The ABC's of Trip Planning, Pt 1- K is for Keeping Things Kooky- Drinks V-Z; pg. 197 + New Link

[Steppesister]

I am definitely behind in getting subbed to this TR. I thought I saw a link in your signature the other night and then I swear it was gone. Or perhaps I am just losing it. Anyway, I'm in now and have to catch up! Glad you decided to do a PTR!

Nah, never too late to get subbed in! I keep finding old friends and getting plugged in slowly since I've been back! So glad you found me.

Actually what you saw the other night was not really a link, but just a sort of "announcement" until I could figure out how to stash a real hyperlink into my signature again. OY! I've been gone so stinking long, I'm really having to learn my DISkilz all over again. Now the REAL ons is there. (And now, I want to figure out how to put links to my old TRs in there too.)

I am too. This way I can have those who "get it" go through all the highs and lows of the whole reason for the trip- ie. nursing school.

 

[Steppesister]

6 years!!!!! Wow time sure does have a way of speeding up.

Lot's of changes in 6 years.....

It's crazy! I'd do the whole "as you get older" thing.... but nah. Disney trips keep us young at heart and time stops while we're there. It's the real life that seems to eat time like we all eat Dole Whips.

I am so glad I decided to hop on the Dis today and when I did I found your report. I too do not get on here near as much as I used to. I am so busy with home schooling and work well there are not enough hours in the day. Looking forward to tagging along with you. We are planning a trip in 2016 also maybe we will cross paths.

More and more happy faces here! I am SO glad you found me again! I've thought of all of you so, SO often during the last years and always wonder where life has taken everyone. What is new in your corner of the world?? I totally understand the homeschooling hole. They grow up so quickly though, and before you know it, you'll be where I am- kids leaving one by one...

Wouldn't that be FABULOUS!!?? I am trying to talk as many of "us" as possible into a great big Meet. What fun that would be!!!

Seriously???

That's really funny!

 

[eandesmom]

Great family intros Liesa! Retirement savings and trips huh? Is that anything like Cynthia's Coffee on the Verandah??? :

Ahem

Coffee on the verandah does not entertain having the word bargain, or negotiation anywhere near it's realm.

Although it can involve the word retirement.

As in how can we enjoy coffee of the verandah every day once we are retired

 

[Steppesister]

Ahem

Coffee on the verandah does not entertain having the word bargain, or negotiation anywhere near it's realm.

Although it can involve the word retirement.

As in how can we enjoy coffee of the verandah every day once we are retired

My bargaining and negotiating will effect the happenings of coffee on many Disney verandas someday. All part of a big, fat larger scheme... and well might also involve SSDA's. (Super-secret, Never-to-be-Mentioned Disney Accounts)

 

[that's nice]

Is this what is being looked for?

Wow, you're quick.

OH MY HECK!!!!!

Does this even still exist!!??!! After 3 glasses of wine and seeing this, I can hardly breathe from laughing so hard! Tim, this still makes me laugh after 4 years. Thank you and bless you Kathy for making sure this goes down in DISFamy!!

I'm glad you enjoyed seeing it. Maybe I should take another photo shoot with the whip.

Seriously???

Yes. Seriously.

 

[Steppesister]

Tim, yes, yes, you should...

Should I send Tate O' Patty to help you?

 

[that's nice]

Tim, yes, yes, you should...

I'll get back to you on that.....

Should I send Tate O' Patty to help you?

I didn't know Tate made the trip home from the mother-country.

 

[Steppesister]

You don't SERIOUSLY think I'd leave Tatey behind, do you!??!!

He'll be making his appearance soon right here. In all his/her confused glory.

Working on another chapter right now, and then will talk him into writing a paragraph or two about himself. He needs to come out of the closet (storage) and get on board and plan his new adventures!!

 

[Steppesister]

C is for: Care to Meet Me??​

When we last left off, you had been introduced to the family and had gotten a bit of background leading up to this Graduation Extravaganza. Now, it's time to give you an up closer and personal peek into me. Afterall, this trip is all about me. Call me selfish if you will, (and you might, and I'm ok with that) but this will be the culmination of over 5 years of giving every ounce of my being into 1 goal. Look, I'm already on a tangent- I'll get back to this in a bit...

Ok, who am I? First off, most of you might know me better as the former All7ofUs. Up until we moved back to the US from Crapistan, I was pretty active on the DIS, but life changed a LOT for us with the move, making it nearly impossible to be here regularly. Now I'm a full-time student (and more) and sadly, I won't be as interactive nearly as much as I always want to be while hosting a thread. Thank you to all who comment to encourage me and keep things moving here; afterall, a DIS TR is about a lot more than just reading about someone's adventures. It's about forming friendships and giving a place to hide your obsessions with others who are as equally dysfunctionally nerdtastic as you. (Lurkers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Which could be, but not limited to, death by virtual tickling.)

I was for many years a stay-at-home mom who joyfully home-schooled our kids in Portland, Oregon. Through a variety of circumstances, and with a very clear calling, we headed off to Crapistan to serve the poor by bringing clean (and Living) water to small villages. I continued to homeschool the kids, and apparently got lazy with hampering procreation and had another while there. Actually, she was born in Thailand, but that's another story altogether. I also taught quilting, led Bible studies, taught English as a Second Language, and served hundreds of gallons of tea to visitors day and night. It was hard, it was fun, it was back-breaking; it was cold in winter and hot in summer. Trust me, I have tales to tell!

Generally, I'm rather Type A, high strung, love a good dinner party, good wine, and good coffee. I also love my family and spending time with them, sitting by my fire on rainy nights, DIY projects around the house and potty humor. I love competitive board games, a tidy house, and lasagne. I don't like gardening, reading (except textbooks, Disney material, or a good Jane Austen novel), or exercising. I don't like rude people, toilet paper hung upside down, or spiders. (Just keepin' it real.)


Ok, back to that tangent of being selfish. So, while yes, this trip is all about me, I can't be called 100% selfish. Afterall, I am paying for this trip in its entirety for the 2 of us and the 2 youngest “kids”. So while I get to plan the itinerary the way I want it, I am also ponying up for 4 of us to go PIF with my new skilz. I also offered to pay for the tickets and hotel for any of the older “kids” who wanted to go, if they got themselves to Orlando and paid for their own food. As of this writing, none of them have taken me up on that. I understand that they have their own lives to carry on with. Andrew doesn't know when, if, or where he'll be deployed, Nathan and Rebekah live in their own little world, and Michaela will probably be in school and may not want to take a week off.


So, in short, yes, this trip is ultimately one big, huge, gigantic celebration of getting through school and God willing passing the NCLEX and becoming an RN. What better way to celebrate than with those you love most?! It's about US, because frankly, my family is sacrificing EVERY SINGLE DAY for me to pursue this goal. They are going without home-cooked meals a lot of the time, the house is less than tidy a lot of the time, and I am at study groups or in class.... a lot of the time. I think we all can't wait for a little of this:




I'm so happy you're here with me too! You are all so very special to me, no matter where you live, what you do, or who you are. We share a common love for Disney trips and I'm happy to share my story with each of you and have you CELEBRATE with me!

It's promising to be a regular fiesta, and every fiesta needs maracas!!

 

[MKBekka]

Hi....

Ya'll should know me. MK is for missionary kid. And, obviously, MK. I am DD #1.

Just want you all to know I'm watching you.... always watching.

Anara. Mom said we could start a sibling war.

 

[Steppesister]

Hi....

Ya'll should know me. MK is for missionary kid. And, obviously, MK. I am DD #1.

Just want you all to know I'm watching you.... always watching.

Anara. Mom said we could start a sibling war.

Sibling wars are fine. Keep it civil.

You need to update your signature. The ages (and my screenname) are about 4 years out of date.

Maybe tagging along here will infect you with Disneyitis, and you will decide that Dear Old (I use that particular term extremely lightly) Mom paying for MOST of a Disney trip and letting you pitch your tent in my DELUXE resort (God willing) is a worthwhile proposition!

 

[KukiLala]

Anara. Mom said we could start a sibling war.

You have No idea what you are getting into!

 

[MKBekka]

Sibling wars are fine. Keep it civil.

You need to update your signature. The ages (and my screenname) are about 4 years out of date.

Maybe tagging along here will infect you with Disneyitis, and you will decide that Dear Old (I use that particular term extremely lightly) Mom paying for MOST of a Disney trip and letting you pitch your tent in my DELUXE resort (God willing) is a worthwhile proposition!

Yes well. We can't physically hurt each other over the Internet. .. so I'm safe. And yes. I'm being a responsible nurse and going to bed.

Oh. One other thing about you not getting a BSN at school. Us LPNs (Low paid nurses)call "those nurses" something other than Bachelors in Science of Nursing. (Just kidding, they're awesome too!)

 

[MKBekka]

You have No idea what you are getting into!

That's a lie. I just watched the Sandlot, so I'm all refreshed with my names. :duhduhduhDUUUH:

 

[KukiLala]

I've probably been around 15 times

WOW! I hope I get the chance to go that many times

 

[Steppesister]

^^^^

.....and there you pretty much saw the good, bad and ugly (and all the great old fashioned fun) of what we call family.

Bek, you updated your sig! Congrats your DISkilz are better than mine were when I came back on. Took me about 2 weeks to do a crash refresher course on sig updating, multi-quoting (thanks, Marv!!), linking, etc...


See? I told you everyone thought your wedding was awesome!

 

[Flossbolna]

Rebekah and Anara, siblings wars are the best on the DIS!!! My sister and I have a little of that going on now and then!!

Looking forward to reading yours!!

Liesa, lovely intros of your family and you! It is amazing to see how much the kids have all grown up! And I have to say that you look younger in your recent pictures than in the pictures from Crapistan!

I really admire your dedication to getting that nursing degree! I am not sure I could face up to having to sit another exam in my life! I am very glad that those times are behind me (I don't mind the studying, just the tests and the anxiousness).

 

[-Hope-]

Hi Liesa! I'm here and pretty much caught up (through your TOC, not by digging through all these pages of comments, lol).

I like your ABC approach to updating and your family seems great! Can't wait to read more. :

 

[Steppesister]

Liesa, lovely intros of your family and you! It is amazing to see how much the kids have all grown up! And I have to say that you look younger in your recent pictures than in the pictures from Crapistan!

I really admire your dedication to getting that nursing degree! I am not sure I could face up to having to sit another exam in my life! I am very glad that those times are behind me (I don't mind the studying, just the tests and the anxiousness).

Why thank you! They have all really become people I am very proud of. And I'm so blessed to be able to call them friends, as well as children.

HAHA! Well to be fair, I have a crapload of makeup on, and I lost a LOT of weight a couple of years ago when I went through a really horrible situation that was emotionally tough to deal. In the end although very difficult, it did get that weight off I'd been wanting to say good-bye to for a long time. But thank you! I feel a lot better as well.

The tests are pretty greuling! They are patterned after the National Standard test called the NCLEX that all licensed nurses must take to practice. What makes is difficult is that many of the questions contain more than one RIGHT answer- you just must choose the BEST right answer. A very different strategy than any other test I've had to take. Do-able, but still.

The quick pace of the term system makes it all go VERY quickly though, so that's a bonus.

 

[Steppesister]

Hi Liesa! I'm here and pretty much caught up (through your TOC, not by digging through all these pages of comments, lol).

I like your ABC approach to updating and your family seems great! Can't wait to read more. :

YAY! You made it over!!

Haha, after being off the DIS for about 3 years in general, it took me forever to figure out how to link again. Glad they're coming in handy! Although, I gotta say, the in-between banter can at times be hilarious and more worth reading than my mediocre writing. We have a fun bunch of monkeys that hang out here.

Every time you see the letter change, you'll know there's more to read... But visit often, you never know what ridiculous hooliganism will show up here.