And then there were 4!

On April 18, we were camped in Houston, which is, by-the-way, the most sprawled out city I have ever seen!  The 2 days we were there, it was beautiful: (the weather, not the city): clear skies, warm temp, slight breeze, no humidity.  It is probably the only 2 days in the year it is that nice.

We had a yummy, Tim-cooked meal that night.  Mar made the salads.

Tim grilled Caribbean Jerk chicken, potatoes, and zucchini.

Yummy food eaten outside by our RV.

Then by a unanimous vote, Abe was elected to do the dishes.  He put up a little bit of a fuss, but did them anyway.  It was awesome:  We had used real plates and salad bowls for each one of us so there were lots of them to wash! :)

Marci reading in bed the night before she flew home.

We dropped Marci off at the Houston airport.  Sorry she had to go back home, but glad we had her for a week, and look forward to her re-joining us later in CA.

Then we headed back across the gi-normous city of Houston to the NW part to go see Tim's aunt.  She is Phyllis' sister - almost 80 years old, and Tim hadn't seen her in about 30 years.  I had never met her.  She fixed us lunch and we had a couple of hours together.

I asked Conni later if she thought Aunt Marilyn looked like Grandmommy.  She replied, "No, but her house looks like Grandmommy's.  All the pretty breakables, the doilies, the dishes."  It was a blessing to meet Marilyn - I look forward to seeing her again, some day.

From Houston, we headed to San Antonio.  We found a nice RV park 3 miles from downtown.  As soon as we got set up, we took a bus into the middle of town and got dropped off at the Riverwalk. Tim and I have been here before, and we loved it.  Now the kids know what the Riverwalk is!  Here they are overlooking it.

We took a vote on what to eat for dinner - it was either BBQ (County Line) or Mexican.  Mexican won out...probably because Abe was the loudest.  We ate at the Original Mexican Restaurant.  Yummy!  Tim's enchilada was the best.  Of course, there was live entertainment.  (And I'm not talking about Conni feeding the ducks under our table, or dumping an entire cup of water in Abe's lap.)  Three guys came up to our table and asked if we would like them to sing us a song.  They suggested a couple.  One of them was La Cucaracha.  I said, "Oh yeah!  I know that one.  Please do!"  They strummed a couple of chords warming up then told me they would charge me $10 to sing it!  I floundered around trying to take back my request.  $10 to sing me a song?  In a language I can only understand about 12 words?  Not so much.  I smiled very sweetly at them, said no in two different languages, then turned to talk to Abe.  I believe they got the point, but I felt a little stupid.

As we were leaving the restaurant, the musicians were at another table.  They played while this guy stood up and sang to his wife.  They were celebrating 52 years together.  It was really neat and he could really sing.  Of course, we couldn't understand a word, but we still enjoyed his voice and the way he looked at his wife.

We needed to catch the 9:30 bus back to the campground, so after dinner, we headed up to find our pick-up spot.  We stopped and asked a policeman.  He sent us to a stop about 4 blocks away and we only had a few minutes to make it.  So here we are: Full bellies, all in flip-flops, me with a camera hanging off my shoulder, Tim trying to look at a map, and all of us running.  Obvious tourists?  I bet so.  As we arrived at the bus stop, it went flying by with a cloud of obnoxious diesel exhaust.  Bummer.  We missed it.  Tim called the number on the bus stop sign to find out how long before the next bus came by.  Only a 20 minute wait.  While he was on the phone, a drunken pedestrian came up to Abe, Conni and me.  He wanted to know why we were in San Antonio. We ignored him.  He then told us NOT to ask him what he was doing in San Antonio.  I told him we wouldn't.  He kept walking up closer and closer to us.  Then Tim, who was still on the phone, stepped in between us and asked him to leave us alone and go away.  He hung his head, grumbled, and walked away.  I admit, I was a bit disappointed.  It could've been interesting!  It's not every day in Charlottesville that I run into that type of thing.  :)
So there we are at the bus stop.  Tim and I can happily sit there and visit (and people watch) for 20 minutes.  Pretty soon, Abe and Conni start finding things to do.

The next time you are hung out at a bus stop, you might try this to help pass the time. :)

We made it back to the RV just fine.  Today, which is my birthday, we've just hung around here.  I did laundry, Conni rollerbladed several miles around the campground.  Tim has run to the store to get a few groceries...grilling burgers for dinner tonight!
Then for a special birthday surprise, (for Abe, not me.)Tim is taking Abe to the Spurs/Lakers game tonight.  Yeah, I know.  Seems a little backwards, but this opportunity doesn't come along very often. We can always celebrate my bday tomorrow or some other sunny day.

We plan on being here through Saturday night.  Tomorrow we'll be hitting the Riverwalk (and some good BBQ), the Alalmo, and Imax.
Love my family, love my RV, love my life! :)
Until next time!

Did you know?

Did you know:

That Mississippi has killer mosquitoes? After one has "lunched" on you, you have an enormous welt.

That the Gulf Coast provides free, do-it-yourself facials? (Probably left over oil spill sludge:)

That on the coast of MS, most all the houses are on stilts? Why would you want to live in a place where you have to climb a honking set of stairs to bring in the groceries? Why would you want to have to worry that the next hurricane might be the "Big One"?

That Bubba is not just a familiar family name for your uncle, brother, cousin, or neighbor; it can also work as a business name in the deep South?

That there is a very nice RV park smack dab in the heart of New Orleans in the French Quarter?

That we never go anywhere without a basketball?  And that it comes out of the RV at basically every stop?

That the French Quarter is a whole different culture in itself?

That Cajun food is scrumptious?

That every other store on Bourbon Street has Mardi Gras beads and masks to sell?

That the streets in the French Quarter are narrow? That there are some really cool houses there?

That there are some really interesting people in the French Quarter? :)

That beignets are absolutely delicious? Wow. That was a first for us. Hot beignets and cafe lattes for breakfast. Mmmmm. Thanks to Bill and Belinda for the recommendation!

That half the highways across the state of LA are up on bridges? Swampville.

That traveling in an RV is so luxurious?  I just love it!

That 24 years ago today, I married my best friend?  What better way to celebrate our anniversary than a cross-country trip with our kids!

That's it for now. Just a few "Did-you-knows" to share.

BTW, just crossed into TX.  Saw a sign for El Paso: 857 miles!

Have a great week all our family and friends!

Bets you should never accept.

Abe likes to "bet" on things. There are two major problems with his bets, as you'll see.

As we are driving through MS, going over swampy water, he bets me $5 to swim across the canal.

(All I can think is alligators and snakes everywhere.)

Another bridge in MS: "I'll give you $10 to jump off this bridge into that water." (The bridge is only 25 ft high and the water is crawling with reptiles.)

Huge puddles in the middle of the road in the French Quarter: (To Marci) "I'll give you $5 if you go sit in that puddle."

Another huge puddle on the way to where our RV was parked: (Again to Marci) "I'll give you $20 if you go turn a full-on somersault in the middle of that puddle."

To Tim: "I'll give you $2 to give yourself a wedgie."

Problems with these:

1. They are rather stupid bets. I mean, who wants to swim with alligators; or sit in an oily rain puddle in the middle of any street.

2. Here's the biggest problem: He's CHEAP! $5 to sit in a puddle? Marci told him she'd do it for $20...he wouldn't take her up on it.

I came up with one for Abe:

We were in Smoky Bones restaurant. I told him I'd give him $10 to go sit at some random strangers table and act like he was supposed to be there. He would have to smile, chat, and laugh with them just as if he knew them and they were expecting him. Did he accept? NO! Chicken.

For $10, I would sit at a strangers table and chat with them.

For $5, I WILL NOT swim across a reptile infested canal.

If Abe ever says "I'll give you $___ to do________, watch out. You just might come out on the bad end of the deal. :)

BTW, here's my chauffeur:

Sick? Or sane?

I admit I am not an animal lover.

Neither is Tim.

How then, did we beget a daughter that is an animal lover? Must be some hidden dormant gene that came through on her.

I think the only good animal is one that is useful for something. Such as cows, horses, chickens, pigs, goats.  (Notice all of these belong outside.)  Dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, snakes, rabbits, etc totally miss me. True, they can be cute. But my life is just fine without them.

Some people have asked me how in the world I can have a rabbit or a snake in my house. I probably wouldn't/couldn't have a year ago. However, I've learned something. I've learned that it's not about ME. Just because I don't like, need, or want the animal, doesn't mean that someone I love doesn't like, need, or want it. 


 I had a revelation this past winter:

I can support and thoroughly enjoy Abe's basketball games. I love going to them and cheering him on. I can support Marci and her business of doing hair and makeup for weddings. We discuss her business, we look at pictures, we do consults at our house. Both of these are easy for me because I find both of these topics fun and interesting. But...can I support Conni and her animals? Loving animals, rescuing animals, researching animals...animals are her PASSION!

It's easy to support something you personally enjoy. But what about something you DON'T enjoy? Something you could care less about? Does it always have to be the way I see it? Does it have to be about ME?

Thus, my revelation.

This is something I prayed about. I realized my daughter was not outgrowing her love/passion for animals. It was only intensifying as she got older. God helped me to see it's ok for my kids to have interests that aren't necessarily mine. And it's not only ok, it's GOOD to support them in their passions and callings.

So now you know why we've had a 4 ft. ball python in our house for the last 5 months; why we've had a very large rabbit hopping around the schoolroom for 3 months; why there's a turtle constantly splashing and clanking in it's tank in the schoolroom; and why we have a miniature poodle in the RV with us on a 9 week trip.

That being said, I hate to admit my reaction when Conni got a rescue call on Wednesday - the day before we left - to come save a baby squirrel. A neighbor"s cat caught and killed a mother squirrel (which is exactly what cats are supposed to do) and there were 3 babies left orphaned. (Dumb cat - he could've had all 4!)

So...Conni to the rescue. In short, one baby was saved. (I guess this is something I should be thankful for.) And yes, it is with us on our trip.

So, with Rue and Bear, we have some very interesting moments. Here are a few pictures to show what it's like traveling with pets.

He likes to be able to see out front.  This means the front seat, or......

...the dash!

Bear prefers the front seat.   Unfortunately, this means my lap.

This is my favorite place for Rue to travel:

Conni made this pouch for him.  She just hangs it from the lamp and he swings merrily away just like in a tree.

He likes riding in her hoodie, too.  Any place tight and snuggly.

You never know where Rue will end up when he's allowed to run loose. :)

He's so cute when he drinks out of his bottle.

When I won't let Bear get on my lap, this is where he ends up.

At the beach in Bay St. Louis, MS.  Yes, that is a doggy life jacket.  

As if he needs it.  The little wimp will barely get his paws wet!

This is where Bear prefers to stay on the beach....under my lawn chair!

Rue wasn't quite sure what to make of the sand. I was hoping he'd want to become a beach squirrel, but no luck.

So there you have a few snippets of life in an RV with  pets.  I'm doing okay with it...most of the time.  Two nights ago, I woke up to scritching and scratching.  Rue had gotten out of his box and came to the back room, under the door, and up on our bed.  He was crawling up on my covers; up to my neck.  I plucked him off and just winged him across the room.  There was a small thunk; but he must've been ok because he came back.  After the second time of waking me up; getting thrown; and coming back again, I finally got up and put him back in his box with a heavy weight on the top so he couldn't get out again.

Then this morning there was another throwing episode when he jumped off the couch onto the kitchen counter and landed in the butter.  I. was. not. happy.  He found out he was a flying squirrel!  Fortunately, (for him), he landed on a pillow.  Unfortunately, (for me), I had to clean butter off the pillow.

Animals or no, we're having a lovely time together.  Today is a gorgeous day on the beach.  I hope everyone is having a great day wherever you are!  Talk to you another day; in another state!

And the name is.......(drum roll)

Actually, we still haven't decided.

Wow. What participation and "help" we've had in choosing a name! There are over 30 suggestions. Some are cute, some are clever, and some are downright corny. Give us another day or so...I'm sure something will hit us just right.

Meanwhile.... We managed to leave on Thursday, only an hour later than planned.

Of course there was last minute rushing around...trying to remember everything. Got jackets? Cell phones? Chargers? Pillows? 3 kids? Bear? Squirrel?

Yes, I said squirrel. Why did someone have to call with a squirrel rescue mission the day before we left? I would gladly have left the little blighter to Mother Nature, but not Conni! Within an hour or so, she had researched squirrels, made him a nest, found a formula recipe, made it, and had "Rue" drinking it like he knew what he was doing! He IS adorable, but he's still an animal and like all animals, he poops and pees. I'll just leave it at that.

Our first stop: Liberty at Pantops to fill up.  $3.99/gal.  Oh boy.  Is this the lowest we'll see?

Next stop was Camping World in Roanoke.  We had ordered a part for the RV and needed to get it installed.  While we were there, Tim put Mar and Abe to work.

Conni kept busy tending to Bear and Rue.

Our first night on the road...and yes, it's true that Walmart welcomes RV's.  Probably because they never leave without going in and buying something. :)  This is south of Charlotte, NC.

The next day, we pulled into Augusta, GA in time to have lunch with John Owens and his daughter, Lisa.  John owns a Ben Franklin Plumbing franchise in N. Augusta.  We've known him for years now and really enjoy any chance we get to be with him and his family.

Marci in the drivers seat.  She got to drive from Augusta through Atlanta and on down 85.  Nice job, Mar!  Especially with all the traffic and construction in Atlanta.

When it got dark, Abe retired to the back room and spent a little quality time on the PS3.

Today, we spent 3 or 4 hours at the beach in Gulf Shores, AL.  Only problem is, Tim didn't make it to the beach before he crashed. :)

Mar snoozing on the white sandy beach.

Abe napping too.  (When he wasn't whining about how windy it was.)  It really was windy.  Red flags were flying.  The blowing sand really stung.  But it was a pretty beach.  Nice sand, big waves.

This picture is for a few friends of mine.  Remember I promised to think of you and spend a few extra minutes in the sun just for you?  Proof I was on the beach!

And now, we're cruising West on I10.  Headed to Bay St. Louis, MS.  And this is me....

How awesome is that?  We're driving down the road, I'm blogging on my laptop, the girls are fixing dinner, and Abe is stretched out giving orders.  I can't tell you how nice it is to travel in this coach.  The seats are so nice and comfy.  I can sit or lie down when I want.  I can make lattes for everyone when we want them.  So relaxing and so enjoyable!  I'm so thankful for this opportunity.

And that ends day 3 for us.  Dinner is ready!  I think my next post will be about "What it's like to travel with pets".  Interesting times and pictures.

Have a great weekend everybody!  We'll have a name for this rig soon!

Suggestions wanted...

Only 4 more days.....then USA, here we come!

We leave on Thursday to begin our 9 week cross-country trip. It is one of those things that's been on our bucket list for years and is finally coming true.

I would like to introduce you to _______?_________. She is a 38 ft. Holiday Rambler coach.  This will be our home-away-from-home for the next couple of months.

She's as big as a boat!

She's got 3 nice size pop-outs.  Makes for very nice living space inside.

Our dilemma is this:  What to call her?  With a trip of this length, this magnitude, this importance; it only seems right and fair that we give her a name.


So...we are taking suggestions!  Please send us any and all ideas. We will vote on them as a family and the lucky winner will win:


An all expense paid postcard from some random state we travel through!  :)  


Now, don't be shy about your suggestions.  We've already received several.  Everything from Bertha (sorry, that's my great-grandmother's name) to Lady Gaga.  Lucy, Lizzie, Babe, etc.


Conni got under here with the hose and cleaned out the storage space.  Ready to fill up!

 Today, we spent some time going through all our camping gear and choosing what goes with us.  Looked kinda like a yard sale for a little while!

Still lots to do.  But we're having a blast getting ready.  We will be taking our computer and blogging our trip.  That way, you can keep up with us and see what we're seeing.


Thanks for your input on names. Can't wait to see what we get!


Have a nice week, everyone!