They were more like guidelines, anyway...

Hi, Susan! I finally had the opportunity to read through your PTR! First off, congrats on quitting your job and going back to school to be an RN! Thanks! It's pretty exciting! That must have taken a lot of courage! Im always happy to hear when people are able to do what they really love :goodvibes It took me some time to get up the nerve, but I'm so excited now that I'm creeping through all the work to get there. I can't wait to see where I end up. You have a beautiful family! I hope you post about the zombie cake that your daughter wants for her birthday! My son and I are into all things zombie, too, so that cake sounds pretty cool! I dont know if I could eat a zombie cake, but it would be fun to look at :lmao: OK, I just got to the part where you posted a picture of the cake. That is repulsive! :rotfl2: Isn't it, though?? Totally nasty. The grandmother's are going to have a coronary. lol. My mother-in-law is such a little lady. Doesn't leave the house without her face on and hair done. Always dressed to the nines. Always making gentle suggestions to Emily on her manners and style and whatnot. She's a sweetie, but she's very much a lady. This party is going to kill her. :lmao: And so cool! :rotfl: Ooh, cute sandals! Im glad you gave into temptation and got the other two pairs too! :thumbsup2 Me too! Although, I told Em we could share and she ALREADY has hijacked one pair from my closet. Ummmm... not exactly what I had in mind. :rolleyes2 I am really enjoying the scheming going on in this PTR: forgetting the laptop, going to Dennys, buying a tankini or a one piece for the local water parks& :rotfl2: Oh, and I almost forgot, getting your hubs to use his domestic side while you guys are camping! :laughing: That is awesome. I have never been camping, but I love the country and I would be up for camping in an RV one day. My kids want to go tent camping, but I am way too prissy for that princess: I have considered getting them a tent so that they can camp in the back yard. You should do that. It'll get them off mom's back for a while. ;) Maybe Ill work my way up to a real camping trip one day. It looks like fun  especially camping at Fort Wilderness  but you are a brave lady to be doing it in July! You guys are experienced campers, though, so it looks like you have great plans to deal with the heat and the rain :goodvibes Hopefully, we'll manage. We've never had a problem before. And, if we get a ridiculous heat wave that we just can't take, well there's always Wal-Mart for a window a/c unit. ::yes:: Good luck with your daughters eye issues. I will keep her in my thoughts. Thanks. She thinks it seems a bit better, so hopefully it will be a shorter series on the shots this time. A girl can hope, anyway. Oh and I forgot to mention that your resort choice of RPR is great! I cant wait to hear about more of your plans! RPR is awesome. I love the theming there, and you can't beat the Express Pass and proximity to the parks. I'm expecting a nice relaxing finish to the trip!


Wow, you really did read the w-h-o-l-e thing! lol. Your synopsis even made me tired. :faint: Thanks for hopping on board! Feel free to add any tips or suggestions! I'm all ears! :listen:
 
We are big do it yourselfers also! My dad is a retired electrician but while I was growing up we built a whole additional house onto our existing house(doubling it in size). My dad did not believe in hiring help when he had 4 perfectly healthy kids to help him:lmao: so I really learned alot. Now it just goes against my grain to hire any work out:confused3

I think your project sounds like great fun and will look awesome when it is complete!!!

That's pretty much how we are also. It's hard to fork over all that money for something you know you can do yourself. We did hire out a bit when we first moved in because we wanted it done quick (mainly the electric and plumbing), but DH has taken on everything since then. He's my hero. :worship:
 
No new plans tonight. I'm gearing up for a busy Easter weekend. We've got a party with Matt's extended family on Saturday, followed by dinner out with my family. Sunday means sunrise service, followed by a regular service, then lunch with DH's family. I'm gonna be wiped out by Sunday night. :rotfl:

To those who celebrate, Happy Easter!

Everyone else, have a wonderful weekend as well! :yay:
 

I thought I'd throw a couple Easter Pictures on here. They're not real good, but hey, I've gotta show off the kids right?? lol.

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I didn't even bother climbing in the attic to find their baskets this year. Since Em's gift was the backpack (to carry all her camera gear), I just stuffed some grass in there and added a few candies and a new hair brush.

Garren is a "HoneyBuns Junkie" so every Christmas and Easter I load him up on a couple boxes. I built a 'basket' out of four boxes. You can't even see the grass in there, but I added some Axe supplies, candy, an Amazon card for his Kindle and a note telling him I would supplement his b-day money so he could get the "better" roller blades he's been wanting.

I'm such a sucker. Candy would be cheaper. :rotfl2:


Emily took her camera outside to snap a picture of these little guys. Despite all the cold snaps we've had (and even that 6-8 inches of snow), every time the sun comes out, so do these:
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While she was out there, she caught another couple signs of spring...
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(And a hint that I need to get DH to spray around the foundation...)
By the way, there's the nasty old white siding. You can actually see that it's cracking, even in these small pictures. lol.

By April last year, our trees were full of leaves, but considering the late winter/early spring we've gotten this year, I'm not going to complain because....
The Trees are Budding!!!! FINALLY!
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Love the pictures. My DD is a camera buff also:cool1:. I think the honey bun idea is very creative:thumbsup2
 
Oooh, signs of spring! I put sheets on my clothes line this morning, that's definitely a sign of spring! I have two crocuses pushing through by the front door but their little tips got frostburnt and they seem to have warned their friends to stay away. :( Great pics, the tree one is a neat composition.

What's a honeybun? I think I have had a sweet pastry in a Chinese restaurant called that, but I don't think that's what you mean...
 
Love the pictures. My DD is a camera buff also:cool1:. I think the honey bun idea is very creative:thumbsup2

It didn't turn out as cute as I hoped. I should have invested in more grass to get a better basket "look," but he didn't mind. So, that's all that matters, right??
DD got interested in photography after seeing some of the photos her cousin (the prom dress shopper :)) was managing with her nice camera. So, that was her big Christmas gift this year. She's still experimenting with it and learning how to use all the extra features and lenses, but she'll get there. In the meantime, it does take very nice photos even on point and shoot mode.
:thumbsup2

Oooh, signs of spring! I put sheets on my clothes line this morning, that's definitely a sign of spring! I have two crocuses pushing through by the front door but their little tips got frostburnt and they seem to have warned their friends to stay away. :( Great pics, the tree one is a neat composition.

I was a little worried about these tiny little flowers at first, but they seem pretty resilient. They hide when it's cold, and pop right back out as soon as the sun starts shining. I think I'm going to have to plant some more. They are really pretty as a ground cover.

What's a honeybun? I think I have had a sweet pastry in a Chinese restaurant called that, but I don't think that's what you mean...

"A soft golden pastry baked with a touch of cinnamon and a glaze of icing."
Here they are:
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Honestly, I'm not a fan. Give me a muffin any day, but these things are too sticky and messy for me. lol.
That makes it a perfect gift because I know I won't steal any. :rotfl2:
 
And just for kicks, some photos from our 2010 Disney trip!

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Who doesn't love the "Car Ride" photo. :wave2: You'll notice there are none of me. lol.
Em looks way, way too young for Twilight at that point. :eek: She sure doesn't look 13 in that photo!

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Matt wanted to show off our rope dropping skills. Check it! Front Row. Right Side. DHS. Prime Parking for TSMM!!! :woohoo:

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Those treats were wicked! I don't think we'll ever do that again! Way, way too sweet and huge. But, it was cool once. The kids got a real kick out of it.
And, I just realized, my poor boy was in braces already there. Sheesh. He's still in them. :crazy2:

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A close up of Matt. I really don't know if I have any pictures with the darn glasses off. :sad2:

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As close as I'm willing to get to me. :upsidedow Forgive the hair. This was my pre-straightener days and Humidity is not my friend. I've been dealing with that all my life. :headache:

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Emily pretending to like her brother. :thumbsup2
I think she was just wanting a turn with the washboard. :rotfl: This was at HoopDeeDoo Review. (Edited: Guess I didn't need to say that, it's right there in the picture. ha ha ha )

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The kids really enjoyed pin trading on our last trip. Emily found enough alphabet pins to spell her name. She added a Disney 2010 pin and created a shadow box for her room. It's pretty cute.
:idea: I need to remember to bring their pins on this trip in case they want to trade again. Something to add to my growing list of To Dos!

Hope these will keep my PTR alive a little longer. :lmao:
 
So glad to see so many pictures! All of them are great. We are on our way to Cleveland(Ohio) so it was a nice diversion for the car ride:)
 
Can anyone tell I'm getting bored waiting for this trip. lol...

So, a few more photos from our 2010 trip.

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The kids tried to duplicate these dance moves at Pop Century.

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This was taken after riding the WETTEST ride at AK..... Expedition Everest. :lmao: Seriously.
Just as we started out the station on our first EE ride, it started to POUR rain and we got absolutely drenched. We were saturated to the skin. Everyone else was donning ponchos or heading for the exit, but we decided to make the best of it and did two rounds of Kali River Rapids, followed by Birds in Flight. One of our best days at that park!

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She got a little upset when Garren wouldn't dance with her, threw her skirt over her head and pouted.
This was one of our best character meals of the trip. Lady Tremaine and the step-sisters were a riot.

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I'm pretty sure this was by the Koi Pond in Japan.

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Emily flirting in Germany while Dad tries to finish his meal. We were eating around the world and starting to get a little full. But, dad had to have this. :rolleyes1

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Outside our room on the back side of Pop Century by the lake. That brown building in the background is now Art of Animation Resort.
They were just starting the renovations during that trip.
 
And a couple from our Christmas Universal trip in 2008.

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We got a cheap Disney fix by visiting Downtown Disney, then touring a few of the resorts. The kids got a real kick out of the Gingerbread House.

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Garren enjoyed the interaction with the action characters at Universal.
This guy was awesome, he even sounded like Tobey Maguire!

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The kids planning our itinerary while we waited for the IOA to open.

The kids are going to be so surprised about this part of the trip!!! They both love Harry Potter, and Garren will be thrilled to finally be able to ride the big coasters! :banana:
 
We're back from our whirlwind trip up North. I was not able to get on the DIS at all while we are there so catching up now. Your pictures look great. I love going through my old pictures and reliving our previous trips.

Can't wait to here more about your plans.
 
We're back from our whirlwind trip up North. I was not able to get on the DIS at all while we are there so catching up now. Your pictures look great. I love going through my old pictures and reliving our previous trips.

Can't wait to here more about your plans.

Thanks! I hadn't looked at some of those photos in quite awhile. It was fun to go through and remember all the fun we had. I need to find the disk with our first trip in 2005. The kids were sooo little and adorable. lol.

Hope your trip went well. Those long weekend type trips just knock the stuffing out of me. :faint:

Oh, and thanks for bumping me up. I haven't had anything new to post so I've my report has been sliding into oblivion. I popped in to share a story from yesterday, and found someone had bumped me up. :cool1:
 
So a little "real life" update/news. Well, maybe news. We'll see. They haven't settled anything yet...

My BFF lives here in town. She and I go walking about three days a week Mainly as an excuse to gab and gossip and complain about things. (Shhh, don't tell the hubbies who think it's all about our health and our weight and keeping in shape. :lmao:)

Anyway, while we were walking yesterday, she made a request that Emily is going to love. If it all works out.

She and her husband have three boys: 10, 7, 4. They are your typical family with all boys. Boistrous, energetic, wild and crazy at all times. Her middle guy also has ADHD and can be a bit of a handful. A heart of gold, but a mind full of mischief and mayhem with no thought to consequences or risks.

Just a couple examples: At 4, he tried to pile up enough toys and rubbermaid tubs on the picnic table on their back porch, to get on the roof, so he could slide down the chimney like santa. He was standing on the rickety pile within a foot of reaching the gutter when she caught him. At 4.5, he figured out how to siphon gas from the lawn mower using a bike pump, then watered his mom's roses with it.:rotfl2: I call him her Evil Genius. He's kinda my favorite. :rotfl:

Anyway, they've never really taken a vacation. And they've got a line on a condo in Florida for fall break in October. If they can both get the time off. So, she wanted to know if Emily would go with them. (She wanted to check with Matt and I first so she wouldn't be dissapointed if we didn't feel comfortable with it.) They plan to go to the beach, to Seaworld, and a day or two at Disney World.

She thinks they may need the extra hands. Not to mention, she is not a fan of coasters so she wants to make sure she has someone to ride with the older two boys and their dad while she does tame stuff with the little guy. And, of course, with Em along, they can do some grownup evenings out.

I'm not sure it will all pan out just yet. I didn't get the impression she had checked ticket prices yet and she may :faint: when she sees what one day passes for six people for a couple days in different parks is going to run her. I suspect she thinks it's not that bad because we've taken week trips (but you know how that works, it gets cheaper per day the longer you stay). I had to explain that Seaworld is a separate business and you can't get multi-day passes for DS and SW. So, we'll see how things go once she starts really looking into it.

But, if it's a go, Em is going to have a blast. She loves those guys! She babysits for them a lot. And she tutors the middle son. Add Florida, the beach, and theme parks. (Twice in one year.) Yeah, she's gonna be on cloud nine.

Not much going on beyond that little tidbit. Emily has been job hunting for the last week. She's picked up a few applications so we'll see how that goes. There are two that are located within four blocks of the house, so those would be ideal since she doesn't have her license yet.

Garren is desparately trying to bring up his grades. He's got like three subjects where he's one point away from an A, so he's really trying to get them up there. We'll see how it goes. He also doing a Wrestling Camp two nights a week just over the border in Ohio. He loves it! They've got a lot more kids his size so he really gets to wrestle. The camp here didn't have anyone his size, they were all bigger or smaller, which means you really aren't getting to practice like you should.

My school is starting to wind down for the semester. We're hitting the point of bigger papers, group projects, and final exam prep. So, I'll be a little crazy over the next month. BUT, then I get two whole months off. Ahhhh. I need a lounge chair so I can just sit outside in the sun all summer. Maybe I'll sleep out there and get a tan. :goodvibes

My dad came out last week and measured the house for the new siding, so we'll be ordering the supplies before too long. I hope, I hope we can crank it out somewhat quickly. I don't want to live in a construction zone all summer. My dad kept saying things like, "oh, you should be able to finish it in 8 weeks or so." :crazy2: Yikes! I was hoping for more like a month. Oh well, I'll just be happy when it's done. Right??

Enjoy this spring sunshine everyone!! Back to my studies!
 














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