates as well. I'm trying to find my motivation to start eating better and working out since I was quite lax with my diet while I was pregnant. I lost about half of it shortly after having baby K, but the other half has been a struggle.

I hope everyone over there is safe, healthy and happy!

 

[anniebean]

Hey D!!
Hope you and family are doing well!


I quit the Facebook (it was driving me bonkers with the covid-19 worry)

We had to cancel our April trip and moved it to September, and we’re hoping to get a November or December trip for anniversary. I guess all of this depends on how this virus plays out.

My friend went to a local yard sale yesterday and found a sewing machine from the 1950’s with the original manual. I immediately thought of you!


I would’ve jumped on it, but I really have no room for it, and already have 2 machines.

Again, hope all is well, and look forward to an update

 

[tinkbell13]

We didn't have a trip on the horizon any time soon and weren't planning to go back until at least 2021

Well, I didn't think these words would actually turn out to be true when I typed them back in February.

When Covid19 started and Disney issued their first closure notice, we pushed back our original reservation by a couple of days to coincide with their re-opening date in April. Less than a week later, as more and more cases were popping up and the border got shut down, we had a serious discussion of whether we should just cancel or try to find another date that worked. Finding another date was tricky as DH now had his heart set on staying at the Fort. But I spent a bit of time on the website and had a new proposal for him. We go to a race track in Ohio in late September with our motorhome every year. Rather than come home after the races and since we are already 1/4 of the way there, why not just continue down I-75 and go to Disney? Yes, it is only 5 nights rather than the 6 we really wanted, but I figured we could keep watching the site and see if we can get that extra day at some point. DH really liked that idea, so we moved our reservation again. We went from 3/29-4/4 to 3/31-4-6 to 9/28-10/3. A couple of days later and we found the extra night and added that to our reservation, yay! So updated dates 9/28-10/4. Perfect.

We figured pushing our trip out by 5 months would give us a good cushion for this thing to be under control. We had booked our original trip in mid February, made the first change mid March and the second change the third week of March. Then we sat and watched as the closures kept getting extended, both Disney and the border. But then, a bright spot! Disney announced their July reopening dates! Yes, the border was still closed, but we figured it wouldn't be much longer before it was reopened with how many people on both sides of the border take summer vacations on the opposite side. We watched as the border closure date moved from April 21 to May 21 to June 21 to July 21. We still had hope that it would reopen and we would be able to head out for our summer vacation in Knoxville, Iowa in early August. But no, the border closure was extended again to August 21. Darn it, but that is okay because it will open after that and we can still go to Ohio followed by Disney in September, right? Friday afternoon the news came in that the border closure was extended until September 21. That only gives us three days before leaving for Ohio and seven days before checking into Disney. That is cutting it close, so Ohio is cancelled and we have booked a local campground trip with our friends for that weekend.

DH and I talked Friday evening about what to do with our trip and decided we needed to push it forward again. It was just too close for us. So Saturday morning I started the hunt for a new reservation that worked for us. I found a week in late October and another one in early November at the Fort that worked for us. DH thought those dates were still too early, but we both really wanted to go this year. So we thought of changing it up for a hotel stay and flying down instead. Yes, there is a crazy loophole that we can take a flight across the border even when the land crossings are closed. We just need to isolate for 14 days after coming back. Not ideal, but we could do it. We had several options for hotels and dates available. Flights were trickier - fewer than normal (okay, expected that), flying at weird times (10:30pm flight, landing about 1:00 am, no thank you) unless we wanted to pay more than the hotel stay was going to cost or taking multiple flights to get there at a halfway reasonable time (2.5 hour direct flight compared to 9 hours and three planes, DH hates having to do connections, so no). And that did it for us. We just couldn't justify flying.

So back to looking at staying at the Fort but in 2021 now. Found a week in January and another in February. DH isn't keen on driving the motorhome when the weather can be questionable and I don't know that I could handle it either. His driving scares me at the best of time, which is why I am the one that has always driven on previous trips to Florida. We would both feel better if we knew that we weren't going to have to drive in snow and ice. So let's move it out a bit more - every week in March and first half of April is available, but it is way more expensive. Duuuhhhh, March break and Easter. But look, there in mid April, the price drops down again and there is availability! Now which week to choose? Well once DH figures out that Star Wars weekend is in there, it is a no brainer. So we are now booked for mid April. DH has already signed up for the 5K, 10K and half marathon. I am thinking of signing up for the 5K. I did the half in 2019 and vowed never again. It wiped me out for the rest of the day and part of the next, so I won't be doing that again.

Now we have our fingers crossed that this one works out for us. I keep saying "It's only 8 months away, it's only 8 months away, it's only 8 months away." DH and I are both disappointed that we aren't going next month, but are consoled by the fact that we do still have a trip booked. And we know that we are not the only ones in this position. We are only two in the thousands upon thousands of other people who have had to move their reservations multiple times.

I hope that your trip is still on D~. I have my fingers crossed for you and V too.

 

[DMGeurts]

And guess what... Just like everyone else in the world - we didn't go.

Yup - I am alive everyone!

V and I rescheduled this trip and we are leaving soon! We are very excited.

Not only that, but Allison and I decided to take a trip together next fall (Josh doesn't know yet - surprised?)

I have SO MUCH to update! So much!!!! I'll be back. Miss you all!

D~

 

[DMGeurts]

And it looks like I have a bunch of replies to do... Sorry all!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I'm sad you didn't get to go on your originally planned trip, but SOOOO excited that you'll get to go soon!! Going back with a mask on was weird, but not weird enough to keep me from wishing I was already planning another trip. The magic is still alive and well!!

And how awesome that you and Allison are planning, too Kind of special to have a trip with each of them!

Happy to hear you're alive and well, D~!

 

[tinkbell13]

V and I rescheduled this trip and we are leaving soon! We are very excited.

Hope you and V have a great time! I'll be here waiting to read all about it and see the all pictures.
We should have arrived at FW last night and be in MK today. Not as sad as I thought I would be though. Still have next April to look forward to!