Two for the price of one - Honduras update

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Black nose = chocolate chip.  Got it! 

 

I have a different way of telling Chip and Dale apart.  Chip's two front teeth are together and so he looks like he could chip away at anything.

 

Dale's front teeth have a dell (valley) between them.

 

Looking forward to the next installment!

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

I just got the regular photopass CD package - not the "plus" one. It was definitely worth it this time (even with the higher price) since I was able to use the same purchase over the two trips.

I always purchase the CD pre-trip knowing if I don't like the photos or don't get enough to justify getting the CD I have another trip within the year to use it for. I have also found that the photos just don't disappear ever. I know they say the will but it hasn't held true for me.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I'm still here! I'm still here! Your pictures make me want to come to Disney with you! The 4 of you look like great travel buddies.

 

I'm curious about Universal, but Z is only 40 inches, so I'm not sure there's much he can ride. I will go someday though!

 

We always share Photopass to make it more affordable. Maybe we should start a Fiend photo-share area in the member area part if people are interested.

[lklasing 16]

Thanks, guys, for reading along and commenting!  I just have to say before I post the next update that I'm so upset about what happened in Boston today.  I'm a runner and have done a couple of marathons and many halfs.  For this to happen at the Boston Marathon is just unfathomable to me.  I know it's no more important than so many other events that are important to people, but when something happens at something you hold dear, where you relate to the participants and spectators, it's just so shocking.

 

So many prayers to those affected by this.   :heartsmiley:

[lklasing 16]

Wednesday

 

This was the day we decided to sleep in for the first time this trip.  I woke up around 6:15 in a totally dark room with 3 others who were so happy to be sleeping in, so I just worked on this trip report till I couldn’t stand it anymore and made everyone else get up and moving.

 

Kate got up next but the girls needed a little nudging.  Make that a lot of nudging.  Eventually, though, they got up, ate some of the great snack stuff Kate brought for breakfast, and we were on the road by 9:30 or so. I personally was freaking out for being later than rope drop before even leaving the room, but it worked out despite our late departure time, mainly thanks to the fact that we had done everything we wanted to do at least once already.

 

We actually drove to the parks today.  I knew we would be hopping from AK to HS and decided this would be a good day to see how driving worked for us.  So we drove to AK and headed straight to the attraction the girls had been talking about since our last visit  - EE.  Of course, you might think it was EE, but you’d be wrong.  It was actually Dinosaur.   They loved it the prior day we were there and we all loved that both the girls loved the same ride, so we all started riding it.  However, when the girls declared that they intended to ride it at least 5 times today, to make a grand total of 8 when combined with the prior trip to AK, Kate and I worried that we wouldn’t be able to keep up.  So, we bailed and did a double on EE – once on standby with a very short wait and once on single rider.  We had also pulled FPs for Jodi to use if she ever got out of Dinosaur alive.

 

 

 

Don’t ask me about this – for the day, this replaced what the rhino-face used to be for us:

 

 

 

 

 

Jodi found this hidden Mickey:

 

 

 

Believe it or not, they actually rode Dinosaur 8 times this trip:

 

 

I honestly wish I could remember what all else we did at AK that day, but I just don’t remember.  I do know we saw this:

 

 

 

Oops!  Dave!  Sorry about that!  Those snuck out without warning!

 

Anyway, we eventually left AK and drove to HS, where we continued to try to figure out the driving-on-Disney-property-thing, and we really had no trouble with it.  In fact, I recommended to Donna later in the day on  Wednesday that she should consider driving to parks on their vacation, as it wasn’t too bad.  I still prefer riding the bus as it takes all concern out of the picture, but it really was pretty easy to just drive this day.

 

So, we hopped over to HS, where we continued our tradition for this trip of riding a favorite over and over.  This time it was Star Tours.  We all rode it I think 3 times, each with a different plot, which is really pretty cool.   We eventually split up for a while, and Jodi and I rode RNRC twice (she taught me how to not get a headache by not having my head pressed back against the headrest the whole time, thus allowing me to ride it more than once), and then TOT, which is always one of my favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then were at loose ends for a little bit before our last early-bird-special dinner.  I shopped some for Danielle  as I was missing her and Ray a bunch while they were in Honduras.  Jodi headed back to TOT and Kate, Claire and I enjoyed this wonderful streetmosphere character:

 

 

Claire really likes this show:

 

 

We eventually made  it to dinner at (wait for it) Sci-Fi Diner (again).  So, if anyone is keeping score, this day is a fairly good repeat of Sunday, though with different pictures.  Sci-Fi proved a good choice again, and we had a really good time.

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, Jodi and Claire headed to the MK for one last park visit before we left early the next morning while Kate and I packed up.

 

 

 

What a great trip.  I absolutely loved being with Jodi, though I missed Danielle immensely.  But I knew she was having an even more amazing trip than we were.  Pictures soon to follow.  But on this trip, it was great to be with Jodi and with good friends who were so compatible that we could share a room with them without any angst at all.

 

Coming up – Honduras!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Somehow....someday....I will get even.  :argh:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I always purchase the CD pre-trip knowing if I don't like the photos or don't get enough to justify getting the CD I have another trip within the year to use it for. I have also found that the photos just don't disappear ever. I know they say the will but it hasn't held true for me.

 

 

I'm still here! I'm still here! Your pictures make me want to come to Disney with you! The 4 of you look like great travel buddies.

 

I'm curious about Universal, but Z is only 40 inches, so I'm not sure there's much he can ride. I will go someday though!

 

We always share Photopass to make it more affordable. Maybe we should start a Fiend photo-share area in the member area part if people are interested.

 

OK- so this CD- what's the deal?  You pay a flat fee and get a certain number of photos?  And it's good for a year?

 

How does the sharing work?  Everyone just uses the same account?  So your photos are there with all the other people you share with?

 

I could never be bothered with Photopass- I was never impressed with the photo quality.  But it looks like it has improved, and it's a great way to get photos of the whole group.  And some unique photos too.

 

TCD

[Southern Blessings 4]

Enjoyed your TR!  I don't really love Universal either, I would much rather be at Disney!  You found DeVine a few times.  I still haven't seen her, guess I need to slow down and pay attention.

[lklasing 16]

Somehow....someday....I will get even.  :argh:

 

I told you I was sorry!  It just popped out with no warning!

 

OK- so this CD- what's the deal?  You pay a flat fee and get a certain number of photos?  And it's good for a year?

 

How does the sharing work?  Everyone just uses the same account?  So your photos are there with all the other people you share with?

 

I could never be bothered with Photopass- I was never impressed with the photo quality.  But it looks like it has improved, and it's a great way to get photos of the whole group.  And some unique photos too.

 

TCD

 

The CD is a good deal as long as you either want it a lot or get tons of pictures.  You can add an unlimited number of cards that you or your family, friends, fiends, etc. use in getting pictures taken.  It took me a while to figure out, but you can for sure combine pictures that were taken within 60 days of each other onto one CD.  That's how I was able to combine the trip with Ray early February with the trip with the girls mid-March.  It's not for everyone, but I love it.  It gives opportunities for fun pictures that we wouldn't otherwise get, and truly, these are about the only pictures I'm in on these trips.  I really don't care, but I like to at least have some proof of my presence!

 

Enjoyed your TR!  I don't really love Universal either, I would much rather be at Disney!  You found DeVine a few times.  I still haven't seen her, guess I need to slow down and pay attention.

 

Thanks!  Devine (Dave's favorite) was in the same place both times we saw her this year.  I think they post the time and place she will appear on the times guide thing they give you in the map, so she shouldn't be too hard to find.  But, we just happened upon her both times this year.  In all our past trips, we've never seen her.

[lklasing 16]

Finally!  It's time for the real trip this spring - Ray and Danielle's trip to Honduras!  

 

They went with 13 others from our church to El Hogar, an orphanage in Tegucigalpa, over spring break. El Hogar is an orphanage that, in my words, rescues children from the street and from homes that, while loving, absolutely do not have enough to care for these children.  For many years, El Hogar only served boys, but in the past several years, they have started admitting girls.  It is not an orphanage in the way we think of in that these kids generally have parents, or at least mothers, so they are not in the business of adopting children to other families.  Rather, they take children in who don't otherwise have a chance at an education and safe, healthy home life and educate them, feed them, love them and care for them.

 

When Ray initially thought about going, his only reason for even considering going was the fact that Danielle wanted to go so bad.  She could have gone without either of us, but he immediately started thinking about going, which is pretty out of character for him.  Nevertheless, he went and it really was a game changer for him.  I can't put into words that adequately convey his experience, but it was amazing.  Danielle's experience was obviously amazing too - she is the world's biggest lover of children and those who the world seemingly has left behind.  That, combined with the fact that she is in her third year of Spanish, made her perfect for this trip.

 

My pictures are out of order, but they’re pretty self-explanatory:

 

This is what happens when you have technical difficulty with your flight and it takes 13 hours to fly to Atlanta, normally a 2+ hour drive:

 

 

Every day all the students gather in a circle before starting with the day’s school and activities:

 

 

 

 

While they were there, they did tasks like painting the school, which needed painting, but they quickly learned that was not the reason for being there.

 

 

 

While the teens on the trip really (from all accounts) did great, at least once they allowed their teenager-ism show through:

 

 

 

They went to school with the kids:

 

 

They even went to a water park with the kids – a previous mission group had bought water park tickets for them to use when the weather warmed up:

 

 

(What an awesome pic, huh?)

 

But the main thing they did while they were there was just to be with, play with, and love the kids.  That, and receive love back from them like they had never imagined possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most amazing thing, though, about the trip was the connections that were made between our church group and the kids.  These are of Danielle, but all of the travelers in our group had many pics similar to these:

 

 

 

 

Even more than the general connections which are shown in those pictures, which are very real, each of the adults and the teens from the trip made an even more real, serious, significant connection with one or more of the kids there.  For Danielle, it was a little girl named, interestingly enough, Daniella.   Here they are:
 

 

 

 

For Ray, it was two little boys that he connected so much with – Ronnie and Elder:

 

 

This is my favorite picture of the whole trip, and perhaps of my entire life.  I’ve never seen Ray look so at peace, so young, so everything.  This is him with Ronnie and Elder, and one other little boy (in the middle).  But I can tell from talking with him that Ronnie and Elder really made an impact on him that he never expected.

 

 

So there you have it – really a total of 3 trips for the low price of just one!  Hope to see y’all at the Fort or WDW soon, though Honduras is definitely calling our names.  We’re hoping that before long, all four of us can travel together to El Hogar, maybe next spring break.  {crossing fingers}

[alexwyattmommy 181]

The trip report was great, but I love the El Hogar pictures the best.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

That made my day.  Or maybe my month.  Thank you for sharing. 

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

What a great trip to Honduras!  Thanks for sharing!

[Disneyzombie-Brenda 10]

Ray's smile says it all!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

You know that cliche' about how a picture is worth a thousand words?

 

This one shows that is not a cliche':

 

 

That is just an awesome photo.

 

Good for Danielle and Ray!

 

Thanks for the three-in-one report!

 

It was great!

 

TCD

[dblr....Rennie 224]

Thanks for a 3 in 1 trip report it was great, your hubby looked like he really enjoyed himself with the boys.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I have tears streaming down my face. What a special trip for your husband and daughter. Love the joy in the faces of those children.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

That was an awesome TR.

The Honduras pics were a welcome distraction of human decency and kindness in contrast to the week's events.

[Big Kahuna aka John 71]

Thank You for sharing...  God Bless your family...   Ray....   The photos shows....   you get it.....

[Momoffive aka Loretta 34]

Absolutely LOVED the entire TR!  I have a hard time keeping up with many but you reeled me in on the first day!! 

The mission trip looks amazing.  I hope you and the family get your wish and get to return again next year.

Thanks for the journey!!

[dvccamper 32]

Just finished reading your TR(s). I immensely enjoyed each one, thank you for sharing them all!!