~~October 2016~~Sew, it was the greatest Stitch Experience ever!~~Final Update 3/19/2017!

[the2ndstar2theright]

That is going to be an EPIC trip!!! Are you all sharing a room or will you get separate rooms? And Universal was great too! You will have a blast!

We did! Yes - I don't think riding the safari at another time of the day would be nearly as exciting.

We've booked 2 rooms at Pop--my cousin & I in one and my mom & aunt in the other--but we will all be in one room at Universal. I haven't been to Universal since 2012, before all of the Harry Potter expansions so I am SO excited!!

 

[Terkina]

How great that Disney will exchange your Believe Alex and Ani bracelet. Crossing my fingers it will still be in stock.

It's a good thing that Allison found out that she don't like working on other people so she didn't waste time going to school for so long before finding this out.
I think she shows that she is a grown up when she listens to what she feels about working on people and don't continue in school just because she started on it. Hopefully she will find out what she want to work with and gets the education she needs to get that job what ever that is.


I had a dream last night that I came to Minnesota to visit you and your family. We talked about the midnight sun and you showed me around your house. The funny thing is that the whole dream was in English. I normally dream in Norwegian.

I've decided that the choir I started in this fall isn't the right choir for me. I have found another choir in town that I think suits me much better. But I haven't decided yet if I want to start in that new choir now or wait until fall. The reason I'm thinking about not starting in a new choir right now is because it's not very tempting going out of the house when it's cold and snowing or raining outside. They are also doing road work on the road that is the shortest way to anything except the store. So if I'm going to town or my parents or my grandmother or really anywhere else but the store I have to go on a detour to get to where I want. The road work is going on until at least 1st April. But I expect that they will be delayed because they always are when it comes to road work. So who knows when the road will be open again.

 

[Iamthequeen]

Day 2 of W30 was kind of rough. I made a good breakfast for DH and me. He was home all day, so I took the opportunity to go into town and check out a few stores I had wanted to find. After the 2nd store, though, I started to feel weak. Not really even hungry, just kind of spacey and weak if that makes any sense. This sounds like low blood sugar to me. This is how I feel when my blood sugar is low.

There was another quote that I missed about not plugging in the slow cooker - which is exactly what I did - and here I was thinking it was old age creeping up on me! LOL

Glad Allison decided now that cosmetology was not for her. She will find her way because she is a very smart young woman.

I want to redo my little powder room this year. The room is tiny - 3' x 5', so it won't take much, hopefully. I want to put a porcelain wood-look tile in there, and get a new sink. I have a pedestal sink now, but I want a vanity. It has to be a small one because of the size of the room.

 

[branmuffin]

There was another quote that I missed about not plugging in the slow cooker - which is exactly what I did - and here I was thinking it was old age creeping up on me! LOL

Glad Allison decided now that cosmetology was not for her. She will find her way because she is a very smart young woman.

I want to redo my little powder room this year. The room is tiny - 3' x 5', so it won't take much, hopefully. I want to put a porcelain wood-look tile in there, and get a new sink. I have a pedestal sink now, but I want a vanity. It has to be a small one because of the size of the room.

You may be right about the low blood sugar. I am on Day 10 now and it has leveled off. I also struggle with anemia. I am usually borderline, but I might not have gotten enough iron in those few days. And the crockpot- I think we have all done that at one time or another, Lol!

 

[branmuffin]

D- I forgot to mention that I love your ideas with the bathroom. The curtain is so pretty! A claw foot tub would be nice, but I agree that the upkeep might not be worth the hassle. I hate cleaning any kind of tub let alone one that requires extra work!
I'm sending up a prayer for Allison. It's a good thing that she knows her own mind and was brave enough to speak out that this wasn't right for her. It's such a hard time in life & it seems like there is so much pressure on kids these days. I pray that it all works out for her!
That is actually a good idea on the 30 day shred. I haven't worked out yet today, so I may do that a bit later. I completely agree with you about the state of American Agriculture, and I think you are justified in your anger. I am on Day 10 now- can't believe I have made it this far!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm trying to catch up on your report, but I am too far behind! You have been very busy.

So - it's the end of the week... Anxiously waiting to hear if you have your kitchen back and if it's fully functioning.

So we didn't get to move into the new kitchen over the New Year's weekend. They didn't come until Tuesday, Jan 3rd to clean it all up. But they did a great job cleaning our house. They even cleaned areas that they didn't mess up.

So then on that same Tuesday, Jan 3rd, our daughter and her family arrived from Colorado to attend the funeral of my son-in law's grandfather. I had surgery on my cheek on Wed, Jan 4th - squamous cell cancer, not bad but the suture line is huge. I call it my Pirate scar. Then the family got together on Thursday for a birthday party for our oldest grandson. Friday I went back to work, and I was exhausted both post -op days. Saturday I was finally able to spend a little time laying down shelf paper, and Sunday we did some shopping for stuff. My old drawer organizers don't fit the new drawers. And I have been cooking again. I missed having a sink and a stove. It is great to be able to cook again. but I have been too busy to fully move into the kitchen. I am still running back and forth from the bedroom to get my stuff. But the kitchen is totally finished. I am just taking my time moving into it. I have to decide where I want to put everything since the layout is now a little different.

The bathroom still isn't finished yet, although very close. We have a painter who is also going to refinish the doors, including putting on new door handles and hinges. There are five doors to do, the back door, basement door, closet door, bathroom door, and door to the patio and they all look terrible now that the kitchen and bathroom are remodeled. But the painter can't start for five weeks or more. Now I have to look at our walls covered with eleven different paint samples. We had a hard time picking colors.Finally, the painter gave us his opinion and we went with his paint choices. The bathroom will be Benjamin Moore's Lennox tan and the kitchen will be Revere pewter. He paints with these colors all the time and he knows what they look like. One of the problems we had was trying to pick a color that looked good in all different times of the day.

she has wanted one "forever"... She ended up with a Silver one just like mine... She really wanted a rose gold one - however, they were completely out of stock in the entire metro - and she wasn't willing to wait... Personally - I wish she would have, it is my belief, if you are going to pay THAT MUCH for something, you better get exactly what you want...

I wanted a rose iPhone and waited more than a month for one. But getting a rose case seems like a good solution.

Except to get a few pictures of V sporting her adorable Tee from Valerie and her matching Ears...

I love the tee shirt.

This Photopass photographer cracked me up... My biggest pet peeve with Photopass pictures, is when they cut off my feet in the photo - drives me nuts... So, I told the photographer to "make sure he got my feet in the photo"... LOL And this was the resulting pose!

It looks like you were having a great time with the photographer.

V decided she wanted to meet Ariel - she hasn't done a meet n' greet with Ariel since our very first trip in 2003!

V looks adorable. It kind of makes me sad to look back at pictures when the kids were little.

V even talked Ariel into doing a selfie... It was so cute!

That is very cute. I bet the characters get asked for selfies all the time now. I see a lot of the young people taking them at Disney.

We finally found a great spot in Frontierland - where I thought it was supposed to be "less crowded parade viewing"? If it's less crowded here - I would hate to see Main Street!

We saw the parade from that area a few years ago. This past October we saw the parade from Town Square. The lighting was better there and when they come around the circle you can get a great view.

At one point - this lady's large stomach was over the top of V's head, and her dress had slipped over the top of V's head - so V was UNDER her dress!!!! Good Lord - you all should have seen V freak out - and rightly so, IMO.

That is a terrible experience. I would think that would bother V for a long time. I've gotten caught in a crushing crowd a couple of times in Chicago and it is traumatic. It takes awhile to get over it.

Once we were done there, we decided to head towards Splash... the crowds had mostly dissipated, though we chose to take the back path... I am kind of glad we did - as we encountered a Photopass photographer along the way - and we ended up with some cute pictures from her...

Those are cute but I can see that V's eyes are still showing some of the stress she experienced at the parade.

I noted that they had the jets on high for this ride and both V and I got wet.

When our kids rode Splash Mountain during the party they had the jets off, which was nice.

We exited the park at exactly 10pm... (I am a bit disappointed in this... Ahhh - but it is what it is, and we didn't want to push ourselves...)

This is what happened to us the first two times we went to the Halloween party. I think it is just really hard to get to do all you want at these parties.

I am looking seriously in to January 2018 for any one interested.

We keep going back in January in spite of the cold weather. The resorts and airfare are cheapest then. And the crowds are gone for the most part.

We are having tacos for dinner tonight - at V's request - it's her favorite. Thankfully, it's super easy to make and very little time - so that makes life easy for me... And typically I can talk her into chopping stuff too...

We served tacos for our Christmas party. I was able to use the appliances even though the kitchen wasn't finished yet. After presents and a taco lunch we all went to play bocce ball at an indoor place. This was on Dec 23rd. We had a great time.

It was at this time, we made our way into the Photo Studio in DS - we wanted more pictures to commemorate this day. Some how - I was roped into a push-up challenge, which I happily took on ~ and won... In all fairness though - I was the only one competing, so the odds were in my favor. LOL

I think this group of pictures is some of the best you've taken. The colors are great and everyone is having a great time.

I may not have liked how I looked at most times, but I became proud of where I was and all the hard work I've put in over the years... It did a LOT for my self confidence for the remainder of the trip and since then.

You really look good. You are happy and it shows.

It's going to be a huge project - as our bathroom needs to be entirely gutted... The only thing we plan to keep is the toilet (it's new and high end) and we want to keep the sink base cabinets - but put in new counter tops and more storage... Everything - floor to ceiling - including the ceiling itself and the sheet rock in the room is gone.... Down to the studs.

That is what we had done. What a mess! Are you going to do all this work yourselves?

I love the footed tub and the curtain.

 

[gopherdame]

I have to tell you about waiting for the castle show and fireworks at the Christmas party. We had staked out a bench really early so we could sit and then I could stand on it for pictures. There was another nice older couple and a tiny space between us. This young family comes right before the show and the woman (who is quite large) decides to sit between us. Her thighs were actually on me and I had nowhere to move. She finally joined her family on the ground in front of us. Later as I'm standing on the bench and taking a video a man with his little daughter climbs up beside me. I didn't really mind as there was just enough room. My husband was standing on the ground at this point by me to make sure I didn't fall off. Then his teenage son decides to climb up and bumped into me and would have knocked me off if not for my husband. You can hear me on the video (I loudly just said geez) and he got down. I just don't get the nerve of people coming last minute and expecting to get a good spot.

It's probably a good thing Allison found out early it wasn't for her. Good to hear she already has another plan. My youngest son went to college to be a high school math teacher as he loved math and was very good at it. He didn't decide until he got into student teaching that it wasn't for him. He ended up graduating with 2 minors and planned to go to the U of M later to get a math major. He never did though as he got a good job.

It's great to see Victoria meeting with the characters. My grandkids don't really care if they do it anymore. Although we were going by the character spot at Epcot and it only had a 5 minute wait so we just went in. They really had a great interaction with Goofy. We also ran into the character palooza and they were excited to see new characters.

I'm glad you were able to see the progress you've made. I think it's always hard when you gain weight back and then you get down on yourself. But it's good to see you don't give up. I think that's the key. My son-in-law lost 60 pounds and then gained it all back. He has terrible eating habits and quit going to the gym and it all came back. But he's back to going to the gym at least. The saddest thing is he got rid of all his big clothes because he was never going to be that big again.

Hope you get your bracelet.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I read but ran out of time to comment yesterday!! You and Josh supporting Alison through all of the decision-making that comes along with figuring out who you want to be and where you want to go in life is the thing that will probably make all the difference in her ultimate happiness! I'm excited to see what she ends up deciding to do!!

I have to agree with those who have commented about how cute your polka dotty shorts are and how awesome the Disney Springs "photo shoot" was Looks like such a fun stress-free time was had by all!! And I love that those pictures helped to boost your self-esteem. Your smile says it all!!

I need a re-do on our Disney Springs visit from this trip!! It was too insanely crowded to even see the signs or figure out where we were going in the dark Ugh. I'll have to live vicariously through the fun you had instead

 

[KathyM2]

pork nachos at Captian Cooks

How did I not know this existed? Looks really good!

Asking for prayers, that Allison can find the path that is right for her.

This is such a hard thing. I'm still trying to find the right path lol

 

[DMGeurts]

I know - this is only half of the replies... I will try to get back here to do the rest - I just don't know if I will have time for all of them this morning?

Love all the updates! Thanks you for showing the receipt from The Wave. I was curious about the price. I am hoping DH likes it.
That's too bad about the nail polish. I hate it when I feel like I have wasted money.
I'm glad you are able to get your Alex and Ani bracelet replaced. I got my first one the other day. My oldest daughter decided to surprise me with it. She oredered it from the Disney Store. It was so sweet of her. I am hoping to add a few more while we are WDW.
Love the living room picture with the dogs on the couches. That's exactly where my dogs have wanted to spend most of the winter too.
Will be praying for Allison. It's hard to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life when you are fresh out of highschool.
Have a great day!

Glad you are enjoying them... Yes that Wave receipt is pretty impressive. We love eating there for that reason, among others.

I know - it was quite frustrating... I had to give up though - I was getting way too frustrated about it.

Gah - I forgot to get that in the mail... I have to bring it to a UPS drop off, and well - that it a bit difficult with our vehicle situation right now... Tomorrow I have dibs on the car - so it will go out tomorrow!

Awwwwh - which ond did she get you?

Thanks!!! She is making progress on what she wants to do and I think she is being very smart about it.

well.. apparently i am the worst Dis Friend-- I was SO FAR behind!! or was it you being a updating fool??? either was i had a ton to catch up on and i don't remember everything!!

I adore the sneak attack pictures or poor innocent V.. Poor girl but still loves her mommy! which is the best feeling in the world!
I love your Dis meets. Best! and you have all your bags to post on your eye spy! very cool.
You my friend are the queen of photopass. and you look fabulous in all the pictures!
I really need to kick start my atkins type eating habits again. but cake ice cream and all the good holiday food got in the way. oh well.. back at it this year.

This trip is amazing. Even if you eat that awful concoction of peanut butter and jelly -- I know i have never tried it and shouldn't judge until i do.

Have you watched wishes at all this trip?

Sorry you had some terrible experiences with returning stuff.. I don't know why they did?? It's odd since their guest relations is really good about all that stuff! I had issues with stuff being delivered by UPS which wasn't Disney nor my fault and they were still amazing to help! I did get all my stuff back the week AFTER Christmas.

I really believe in 2018 we need another epic dis weekend. Where?
Think Josh would go to Disney if Tom goes?


I miss Disney.. and I really miss you!


speaking of Lemons:


Look at the weight loss here too!! AMAZING! and i found everything you lost!
I have more pictures but Photobucket just crashed out on me.

You are NOT the worst Dis friend... I really need to get over to your PTR too. I just did a lot of updates over the weekend - now that I have this Photobucket thing figured out. LOL

I am glad you are enjoying it! I love sharing here!

It's such a struggle isn't it - eating well and taking care of ourselves... On top of home, life, family... There is just way too much temptation out there! And it's so hard to be strong all of the time. You've got this my friend!

You MUST try the PB*J malt some day - really - just one bite!

We did do Wishes - I wrote about it already... Ummmm... Day 4 or 5? I can't remember now... LOL

I guess I am just lucky... LOL In all seriousness though - we did have a lot of purchases from this trip that needed to be exchanged or returned due to quality issues...

I would love to do another EPIC Dismeet... Ahhh but finances are not looking promising for us... You are welcome to fly to MN - I'd love to have you here again and show you more of MN besides the MOA.

Yah - I do enjoy my lemons - no secret there. LOL

Lovve you - miss you!!!

Stopped back here to catch up on your trip! Love reading along with your adventures! Your bags are beautiful! Do you have an Etsy shop or business link?

And Whoa.....I had no idea the silhouette artist on Main St could do dogs from pictures?! I had mine done there in the 80's on my first trip when I was a kid! And my son had his done on his first trip! I had no idea you could bring pictures!

I will have to remember to get the Shady Shuttle number and put it in my contacts when we arrive at SOG to save our feet great idea!

Awwwh - thank you so much!!! That is such a nice compliment. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to share any of my business info here on the Dis - I hope you understand.

I didn't know that either, until the year that Rufus died 3 days before our trip - I wanted to do something special for him, so I brought his picture and begged the artist to do a silhouette of him - she then told me that they often get pictures of pets and people, sometimes it's easier because they aren't moving around as much - and sometimes it's harder, like in my case - where the pictures aren't quite what they need. Give it a try though, and bring with a few different profile pictures - I am sure it wouldn't be a problem - as long as they aren't too busy.

Definitely - that phone number saved me many times... Sadly - I lost that ## when my phone crashed - so I'll have to get it again the next time we go.

First day back at work was ok...but absolutely exhausting! I was SO tired last night. It's hard to go back to getting up really early when you haven't been doing it for three weeks.

I love my Disney Christmas ornaments -- they're the only thing I really collect, other than a specific company's dated sterling silver bell ornaments for my Christmas tree. Too funny that both of my "collections" are Christmas ornaments! I never realized that before. My parents had a tradition when I was growing up of each of us kids getting a new Christmas ornament each year so that we would have them when we moved out on our own, so we decided to do that with our girls. So every time we've gone to Disney, they got to choose an ornament to be their ornament for that year...and I decided I wanted one, too. LOL! And so that's how it began. I'm at the point now where I have 23 dated silver bell ornaments (two are missing...I can't find them or replacements), and my tree is being overtaken by bells. LOL I need to come up with a new/different way/place to display them for the holidays, unless I want my tree to eventually be nothing but silver bells.

I'm glad Disney is replacing your bracelet. Fingers crossed that they still have it in stock!

I'll keep Allison in my prayers. It's tough to make decisions like that -- good for her for being able to look into herself and come to that realization and then be willing to act on it -- that shows great insight and maturity on her part. She'll find her path in life.

Have a great day!

I understand - sort of... For me, there is usually no problem getting up early... It's getting motivated after my coffee that's the issue. LOL Glad your first day back went well though.

Such a neat tradition! And how awesome about the bells - I bet your tree is beautiful! I'd love to see if you have pictures. Have you tried Ebay for the missing ones? Whenever I am missing something old or limited like that - I always stalk Ebay - it's never let me down.

I hope so too - I need to get to the UPS drop off location, so I can get it on it's way... I have dibs on the car tomorrow - so I will make sure I get it out of here then!

Thanks - she is doing well trying to sort out what she wants to do... We all had a long talk last night and I think we all feel a lot better about her decision now... It's not an easy place to be - and I sometimes feel like we made it harder for her with sending her off to Europe for the summer - but it was a wonderful experience for her to look back on now, so I hope it wasn't a bad decision in the end.

Thanks - same to you!

Hello there D - taking a quick break at work to let you know I am here and following along faithfully! Love your updates.

First things first; Allison will find her way; she has you and Josh's support and love and she has amazing talent and drive; many prayers for her D; short funny story; my niece went to beauty school a few years back; even graduated (which surprised everyone); then she started in a salon which I knew from her personality would not work; there is so much bickering and tension and drama among stylists; I think she lasted a couple of weeks and walked out and that was the end of her stylist days Can't wait to see what she has cooked up.

Love your TR updates; all of the pics! So awesome and yay for Photographer Joe and John; so much fun. Tarzan; whoa; I have never seen him the parks.

And can I say the Bambi outfit is the cutest thing ever? Hands down, the cutest.

I think you look amazing D; you need to believe that. The pic of you in shorts! Awesome.

Good luck on your bracelet ordeal and boo for grumpy CM's.

Have an amazing week; will be chiming in!

Always hugs.

Hi Carol!!!

I hope she does - I cannot imagine how hard it is for her... Due to my life circumstances - I never really had the choice to go to college right out of high school - so I wasn't forced to make a life decision so early in life... We are doing the very best we can to help her and support her through this - we know it can't be easy. She will find her way - it will just take some time.

Thanks - I love sharing our trips here! It's so much fun!

Thanks Carol - it's been such a struggle lately... Well all of the time actually - just in the last year though it's been incredibly tough... So, I just keep pushing on.

Yes - I need to get my bracelet out in the mail - I have it all ready to go, I just need to get to a UPS drop off location - I have dibs on the car tomorrow, so I will take it with me then.

Have a great week Carol!

Glad they are replacing your bracelet!

So great that Allison figured it out quickly. I'm always concerned that my kids (especially my oldest) will follow a path because they picked it and figured they had to stick with it. I spent a lot of time telling DS1 that it's OK to find out that what you thought you wanted changes when you get into the details. I think he listened. He did chance his major in college. But he also stuck to his career path that he first chose when he was about 11! She will find her passion!

Yes, me too - I just need to get it back to them. LOL

True... It's such a tough decision and trying to help her navigate it has been hard on us too - there has been so much to take into account... We are sifting through it though and making headway - which is good. She will find her way, it's such a difficult decision to make so young in life.

Hi D!
Long belated Christmas & New Year's greetings! Nice to hear the little mug made it to you in time.

I've been enjoying your trip updates.

Prayers for Allison. I'm sure she'll find her way. I'm sure she'll be able to use her beauty school knowledge on family for years to come and great to find out now that this isn't something she wants then to regret never trying it in the future.

Today is Joe's 16th birthday. Emma will be 14 a week from Saturday. Lizzy got an incredible offer from SUNY Oswego-2 scholarships totaling $14,000/year plus admission to honors college. It's still her number 1 choice right now but still waiting to hear from Penn State (by 1/31).

Sorry to hear about your phone-I'll send you a text so you have my number.

Hi Bernadette! Yes - it made it and it's perfect! Thank you!

I am glad you are enjoying them and thank you for the text the other day! I loved catching up with you!

I hope so - she is sifting through her options and what she wants to do - we are making progress.

Happy birthday to Joe and Emma! I hope they both have great days! And CONGRATS to Lizzy - I cannot believe how much she has grown up since the last time we saw her! Time goes so fast! Please send everyone our love!

Thanks for the text again! It was great catching up!

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

My apologies for only doing half the replies today - I will get to the rest over the weekend.

I've had a busy few days at home - really buckling down with work and getting a lot accomplished with my time here. It feels good.

I've also been working on reorganizing our cupboards and our kitchen in general... Cleaning it out and just general deep cleaning... It's pretty clean all of the time - but it's nice to really get in there and organize it all.

I am trying a new meal planning calendar out - to see if that helps me with my overall planning and grocery shopping... I used to do it all of the time and then I got away from it because it was so time consuming... Giving an easier approach a try this time around to see if it works better.

I hope all of you are doing well - thank you for continuing to check in. Have a great day - prayers and pixie dust to all!

D~

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

Deep cleaning...I need to do that. My younger daughter has declared this Saturday to be cleaning day since we'll be home most of the day. We'll see how that goes...LOL

My husband (a high school teacher) was talking last night about parents who insist on a certain path for their child's future. He has a student in his regular biology class who is failing...and yet his parents have met with my husband a few times and insisted that my husband raise their child's grade because "he's going to be a doctor and so he has to pass biology." OK, first of all -- this kid is a high school sophomore who is failing biology. What if he doesn't even want to be a doctor? And will his high school biology grade really affect his ability to get into medical school???? No. He gets frustrated with parents who set their child's path for them without knowing if that's really what the child wants, where their interests and aptitude lie, etc. So kudos to you and Josh for supporting Allison as she works through this process and determines her next steps!!!

I used to use a magnetic monthly calendar for meal planning -- it's an idea I saw on a show called "Food Nanny" a few years ago. Each day of the week is color coded for a specific type of meal (Italian, Mexican, leftovers, comfort food, soup and salad, etc.), and then you put all of the meals your family likes on magnets and color code them to match (so spaghetti would be color coded to match the Italian category). Then you take those meals and stick them in the appropriate place on the calendar (perhaps Monday is Italian night, Tuesday is Mexican night, Wednesday is leftovers night, etc.). Quick and easy menu planning with meals that you know your family likes. I also included "try a new recipe" magnets and a few "eat out" magnets. And then, as we progressed through the month, if we decided we didn't want a certain meal one week, I could easily swap things around. And this way everyone knew what we had ingredients in the house to make for that week. It worked for us for a while. Right now I'm using Real Plans, combined with my usual grocery list/menu plan (a consolidated list product from Mead) and it seems to be working well. Speaking of Real Plans -- we tried one of their recipes this week...spaghetti squash with Bolognese sauce -- and it was wonderful!

Have a great day!

 

[Disneyhayes]

All caught up! I love that you have your own pose and a favorite PP photog

 

[Enorto1]

I'm really enjoying reading your trip report! I am a quilter who dables in sewing to make purses and bags, and I love seeing your creative bags! Do you sell your patterns? I'm sure you are asked this all the time!

 

[WDisneyMom]

I've been reading along but haven't commented much because it's just been crazy lately.

Always love reading your updates and seeing the pictures.

Positive thoughts sent to Allison.

Thank you for the nice comment on FB tonight about my weight gain. Total shocker to be quite honest but what will keep me on track is knowing I've already lost almost 60 pounds and I feel great. Not easy this weight loss thing but totally doable.

I go in for the final crowns of my 2 front teeth tomorrow. Nervous and excited to see the final work!

Wishing you a lovely day.

 

[DMGeurts]

We've booked 2 rooms at Pop--my cousin & I in one and my mom & aunt in the other--but we will all be in one room at Universal. I haven't been to Universal since 2012, before all of the Harry Potter expansions so I am SO excited!!

That will be so much fun!!

How great that Disney will exchange your Believe Alex and Ani bracelet. Crossing my fingers it will still be in stock.

It's a good thing that Allison found out that she don't like working on other people so she didn't waste time going to school for so long before finding this out.
I think she shows that she is a grown up when she listens to what she feels about working on people and don't continue in school just because she started on it. Hopefully she will find out what she want to work with and gets the education she needs to get that job what ever that is.


I had a dream last night that I came to Minnesota to visit you and your family. We talked about the midnight sun and you showed me around your house. The funny thing is that the whole dream was in English. I normally dream in Norwegian.

I've decided that the choir I started in this fall isn't the right choir for me. I have found another choir in town that I think suits me much better. But I haven't decided yet if I want to start in that new choir now or wait until fall. The reason I'm thinking about not starting in a new choir right now is because it's not very tempting going out of the house when it's cold and snowing or raining outside. They are also doing road work on the road that is the shortest way to anything except the store. So if I'm going to town or my parents or my grandmother or really anywhere else but the store I have to go on a detour to get to where I want. The road work is going on until at least 1st April. But I expect that they will be delayed because they always are when it comes to road work. So who knows when the road will be open again.

It is very good! Now I just need to remember to bring it with me today!

Yes - she loved the working on people and meeting new people part - she hated being responsible for the outcome of how they looked. Which I totally understand - I would feel terrible if I turned someone's hair the wrong color or cut their hair too short - or something.

That is super interesting... I hope my house was clean? LOL You never know - maybe one day it will happen?

I am glad you've found another choir to join - though I agree it may be easier to wait until the road construction is done.

Have a great weekend Lillian!

There was another quote that I missed about not plugging in the slow cooker - which is exactly what I did - and here I was thinking it was old age creeping up on me! LOL

Glad Allison decided now that cosmetology was not for her. She will find her way because she is a very smart young woman.

I want to redo my little powder room this year. The room is tiny - 3' x 5', so it won't take much, hopefully. I want to put a porcelain wood-look tile in there, and get a new sink. I have a pedestal sink now, but I want a vanity. It has to be a small one because of the size of the room.

Yes - she has a lot of options in front of her, and I am excited to see which path she takes... She is a smart girl - who truly enjoys learning - and has always enjoyed the learning process in school - so I am anxious to see what she decides to do.

Sounds like our main bathoom - I think it is 5'x6'? Just guessing - it's not very big - though not as small as yours. I sure hope our bathroom goes faster than our kitchen did. LOL Best of luck to both of us.

D- I forgot to mention that I love your ideas with the bathroom. The curtain is so pretty! A claw foot tub would be nice, but I agree that the upkeep might not be worth the hassle. I hate cleaning any kind of tub let alone one that requires extra work!
I'm sending up a prayer for Allison. It's a good thing that she knows her own mind and was brave enough to speak out that this wasn't right for her. It's such a hard time in life & it seems like there is so much pressure on kids these days. I pray that it all works out for her!
That is actually a good idea on the 30 day shred. I haven't worked out yet today, so I may do that a bit later. I completely agree with you about the state of American Agriculture, and I think you are justified in your anger. I am on Day 10 now- can't believe I have made it this far!

Thanks!!! The curtain should arrive today - I am anxiously awaiting! LOL Even though I won't hang it until we are done with the bathroom. I am still excited!

Yah - the more I think about the claw foot tub - I think about how impractical it would be - especially considering that this is our only full bath in the house - it would be beautiful, no doubt, but I think I am talking myself out of it because of the lack of space in there - even though a claw foot tub isn't any bigger than a regular tub... We'll see... I definitely know - with out a doubt - I will be using Sherwin Williams Sea Salt paint in there though - that is my favorite color recently... And I would love to - somehow - put a chandelier in there too... We'll see...

Thank you - she seems to be a little more ~um~ confident in her choice as the days go on... That is a good sign.

How'd it go? And how is the W30 going? I am anxious to hear a good update! My eating has been going very well over the last few days - which has been very good for me... Today is grocery shopping day - so I am anxious to restock - it's been bare bones in the fridge these last few days.

I'm trying to catch up on your report, but I am too far behind! You have been very busy.

So we didn't get to move into the new kitchen over the New Year's weekend. They didn't come until Tuesday, Jan 3rd to clean it all up. But they did a great job cleaning our house. They even cleaned areas that they didn't mess up.

So then on that same Tuesday, Jan 3rd, our daughter and her family arrived from Colorado to attend the funeral of my son-in law's grandfather. I had surgery on my cheek on Wed, Jan 4th - squamous cell cancer, not bad but the suture line is huge. I call it my Pirate scar. Then the family got together on Thursday for a birthday party for our oldest grandson. Friday I went back to work, and I was exhausted both post -op days. Saturday I was finally able to spend a little time laying down shelf paper, and Sunday we did some shopping for stuff. My old drawer organizers don't fit the new drawers. And I have been cooking again. I missed having a sink and a stove. It is great to be able to cook again. but I have been too busy to fully move into the kitchen. I am still running back and forth from the bedroom to get my stuff. But the kitchen is totally finished. I am just taking my time moving into it. I have to decide where I want to put everything since the layout is now a little different.

The bathroom still isn't finished yet, although very close. We have a painter who is also going to refinish the doors, including putting on new door handles and hinges. There are five doors to do, the back door, basement door, closet door, bathroom door, and door to the patio and they all look terrible now that the kitchen and bathroom are remodeled. But the painter can't start for five weeks or more. Now I have to look at our walls covered with eleven different paint samples. We had a hard time picking colors.Finally, the painter gave us his opinion and we went with his paint choices. The bathroom will be Benjamin Moore's Lennox tan and the kitchen will be Revere pewter. He paints with these colors all the time and he knows what they look like. One of the problems we had was trying to pick a color that looked good in all different times of the day.

I wanted a rose iPhone and waited more than a month for one. But getting a rose case seems like a good solution.

I love the tee shirt.

It looks like you were having a great time with the photographer.

V looks adorable. It kind of makes me sad to look back at pictures when the kids were little.

That is very cute. I bet the characters get asked for selfies all the time now. I see a lot of the young people taking them at Disney.

We saw the parade from that area a few years ago. This past October we saw the parade from Town Square. The lighting was better there and when they come around the circle you can get a great view.

That is a terrible experience. I would think that would bother V for a long time. I've gotten caught in a crushing crowd a couple of times in Chicago and it is traumatic. It takes awhile to get over it.

Those are cute but I can see that V's eyes are still showing some of the stress she experienced at the parade.

When our kids rode Splash Mountain during the party they had the jets off, which was nice.

This is what happened to us the first two times we went to the Halloween party. I think it is just really hard to get to do all you want at these parties.

We keep going back in January in spite of the cold weather. The resorts and airfare are cheapest then. And the crowds are gone for the most part.

We served tacos for our Christmas party. I was able to use the appliances even though the kitchen wasn't finished yet. After presents and a taco lunch we all went to play bocce ball at an indoor place. This was on Dec 23rd. We had a great time.

I think this group of pictures is some of the best you've taken. The colors are great and everyone is having a great time.

You really look good. You are happy and it shows.

That is what we had done. What a mess! Are you going to do all this work yourselves?

I love the footed tub and the curtain.

Welcome home Sue!!! And to having your kitchen back - such a great feeling!!! I know - moving back in is a difficult chore isn't it??? I think we lived in our kitchen for a good month before I moved everything back in. LOL

Revere Pewter is an excellent color choice!!! I cannot wait to see it all done! It's going to be soooo bright and cheery in there!

So far - I am sorta happy about my Iphone - I like it well enough... There are still a few features that I am still not getting used to not having... The more I think about it - the more I am convinced that I will be going back to an android at my next opportunity... I really loved my LG a lot - there was nothing about it that I didn't like and many features I truly loved... We'll see though - I still have several months to decide.

Yes - I noticed that many of the characters have perfected their "selfie pose" - LOL!

I don't think it's an experience she will ever care to repeat... It did stick with her for a while... I am sure - if I brought it up now - we would both laugh about it... Still though - it was highly inappropriate.

I agree - January is looking more and more like something I really want to try to pull off... I will have to see how the girls' schedules work out though - I can take time off almost any time - they won't be able to, so we'll see. For the time being though - I am working hard just the same and trying to pay off some other bills - so when the times comes it's easier.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of my updates - it means a lot to me. And thank you for all of your nice comments.

Yes - we do plan to do the bathroom work ourselves - it will be a mess, and not one I am looking forward to - we just cannot justify paying someone to do the work that Josh can do himself - which means that it will take longer, but the price is right and we know it will be done right too. And thankfully, it's a small room - so hopefully it will go fast. I do feel like the hardest part to figure out will be the tub situation... whether we want to replace it - or have the porcelain redone...

Have a great weekend Sue!!! And I hope your kitchen is completely done now!

I have to tell you about waiting for the castle show and fireworks at the Christmas party. We had staked out a bench really early so we could sit and then I could stand on it for pictures. There was another nice older couple and a tiny space between us. This young family comes right before the show and the woman (who is quite large) decides to sit between us. Her thighs were actually on me and I had nowhere to move. She finally joined her family on the ground in front of us. Later as I'm standing on the bench and taking a video a man with his little daughter climbs up beside me. I didn't really mind as there was just enough room. My husband was standing on the ground at this point by me to make sure I didn't fall off. Then his teenage son decides to climb up and bumped into me and would have knocked me off if not for my husband. You can hear me on the video (I loudly just said geez) and he got down. I just don't get the nerve of people coming last minute and expecting to get a good spot.

It's probably a good thing Allison found out early it wasn't for her. Good to hear she already has another plan. My youngest son went to college to be a high school math teacher as he loved math and was very good at it. He didn't decide until he got into student teaching that it wasn't for him. He ended up graduating with 2 minors and planned to go to the U of M later to get a math major. He never did though as he got a good job.

It's great to see Victoria meeting with the characters. My grandkids don't really care if they do it anymore. Although we were going by the character spot at Epcot and it only had a 5 minute wait so we just went in. They really had a great interaction with Goofy. We also ran into the character palooza and they were excited to see new characters.

I'm glad you were able to see the progress you've made. I think it's always hard when you gain weight back and then you get down on yourself. But it's good to see you don't give up. I think that's the key. My son-in-law lost 60 pounds and then gained it all back. He has terrible eating habits and quit going to the gym and it all came back. But he's back to going to the gym at least. The saddest thing is he got rid of all his big clothes because he was never going to be that big again.

Hope you get your bracelet.

YIKES!!!! That could have turned out so much worse than it did. People seem to be so much more inconsiderate at WDW - almost as if they have the feeling of "entitlement" over others... Which can be so dangerous. Lucky your DH was there to stabilize you!

Yes - it is a good thing that Allison decided now, rather than later... And it seems that as the days go on, she is more and more confident in her decision - which is a good thing. I am anxious to see where her path goes now - if it's anything like mine, it will be a very winding path for a few years yet.

Victoria does love the characters - which is fun for me, as Allison can usually take them or leave them. And it's always more fun when you have a good experience.

Thank you - it's been tough, as you all know... It's a terrible thing, to lose that much, and gain it all back... I've been there and done that many times - it's very defeating and sad. The only thing a person can do is to dust themselves off and keep pressing on.

I hope you have a great weekend!

I read but ran out of time to comment yesterday!! You and Josh supporting Alison through all of the decision-making that comes along with figuring out who you want to be and where you want to go in life is the thing that will probably make all the difference in her ultimate happiness! I'm excited to see what she ends up deciding to do!!

I have to agree with those who have commented about how cute your polka dotty shorts are and how awesome the Disney Springs "photo shoot" was Looks like such a fun stress-free time was had by all!! And I love that those pictures helped to boost your self-esteem. Your smile says it all!!

I need a re-do on our Disney Springs visit from this trip!! It was too insanely crowded to even see the signs or figure out where we were going in the dark Ugh. I'll have to live vicariously through the fun you had instead

I hope so... It's hard sometimes, and we are doing the best we can. I am excited for her too!

Thanks! We had a lot of fun in Disney Springs - I wasn't expecting that much interaction - I tend to think of it more as "shopping" than anything else - so it's nice to see more there!

It is definitely confusing there now... I should have looked at a map, as I depended on Santos to bring me where I needed to go - so I really didn't need to learn my way. LOL Any chance of a redo soon?

How did I not know this existed? Looks really good!

This is such a hard thing. I'm still trying to find the right path lol

It is one of my FAVORITES!!! The girls' too! And they sure taste bad for you - maybe that's what makes them so good? LOL We always share an order though - they are huge!

LOL - I didn't decide on my path until I learned how to sew... I was lucky that I found something I was good at and enjoyed doing.

Deep cleaning...I need to do that. My younger daughter has declared this Saturday to be cleaning day since we'll be home most of the day. We'll see how that goes...LOL

My husband (a high school teacher) was talking last night about parents who insist on a certain path for their child's future. He has a student in his regular biology class who is failing...and yet his parents have met with my husband a few times and insisted that my husband raise their child's grade because "he's going to be a doctor and so he has to pass biology." OK, first of all -- this kid is a high school sophomore who is failing biology. What if he doesn't even want to be a doctor? And will his high school biology grade really affect his ability to get into medical school???? No. He gets frustrated with parents who set their child's path for them without knowing if that's really what the child wants, where their interests and aptitude lie, etc. So kudos to you and Josh for supporting Allison as she works through this process and determines her next steps!!!

I used to use a magnetic monthly calendar for meal planning -- it's an idea I saw on a show called "Food Nanny" a few years ago. Each day of the week is color coded for a specific type of meal (Italian, Mexican, leftovers, comfort food, soup and salad, etc.), and then you put all of the meals your family likes on magnets and color code them to match (so spaghetti would be color coded to match the Italian category). Then you take those meals and stick them in the appropriate place on the calendar (perhaps Monday is Italian night, Tuesday is Mexican night, Wednesday is leftovers night, etc.). Quick and easy menu planning with meals that you know your family likes. I also included "try a new recipe" magnets and a few "eat out" magnets. And then, as we progressed through the month, if we decided we didn't want a certain meal one week, I could easily swap things around. And this way everyone knew what we had ingredients in the house to make for that week. It worked for us for a while. Right now I'm using Real Plans, combined with my usual grocery list/menu plan (a consolidated list product from Mead) and it seems to be working well. Speaking of Real Plans -- we tried one of their recipes this week...spaghetti squash with Bolognese sauce -- and it was wonderful!

Have a great day!

Hahaha - I've been deep cleaning in "zones" as I go... Thankfully our main living areas are pretty decent and don't need much deep cleaning... Our master bedroom though - whoa!!! Yah, I've been devoting some time in there, as well. LOL Especially our closet... We have about 10 bags in our upstairs hallway ready to be donated, and I bet I could fill 5 more easily. LOL We are getting there though.

That is terrible - I never wanted to be a parent like that. My parents and foster-parents were never that way... Allison knows we trust her to know herself and what she wants - the hard part is, I dont' think she knows exactly what she wants...

That is an interesting way to meal plan - I may have to look into that if this doesn't work. Thanks for the idea!!!

I hope you have a great weekend!

All caught up! I love that you have your own pose and a favorite PP photog

Hahaha - yah, I feel like I need a new "Disney pose", as mine is well worn out. It's kind of second nature for me now though.

Have a great weekend!

I'm really enjoying reading your trip report! I am a quilter who dables in sewing to make purses and bags, and I love seeing your creative bags! Do you sell your patterns? I'm sure you are asked this all the time!

Thanks - I am glad to hear you are enjoying it! I love sharing our trips here!

And I am so glad you enjoy my bags... I am sorry though - I am not allowed to talk about my business here on the DIs at all - I hope you understand.

Have a great weekend!

I've been reading along but haven't commented much because it's just been crazy lately.

Always love reading your updates and seeing the pictures.

Positive thoughts sent to Allison.

Thank you for the nice comment on FB tonight about my weight gain. Total shocker to be quite honest but what will keep me on track is knowing I've already lost almost 60 pounds and I feel great. Not easy this weight loss thing but totally doable.

I go in for the final crowns of my 2 front teeth tomorrow. Nervous and excited to see the final work!

Wishing you a lovely day.

I am glad you are enjoying the TR... We are coming into the final days now, only a little bit left to write about.

Thank you - she seems to be more confident about her decision as the days go on - which is good. I don't want her to have any regrets and at this point - there doesn't seem to be.

Yay!!!! An exciting day for you!!! Sending lots of pixie dust your way today - I'll be thinking of you and watching for updates on FB!

Have a great weekend!

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

I think I am finally done with catching up on replies. LOL

I've had a good few days - eating has been fantastic, I've been avoiding snacks all day long, which is a huge win for me!

I've been working hard upstairs and making a lot of progress! This has also been excellent!

Truck update... We brought it into the shop on Wednesday night... We did hear from the mechanic right before close yesterday - as of now, it does not appear to be a major repair, as we had feared... Please keep your fingers crossed, as this would be really awesome! I would hate to have to deplete our savings completely. We should know more today - and it's entirely possible we will also have the truck back in our driveway by the end of the day, as well.

I did a major clean and reorganization of our fridge yesterday morning - I've kind of been avoiding it... But since it was the day before grocery shopping day - I figured it was easier to clean an empty fridge rather than a full one... So, that's what I did. At least - you can tell - we eat what I buy, as Mother Hubbard's cupboards are BARE! LOL

I also did a deep clean of the "fridge zone" area... Vacuumed the heat duct and behind the fridge, under the fridge, that sort of thing... So this corner is all nice and tidy.

And last night - V grabbed a great photo of her and Cooper - it's hard to tell in the photo, but Cooper's arm is on V's and it was so cute how he was just sitting there.

Today - well, I am going to do the heavy lifting I was scheduled for yesterday... I was distracted with fridge cleaning...

And then Allison and I are headed out to get groceries - we will probably spend most of the day doing that... I have quite the list going.

It's a 3 day weekend for us... So we will be hanging low, I think? We are just hoping to have the truck back soon and be back up to 3 1/2 vehicles... Although - I think I've come to the realization, during this time, that I spend waaaay too much time driving and too much time at Starbucks - once I get my car back, I will be spending more time at home and less $$ on gas/Target/Starbucks.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend... I hope to do a TR update or two here, as well. Prayers and Pixie Dust to all!

D~

 

[ljcrochet]

Glad that Allison discovered now that she didn't like her schooling. Can't wait to hear what she is going to do next.
Glad the truck doesn't seem to be the big job you were expecting.

I hurt my foot this morning. I was on a stepladder getting the last roll of paper towels. Had to use a stick to reach it, in the process of getting down, I missed a step and hurt the bottom of my foot.

 

[mymainmouse]

Glad you are enjoying them... Yes that Wave receipt is pretty impressive. We love eating there for that reason, among others.

I know - it was quite frustrating... I had to give up though - I was getting way too frustrated about it.

Gah - I forgot to get that in the mail... I have to bring it to a UPS drop off, and well - that it a bit difficult with our vehicle situation right now... Tomorrow I have dibs on the car - so it will go out tomorrow!

Awwwwh - which ond did she get you?

Thanks!!! She is making progress on what she wants to do and I think she is being very smart about it.




D~

She got me the Cinderellas Castle silver bracelet. I really like it. The only problem I have is putting it on and taking it off. I really have to stretch it to do so. I feel like I am going to break it. Hopefully it will loosen up a bit.
Praying that your truck is cheaper to fix than you thought.
Love the picture of V and Cooper! So cute! Our golden retriever does that with her paw too. Especially when she is wanting some attention.
Hope you have a great weekend!

 

[Clio]

It's good that Allison fond out that she didn't like working on people before she finished school.
V.'s parade experience was horrible. I would have completed freaked out. I don't like people that I don't know too close to me.
You can come over and clean my house anytime you want. My vacuum cleaner quit working on Sunday and I have to get a new one. In the mean time, I'm using the little shark. It does pick up the cat hair, though.
That's good news about the truck. Hopefully you get it back soon.
I've been busy working on quilting the quilt I pieced together and crocheting an afghan. Work is slow right, now which is nice. We've been cleaning every thing that doesn't move.
Have a good day
Liz

 

[Terkina]

Sounds like you are in a good flow eating fantastic and doing excellent in your sewing room Keep up the good work.

Crossing my fingers that the mechanic doesn't find anything more wrong with the truck so it turns into a major repair and that you will have the car back home today.


I hope you have a wonderful weekend

 

[rdkeim]

After looking at your frig picture I went and looked at mine. I may adopt the condiment tote idea. Sending good thoughts that your truck repair won't be as bad as you feared. For me, that would be a huge relief and would feel like I just came into a windfall - haha! Would love to see you start a Jan. PTR!