October 28'th Florida

We made it!!!!
Were finally in Florida, in the panhandle for now,
We were in our first ever tropical storm. It was not as bad as the weather experts were expecting but we did have allot of rain.
The park is mainly filling up with senior snow birds but what do you expect, Florida in the winter is full of them. Nice people and they seem to enjoy watching Lexi running us ragged. She loves the older crowd, she sees them as all grand-parents to her.
The no car is a bit hard seeing that the teens want to eat 3 weeks of food in 1 week and the cupboards are getting bare fast. They have a store at the park but they do not keep it stocked at all times.
Big plus is we have a heated swimming pool here and a HOT tub that is really HOT. There is a lake and boat rentals, a play ground, putt-putt, basket-ball, volley-ball, horse-shoe, movie nights, and a restaurant. We are not bored here at all.
Haley turned 15 while last week and we had a cake for her. Boy these kids sure do grow up fast, don't they? Makes it easier to enjoy them more now that were in a 33 foot space rather than a 3,000 square foot home. You can't help but see them all the time now.

Milan, Michigan July 20'th - Oct. 24'th

We are at KC campgrounds and we were only supposed to stay for 1 month. Sh_t happens and then you change your plans.

Our computer hard drive burned out while we were here and we had to get a new one installed. All our pictures of our travels were on the hard drive so what was not put to our my-space's was all lost. I did have a few on my phone I was able to send to my email and all was not lost completely. But it was a sad moment for me to lose all those memories. I did ask my daughter to back them up on disk a few week before but she put it off (a little to late). Now she does it about every other week. Since she is the one ALWAYS on the computer.

We were here at the same time they had their Milan Blue Grass Festival and it was packed to the gills. Great music and the bands were wonderful. Everyone in the park seemed to play an instrument so when the bands were not playing everyone else was at most corners of the park playing theirs. We met allot of great people and made some new friends.

The day everyone pulled out there was a fire left unattended and it was not in a fire-ring. To the eye it was a mound of ash, to a 2 year old kid walking barefoot it was a pile of sand. Lexi walked over it and it was still HOT and her little feet were burned on the bottom of them. One foot was really bad, the burn was under the curl of her toes. On the up side we were 1 hour away from her pediatrician and it was a month before it was all healed and no infections.

Ready to leave yet? Nope!

My Mother was taken to the hospital and was in serious condition. Didn't want to leave state till she was in the clear.

Leaving on September 24'th and the girls and I were doing last minute running before we hit the road and on the way back to the campground the minivan started to have smoke coming out of the dash. Yep, the dang thing caught on fire. No one was hurt but the van, the van is totaled. It looked like we were stuck here till the insurance was all settled.

Now we are only travelling in our RV and no extra vehicle at this time. We know it will be an adjustment but it will only be temporary.

Now it is October the 23'rd and we are leaving Michigan tomorrow and heading south for the winter. It's getting cold up here to but the fall colors are great. I will miss Michigan's full colors if we never make it back up here again.

On the Positive : Krista and Lexi both had a birthday while we were here. Lexi is now potty trained. Were going to save so much money not paying for an extra vehicle. Snow is not going to find me this year if I can help it.

Have Happy & Safe Halloween!

Jackson, Michgan. June 20'th - July 20'th

We were at Holiday Camp Grounds in Jackson about 1 hour away from family. We drove from Kansas to Michigan straight thru being chased by a big storm. It caught us a hour after we plugged in at the campground and the next morning I had to drive for a family baby shower.
Holiday is a tree filled park that made a hugh mess of the RV and no satellite for a month either.
Eddie hated it more then the kids did.
Our friends Colleen and Gary were at the same park and it was bearable with friends. The management was not too bright and would disappear for a day or two without notice. Not fun when you need change to do laundry. Will not stay there again.
No fire bans in Michigan so we finally get to cook outside over a open flame. We ate allot out side!
We went to our home town for the 4'th to celebrate in the morning and Colleen went with us too, she is my BF's mother. So were both from our small boating community where everyone knows everyone. We had allot of fun! That night the park had karaoke and we had so much fun with the kids and helping them pick songs. Eddie got up there a few times and showed off too.
Our oldest daughter stayed with her Best friend the whole time we were here so we were down to 2 kids mostly when Krista didn't have friends over to stay.
I spent alot of time potty trainning Lexi while we were here, almost getting it.

Northern New Mexico / June 5 - June 16, 2009

On our way to Albuquerque we stopped off at a couple of great places:

First stop was at the Walnut canyon Natl. Monument to see the ruins there and to walk allot of steps. It was a not planned stop but we were happy we took the time to stop there and learn more about history and the people who lived here.

Our second stop was planned and that was the Petrified Forrest. Now that was very beautiful and a great stop to see. It was amazing all the colors in the rock forms that were once trees. I would love to stop here again if we ever get by there again in our future travels.

Now were in Albuquerque and were in a small campground. We went to turquoise Trail and drove over to Madrid which is like a small gypsy art stores and other goodies. This is the town where Maggie's restaurant is in the movie "Wild Hog's". I went back the next day with the girls to do more window shopping and picked up a couple gifts too. Beautiful drive to get there also.

We took one day to do the Rio Grand Zoo and it was a fun relaxing day at the zoo. Always love to watch the baby monkey's with their mothers.

Northern Arizona / June 1 - June 4, 2009

We went to Williams, Arizona to see what else, "The Grand Canyon". We had soo much fun there and Krista looks over the edge and says "it's not so big". I guess teens these days expect more. Lexi made me a bit nervous trying to get a closer look like everyone else. I had some great shots to keep me happy and to remember it all by. (we lost all pics when the computer hard drive burned out and I only backed up a few to my myspace page.)

Then we had a great time at Slide Rock State Park. We first heard of this place through another family's blog on family on the road. What a great time for everyone. Eddie and I jumped off the small jump by the river. We all slid down the natural water slides and had the rock burns and bruises to show for it. Lexi made some little friends in the shallow area. I would love to move here for the view alone.

Our last free day there we decided to let Eddie rest and the girls and I went to route 66 to do some souvenir shopping and have lunch. So much fun window shopping dragging the girls from shop to shop and picking up a few items for friends and family.

California / April 2 - May 30, 2009

We were at Joshua Tree Natl. Park for a week and we had a great time hiking and climbing. If your ever debating whether or not you should go there, you defiantly should. What a wounder of a place, so different in every different area you go too. We saw humming birds there and a desert tortoise. It was a great week!

We drove over to San Diego for a month and a half. We were at the Mission Bay area and we had so much fun at the beaches and parks. The beach shops were a favorite of our oldest daughter, Haley. The amusement park was Krista's favorite hangout and Lexi loved it all! We loved taking Roxy to the dog beaches and parks. Fiesta Island was amazing for dog lovers, you could let them off the leash and they could run the beach and play in the water. Roxy loves to run and swim even though Bulldogs do not do either one very good, if at all. By the way Bulldogs don't swim they sink!

We went to see the harbor seals who took over one beach. Dolphins swimming at mission beach with the surfers. At Mission Bay one day a seal was jumping out of the water trying to catch seagulls. we also went to Cabrillo Natl. Monument and saw the light house and whale look out. We also took the girls down to the tide pools to see what they could find and identify.

Arizona / March 19 - April 1, 2009

We went to Wilcox and we went to so many places there. Cheicaha Natl. Park, Cochise Stronghold Coronado Natl. Forrest, Fort Bowie, Dragoon Rock, Tombstone and a rattle snake store right by there.

At Fort Bowie it was a 3 mile hike and just as we were coming to the last curve to get to the parking area Krista walked up on a 6 foot diamond back who was coiled up and rattle going like crazy laying on the edge of the path. We were stuck waiting there for a half hour , the Ranger was new and unsure what to do. While holding a 2 year old this whole time and I had to carry her half way thru the hike, my back was screaming. I gave up on the Ranger and did a hugh No-No, I walked off the path and far around the area with the rattler and left with my family in tow. Our first and only encounter with a diamondback.

We went to Tusan to meet up with friends of ours. We were not able to stay where they were because they did not allow children there so we went down the street and stayed at BLM land and roughed it for a week. The view was awesome, our own cactus garden and a small mountain to climb right next to us. At night the stars were all over on top of us.

We went to the Saguaro National Park there to view the rock drawings and the grand cacti that is only found that area of the State. We went to Reid Park Zoo and the girls had so much fun seeing all the animals. They had an albino male peacock that was so majestic.

The Last place we visited in Southern Arizona was Maricopa where we went to see the Casa Grand Ruins. It was really interesting and we had a Ranger walk us through and tell us about everything plus she answered all our questions.