VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.5) updated 2 February 2025

[sleepydog25]

Thanks folks for all the continued well wishes and prayers on behalf of our DD Kristian.

I have to share...yesterday we were setting up for the reception area, and we had brand new tablecloths that need wrinkles removed. He fiance Paul brought a new steamer, it was getting the job done but slowly, we had 20 tables, 12' in dia., and the cloths touch the floor. CaptainD and I go this aint gettin er done, so we make a run to Bed Bath and Beyond and get this super fancy steamer and proceed to help. So here we are, steaming all these cloths, 4 hours later, done!! An adventure that I never, ever wish to return too

And me being a day late, dollar short kind of guy...For those folks who were directly affected by that tragic day in 2001, my prayers continue with you. Our kids grew up with this forever etched in their lives, but stronger in their faith, belief and pride in their country and their fellow man. For that personally, I am thankful, Bin Laden and the likes of him, did not win!! We Americans, yes, we have our differences, and divisions, but go up against us, and you have opened up a hornets nest. And I share these feelings based on how I feel about you folks, many I have never met, but consider friends and family all the same. Throw us all together, we can be a powerful bunch, we stand strong, and though we are miles apart, we lift each other up, pray for each other in our time of need, and share our lives with one another.

So can I say, I love you folks, and I mean this in all sincerity. You all have been a bright spot to me in the best and worst of times. I am forever grateful for you folks

Whew! What a job! Better you than me! Seriously, best wishes for the big day tomorrow. May the ceremony go off without a hitch.

Nice sentiments re: 9/11. I hadn't been retired from active duty long and was still living in Alaska. As with us all, that day is emblazoned in my memory. However, an even greater moment stands out, and it occurred a few days after the event. I had gone out hiking to reconnect with nature after attempting to come to terms with the tragedy, and while I'm walking up a mountainside, my now freshman in high school daughter (who was barely over one then) strapped in my kid-carrier backpack, I see contrails in the sky above and realized not only that commercial flights had been continued but the enormity of the world, and how my part is but one small speck. It helped put the time in perspective.

Yes, pictures, JT!

 

[twokats]

JT and family, I know you are super busy, but I hope you really enjoy the next two days. I know the memories will forever be with you and the joy of a new family member will make it a time to be remembered.
God be with you all and His blessings on this marriage.

Ditto on the pictures.

 

[ottawagreg]

Well the weekend is here! I'm getting ready to leave work now. My weekend promises to be very busy, so I will not be online much, if at all. BUT NOT AS BUSY AS JT!!!

God bless your daughter and your new son-in-law. I pray that your day will be blessed with excellent weather and that the ceremony goes as planned. I mostly wish that your heart is filled with joy and happiness tomorrow, and may God bless you and your family always.

 

[Corinne]

Corinne....CONGRATS on your promotion and upcoming trip to WDW!!!!!

Thanks Maria!

As always you guys know my mantra. You've really got in backwards, I'm the one who is supremely humbled by the amazing spirit shown by my fellow country men. Like I said, remember you guys kept it together and continue to do so.

Think about it, many of us have kids who were very young in 2001, yet today they are graduating, getting married and succeeding, living wonderful lives in part to what you did 13 years ago.
Personally I couldn't come up with a better legacy to this day if I tried.

As always I am in awe.

much love
E

Well said Eliza!

Thanks folks for all the continued well wishes and prayers on behalf of our DD Kristian.

I have to share...yesterday we were setting up for the reception area, and we had brand new tablecloths that need wrinkles removed. He fiance Paul brought a new steamer, it was getting the job done but slowly, we had 20 tables, 12' in dia., and the cloths touch the floor. CaptainD and I go this aint gettin er done, so we make a run to Bed Bath and Beyond and get this super fancy steamer and proceed to help. So here we are, steaming all these cloths, 4 hours later, done!! An adventure that I never, ever wish to return too

That's great Jimmy! Once again, wishing you all a day full of joy! Cannot wait to see pucs!

I see contrails in the sky above and realized not only that commercial flights had been continued but the enormity of the world, and how my part is but one small speck. It helped put the time in perspective.

I remember having a very similar experience at that time sleepy.

 

[DiznyDi]

Thinking of you JT. Well, you're finally here. Tomorrow's the big day. Savor every moment and etch it on your heart for eternity. What a joyous blessed event in the life of your family. So exciting!

Eliza, theres not a Sept 11th that my thoughts don't turn to you and the horrors you must have felt and endured that day and in the aftermath that followed. You're a survivor! And we're glad you did! You're a testament to the American spirit of strength in adversity. Our little corner of cyberspace just wouldn't be the same without you.

We know what JT is up to this week-end. And if Corinne isn't already in the World, she should be getting there soon. Enjoy your week-end Groupies!

 

[jimmytammy]

Mostly all I have now are shots from my phone, Tammy has much better from our camera, just not downloaded yet. The reception has a tea time atmosphere, and I can share that Alice and her friends are in the mix of it all
This is a family tree that folks put their thumbprint then write their name, a way for the happy couple to celebrate those who are there in celebration
Capt D checking out our steaming workKristian with her Paw Paw Ken Gerringer(Tammys Dad)Sadly, he passed away when she was 7 with ALS. We have been doing the now famous ice bucket challenge for many yrs, minus the ice and bucket, but trying desperately to get the message out about this terrible disease in hopes to find a cure someday. So happy it has come to light in such a huge way recently. Paw Paw Ken was our reason in a short story of how we ended up in WDW for the 1st time. Sadly, he didnt experience it with us, but we know he would have loved it!Tammy and Tearsa sharing a momentPaul, the groom and soon to be son in law. Cant wait to take him on his 1st ride on ToT(and hear him scream)

 

[jimmytammy]

This is Pauls gift from Kristian. CaptainD and I built it out of walnut from our barn. She bought him the Army sword and sheath and had a plaque made for it.She will present it to him just before they use it to cut the cake. I can show this now, not much chance he will see it between now and the reception

 

[twinklebug]

I am loving the tea time atmosphere of the reception Jimmy, looks beautiful and so creative!

Enjoy & Congratulations to the newlyweds and on gaining a son!

 

[MiaSRN62]

Thinking of you all today Jimmy & Tammy! Many blessings on this day of happiness!

 

[Corinne]

Thinking of you Jimmy and Tammy!

We will be getting up super early tomorrow....that is, if I even sleep.......I bet you all remember this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=b95oyhSd5ls


I'll be posting from the world!

 

[MiaSRN62]

Thinking of you Jimmy and Tammy!

We will be getting up super early tomorrow....that is, if I even sleep.......I bet you all remember this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=b95oyhSd5ls


I'll be posting from the world!

YAAAY!!! Have so much fun!!!

 

[jimmytammy]

Corinne, safe travels and lots of fun soon

 

[Muushka]

Hi Groupies, today is always a solemn day in my company, and there's just no escaping it, so this year I ran toward it instead of away from it. I pulled up M's memorial site and started reading names. I pulled up the wiki and learned a lot, more than I can remember, more than I wanted to know... and terrifying info I will probably now have at least one nightmare from. I am glad I did it, and from this year forward I will make it a point to pull up a handful or two of names of folk who passed away - not just from my company, but fire fighters, flight attendants, or even those at the Marriott... doesn't matter because everyone was equally valuable in life. Ultimately, I'd like to get to know all the names but the list is long.

But it reminded me that today has become a day to be thankful for all the wonderful people we have in our lives, both those that we know, and those who we would know if we would take the time to know them. I'll venture as far as to say it's not a day of sadness, it's a day to remember all the things we really are thankful for. If you'll grant me a moment, I have a few to share:

Day started off with me picking up the fluffenutter from her spay appointment. Saw a town police officer on his way to work and no one was letting him off the highway off ramp to the 3rd lane over. If he had been in his cruiser, I'm sure crossing would have been no issue. It's not that he was a police officer that got me, but the fact that everyone had their heads so focused on just "getting there" that no one paused to let the car out and cross. He nodded his thanks to me as I waved him on. I wanted to yell for folks to slow down, wake up, everyone seems to have forgotten about others being in this world with us. Boy, I'm sounding like my grandmother here. Am I getting old or what? I am grateful that 9-11 opened our eyes to each other, even if it was for just a short period of time, it was nice to see into each others eyes.

Upon returning home a pair of deer crossed the road between our house and a small lot of wooded land, crossed back and then started playing on the basketball court. Made me think of WL ... if it had a basketball court that is. I am thankful that I have had many opportunities with my family and to share with all the groupies here vacation time. There are so many who have not had the opportunity to take time off.

Then, our little semi-feral brought her 4 week old kittens out to visit for the first time. (We now have 3 little guests and mom in our bathroom. Will get them tamed and grown up enough for adoption to good families.) I am thankful for the little critters that warm our hearts and make us realize that there is always room in our lives to help make one more happy ending. Or in this case, four more.

Thanks for the ear groupies, and thank you for always being a place on the web we can call home.

Oh twinklebug, your post brings up so many emotions. Thank you for giving us a glimpse. Eliza, I always think of you on this day.

Might I ask, what is M? While I was not personally affected by 9/11, it is a solemn day for me, always.

As a mom of a 100% feral, thank you for taking in this family.

Jimmy, I loved your gift to us of your family's special day and prep work. The tablecloths look awesome! As does everything. The bride is beautiful and I look forward to more pictures. Please!

 

[twinklebug]

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So happy for them! It looks like months of planning all came together wonderfully.
I've never seen men's shoes tied to the trunk, are they symbolic of something?

Oh twinklebug, your post brings up so many emotions. Thank you for giving us a glimpse. Eliza, I always think of you on this day.

Might I ask, what is M? While I was not personally affected by 9/11, it is a solemn day for me, always.

As a mom of a 100% feral, thank you for taking in this family.

Jimmy, I loved your gift to us of your family's special day and prep work. The tablecloths look awesome! As does everything. The bride is beautiful and I look forward to more pictures. Please!

M = Marsh & McLennan. http://memorial.mmc.com/ Many wonderful tributes written to each of the folks lost from our company on that site, so if you choose to read (and I encourage it) be forewarned, it's a never ending tear-jerker.

Thank you for adopting a feral Muushka! I think they appreciate being brought in and shown love more than those that are born into it.
Mama Fluff (Persephone) is adapting well to life in our bathroom, but is still has quite a few ticks hidden in her long fur and won't let us touch her for more than 3 pats at a time. Not complaining, that's a lot better than most ferals! I just keep careful watch that if one falls off it's delt with asap. The 3 kittens are rolly poly balls of fluff, in their whappy paw, I'm-going-to-sit-on-you-brother/sister stage. I'm loving every moment of this.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Hi Groupies, today is always a solemn day in my company, and there's just no escaping it, so this year I ran toward it instead of away from it. I pulled up M's memorial site and started reading names. I pulled up the wiki and learned a lot, more than I can remember, more than I wanted to know... and terrifying info I will probably now have at least one nightmare from. I am glad I did it, and from this year forward I will make it a point to pull up a handful or two of names of folk who passed away - not just from my company, but fire fighters, flight attendants, or even those at the Marriott... doesn't matter because everyone was equally valuable in life. Ultimately, I'd like to get to know all the names but the list is long.

But it reminded me that today has become a day to be thankful for all the wonderful people we have in our lives, both those that we know, and those who we would know if we would take the time to know them. I'll venture as far as to say it's not a day of sadness, it's a day to remember all the things we really are thankful for.



Then, our little semi-feral brought her 4 week old kittens out to visit for the first time. (We now have 3 little guests and mom in our bathroom. Will get them tamed and grown up enough for adoption to good families.) I am thankful for the little critters that warm our hearts and make us realize that there is always room in our lives to help make one more happy ending. Or in this case, four more.

Thanks for the ear groupies, and thank you for always being a place on the web we can call home.

Twinklebug....you have such an uplifting and inspiring way to remember 9-11.Thinking of you. And God bless you for watching out for the feral kitties. We do the same here when they cross our paths! We tried to trap/rescue a litter of 4 or 5 feral kittens last summer. We got a trap from a local rescue group. We were only able to trap one who we kept, socialized and now he is pretty much lost most of his feral tendencies. We later found out a neighbor down the street trapped the other ones and released them to a local field. I was so upset about that.

 

[jimmytammy]

Apparently, the shoes are supposed to bring good luck to the couple, 1st I ever heard of this, but I hope it comes true for them

If anyone that is not FB friends with me but would like to see some professional wedding photos, just PM me. I dont think I can share those on here yet(honestly, not sure I would know how if I could)All that have been on here so far were shot from my phone

As for feral cats, we have 5. 2 from a litter that we keep inside, siblings that are 12 yrs old. They have been the ones we knew would never make it on their own in the wild, one with major sinus issues(named Sneezy, had to get that shameless Disney plug in)and Bailey that to this day, folks who have never seen her still think she is a kitten, so she is our 12 yr old kitten. We have come close to losing them both to sickness, and got them back, so we are grateful. Also, we have 3 feral cats outdoors. Got them spayed and neutered, all the shots, etc. and they have fared very well in the outdoors.
Dont know what we would do without them

 

[horselover]

Loving all the wedding pics on FB Jimmy! Congratulations to the bride & groom!

 

[Dizny Dad]

Wow. Jimmy and Tammy - Great Pics! And of course, a great subject! Oh how fast our little ones grow up.

Can't imagine that the words to the song Sunrise, Sunset didn't come to mind that day for you two . . . . . .

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older
When did they?

 

[Granny]

Jimmy...thanks for taking the time to share your amazing day with us. Looks like all the planning and preparation came off without a hitch! And what a beautiful bride (not to mention the good looking parents of the bride!)!

While I think it will be a shock when my daughters do get engaged and married, the thing that always seems to come to mind is that it will be strange to all of a sudden have "in-laws". After years of having family and relatives, and developing friendships over a long time, we will all of a sudden have another family we haven't even met yet become one which will share our daughter with.

Just makes me wonder sometimes.

 

[Corinne]

Jimmy thank you for posting the photos and the pics on FB! What a gorgeous bride!!!

Congrats to you all!