We've Moved!!

It's official, we have moved. It has only taken 3+ years but we are finally moved. It is very exciting to live in town again, (after 27 years in the country).

Can you believe I can go to the grocery store in 5 minutes vs 20 minutes and 15 miles. Wow, it is amazing the possibilities. Except for the fact that I will be unpacking "stuff" for the next 10 years it would be really fun to start going and doing. Oh well, time will come.

It was very hard to leave the home that we had lived in for so long. It was so sweet of my two amazing children coming to my rescue the night before we moved. They helped pack and we had a nice time. We really got to spend some quality time with each other, hmmmmm, until like 2:00 a.m. It was fun. Kelli of course was the loser, she had to go to bed 1st!!!

Thank you both of my babies! I love you both so much, much more than a mommy should still want to hold on when her babies are full grown ones. Oh well, I love them, that is so much better than some children get!

Oh my, yes we have moved. This is an adventure and we are going to love it. The hardest part will be finding time for all of the new things we want to do.

I'll let you know how that goes. . . . later, mlm

Trip to Hershey

We left on Monday morning on our vacation and arrived at our campground in Ohio on Monday evening about 6:00 p.m. Yuck!!! The campground was on the side of a mountain and we had to drive up it to get to our site. The site was ok, we had red mud all around the site but a very nice, large concrete patio. We ended up driving about 8 miles to get something to eat at Subway. That was good, we drove back to campground, YUCK!!!

We left the campground on Tuesday morning and drove to a McDonald's at the next exit and had breakfast, YUM!! We then drove and drove and drove to get to Hershey's High Meadow Campground. Very nice campground, very crowded. The sites are really close and when I look out the window in the morning I can see the man next door sitting on his lawn chair drinking coffee and reading paper about 6 feet from me. I don't like that but it is what it is.

We spent Wednesday at the RV show and that was really fun. This picture is when we took the Trolley tour today this is how we saw it from a hill across the street from the Giant Center. The grounds are connected to Hershey Park, Chocolate World and the Hershey Stadium. I guess they hold concerts in the stadium during the summer. The old stadium is where the Philadelphia Eagles trained until 1974.


The mass of white beside the building in the middle is 100's of RV's. Travel trailers, MH's, 5th Wheels, Class A, B, B+ and C.

More kinds of campers than you could ever imagine. In the large building is more fun stuff. Books, carpets, awnings, brochures, clubs to join and even a large store set up by Camping World. Fun stuff, let me tell you, we enjoyed it a lot. We spent about 6 or 7 hours there and we were able to see all that we wanted to. This morning we were pretty lazy and didn't get moving too fast but we then planned to go over to Chocolate World. Mark decided that he wanted to go back to the RV show for about another hour or so and I really didn't so I dropped him off and went in search of a camping world. No luck!

After Mark finished at the RV Show we were ready for lunch and ate at Red Robin. Yum! We then headed over to Chocolate World and took a ride to see how Hershey's makes to the candy we all love so much. We then also headed to the Trolley stop and enjoyed that tour very much. It was where I took most of my pictures.

Tinker is enjoying the trip, she spends most of her time on the road in "her" special place. She also enjoys waiting on us to come back home after the day in "her" place too. See the picture, you will appreciate her perch!

This is a picture of Tinker as we were driving through one of the Tunnels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. She was very interested in this, would sit up and watch through the entire tunnel. Liked the lights I guess.

Well, tomorrow we leave Hershey and head back west. We are planning to drive to Somerset, PA. We are wanting to go to Shanksville, PA, this is where Flight 93 crashed on September 11, 7 years ago today. We are booked at a campground close to that site. We will then leave there on Saturday morning and head home. I don't know how far we will get on Saturday, depends on how early we get started I guess. If possible we will get to Franklin Saturday night, if not Sunday sometime.

This has been a very nice vacation, busy but nice. We enjoyed looking at the RV's and dreaming of that perfect one. We know what we want, we just need to find it! Isn't that always the case?

mlm

My Daddy. . .

I couldn't let today go by without spending a little time with my daddy! Thirteen years ago today I lost my dad. Words aren't invented yet that can express my sorrow. I know that after all of this time I can talk about him and remember him without crying each time. I can enjoy the memories that were so hard to hold so soon after his passing. I can think of him and remember the fun without hurting so badly.

I still can't think about how difficult it was the day he died without wanting to cry. I think that day is just such a part of my heart now that I can and am able to put away the tears for another time. Or, it may be that I know if I allow myself the cry, I may never be able to stop.

How do you lose your daddy without the experience leaving a huge hole in your heart? How does that hole heal? Am I the only one that still thinks about this on this same day each year? I know others miss him, but how could they possibly miss him as much as I do? I know other people remember him and always tell me they do, but do they miss him like I do?

Thirteen years, wow, thirteen years ago the world as I knew it shattered. I knew as an adult that I would someday, as we all do, lose a parent. I just didn't know it was going to be that day. I was unprepared for the huge void. It isn't like I spent hundreds of hours with dad, just minutes, usually at a time. It wasn't that we had long heart to heart talks, it was usually a few words here and there as I called to talk to mom. But, it was that minute here and that word there that was so special.

It's the moments that make the memories that you miss. It isn't the large important things that you think of after you lose your dad. It's the little things. The way they answer a question, the way they held your hand as a child, the things they listened to in the car on the radio. The everyday things that you really seem to forget over time, until, they day they aren't there anymore. Then you remember and somehow, they break your heart.

I still miss you daddy, I always will. I think of you every day, every single time one of my grandkids does something funny, I wish you were here to see it and then I miss you all over again.

Hey Goob, I love you!

Some visitors. . .

Had a few visitors the other day. Miss Tinker was very upset about something and usually this means that she has sighted a squirrel or "the girls" which is what we call the 2 or 3 deer that roam our yard in the evenings. Well she wanted to go out and since we have been hosting a "stinky kitty" family recently (skunks in human language) I thought I should probably check the yard first.

I looked out front and found nothing, looked out back and same story. This doesn't always automatically mean an all clear though. The other night she wanted out and I opened the back door and she rushed out and immediately checked the side of the porch. I stepped out and looked over and aw-oh, you betcha, little stinky kitty, right there! I tried very hard to get Miss Tinker to come back inside and she wasn't having any of it. She wanted to play. All I could think was do I stand here and get sprayed with her or do I go out and pick her up, what is the right thing for a Tinker mommy to do.

Well, Tink gave up when the stinky kitty wouldn't play so I figured by this time if it hadn't sprayed us with the lovely scent that they are so well known for we were probably not going to get it (I bet if it had been mommy SK we would have). Tinker pee-pottied and came straight back into the house. Whew, talk about scared.

Oh well, back to my visitors. I ended up going into Kelli's bedroom and raising the blind and looking out toward the Apple and Pear Trees and sure enough, we had company. Four deer, one of those being a little (or not quite full grown) fawn (still has spots). So the entire time I am taking pictures of these deer, Tink is standing on the bed whoopin and hollerin wanting to go out. I just knew the deer were going to hear her, they didn't.

The deer all slowly, one by one took off over the fence and left the little fawn. He/She ran up and down the fence row and kept wanting to cross, I was scared it was going to try to jump and get caught. It finally ran down fence row and ran across the road. I guess it just thought, when in doubt, just leave em all. haha :~)

I am only going to put a couple pictures in. I wish I could have had a clearer shot, without window and screen in between us. Enjoy!

You can just almost see the spots on the fawn. I wish the window and screen weren't between me and the deer. Maybe next time I can get some pictures of our "Stinky Kitties". Later, mlm

Our Weekend

Wow, what a weekend. The temperature turned off a little cooler and we were able to enjoy it some. Mark was able to relax a little and that was a pure blessing.

We had a busy Saturday, we were able to get the grand kids for the afternoon, we went to visit Kelli at work, we had to move the motor home to the dealership for a service and we had a car service appointment. Whew, we did it! Mark took the kids with him to the dealership and I spent an hour reading while waiting on a part to be installed on the Vue.

After my appointment I met up with them at the dealership and picked them up. They found, while waiting on me, a new motor home that the grand kids thought we should purchase. It was a new Fleetwood that had bunk beds with all of the gadgets they would love (personal DVD player in the ceiling of bunk, personal reading lights, each had their own window, and a little shelf for personal items.) They were in love!!!! :)

We then decided that it was time to go home so everyone could relax a little. The kids played and I got online and checked out email and blogs I like to read. We finished off the evening with a trip to our favorite Mexican restaurant and a trip to the scrapbook store. Weeeee!

We had an early morning on Sunday, Kaitlin swam in the State Swim Meet and we had to be there at 8:00. Way too early for me of course. We drove down on one of the nicest mornings I have seen for a while. Very nice and cool and low humidity. Wonderful day for a swim meet.

Kelli, Robert, Donna & our sweet swimmer,

camping at the State Meet. Kaitlin is waiting

for 1st call and chillin'.

The swimmer on right with dark cap is Kaitlin. The

swimmer on left in yellow cap is the girl that won this heat.

Kaitlin was in the lead and then BAM! this girl just flew to

the finish. Kaitlin still had a great time, just 3/10 of a second

from finishing in the top 16. Less than a "blink".

We were pretty excited about the swim meet, disappointed for Kaitlin, she works and trains so hard that we know she was disappointed, but she can't fault her swim, she did great. She is still so young, there were only 3 eleven year olds that beat her in the top 18.

We finished off the weekend like we have so many, a little shopping, a little putting things away in the house and then headed back to camp for the last "long haul" here. Only 4 more weeks of camp and then we will be able to button up this job/life here and move on to our next one. We are anxious to do that but a little nervous too.

Till next time. . . .mlm

A little of 'this and that" . . .

We have been busy, gearing up for our move and we are really getting excited. We can't hardly believe that it is coming up so quickly. We talked tonight on our way down to spend the weekend that we don't even remember what it is to live a normal life. Whatever normal is!? We won't know what to do if there is a school program and we can just go. We won't have to worry about trying to change our schedule and try to come down and spend the night so we can participate in our grandchildren's lives. We can plan on taking part in so many things that we may make them wish we still lived 2 hours away!

Even though Mark is working 60+ hours each week, he is trying to get some things done at the apartments and we went up to the Bel Aire this week and he put on all of the new porch lights and mailboxes. With all of the new changes we hope everyone is really excited about the front of their little home.

This is the front of Apt. G

So, after the work both evenings I got to go out to eat. No sense driving home and having to cook at 8:00 huh? After driving home on Thursday night, we came down by Fairy Creek and the bottom field was beautiful. See the picture - if you look to the right side of fog you can just almost see the 2 deer standing there.

Foggy Bottoms

I had to go on to the house and get my big camera and go back down, there was more light when we saw it the first time but I still had a little light.

So, that is what we have been up to. Kaitlin is swimming this weekend in the state swim meet and we have our fingers crossed and we are praying for a good solid swim, we wish her the best of luck and I have this to say, "GO RUBY"!

Until later, maybe I will have some major newsy stuff next time instead of just "this and that" stuff!

4th of July Weekend

We had a great weekend with everyone here. Or at least on Friday night and Saturday morning. We had the most unusual 4th of July a person could have.

We started the day with Chili for lunch, Chicken and Noodles for dinner and had lots of cookies and brownies to fill us up. We finished the day with the First Annual Firecracker Egg Hunt! The kids searched for eggs that had a reflective stripe on them. The did this at 10:30 pm with flashlights. (I found these after Easter this last year). I am probably going to see if I can't find something a little more reflective to use for next year though.

Hopefully we will be able to camp next year over the 4th and have a totally different menu. I didn't enjoy the food nearly as much as the fun with the kids.

After the adults all went home Kaitlin and Chase got to stay and we had a fun weekend. We went to Terre Haute and took Uncle Kaleb home and did some shopping at Hobby Lobby and found some new craft projects.

We then met mom and dad to return our sweet cargo on Sunday evening and made the trip back home much quieter than the trip there. It is so hard after they leave, so quiet and we miss them so much. Tinker is able to relax easier and sleeps for 2 days to catch up after all of the excitement but we miss them. I need to get groceries soon though, they eat me out of house and home.

Well, that is the weekend update and grandkid update so hopefully I can stay a little more current with our comings and goings here.

Later!