Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Rock Springs/Green River KOA


We spent the night at the Rock Springs/Green River KOA.  We had read mixed reviews, but quite honestly, we wanted a full hookup so we could do some laundry and take long, hot showers.  There wasn't a lot of choice in this area - and we were ready to stop.

Positives: 

  • All the amenities you'd expect from a KOA
  • Friendly staff
  • Night check in 
  • 10% Military Discount
  • Conveniently located to I-80
  • Yet, SURPRISINGLY QUIET!!

Cons:
  • The petroleum plant isn't a great view - but we chose to look at the mountains - didn't bother us
  • It was a mud hole. It really was. We knew there would be "gravel sites," but there was very little gravel and mostly dirt.

Actual freight wagon from the early 1900's used by a local homesteader
Mountains ring the campground



 Will we stay here on our return trip? The boys were covered in mud dealing with the hook ups. The RV collected quite a bit of mud inside and out.... we'll stay somewhere else if it is raining when we pass through again.

Otherwise, it's a great overnight stop. Quiet and clean.

It is possible that later in the spring they bring in more gravel?

#ViewFromMyWindshield

I opened the curtain to get the big view and this is what met me!  The very picture of irony!
Not so much ::snort:: 

After a "short," but LONG, night of overnighting with the trucks, I felt anything but rested.  We woke with the trucks in ID....

Drove all day...




... and ended the day in a mud hole in WY.  We PAID to stay at this KOA. LOL

It was a quiet location, with hot showers and electricity.  Perfect, except for the mud. Today we finish our trek through Wyoming and enter Colorado. 

A Name for Baby D2 (BreZaak's Baby)

Excerpt from BreZaak's blog And They Lived Joyfully Ever After

Baby D2 has a real name! Actually, he has had a name for quite a while now. In fact, he was named eight years ago. I took a fancy to his name and the meaning. I wrote in my journal to "my future husband" about it. Years later, when I was pregnant with Bella and we didn't know we were having a girl, Izaak read that entry. The name was the only name we had when we went to the ultra sound where we found out she was a girl. Needless to say, Bella was the wrong child for the name. Baby D2, however, is the right child. Drum roll, please! His name is...   
Via Google Images

Gideon was a biblical judge through whom God gave miraculous victory to the Israelites over the Midianites. He was like you and me in that he was a normal guy with questions, fears, and doubts. Yet, once he had confirmation that he was hearing from God, he led with incredible faith and obedience! He was nothing without God. Yet, God saw what he could be. He sent His angel to him to say, "The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior" (Judges 6:12). His first assignment was to tear down the alter of Baal and the Asherah pole of his father "and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold" (Judges 6:26a). This was such a defining point in his life that his name was changed because of it. Later, God directed him to reduce his army twice. In faith-filled obedience to God; he went from having 32,000 men to 300 men. God wanted it to be known that He had given the victory, not the number of men in their army. After the defeat of their enemies, the Israelites tried to make Gideon their king. He, however, refused saying that God was their king. Israel enjoyed forty years of peace while Gideon was their judge.

He was not perfect. In fact, the Bible records his failings along with his victories. However, he was a valiant warrior who led with incredible faith. God used this man to show His power.

May our son also be valiant, full of faith, and obedient to God. May he be God's warrior to display God's power. May he know that he is a mere man without God and always give the glory to Him. May he be a leader in his generation who tears down strongholds of previous generations. However, may he not (as Gideon did) establish new strongholds. Rather, may he establish alters to God that would last for future generations. May the Lord be ever with him!

His middle names are a tribute to Izaak and I's fathers. Both of those men are a part of our story and thus a part of Gideon's story.

As a tribute to Izaak's father, Tom, he will have Tom's middle name: Vinton. This is a family name that has been passed down for five generations. Gideon will be the sixth generation. We do not know it's meaning. However, we wonder if it is related to Vincent (meaning: conquering) and Vinson (meaning: the conqueror's son).

Gideon will also receive my father's name: Michael. Michael means "who is like the Lord?" May he be a man that ever points people to God has his Grandpa Mike before him has. May he be a strong, gentle, gracious, leader as his Grandpa Mike is.

We haven't decided the order of his middle names, but these will be them.

My Mobile Workstation

On our first few road trips we talked how it would be nice to have a traveling desk. Dad G had made something similar for outside BBQ's. Mom G heard us discussing and gave us the lap desk. We tried it out. It had potential...but we quickly discovered the mouse (pens, mifi etc) would continually fall off the desk. Michael set about making a travel desk for me.
Desk NOT actually in use! ::wink:: 
It's quite large and pretty. He loves me well. He built a lip around it to keep things from sliding off . He envisioned me being able to work, blog, communicate and stream movies in comfort on travel days.

I discovered it worked for watching movies or while sitting outside. 

As we chug down the highway, I've discovered it works great for it's main purpose! Michael also put in a cup holder that fits my water bottle beside the front passenger seat. I'm traveling in comfort.