Trip News Journal
đź“–Â Follow our journey as we prepare to celebrate Bessie's 85th Birthday in Chicago.
 This journal will document important milestones, planning updates, family news, and special moments leading up to the celebration. Thank you for being part of the journey.
STAY INFORMED
June 1, 2026
Website Launch. Today marks the start of our digital countdown. We created this space to serve as the heart of our communications, bringing our family closer together as we map out every detail of our upcoming Chicago celebration.
Custom Domain Activated. Our family reunion now has a permanent home on the web. By launching our unique web address, we’ve made it easier than ever for every relative to find trip details and stay connected as we count down
June 02, 2026
Hotel reservations are confirmed for Our Family group at the Congress Plaza Hotel. Accessibility features have been requested for double-bed rooms to ensure a comfortable stay for everyone. Additionally, 10 tickets for the Obama Presidential Center have been secured for our Saturday afternoon visit at 3:00 pm. We are currently comparing prices and reviewing routes for our transportation.
June 04, 2026
Website Interactive functionality activatedÂ
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Deposits & Payments page completed and Payment instruction popups activated.​
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Family Sponsorship/Fundraiser section created and Payment instruction popups activated.
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Family & Guests page and Photo Gallery pages added with first photos inserted.
June 05, 2026
Trip Planning Team recruiting communicated for the following:
Transportations, Communications, Media, and Birthday Celebration Rreservations and Coordination​
June 06, 2026
Family Sponsorship Fund Receives Major Commitment!!!
A generous pledge $ was made to the Family Sponsorship Fund to help support participation in Bessie's 85th Birthday celebration.
This commitment strengthens our goal of making the trip accessible to family members who wish to honor Mom/Grannie and participate in this special family gathering. Additional details regarding sponsorship assistance and participation support will be managed by the planning team.
June 06, 2026
June 06, 2026
First Reimbursement Payment Received
The first reimbursement payment was successfully received through the Trip Payment Ledger system.
This milestone marks the beginning of the reimbursement and contribution process that will help support lodging, tickets, transportation,
and other shared trip expenses. The planning team also finalized procedures for payment tracking, receipts, and participant payment history requests.
Participation Status and Waitlist Planning Updated
The Family & Guests page was updated to better support participation planning and future capacity management.
Participation status definitions were reviewed and updated, including the addition of a Waitlist status to help manage limited tickets, lodging spaces, transportation seating, and other shared trip resources. A Participation & Waitlist Policy was also added to help clarify payment deadlines, participation priorities, and the assignment of available spaces.
June 06, 2026
Family Group Planning Process Updated
A new Family Group Progress Tracker was also added to the Dashboard to help family members follow overall trip funding and planning progress while protecting individual privacy.
Family members are welcome to invite guests to join the celebration. Guests who are added to the Friends & Guests section of the portal may be included in Family Group planning and activities as space allows.
June 06, 2026
June 06, 2026
Created a Google Sheets Financial Workbook (to eventually be embedded into the portal and automated ) with 4 tabs:
Tab 1 — Payment Ledger -Every payment, pledge, reimbursement, or contribution gets entered here.
Tab 2 — Family Group Tracker - All Family and Guest listed on the Group tables
Tab 3 — Sponsorship Fund
Tab 4 — Receipt Log
Created Family Group member's Record numbering system./ Legend =
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SF-001 = Sponsorship Fund
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TF-001 = Ticket Fund
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LF-001 = Lodging Fund
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TRF-001 = Transportation Fund
Birthday Dinner Celebration Planning Begins
Planning for Bessie's 85th Birthday Dinner Celebration officially moved forward as the Lady Cousins began coordinating restaurant options and celebration activities. To help secure quality dining options during the busy Halloween weekend, advance reservations were placed at several restaurants located near the Obama Presidential Center and the Capital Plaza Hotel.
These reservations will help the Lady Cousins provide flexibility while the planning team reviews menus, pricing, accessibility, seating capacity, and overall fit for the celebration.Â
A dedicated Birthday Dinner Celebration Webpage was also added to the Family Group Portal to provide updates and support planning efforts. Â
June 07, 2026
Financial Workbook complete - Entered current financial transactions in new Google sheets Financial Workbook to include Payment Ledger and Receipts Log
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June 07, 2026
June 10, 2026
Website Photo Gallery established - As a Website keepsake of mementos for Bessie's celebration,
Our family, friends, and guests "shine" in a running photo album of individual photographs taken with her and have been uploaded into the Web Gallery. All are encouraged to send them in as soon as possible! (older pictures as well as those recently taken are welcomed)
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Fontier Airlines Ticket Reservations Confirmed ,
Airline seats confirmed for 10 travelers with flight numbers and date/times. Deposit supplied by the trip fund. Two definite "Yes" family group members received sponsored purchases. "Current Availability statuses" can be accessed but clicking the button of the same name on the dashboard.
We have determined that our Local Ground Transportation while in Chicago will be the following:
- Rent a 12-passenger Van (family member driver(s)
-  Utilize Lyft Concierge Service (press the 'Transportation' button below, for details)
We have secured 5 travelers in the Family Group (Flight & Hotel stay), and 3 other friends scheduled to join us at the Obama Presidential Center. with their own independent travel. We will proceed to invite interested parties to purchase the remaining museum ticket and to join us for all activities.
Flight Passenger List complete and Flight e-tickets generated. Dinner Reservations confirmed and Hotel advised of late arrival for check-in.
  Implemented Bessie's Digital Birthday Card and bulletin board for messages posted for Bessie's viewing.
  Zoom Call with group of 7 to finalize trip plans. Meeting minutes posted to website and E-tickets emailed to each individual.
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July 14, 2026
July 17, 2026
August 31, 2026
September 1, 2026
September 3, 2026
October 24, 2026