karajeboo
DISmom by land and by sea!
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2007
- Messages
- 6,591
Well, a lot has changed since my last TR....... we have moved out of the Sunshine State and back to SC due to Jeff's job transfer and none of us are very happy about it. But you do what you gotta do, right? We are very blessed in that we both have great jobs and we are still able to see our favorite mouse, just not as often........
And this time, we are going to see him on the high seas! Yup, the McSparklesons are heading out for 7 MAGICal days in the Eastern Caribbean.
The original McSparklesons (Gilmore Girls eat your hearts out!!!)......
But we're letting Daddy come too.......
From 2007 right after moving to FL
From 2008
Not only will this be our first DCL cruise, but our first cruise EVER! And to think we lived in Jacksonville where we could have taken a 3 day Carnival cruise for $119 - I don't think I can afford to LIVE that cheap for 3 days, let alone cruise for it! But we never took advantage of the opportunity, because, like a lot of things, we put it off thinking we could do it "later."
Kind of like Seaworld....and Busch Gardens.....and Kennedy Space Center.....and Key West....... we thought we were in Florida for the long haul and we could do it all "later."
Well, it looks like "later" isn't coming now, at least not until retirement, because now that I have lived in Florida, I GET it!!! I GET why people move there and never move north again. I GET why people retire there! It is just a wonderful lifestyle and I WILL live there again!!!!
Anyway. Back to this PTR.........
This will be the first of 3 Disney trips for me this year. In May I will be heading back to the World for the 3rd Annual DISmoms Gone Wild trip with Ellen (podsnel), Joan (wannabeadismon), Lonnie, and new this year Laura (CRDismom) and Evie!
Then in December my sister and I will be taking our families along with our parents to WDW to celebrate their 50th anniversary! I am lucky enough to be staying at BWV for both those trips.
But first, we have a cruise to make!!!!
We leave 3 weeks from today to make our way back into the Sunshine State, and then hit the seas on March 26. We considered a 4 day cruise, and 4 days at WDW, but knowing we'd be back for a week in December as a family, we decided to go all out for a week.
So here's where we stand. I have a box in my office that I keep dumping things into as I read of the "must haves" for the cruise. I've already got all my electronics chargers in there, a highlighter, sharpie for autographs, Ally's personalized pillowcase for autographes, a photo matte for autographs, dry erase board for the door, about a bazillion magnets I've made to decorate the door, excursion bag, waterproof id holders for our lanyards, passports, etc...... And each day I dump something new into the box. I will begin to sort through it next week when I will also pull out the 764 suitcases that I'm sure I'll need.
Aside from the fact that nobody can charge a phone, DS, laptop, or anything else without first attacking the Cruise bag, I feel safe knowing that everything is all in one place.
We are doing the FE exchange with what appears to be a great group of fellow cruisers..... so add another 61 suitcases for that.
Bringing our own alcohol? You'd better believe it! Packing another 14 bags even as we speak.......
I have booked the Exotic Rasul for one afternoon, Palo for dinner, a rental car in St Maarten, not a darn thing for St Thomas, bikes, floats, and snorkel gear for Castaway Cay, and a birthday cake for Ally while on board.
Oh yeah, did I mention Ally will be turning 10 on the cruise????
I cannot believe it's been almost 5 years since her first trip. And she's been hooked ever since. We went as a family about a month after Ally turned 5. Then we went back in 2008 with Jeff's whole family. That was right after we became Florida residents and discovered the coveted Fl Resident Pass. After that we were there about every 6-8 weeks for either a day trip, or a weekend stay.
Aside from the wonderful Florida weather, the proximity to the beach, the great friends we made there, we all miss Disney the most!
Please join us for our family's adventures (and if you've read any of my other TRs, you KNOW there will be adventures!) as we set sail for parts as yet unknown (to us......).........
Follow along Chapter by Chapter....
Packing and Passport Problems, Oh My!
Finalizing the FE
Superstahhhhhs!
The "Official" TR is Begun!
McSparklesons Get to the Port!
McSparklesons are ON the Magic - cleanup in aisle 7!
A Muster MESS!
Captain John, Take Me Away!
The Motion of the Ocean
The Temperature of Pee
Who is this Rasul dude?
No Talking Tea Pots in Lumiere's!
No Place to Be, Nothing to Do
Goofy Fitness
Wardrobe Malfunction and Who's the Homewrecker?
Dancin at Dinner
Sociology 101 - The People of St Maarten
Where's Waldo? St Maarten continued....
The Hills are Alive.....
We be Pirates!
Pirate Vittles - part 1
Pirate Vittles and party - part 2
Pimp My Ride in St Thomas
Don't Miss the Boat!
The Best Thing I Ever Ate!
Happy Birthday Ally!
A very UNbirthday Birthday!
More Birthday Wishes, and Is that Jim Cantore?
Castaway Cay
Tastes Like Chicken
I Need a Therapist
Et tu, Mickey?
Don't Let the Gangway Hit You in the Aft
And this time, we are going to see him on the high seas! Yup, the McSparklesons are heading out for 7 MAGICal days in the Eastern Caribbean.
The original McSparklesons (Gilmore Girls eat your hearts out!!!)......
But we're letting Daddy come too.......
From 2007 right after moving to FL
From 2008
Not only will this be our first DCL cruise, but our first cruise EVER! And to think we lived in Jacksonville where we could have taken a 3 day Carnival cruise for $119 - I don't think I can afford to LIVE that cheap for 3 days, let alone cruise for it! But we never took advantage of the opportunity, because, like a lot of things, we put it off thinking we could do it "later."
Kind of like Seaworld....and Busch Gardens.....and Kennedy Space Center.....and Key West....... we thought we were in Florida for the long haul and we could do it all "later."
Well, it looks like "later" isn't coming now, at least not until retirement, because now that I have lived in Florida, I GET it!!! I GET why people move there and never move north again. I GET why people retire there! It is just a wonderful lifestyle and I WILL live there again!!!!
Anyway. Back to this PTR.........
This will be the first of 3 Disney trips for me this year. In May I will be heading back to the World for the 3rd Annual DISmoms Gone Wild trip with Ellen (podsnel), Joan (wannabeadismon), Lonnie, and new this year Laura (CRDismom) and Evie!
Then in December my sister and I will be taking our families along with our parents to WDW to celebrate their 50th anniversary! I am lucky enough to be staying at BWV for both those trips.
But first, we have a cruise to make!!!!
We leave 3 weeks from today to make our way back into the Sunshine State, and then hit the seas on March 26. We considered a 4 day cruise, and 4 days at WDW, but knowing we'd be back for a week in December as a family, we decided to go all out for a week.
So here's where we stand. I have a box in my office that I keep dumping things into as I read of the "must haves" for the cruise. I've already got all my electronics chargers in there, a highlighter, sharpie for autographs, Ally's personalized pillowcase for autographes, a photo matte for autographs, dry erase board for the door, about a bazillion magnets I've made to decorate the door, excursion bag, waterproof id holders for our lanyards, passports, etc...... And each day I dump something new into the box. I will begin to sort through it next week when I will also pull out the 764 suitcases that I'm sure I'll need.
Aside from the fact that nobody can charge a phone, DS, laptop, or anything else without first attacking the Cruise bag, I feel safe knowing that everything is all in one place.
We are doing the FE exchange with what appears to be a great group of fellow cruisers..... so add another 61 suitcases for that.
Bringing our own alcohol? You'd better believe it! Packing another 14 bags even as we speak.......
I have booked the Exotic Rasul for one afternoon, Palo for dinner, a rental car in St Maarten, not a darn thing for St Thomas, bikes, floats, and snorkel gear for Castaway Cay, and a birthday cake for Ally while on board.
Oh yeah, did I mention Ally will be turning 10 on the cruise????
I cannot believe it's been almost 5 years since her first trip. And she's been hooked ever since. We went as a family about a month after Ally turned 5. Then we went back in 2008 with Jeff's whole family. That was right after we became Florida residents and discovered the coveted Fl Resident Pass. After that we were there about every 6-8 weeks for either a day trip, or a weekend stay.
Aside from the wonderful Florida weather, the proximity to the beach, the great friends we made there, we all miss Disney the most!
Please join us for our family's adventures (and if you've read any of my other TRs, you KNOW there will be adventures!) as we set sail for parts as yet unknown (to us......).........
Follow along Chapter by Chapter....
Packing and Passport Problems, Oh My!
Finalizing the FE
Superstahhhhhs!
The "Official" TR is Begun!
McSparklesons Get to the Port!
McSparklesons are ON the Magic - cleanup in aisle 7!
A Muster MESS!
Captain John, Take Me Away!
The Motion of the Ocean
The Temperature of Pee
Who is this Rasul dude?
No Talking Tea Pots in Lumiere's!
No Place to Be, Nothing to Do
Goofy Fitness
Wardrobe Malfunction and Who's the Homewrecker?
Dancin at Dinner
Sociology 101 - The People of St Maarten
Where's Waldo? St Maarten continued....
The Hills are Alive.....
We be Pirates!
Pirate Vittles - part 1
Pirate Vittles and party - part 2
Pimp My Ride in St Thomas
Don't Miss the Boat!
The Best Thing I Ever Ate!
Happy Birthday Ally!
A very UNbirthday Birthday!
More Birthday Wishes, and Is that Jim Cantore?
Castaway Cay
Tastes Like Chicken
I Need a Therapist
Et tu, Mickey?
Don't Let the Gangway Hit You in the Aft