Where did this heat and all these people come from? The new PTR/TR link 5/7

[kschafer]

And you can clearly see why. The beauty is just too much to handle.
I sure do look like I had been walking around a hot, crowded park all day.

Katie, I am counting away the days, too. 67 for us. I like your number better.

Caren, you are a beautiful person, inside and out!!

 

[Poolrat]

Popping in to say hi

What a way to end your trip. The dessert party is nice but go hungry.

I too, caught myself humming Spectro as I scrolled through pictures.

I needed a bit of magic today and thank you for giving it to me.

Now that 2:30 ME pickup - I would have just stayed up.

 

[SoonerGirl]

Caren, you are a beautiful person, inside and out!!

 

[kschafer]

Popping in to say hi

What a way to end your trip. The dessert party is nice but go hungry.

I too, caught myself humming Spectro as I scrolled through pictures.

I needed a bit of magic today and thank you for giving it to me.

Now that 2:30 ME pickup - I would have just stayed up.

Hi Pat!

I wasn't starving when I went to the party but I wasn't full either. I got plenty of treats without feeling like a complete glutton

Glad I could be the bearer of magic for you, it makes any day better

See!

 

[kschafer]

So I finished this update yesterday only to discover my TR had been locked. The mods were kind enough to reopen it for me to allow me to post this update and a PTR link soon to come. Let’s pretend this got posted on May 1…

Well, here we are…exactly 1 year after I left my family for my girls-only trip to Disney and I’m finally ready to wrap up this TR!

After having left Magic Kingdom and arriving back to CSR at approximately 12:30 in the morning, I changed into my travel clothes and laid on the bed for a quick nap. Yes, I managed to sleep a bit and get up in time to haul my bags to the ME stop by 2:30. Then of all the nerve…the bus was late! It was probably only 15 minutes late but in my sleep deprived state, each minute was 1 more I could have slept!

But the bus did arrive and I can’t tell you a lot about the next few hours…I know we made a stop at POP and I tried keeping my eyes open just enough to catch a glimpse. The trip to the airport was thankfully quiet and uneventful. I had a middle seat on the first flight which I hate but since slept all the way to Atlanta, it really didn’t matter. I had a long enough layover for a restroom break and a stop at Starbucks. I remember very little about the flight to Milwaukee until we reached Chicago. It was cool that we flew straight up Lake Michigan and got a nice view out the window.

The approach into Milwaukee was cool too. We basically flew north right and took a left turn right on to the runway

Our layover was very short but luckily I only had to walk across the aisle to the next gate. I was however shivering sitting in the airport because it was only about 50 degrees in Milwaukee at that early hour and I was still in shorts and a t-shirt! Luckily I was able to catch Greg before he left town and request he grab a sweatshirt to bring to Des Moines.

After a quick 3rd leg, we arrived in Des Moines where I was happy to see these cute helpers, especially since it was Mother’s Day and I had the best gift I could have asked for!

So overall, how was the trip?

1. Going without the family is awesome! In the planning stages, I felt Mommy guilt and there were tears when I said goodbye to the boys at the airport but once I arrived, it turned into a wonderful vacation!! It was such a free feeling to follow my own heart and not worry about making others happy. I definitely don’t have much me time in my life and it was nice to allow myself to be a little selfish. I’m very glad to be returning in June with the family but I definitely see another trip without them sometime in the future.

2. Dismeets rock!!! I felt so lucky to have the chance to meet such wonderful Disers. It’s such a strange thing in our modern world that we have the ability to meet people from all over and become internet friends. Of course there is always some worry that when you meet in person, things will be strange and you may not enjoy each other at all but every Diser I met was just as fantastic as they seem on the computer! I feel lucky to have met these people who would be real life friends if it weren’t for the distance between us.

3. Coronado Springs is simply lovely. Other than the fingerprints and smudges all over the desk, I felt very happy and comfortable here. It is very large and I’m not sure it would be my first choice for a trip with the family but it was wonderfully relaxing and just beautiful! I was quite pleased with the service as well, everyone was as helpful as I could have hoped. I would like to go back on a couples trip or another girls trip and definitely make a little more resort time, I never did get that poolside drink I had planned.

4. Deluxe dining is great under the right conditions. The signature restaurants are definitely the way to go on this plan and I loved several of them and would like to try a few others I missed this time. I would definitely choose it again but also for a couples trip or girls only visit, I would not want to spend that much time in restaurants with the kids. They would not be able to sit that long each day and for sure would not be able to appreciate the quality of the food. I also would limit it to 4 or 5 days, I was really over it after that point!


And now I give you my souvenirs…

For Greg, I brought an Indiana Jones hat. He doesn’t actually wear it much but the few times he has, he has definitely been thrilled (silly boys!)

For the kids:

Some Legos of course!

Backscratchers, keychains and kooky pens

A snowglobe for Patrick and Cars cup for Daniel

And some treats

(2 of these came home with me and 2 went home with Shelby)

I also brought home some cute Mickey light up “lightsabers” which is one of their favorite toys still

For me, bathbombs…AHHHHH!!!

A notepad and pencil

A turtle I got at CSR to remind me of the resort theming

my pick-a-pearl necklace (I just was not able to get a great picture that shows the pearl colors well, sorry)

I also got my garden gnome Mickey,

and lots of yummy treats!!

Finally, for Beth I bought a Tink gazing ball

as well as a photo book which I filled with pictures of flat Beth and character autographs as well as a magic wand to help her health.

In case you are curious, she had her surgery early last summer and had good results at first. In the fall she was hit in the back of the neck by a stray basketball which knocked her nerve implants out of place and had to have a second procedure which didn’t give her the same results. She had a really hard winter and underwent a 3rd surgery this week. She is still in pain from the swelling but is eternally optimistic that this is what will do the trick! I really hope in a few years we can try for another trip together


Well, I think that wraps things up for this TR! Thanks for sticking with me over the past year. I am planning a short PTR before we leave in just over 5 weeks. I hope you join me

 

[SoonerGirl]

Great wrap up Katie! I bet you were very excited to see those cute little boys when you got off that plane. I know I enjoyed being away without mine too, but I sure missed them!

All the treats you brought home are making me hungry this morning!

 

[Happy Elf]

Great wrap-up! I'm looking forward to your PTR!

 

[hollybearsmom]

Did I miss the link to your pre-trip?

 

[Poolrat]

Caren, you are a beautiful person, inside and out!!

Glad the 1/2 sad trip home ( Away from Disney but to wonderful boys) was rather uneventful. After practically no sleep that is the best news.

Looking forward to the pretrip.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great TR and wrap up Katie....hard to imagine its been a year since the trip and the Dismeet. Now I want one of those Mickey turtles (preferably macadamia!)

I, like the rest of your fans, will be eagerly awaiting the link to your next greatest PTR/TR.... popcorn anyone?

 

[MeMom]

How blessed you are to come home to these great boys!

1. Going without the family is awesome! In the planning stages, I felt Mommy guilt and there were tears when I said goodbye to the boys at the airport but once I arrived, it turned into a wonderful vacation!! It was such a free feeling to follow my own heart and not worry about making others happy. I definitely don’t have much me time in my life and it was nice to allow myself to be a little selfish. I’m very glad to be returning in June with the family but I definitely see another trip without them sometime in the future.

So glad you got the alone time. I have plenty of that these days, since I don't have little kids at home, so I prefer my trips with the girls. I have enjoyed a couple of friend trips, though, and I think my friend, Kay, and I will be going back in the spring. Jill's bunch is going with John's parents in January or February, so she won't be able to go on a spring break trip next year. I'm not sure I can live without a spring break trip, so I asked Kay if she was up for a trip, and she said she hoped to be able to. Trips without kids are definitely different, but enjoyable in their own way. We will spend more time wandering World Showcase and resort-hopping and window shopping and such.

2. Dismeets rock!!! I felt so lucky to have the chance to meet such wonderful Disers. It’s such a strange thing in our modern world that we have the ability to meet people from all over and become internet friends. Of course there is always some worry that when you meet in person, things will be strange and you may not enjoy each other at all but every Diser I met was just as fantastic as they seem on the computer! I feel lucky to have met these people who would be real life friends if it weren’t for the distance between us.

We feel the same way. We have met only the very nicest people.

A turtle I got at CSR to remind me of the resort theming

Love it!

In case you are curious, she had her surgery early last summer and had good results at first. In the fall she was hit in the back of the neck by a stray basketball which knocked her nerve implants out of place and had to have a second procedure which didn’t give her the same results. She had a really hard winter and underwent a 3rd surgery this week. She is still in pain from the swelling but is eternally optimistic that this is what will do the trick! I really hope in a few years we can try for another trip together

Sorry to hear of her struggles. It makes us mindful and appreciative of every normal, pain-free day we have.

Well, I think that wraps things up for this TR! Thanks for sticking with me over the past year. I am planning a short PTR before we leave in just over 5 weeks. I hope you join me

I love that the report lasted a year. What a great way to stretch out the Disney fun!

 

[sunny_stace]

For whatever reason, your updates never came up in my subscribed list! I'm glad I got over here in time for the end! I think I need to go to the Wishes dessert party this year, it always looks so nice and the view must be amazing! That is a fabulous picture of Tink! And a nice Dis-meet to follow it! I'm glad you were able to get some sleep in before your ridiculously early ME pick-up!

A nice easy flight home is always welcome at the end of the vacation. I know how it is to go into weather-shock when coming home from Florida! Should be easier for your June trip!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Wonderful report Katie! I'm SO EXCITED for you and your 15 days coming up so quickly!!!!!

My prayers are with Beth and her road to recovery. I hope that Girls Trip will happen for you two!

And you know when I told Henry I was going to Mickey's alone he got sad. But I told him I'd bring him back a present...guess what he requested? LEGOS! Like we can't get them anywhere else!?!?! All well!

 

[kschafer]

Great wrap up Katie! I bet you were very excited to see those cute little boys when you got off that plane. I know I enjoyed being away without mine too, but I sure missed them!

All the treats you brought home are making me hungry this morning!

I have to admit, I never really missed them. But by the last day, I was ready to go home so I guess the trip was exactly the right length! It was really good to see them again

Great wrap-up! I'm looking forward to your PTR!

Thanks Janell...PTR coming right up!

Did I miss the link to your pre-trip?

Just started it today...link to follow

Glad the 1/2 sad trip home ( Away from Disney but to wonderful boys) was rather uneventful. After practically no sleep that is the best news.

Looking forward to the pretrip.

I guess since my only strong memory was that the trip was long meant it was a decent flight. considering how rough the flight down was, that was a relief!

Great TR and wrap up Katie....hard to imagine its been a year since the trip and the Dismeet. Now I want one of those Mickey turtles (preferably macadamia!)

I, like the rest of your fans, will be eagerly awaiting the link to your next greatest PTR/TR.... popcorn anyone?

Aww, thanks Sharon The macadamia turtle was pretty good but I would have prefered the nuts to be salted, they lacked a certain something

How blessed you are to come home to these great boys!

So glad you got the alone time. I have plenty of that these days, since I don't have little kids at home, so I prefer my trips with the girls. I have enjoyed a couple of friend trips, though, and I think my friend, Kay, and I will be going back in the spring. Jill's bunch is going with John's parents in January or February, so she won't be able to go on a spring break trip next year. I'm not sure I can live without a spring break trip, so I asked Kay if she was up for a trip, and she said she hoped to be able to. Trips without kids are definitely different, but enjoyable in their own way. We will spend more time wandering World Showcase and resort-hopping and window shopping and such.

We feel the same way. We have met only the very nicest people.

Love it!

Sorry to hear of her struggles. It makes us mindful and appreciative of every normal, pain-free day we have.

I love that the report lasted a year. What a great way to stretch out the Disney fun!

when you spend all day with them each day, it's nice to escape sometimes. I'm sure someday I will want nothing but to spend more time with them!

Can't wait for a trip report with more Kay stories...she's such a hoot!!

Beth has really amazed me through all of this, she rarely has showed her negative emotions and has instead chosen to find the silver lining wherever possible. Her last report was that the last procedure was looking very promising so far

Wonderful report Katie! I'm SO EXCITED for you and your 15 days coming up so quickly!!!!!

My prayers are with Beth and her road to recovery. I hope that Girls Trip will happen for you two!

And you know when I told Henry I was going to Mickey's alone he got sad. But I told him I'd bring him back a present...guess what he requested? LEGOS! Like we can't get them anywhere else!?!?! All well!

only 1 month to go

Legos will last a long time...I'm sure there will be a few coming home with us

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

Alrighty folks...the time has come. This TR is officially over and the next one has begun! Hope you will follow me

Celebrating my big 4-0 with the Big Cheese