So What is Project 1825?

Many of you have asked about Project 1825. Here is the story! Last July I did a wedding for a dear friend of our family. As a thank you for doing the wedding, she and her husband gave Jen and I a weeks stay at their beach house in Delray Beach, FL, and airfare. Jen and I were looking forward to some time away. Then in October, our family was blessed with another amazing gift, a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country with very low mileage, and the plan changed.

After much conversation, Jen convinced me that instead of being a romantic weed away for the two of us, it would be a much more fulfilling use of these gifts to include the whole family. So, starting in December we started planning the trip to the beach, kids and all.

A very generous Christmas from our family led us to a final tweak to the trip. We decided to spend one day in Orlando with the kids at the Magic Kingdom before heading to the Beach house. The dates? February 18-25 (hence the name Project 1825). Jen and I needed to have a codeword when talking about it. See, our plan was to keep this a surprise to the kids. We didn’t tell it was coming.

So on February 18th, Jen and I dropped the kids off for a normal day of school, packed the van and loaded the technology (long trips need DVD’s and video games!) 2:55, school ends and we pick up the kids. As we head south the kids asked, “Where are we going?” We knew this question was coming, and would be a tough one to side-step. So… we ask for some help from the family. Uncle Dave, Auntie Sarah and Emma met us at the “Red Robin, hmmmmm” in Owing Mills, just outside Baltimore for supper, and more importantly, the answer to the question, “Where are we going?”

After a great supper, and more importantly, nightfall, we left for the south. Just short of 10:00 p.m. we stopped for final trips to the bathroom, and the question, “Why are we in Virginia?” The answer, “A little detour”, seemed flimsy, but thankfully was enough to get them back in the van and to sleep for the night.

The original plan was to drive through the night, with the hope that they would wake up in the Disney Parking lot for a wild day of enjoying the Magic Kingdom! However, we thought better after driving through an evening of downpours through North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Daddy was exhausted, so we checked into the hotel early (9:00 am) and spent the day relaxing (sleeping for daddy), swimming in the pool, and getting ready for a day at Disney on Friday, the next day.

The original plan would have worked, by the way. Alex was up early (6:00), but never suspected anything. He thought we were on our way to Rehoboth Beach in DE. (oi! Lot of work to do with that boy!) The other two woke up in downtown Orlando, then spent the next 20 minutes trying to deduce where we were. There were some great answers!

1. Tropical trees must mean we are in Hawaii.(don’t know how we drove the van there!)
2. Since we were in a big city, we must be in New York or Philly. (? Driving in circles all night?)
3. This was a big city, so we must be in Chicago, since we always go to Minnesota for vacation.
4. Michigan (Anna saw a sign that said “Michigan Street”)

They finally put 2 and 2 together when they started looking at license plates. Once they figured out we were in Florida, they guessed Disney World right away. At that point we were 5 minutes from the park, pulling into a Waffle House just outside our hotel.

So that is “Project 1825!” There will be more updates, and pictures to follow, but know that it has been more than we could have ever asked for. The look on their faces in the van will never be replaced! The looks on their faces as the watched the parade down Main Street, and the fireworks over the Enchanted Castle will never fade! Thank you all for your interest, prayers, and generosity! We have been so blessed.