Would you still go?

[JPN4265]

I am sure that your husband would want you to go. He will get as much enjoyment out of hearing about the trip as you will by going.

Tell your husband thankyou.

 

[6mouskateers]

My brother in law is in the military stationed in Iraq since last Jan. Whenever my family (DH me DS 7 & DS 4) go on outings/trips/get togethers with my sister, niece & nephew we take along flat Jeff (b-i-l).
Angela/luvhockey

Oh I am soooo loving this idea! I wish I had thought of this for all those years that we did so much without DH!!!!! (He is one to appreciate the humor and sentiment of this also.)

Lovesmurfs-would love to know if you do this! Hope all is going well for you guys.

 

[MousekaMaddi]

Thanx to your DH for what he does for us all

 

[PaulaSue]

Go and have a great time!

Send him a lot of pixs of where he (All of you) is going as soon as he gets home. Safe trip for him too!!!

 

[fan_of_small_world]

I just want to wish you a wonderful trip and to let you know that our thoughts and prayers are with you for the 18 months to come. Enjoy your time at WDW with your little ones, and please know that there are many, many of us who support and appreciate all that our servicemen, servicewomen, and their families do for our country.

 

[cybrkitn]

From the point of view of an ex-serviceman, I may be able to shed a little light on his reasons for wanting to postpone this trip. I was in the Army for the years leading up to and through the first Gulf War. I traveled all over the world in numerious deployments in one of the busiest divisions around. Although most of them were for training, it still ment a good deal of time away from my wife, and our newly born son. (2 weeks after his birth I was deployed for 3 weeks.)

When serving this great nation and it's way of life, the brave men and women of our military miss so much of what the normal family takes for granted in their everyday lives. Birthdays, first steps, Valentine's days; They all slip quietly by. A family vacation to Walt Disney World woud definately be a hard thing for a father to miss. Just as takeing the vacation might be a way of preserving some sense of normalicy in the rest of the family's lives through this difficult seperation.

Either way, it isn't going to be an easy decission, and I don't envy you for having to make it. But I do want to pass on my heartfelt appreciation for the hardships of your family's service to our country, and best wishes for your husband's speedy and safe return.

First let me say thank you to you for your service. My cousin Jason also served in the first Gulf War as well.

I definately agree with what you had posted. My cousin Susan's husband was called to back to Iraq when their second son was only 3 months old (last year). He missed out on so much of the "firsts". The last time he was home for R&R, they went to Disney World and enjoyed their time together.

She is pregnant again and due next month. He just came home last weekend for a while and hopefully will be able to see his third child born and see all the "firsts".

 

[cybrkitn]

I really appreciate everyone's insights, and never realized when I signed up for the DisBoards that I'd have a support network like this (the training "team" he's on is put together from various people in the state, and so the family network for this group basically doesn't exist -- although I think they're planning on some activities).

I spoke at length with DH and the kids. DD7 wants to go, full steam ahead (go figure). DS12 knows that DD7 wants to go (and himself wants to go), but said that we should wait until he gets back. DH (who grew up and worked at Disney) has reconsidered and said we really should go (as long as we promise pictures). So I'm going to cut back on the events (cancel the CP package, HDDR and the Luau), make the whole thing more low-key, and plan to do them for the next trip. I'll probably plan on more CS meals as well (I'd planned to bring lunch everyday).

I think I'll wait on the decision to extend through Christmas until after he goes -- we'll see how things go (and what my in-laws wind up thinking about us going.....LOL).

Thanks again, everyone. I think it was mostly shock yesterday (ya know it's coming, but.....).

Glad to hear of your decision. I know it was a very hard one to make.

YSIC

 

[cybrkitn]

I know that this is a little different, but in May we had our Disney vacation planned and were packing the car to leave at noon. At 9-930am that morning, I got word that DH grandmother just died! What were we to do? It was a very difficult decision, but we decided -- no, my husband decided -- that we were going to go on with our plans. Yes, we could have changed our plans, but chose not to. Why? 1. DH and his mom knew that his grandma would have had a fit if we had changed our plans. 2. This would have been the DC 7th funeral in 6 years. . .

Some people may have a fit when they realize that we missed/skipped the services, but it was the best thing for our family. While on our trip, there were little moments that reinforced our decision: 1. Driving down, we saw a beautiful double rainbow. . . 2. My DH has many memories of camping and fishing with his grandparents and the day of the services, he was out on the water fishing while we were camping. . .

All of this is to say that I truly feel that you should go on with your plans. I love yur idea of saving the special activities for another trip. Disney can be such a wonderful time for you and your children to spend some quality time together.

Blessings,

I understand that. My DH and I took our DS4 to VA to see our Sister-in-Law who had terminal cancer back in March. It was a "visit the family" trip before heading to DC for my DH's business conference that he was speaking at.

While we were down there, I got word that my uncle had died. Unfortunately, we couldn't get back to NY for the funeral because it was on
the same day that my DH was speaking at the conference. I did call my aunt though to tell her how sorry I was to hear. She understood why we couldn't get back. And I'm actually glad we didn't drive back to NY because that time we spent with our Sister-in-Law and DH's brother was the last time we had together. She passed away in April at age 54.

Cherish that double rainbow you had seen. I lost my grandmother back in 96. She lived in a trailer in up-state NY across from my aunt and uncle. The day of her funeral, there was a rainbow that extended from her trailer down the mountain to the trailer park she used to live in. We also got a double rainbow that day as well. It was very special to see.

 

[themudd4]

Go and use this as a bonding time for you and your kids...you may need/want this and never get another chance at it. Hopefully your DH will understand that you are going to miss him, but that it is important to try and carry on life as close to normal as possible...and nothing is normal about missing out on WDW.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I see you have already gotten a ton of responses and maybe you are not even reading them anymore, but I wanted to throw in my opinion (which probably ought to count very little anyway).

If this vacation is one that you have saved and saved for and could not be done again as an entire family once your husband gets home, I would definitely consider rescheduling for when he is back. Otherwise, I feel strongly that you should not put life on hold while he is gone. Your children need to continue as normally as possible.

In the end though, it is YOUR family and you will know what is right.

And tell your husband THANK YOU!!!

 

[lovesmurfs]

I see you have already gotten a ton of responses and maybe you are not even reading them anymore, but I wanted to throw in my opinion (which probably ought to count very little anyway).

If this vacation is one that you have saved and saved for and could not be done again as an entire family once your husband gets home, I would definitely consider rescheduling for when he is back. Otherwise, I feel strongly that you should not put life on hold while he is gone. Your children need to continue as normally as possible.

In the end though, it is YOUR family and you will know what is right.

And tell your husband THANK YOU!!!

Still reading. Thanks. Originally (when planning started in June) when I booked a villa, the kids were bummed because they wanted to stay on site. Our next trip when he returns, we'll plan to stay on site, get the food package, and plan the HDDR, etc. This time, we'll be laid back with no plans for having to be anywhere or do anything (except get to SOME park when it opens).

The only special event I couldn't bring myself to cancel is the Perfectly Princess Tea at the GF with my daughter (DH and DS weren't going anyway) -- as a 7 year old, she'll enjoy it much more now than as a 9-year old. And my DS is excited to hang out at DisneyQuest (we have PH and WP options) by himself until we finish.

Thanks again to all. We still haven't received the orders, but it looks like he'll be leaving November 9.

 

[NurseW2Kiddies]

Have an extra special trip and enjoy some quality mommy time with your kids!!!

 

[lovesmurfs]

Have an extra special trip and enjoy some quality mommy time with your kids!!!

Thanks...we will! The orders have been received for November 21 as the MOB date. Col. is trying to get them to delay them until after Thanksgiving. Disney was great in giving us a refund for his MVMCP ticket -- they didn't even ask for a copy of his orders.

We're taking advice of one of the posters here and taking along a picture of "flat dad" so that we can have it taken with the characters, etc. The kids LOVED the idea. I also plan to take "him" on Tower of Terror, 'cuz that's the only way he'd ever go on it!!

 

[pepperw23]

Okay. We've just received word today that my husband's being deployed to Afghanistan, most likely the end of October. He's been in the National Guard 26 years and this is his first deployment. I'm okay with it -- we're promised strength and grace for the hour.

On to Disney...... Our trip is planned (and really PLANNED, down to the GF Perfectly Princess Tea, Candlelight Processional Package, HDDR, Luau, and MVMCP tickets) for December 14-23 (for us and DS12 and DD7), and we've all been psyched. He's saying I should cancel, as nearly everything's refundable (except tickets, which don't expire, and the deposit on the rental villa). The deployment's likely to be for 18 months (we haven't gotten the orders yet).

WWYD? I don't mind taking the kids on my own at all. I'm just looking for different points of view on it. I would not consider bringing someone else along as a substitute -- we'd cancel all of his stuff and it would just be the three of us. A thought had crossed my addled brain to even try to extend our stay over Christmas so that we won't be by ourselves.

I would not cancel it, but I would probably reschedule it to give hubby something to look forward to. Maybe you and the kids can do something else that week to make up for it? If you really really had your heart set on it, and you can afford to, why not take a short trip over Christmas, like Dec 23-26, then plan a big trip for when DH gets home. Then you would have two things to look forward to. Just some ideas.

 

[eblack0409]

As for my opinion...I think it would be a great idea to go ahead with the trip. If you cancel the trip your kids will have two letdowns instead of one(not going to Disney and dad being gone). I'm sure they are looking forward to the trip. If they don't get to go they will be disappointed for not getting to go and for their dad being gone as well. Maybe going on the trip might get their minds off missing pops. Have you asked the kids their opinion on the matter?

I agree.....the holidays without their father is going to be hard enough...if you can extend your trip to cover Christmas, then I would definately do it...maybe this will give your kids some happy memories for this year...

I would definately plan a trip when your hubby gets back....

You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers....please tell your husband Thank You from my family....it's because of men like him we are able to be free!

God Bless our Troops!!!

 

[ktnlxismom]

I asked my husband, who is a veteran of the 1st gulf war, this question. He said if it were him, he would want us to go as planned. He would be happy knowing that we were having fun and were able to take our minds off of him, even for a little while. Of course, he would want lots of pictures and/or video and to plan another trip when he got home. Hope that helps.

 

[luvhockey]

If you'd like to see a few pictures to get an idea what we've done just email me. I can't add pictures here yet. It will be something fun the kids can do while there-- get CM's to take pictures before the ride takes off, feed dad, swim (if it's laminated) etc. Maybe make an extra one that looks terrified just for the tower of terror!
Angela

 

[PaMom001]

Nice idea with the flat dad. If you can, start planning a trip for when DH comes home. That way everyone can look forward to a WDW trip.

 

[drakethib]

If I were your husband I would want my family to go.

 

[the john]

I would still go.