It's Randy's Birthday!!

Today is Randy's 60th birthday. It's hard to believe it. The years have flown by. We've been together 25 1/2 of those years and it just keeps getting better every day. I feel privileged and blessed to be Randy's wife. He is a terrific husband and father; a true gentle man. So, today was all about whatever he wanted. (Wasn't that nice of me? I give him TWO whole days a year - the next one's in three weeks. HA!)

We started the day by going out to breakfast. And it wasn't even Cracker Barrel. I know! Can you believe it? We went to Clockers, a local place in downtown historic Branson. We had gone there the last time we were here and knew it was good food. It still is! After that we walked along Branson Landing, an upscale shopping area that sits on Lake Taneycomo.

In addition to the various stores, Branson Landing has a nice riverwalk and dancing water fountain. The weather was perfect for walking off a big breakfast.

The afternoon was spent as usual - watching TV and surfing the 'net. I also continued my cross stitch project. I had intended to make meat loaf for dinner, at Randy's request, but then he decided it was too hot to heat up the rig with the oven. (I'm hoping that was the real reason and not my cooking!!) :)

We also decided to take a drive to find Castle View RV Resort where Dick & Pat will be spending the summer. We're supposed to move over there once they get to Branson, so we figured we'd find it before dragging the rig along with us. We found it, nestled down in a valley in West Branson. Looks like a really nice park; I know Dick & Pat were happy there last year. Now all we have to do is wait for them to arrive!

The next thing to do was find a place for dinner. We ended up at Peppercorn's, a buffet restaurant. It was okay; I've had better and worse. The outside looked a lot nicer than the buffet! Randy was happy, though, and that's all that mattered. We both managed to eat our fill. :)

We're back home and settled in for the night. Randy was really tickled with all the b'day phone calls he got as well as those from friends on Facebook. Thanks, everyone, for helping to make his day.

Tomorrow's the first of the month, so it's bank, grocery, bill paying . . . We've also got a guy coming to look at the water heater. Sure hope it's just a leak and nothing serious. I really want to take a shower in my own home!!

Oh, here's that picture from one of our dinners out in Sedalia. Aren't we all cute with our mouths full? :)

Until the next time . . .

South to Branson, MO

It was so nice to wake up to another day of sunshine! :) Two in a row - YAY! We wanted to get on the road as early as possible because we were traveling to Branson, MO to another Escapees park, Turkey Creek. With so many folks leaving Escapade, we were a bit concerned about getting a site at Turkey Creek (Escapees parks don't take reservations.) So, after getting a cup of coffee in us, we started breaking camp.

About 8:10 we pulled out of the fairgrounds - and I do mean PULLED out. At least that's how it felt as the truck drug the RV out of the muck. The ground had dried up considerably compared to what it was like earlier in the week, but Randy & I were still a tad concerned that we'd be stuck. Over the past couple of days we saw way too many rigs stuck and needing to be towed out of their sites. We didn't want to be one of them. Thankfully, we weren't. I really think waiting an extra day made a huge difference.

We had a short drive today; just three hours. It was a scenic drive down US 65 with no complications. We pulled into Turkey Creek a few minutes past 11:00 and got a site with no problem.

We'll be here until Dick & Pat arrive at their campground in West Branson in a few days. We'll move over there then. While the two campgrounds are fairly close to one another, it's a lot more fun to be together.

As for Escapade 2009, it was okay. Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves in spite of the rain. Randy went to five or six seminars and felt he gained something from each. A couple of vendors gained from his going as well - we bought a few things because of what he learned! :) I have come to the conclusion that I'm just not a rally person. Can't put my finger on the exact reason, but there it is. I volunteered in Customer Service under Bob & Molly whose blog I've followed for quite awhile and we met at last year's Gypsy Journal Gathering in Ohio. My job was to drive a golf cart around for three hours giving folks rides wherever they wanted to go on the grounds. Tough, huh? It was fun talking to all the different people.

There was also entertainment each night. On Monday and Tuesday there were performances by musical groups. Randy & I didn't stay for those. Yeah, we're boring. On Wednesday, there was the annual "Ham O Rama;" a show comprised of talented Escapees. We did stay for some of that. The last night, Thursday, was a dance. And no, we didn't go.

We also finally met Greg & Lynette and Keith & Donna whose blogs I follow as well! We went out to dinner a couple of times with a big group. Bob & Molly belong to the Class of 2007 which means that's when they started full-time RVing. They graciously included us and others in their group, making us feel very welcome. Thanks, guys!

I didn't take a lot of pictures because the weather was so nasty, but here's a few. Lynette is sending me a picture of several of us at dinner one night. When I get that, I'll share it with you.

Joe & Kay Peterson, Founders of Escapees

Just a few of the almost 800 rigs in attendance

Did somebody say it was raining?

That's it for now. Hope you're having a good weekend. Until the next time . . .

Lousy Internet Connection

Just checking in to let you know that I'll post some pictures and a synopsis of our time here in Sedalia later this week. We've got a lousy internet connection and it's just too frustrating to try to do so while we're here.

We're doing fine - the weather's been rainy. The fairgrounds are soaked and lots of folks have been stuck and needed to be towed out of their parking places. We're hoping it dries out before Friday when we're supposed to leave. Guess we'll see. :)

Hope all of you are doing well. Until the next time . . .

We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

Yes, we have left the land of Oz and are now in Sedalia, Missouri which is about an hour or so southeast of Kansas City. We're camped at the Missouri State Fairgrounds until Friday while we attend the Escapees Escapade.

It was an easy four hour drive from Junction City; interstate and US highway all the way. While I know many of our full-timing friends don't like to travel the interstate, we don't mind it. We do like US highways as they are a bit more scenic, but there are never any worries about low overpasses and such on interstates. :) We just travel in the right line and stay out of the way of those who are in a bigger hurry than we are.

First thing on the agenda tomorrow is a grocery run and then finding an RV tech to look at the water heater. I need hot water to take a shower. Call me picky, but that's the way it is. I had to go up to the bathhouse this evening and that's not my favorite thing to do anymore. But, it was better than a cold shower!

Not sure what all we're going to do while at the rally. Randy's found several seminars he wants to attend. There are none that are really of interest to me. I'm going to do some volunteering at Customer Service. Bob & Molly are in charge of that and we met them at the Gypsy Journal Gathering last year and have been following their blog since. There are also lots of vendors to visit. We've also seen or talked to other folks we know and there are more here. So, we'll be busy, I'm sure.

Until the next time . . .

Last Day in Kansas

Yes, tomorrow we're traveling again. We've been here in Junction City/Fort Riley, Kansas for three weeks and it's time to move on.

We met Sara for brunch this morning and then she came out to the campground for a few hours. We sat outside and worked on our separate stitching projects. Sara has taught herself to embroider and she is working on squares for a quilt she wants to make. She is a very industrious young woman. :)

While we stitched, poor Randy was prostrate in the basement trying to figure out why our water heater is leaking. It is not easy working on some of the parts of this RV. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to completely fix it, but it's a bit better. We're going to have it looked at while we're at the Escapade in Sedalia. The bigger concern is that the leak may have shorted out the electrical part of the water heater. That's how we found out something was wrong - we had no hot water!

About mid-afternoon, we said our good-byes to Sara. Another hard one. We truly love this girl. She is a sweetheart and a great mate for our Kevin. We'll see her again in October when we come back for a week. Until then, if you think of them, please pray for them as they prepare for Kevin's deployment in the fall.

We'll be rolling out early tomorrow morning - hopefully by 7:00, if not before. We have to be at the fairgrounds by 2pm to get parked, but we want to get there earlier so we're not waiting in a long line. It's just a four hour drive, so we should be there by noon at the latest. Don't know what to expect as we've never been to an Escapade before. Everybody tells us it's good time. We'll find out soon.

Until the next time . . .

Did Some Sightseeing, Finally!

With just two more days here, we finally got out and about and explored a little bit. Sara went with us. We picked her up about 12:30 and headed west to Abilene - Kansas, not Texas! :)

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was born and raised in Abilene, Kansas and his library, museum and boyhood home is located there. We were too cheap to pay to get into the museum, but we toured the grounds, library and home. There is also a Place of Meditation where President and Mrs. Eisenhower are buried with their first born son, Doud. Doud died when he was less than three and a half years old.

The grounds are just gorgeous and it is the original location of DDE's boyhood home. The rest of the buildings were erected around that home. I was disappointed in the library. Upon entering the library, there are several exhibits in front of you. Most are small and consist of various military clothing and items found during missions.

The Library
There is a large exhibit at the back of the foyer dedicated to the Big Red One - 1st Infantry Division (this is where Kevin's stationed). This exhibit shares the history of the 1st ID as well as its involvement in the invasion of Normandy.

Upstairs is an exhibit of the connection between "Ike" and baseball. I guess that's interesting if you're a baseball fan, but it wasn't something I was expecting at a presidential library. There were a few portraits of DDE and that was the extent of the exhibits! I thought there would be exhibits of the different laws and such that President Eisenhower signed while in office. Nope, none. Randy said they were there, just behind closed doors. Well, that's dumb.

The boyhood home of DDE was a bit more interesting. As I said, it stands in its original location and all of the furnishings, pictures, etc., are from the Eisenhower family. There were family pictures as well. DDE was third of seven brothers, one of whom died very young. Mrs. Eisenhower raised six boys in this small home. Eventually, Mr. Eisenhower's father also came to live with them, so there were nine people in the home. Very cozy! :)

After we finished strolling the grounds of the Eisenhower Center, we drove around Abilene a bit, just to see some of the beautiful homes. One of these, Lebold Mansion, was built in 1880 and placed on the National Register in 1973.

Back in Junction City, we stopped and grabbed an early dinner, then went to Heritage Park. I have wanting to get pictures of this park since we were here in December. It's just a beautiful park, very well maintained. This weekend it has many, many flags placed in it in remembrance of those soldiers from Fort Riley who have fallen in the war on terror. There are flags placed elsewhere in the park as well, such as at the Viet Nam Memorial and Memorial to Police Officers. Very moving.

We took Sara back home, hung out for a bit, then we came on back to the rig. It was a great day. Tomorrow we're meeting Sara for breakfast and then we'll come back home and get the rig ready to travel Sunday. We want to get on the road pretty early, between 6:30 and 7:00, so we'll need to get ready tomorrow night.

As always, there are more pictures on our Webshots site. Until the next time . . .

Just More Hangin' Out

Don't have much to share, but thought I'd check in. We've been spending most of our time with Sara, sometimes having dinner there and sometimes Sara comes out to the campground. We only have a few more days here so we want to spend as much time with her as we can.

Tomorrow evening the campground is hosting a BBQ - everything is provided. Isn't that cool? Sara is coming over to join us. And yes, I asked permission for her to do so. :)

Not much else going on. Here's a picture of our set up here at Owl's Nest Campground.


Until the next time . . .

A Beautiful Sunday

This was just about as perfect a day as you can have. The weather was gorgeous, sunny blue skies with a slight breeze.

We started our day with a great breakfast at a local restaurant. It had the best breakfast buffet we've ever experienced. The food was plentiful and hot, with a nice variety.

Breakfast didn't take as long as we'd thought, so we had an hour before church started. So, we drove around Junction City neighborhoods we hadn't seen yet. There are several very nice neighborhoods in the town and the houses are lovely.

We drove around for awhile and then it was time to head to the church. I really enjoy the church we've gone to while here - First Southern Baptist Church of Junction City. The pastor is down to earth, humorous, and spot on scripturally. The folks there are very friendly, too. We'll definitely go back whenever we're in the area.

Once home from church, I got out my recliner and set up for an afternoon in the sun. I took out my cross stitch project, my glass of iced tea, and my book. It was great. I sat outside for over two hours, just stitching and enjoying the great weather. My legs got a little sun, too!

Sara came over for dinner this evening. I made baked ziti with garlic bread. It was pretty good, I must admit. :) We just hung out after dinner and talked. It was a good evening.

Tomorrow we're going to Kev & Sara's to help her get ready for a house inspection. Since they are moving, the management company comes in to inspect the house to see if there's any damage that needs to be fixed. So, we're going to clean and do some packing. Fun, huh? :)

Until the next time . . .

New Look to the Blog

Whatcha think??

Spending Time with Family.

Randy's cousin, Joyce and her husband, Charlie, live in Kansas City, MO which is just a couple of hours east of Junction City, KS where we are currently parked. Of course, we couldn't be this close without taking time to visit with them. That's what we did today. We had last seen Joyce & Charlie at Auntie Lois' funeral several years ago.

We got there a little after noon and Joyce had prepared a marvelous meal for us. Three of their six children, two with spouses and one child were there as well. I had not met any of these cousins, so it was a bit of a free-for-all at first. :) You know, everyone hugging and talking at once. For the first time I understood how Randy feels at some of my family's get togethers!

After lunch, Joyce took us on a tour of the house. She has several pictures of their grandparents and aunts and uncles. Joyce is the daughter of the oldest sibling of Randy's dad, with Randy's dad being in the middle of the eight siblings. Being the eldest cousin, she is able to share many memories of family events. It was fun to hear some of them today.

I was glad Randy got to spend time with his cousins. It is often he gets to do so. Hopefully, it won't be years before we get together again.

Saying Good-bye - Again

We've had a pretty laid-back week in that we didn't do any sightseeing or traveling. We spent our week with Kev & Sara, hanging out at their house mostly.

Tuesday evening we went to another FRG meeting with them. This one was just Kevin's unit, very small group. Apparently the unit has these meetings once a month; the agenda is to keep the families informed of the unit's schedule; to introduce "new" members, i.e., babies born since the last meeting; and there's topic discussed. A financial advisor attended this meeting and he shared budgeting tips and how to get the most out of your money. He was pretty good.

On Wednesday we just hung out at Kevin & Sara's, had dinner and watched the movie, "Taken." It was a good movie! Suspenseful and attention-keeping. Liked it a lot.

Yesterday Kevin got off from work mid-morning, so we all got to spend the whole day together. Once again, I gotta tell you how generous Sara is with her time with Kevin. She has allowed us to spend so much time with them even though Kevin was leaving again so soon. Sara, we appreciate you SO much!

We went into Manhattan to have lunch and go to the new Bed Bath & Beyond (Randy loves that store!). After strolling through BB&B, we went to a Yamaha dealer so Kevin could drool over some of the motorcycles there. Then, it was back to Kevin & Sara's house so Sara could do some homework before we went out to dinner. It was Kevin's last night at home, so we were treating them to a nice dinner out. We went to Houlihan's; we had never been to one before. It was a good meal.

Once back at K & S's, we got some family pics and then it was time to say good-bye to Kevin. He's going out for a month of training. I hate good-byes! But, I hugged him REAL hard, told him to be safe and left. We're hoping to see him again before he deploys sometime this fall.

Kevin, Sara and their "kids"

What a cute couple!

Nice picture

We'll be here in Junction City another week so we'll be spending more time with Sara. We are so fortunate to have a daughter- and son-in-law who are like our own kids. We love both of them as our own.

Tomorrow we're taking a day trip to Kansas City, MO to visit with one of Randy's cousins. We haven't seen Joyce and her family in several years. It will be good to get caught up.

And just for fun, here's a picture of Lindsay & Reagan at a Mother's Day Brunch at Reagan's school. Reagan made that hat for Lins! :)

Until the next time . . .

Happy Birthday to ME!

Yep! Today is my 51st birthday and I am thrilled to be living the life that God has blessed me with - traveling full-time with the man of my dreams; the mother of 2 great kids and stepmother to another great kid; the grandmother of the 2 most wonderful grandkids in the world; and daughter to the best parents a person could ask for.

Aren't you jealous????? :)

I had a very laid back day. Started it at Curves with a good workout, then came home and, while drinking my 2 cups of coffee for the day, I watched the finale of The Celebrity Apprentice (I had recorded it). Very happy that Joan Rivers won, by the way! :)

About noon I met Sara for lunch and then we had our nails done. Aren't our toes pretty?

The rest of the day has been spent in my recliner, catching up on shows that we recorded and just doin' a whole lotta nothing. And I've enjoyed every minute!

A HUGE thank you to all of you for the phone calls, emails, and Facebook good wishes. It's wonderful to be loved by so many. I truly do appreciate it. :)

Back to reality tomorrow. Here's a couple of pictures of our four-legged "grandkids."

From left to right: Zoe, Koenig & Xena

Waiting for their treats after doing a trick

Until the next time . . .

Mother's Day

Hope all of the moms out there had a great day with their families! I sure did.

My day started with a phone call from Lins and ended with dinner made especially for me at Kevin & Sara's. I had an early Mother's Day present from Gin & Tommy last week - a beautiful charm bracelet with "Nana" on one side of the charm and a sentiment on the other. Lins had sent my cards and present to me at Kevin's - a lovely necklace with "Mom" on one side and a sentiment on the back.

We also had breakfast at Cracker Barrel with Kev & Sara. From there Randy & I went to church. We really enjoyed the service. Of course, it was about moms, but the pastor was very energetic, humorous and shared a good message. We'll go back next week.

Spent the afternoon relaxing at home before going back to Kev & Sara's for dinner. They made us a great meal of steaks from the grill, baked potatoes and mac & cheese (Kev's favorite!). We watched the lates Bond movie and did laundry. Yeah, even on Mother's Day certain chores have to be done. :)

I also made sure I talked to my mom. I love my mom - she is strong, loving woman and I am grateful that God blessed me with her. Thanks for always being there, Mommy!

Tomorrow's my birthday! Yep, I get two days in a row to enjoy extra spoiling. I say "extra" because Randy pretty much spoils me every day. I'm going to have lunch with Sara and then get my monthly mani/pedi. Nothing else planned.

Until the next time . . .

More Hanging Out

The last few days have been more of the same - spending time with Kevin & Sara. We're trying to get as much time with Kev as we can since he leaves again this Friday. And Sara is so generous - she lets us hang out as much as we want. We really appreciate that.

Today we got to see the house Kev & Sara will be moving into early next month. I am so excited for them! This house is much bigger and will have a backyard that is three times the size of their backyard now. They will be living just a couple houses down from good friends and Kev will be closer to work as well. They'll even have a garage!

This evening Ft. Riley MWR sponsored a free event for the base - Gary Sinise and The Lt. Dan Band. When we first got here, I had seen the signs announcing this event and thought it be fun to go. Kevin & Sara decided they wanted to go to, so we did! We didn't realize it was outside and that we should have brought chairs! But, we had a great time anyway. Gary Sinise is a HUGE supporter of our troops and has gone to Iraq several times. This summer he and his band are touring different bases around the world. I felt really privileged to have been able to see him.

Hangar at Marshall Field, Ft. Riley

Gary Sinise

Randy, Sara & Kevin

Sunset over Ft. Riley

We're going to breakfast in the morning with Kev & Sara, then to church, then the kids are making dinner for me at their house. Should be another great day.

Until the next time . . .

Just Hanging Out

I know, I didn't post yesterday. I really didn't have much to share. I'll probably only post every couple of days while here in Kansas 'cause we're are just hanging out with Kevin & Sara, relaxing and recovering from our busy trip thus far.

Yesterday evening we went with Sara to an FRG meeting (FRG - Family Readiness Group) where every soldier in Kevin's battalion or troop, not sure which, was represented. If the soldier is not available, someone has to be present to represent him. It was a huge group - many, many young families. The purpose of this meeting was to inform the families of the upcoming training at the National Training Center in California. This training is to ready the soldiers for their deployment later this year. It was interesting to see how much information is given out. They really want families to know what is expected of the soldiers as well as those left back home. I was impressed with all that was shared. It was good to hear how much the families are taken care of while their soldiers are away.

Kevin got home early this morning from sniper school. We figured he and Sara needed some time together before his parents descended upon them. But, Sara woke up about 4:30 this morning with the ugly stomach bug - and no, she couldn't have gotten it from us! :) So, we got called to "duty" - Gatorade and saltines were needed. :) So, we brought those over and left soon after 'cause Kev was still sleeping and Sara needed to go back to bed. We proceeded to go out to breakfast.

We got a call later in the day from Kevin asking when we were coming over to make HIM breakfast! Yeah, like that was gonna happen. We did go over for dinner this evening. And yes, I made Kevin his breakfast for dinner. Randy & Kev ran out to WalMart to pick up some stuff Kev needed for NTC (he has to take his bags in tomorrow morning at 5:00!) while I made dinner. After dinner, we sat for a bit and then came on home.

Since Kev's got a four day weekend, we're going to celebrate my birthday tomorrow night instead of waiting until Monday. Kev is never sure when he'll get off work and we're going to Topeka for dinner so it's smarter to do it when he's off.

That's about it for now. Not sure what else is happening over the next few days. I do know we're going to help the kids pack up the house as they are moving into different housing at the end of the month. But, if anything exciting happens, you know I'll be sure to share!

Until the next time . . .

A Day of Chores

Today was the "first of the month" chore day. You know, one of those exciting days in the life of a full-time RVer! :) So, first thing this morning, it was off to the bank to get our cash for the month. Check that off the to do list and then it was time to meet Sara at the Visitor Center of Ft. Riley. We had to get a permit to drive on base while we're here.

After we got the permit, we followed Sara to their house. It was laundry time - LOTS of it. We hadn't done laundry in a couple of weeks, so there was a ton to do. It was so very nice of Sara to allow us to do laundry at their house. But, I gotta admit, there is a perk to doing it in a laundry room - you can do several loads at one time, getting it all over with in a couple of hours instead of it being an all day chore.

I also had to go to the grocery and Sara took me to the commissary. Either the commissary is a whole lot cheaper or I just didn't buy too much. At any rate, that chore was taken care of and we went back to Sara's so I could finish the laundry.

The laundry done, Randy & I headed home. Sara was coming a bit later to have dinner with us. We got home, paid for our week at the park and put groceries away. Sara arrived and I started dinner. We had spinach quesadillas tonight. I think Randy & I must be on the mend 'cause we were able to eat them. :)

We're finishing the evening in front of the TV, as usual. Our new DVR arrived, so tomorrow we'll be back on satellite! YAY! Being the TV-holics that we are, we've missed our DVR and all that it gives us. Lame, I know. But, there you are.

More hanging out with Sara tomorrow. I'll let you know what happens. Until the next time . . .

We Made It

After a rather agonizing (for me) two day drive, we made it to Junction City, Kansas and are parked at Owl's Nest Campground for the next three weeks. I am soooooo ready to sit for awhile and not feel we have to cram everything into a few days.

The drive was agonizing because I was sick as a dog yesterday. I got into the back seat and slept my way through Colorado and into Kansas. I didn't even get my "welcome to Kansas" picture because I was sleeping. Ugh. I hate being nauseous; plus I had a headache on top of it. Not fun.

We spent the night at a rest stop somewhere along I-70 in Kansas. Randy was exhausted because he was just coming off this stomach bug. We both slept for the better part of 10 hours last night. We NEVER do that!

Got back on the road around 8:30 and, with a couple of stops, got to the campground around 12:30ish. After doing the most of the inside set-up routine, I called Sara to let her know we had arrived and told her I was feeling pretty yucky and would check back with her by 5pm. Then, I went to bed. I slept for a couple of hours and woke up feeling a bit better.

Sara came over this evening and we grabbed some subs and brought them back to the rig. Actually, Sara and Randy got subs, I got some chicken noodle soup. Not ready to put a sub in my tummy just yet. We spent the rest of the evening chatting and Sara got a phone call from Kev while she was here, so we all talked to him, too.

Now, it's time for bed. Got a big day tomorrow - bank, groceries, laundry - all those first of the month things. Well, we do go to the grocery and do laundry more often than that, but you know what I mean.

Until the next time . . .

An Update

Yeah, didn't post yesterday because I didn't have anything to say. Now, I know that shocks many of you, but it's true. At least, it's true that I didn't have anything of monumental importance to share. I guess I could have rambled, I'm good at that, but I just didn't feel like it.

Apparently, I've gotten a bit of the bug that bit Randy. Yesterday I was pretty lethargic (yes, more than usual!) and had a nasty headache all day. Randy was feeling better and went out to dinner with Ginny and Tommy so they could see each other a bit before we leave. I just stayed home. Unfortunately, Randy didn't eat smart (goulash?? really?? Not sure what he was thinking . . .) and his system rebelled all evening.

We talked about staying here one more night, but this morning Randy is feeling somewhat better and decided to go ahead and get on the road so that we might stay ahead of the rain. Doesn't really matter how I'm feeling since I'm just along for the ride - my words, not Randy's. ;) We figure we can always stop along the way and let Randy rest if he needs to. One of the nice things about having your house with you!

Was that enough rambling for you? Probably won't post again until we get to Kansas. We'll see how it goes.

Until the next time . . .