Andrew's Bar Mitzvah Bash....THREAD TWO....VIDEO ADDED 5/16 About This Page:

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Danielle More please

[Jillybean]

Yeah, you've started! Those photos are just gorgeous! What views! Love the photo of Andrew and Izzy!

And don't worry about crying on the plane - - I've cried while reading a book many a time.

Jill

[tammyd_rn]

Danielle, what a great view you had from your room. I love the picture of Andrew and Izzy. Looking forward to hearing how the trip progressed.

[lindawdw]

Great start Danielle - I can't wait to hear more!!!

[Caldercup]

I'm incredibly glad that you were able to stay so calm (well, except for the getting verklempt on the plane ) and that your first couple of hours in Florida were so nice. I hope that's a trend for the whole celebration and trip!

Your view from the GF was spectacular!!
Eileen

[Karla]

I can't wait to hear more.....

[kmurburg]

What beautiful pictures! Glad you got a spectacular room and had an easy trip there! I can totally commiserate with you about your emotional purge while writing your speech! My family thinks I'm a nut that I cry like that when I write something that is heartfelt! Obviously, I would never be able to speak those thoughts, so they have to be written! Hopefully you were able to speak without the tears (I know we'll hear about that later)! Can't wait to hear more!

[Lemap760]

Wonderful start to your trip.

[KandJluvdisney]

great start dani
can't wait to read all about the ceremony
hurry back

[Grammy Grumpy]

Ohh, don't keep us waiting too long to hear more!!!

Did you make any special requests for your room at GF or was that just luck? It looks awesome!

[mattnkatsmum]

Lovely view and lovely photo of Andrew and Izzy.

More. More. More.

[PrincessSharon]

Great start, Danielle! Glad you had an uneventful flight (except for the crying - BTDT!). Love the view from your room! Can't wait to hear more!

[BelmontBelle]

You're off to a great start! I'm glad you awoke to a sense of peace about the whole thing and I'm hoping that your fears of an MS flare up don't come to pass. Looking forward to more!

[Mulan2]

Yipee! Your TR is wonderful and nice pictures of the kids.
Can't wait to hear more.
PS, Dani, I'm taking notes!

[disneydani]

Day One/Part Two


Paul, Andrew and I made our way to the main lobby to meet our planner, Tamera. We quickly exchangd hellos and then hopped into her car for a ride over to the Contemporary. She was gracious enough to surprise us with an unofficial ‘backstage tour’. She took us along these back roads and stopped to point out various locations including the monorail garage, holiday warehouse, garment warehouse, laundry facilities…it was very cool to see and even more interesting to hear all the explanations and personal stories that went along with the tour. Andrew was totally intrigued and absorbing it all; it was great to see him so in his element! I would have loved to capture it all on film but, that, of course, is a big no-no.

A good twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the Contemporary and met Rabbi Lefkowitz. He is just very personable and warm and has a great way of putting you at ease. We all headed up to the 15th floor to meet with the staff of the restaurant. Once there, we did a brief walk through and finished problem solving the little details. The rooms of course, were not set up and I was trying my best to envision how they would look the next day. I took a deep breath and continued to marvel at my newfound calmness. In the meantime, Andrew was as cool as a cucumber…apparently taking after his much more laid back dad!

It was rounding 4pm and we really needed to get back to the GF; I needed to do some unpacking and relaxing before heading out to dinner that evening. Tamera drove us back and the boys made a beeline to the concierge lounge for refreshments while I went to the room; much easier to get everything done without one husband and two kids! When I arrived, there were some wonderful treats awaiting us.

A very scrumptious looking ‘cake’ was for Andrew from Heather (WHMom) and her family.



Not wanting to leave Izzy out, Heather also sent this adorable ensemble…





Izzy has not put Minnie down since then! We also had a wonderful gift basket from the hotel which we happily enjoyed throughout the trip. Lastly, there was a tote bag from our planner filled with yummy treats and Pirates of the Caribbean “LIFE” Game. My goodness, I was overwhelmed with the kindness shown towards our family!

Soon enough, my brood returned and the kids were squealing with delight at all the gifts! I had to pull them away and remind them they needed to grab a quick shower and change…we had an ADR at Jiko which is one of their favorite restaurants. They were excited to share not only the restaurant but also tour the hotel with their grandparents!