Day 4 - From Aliens to Gherkins

We made it - 0615 start.

Travel Tip of the Day: Early trips and long miles are worth it when Gherkins wait on the other end.

AT the risk of being accused of having a "Texan Attitude," I must say, "Y'all within a mile of crossing into TX it got pretty. Green fields, wild flowers, blooming cacti and oil wells."

Flat - but colorful!

 

Yes, Michael did pull the Beast and the Caboose off the road to take cactus pictures. COLOR, y'all!

We arrived in time for lunch with Jamin and Jared.  Josiah had some coaching sessions set up with employees from Chick Fil A (CFA). CFA has a goal of high performance teams vs. the  typical managerial chain. Josiah has written a curriculum which he uses to equip employees as they develop a vision for leadership, for the company, and for their lives. It's good stuff. If I were still training women's ministry leadership teams I'd steal it. ::snort::  I'm proud of the team he has built. He's worked himself out of a job and will be looking to do the same in other spots, "soon."  He joined us after his meetings.

We headed over to Josiah's apartment. Basketball was the agenda for the day.   Everyone headed to our "campsite" at Lake Nasworthy. The Fam camp is full of full-time RVers...but they now have electric/water sites for $15 a night - basically a parking lot - and we parked there. Beats $300 a night of past visits. LOL  Unfortunately, with a site in Siberia, we don't receive wifi in the Caboose. It's the small things....happy to be up early and sitting in the laundry room to post a couple of blog posts. Seems to take an hour to publish one post - I may get behind. LOL

We walked along the lake. We'd hoped our grand dog Cody, would take to Yuuki. Unfortunately, both dogs seem to have a "thing" about the other receiving affection. sigh.



 

A big fish jumped, we were distracted and Cody jumped in. He loves the water. Yuuki loves the water from the front of a kayak.

 

More basketball

 I found Arielle sitting at the top of this play structure. She remembers it being a "rocket ship" or a "Disney castle."  I suspected she was thinking of her upcoming graduation, move and friends of the past that aren't here this visit. We miss Emma.  I ventured over for a photo and asked her - sure enough - remembering. So am I.

Day 3 - The Quirkiest Town in America

Travel Tip of the Day - To prepare for grooming at campgrounds: take a cookie sheet, nail it to the wall, now apply your makeup.

We are getting travel days down to a fine art.  I wake up early. I take Yuuki for a 40 - 60 min walk. I wake everyone else up and we head for the shower house. We grab a "road breakfast,"  button up The Caboose and take off.

Arielle specifically told Yuuki she could not have the seat by the window - 100 miles later Yuuki had the seat AND the blanket.

 

Eventually, they shared.

We stop for lunch at a Pilot or Flying J. Michael fills up while I run the kids through the restroom and get seated at Denny's. We order. I get Yuuki and walk around with her - good for both of us - until the food arrives. I've been getting 10 - 13K steps a day - even with sitting for 10 - 12 hours in the van. Denny's makes a special veggie skillet for Arielle and me - we just had to figure out what to ask for.  Today, we extended beyond both sides of the RV parking space. LOL

 

We saw a lot of this.....

 

Until we saw this - proof that Walmart is an alien tool

 

At the campground, Yuuki vows to protect us from all aliens until Michael returns.

 Yes, we are spending the night in America's Quirkiest Town - Roswell, New Mexico. We arrived, set up in TEN MINUTES, and then walked around town and enjoyed the sights.

 

INTERNATIONAL UFO Museum and Research Center - unfortunately, it was closed. I really wanted to check this out.

 

This business sign cracked me up.

Zander, Nolan, Arielle, "Bob", Me and Stacia and "Larry"

 

 Another Christian Store

Weather Balloon Pilots...

 Funny to see the town war between Southwest and Alien themed decor - they go so well together

 

Primitive Baptists meet at the UFO center

 

 

We finished the night with evening snacks, tea and UNO.....and a bit of "minor surgery" for Nolan.

 

Stacia hid in her bunk and yelled out helpful statements such as, "Is it bleeding yet?" and "Are you done stabbing Nolan yet?"

 

 

tomorrow we'll get an 0600 start and arrive in San Angelo. 

Day 2 - Edwards AFB, CA - Holbrook, AZ

We started the day in our $5 budget RV spot at Edwards AFB.....

 

Some roads really do lead nowhere - and this is one them at EAFB

 

Yuuki enjoys a seat to herself while the kids watch Frozen

 

The highlight of the day was a whole BUS LOAD of Japanese Senior Citizen tourists we ran into in a desolated spot in AZ. I wanted to tell them all America is not like THIS. To be honest - America IS beautiful, but we've seen a whole lot of ugly today.  It was hot, run down, dusty....and they were SO impressed with the trailer and the big trucks. "Sagoi, Sagoi....Oki".....and Michael sat at the wheel and had many photos taken.

 

 

We stopped for the night in Holbrook, AZ.  Odd RV park - looks like they leveled 1/2 of a trailer park and built an RV park..... Arielle and I quickly spotted "Creepy man" as we headed to the showerhouse. He has no tent or RV....just pulled his car off across from us and sits......

 

I thought it would be nice to bring the fruit "bowl" into the trailer....nope...going to need to find something smaller when we move in. LOL

 

Chilling.....

 

In her space bubble

Valet Parking - for a TRAILER

Our adventure began in Roseville at Sutter Medical Center.  Travel Tip of the day: "Valet Parking" does not include 31 foot trailer pulled by 15 passenger vans.

We were early and still had time to drive around the medical complex a few times; then the general area. We settled on the back row of parking in a ginormous gym. Wow - this place was huge. It was very busy too for a Monday mid-day.  Michael walked to his appointment and the rest of us settled for about an hour long wait. It was 1115.

I realized this would be the perfect time to make some lunch so we could hit the road without delay after the appointment. 

After lunch the kids elected to remain in the van, "where it was warm,"  and read. Yuuki and I got in a quick mile. We expected Michael back at any time.

Hour two the kids came out of the van and displayed their exceptional inventiveness.


Various versions of Follow the Leader on the curb

Curb Gliding

I shudder to think what would have happened with another hour. We hit the hwy around 1330 - such as it is. We drove until nearly 2300 and ended up here....the overflow parking for Edwards AFB Fam Camp. It's not too bad....we have no electric - but we have lights, a bit of water, left the caboose connected to the trailer for a quick departure in the a.m.

Yes it IS a fam camp - see the red through the trees - Burger King

As it is nearing midnight, we won't get an early start tomorrow - making for another late night - but each day is a day closer to the Texan Gherkins.

Mother's Day 2015

Texts, phone calls, emails....a holiday celebrated well......

 

I am ALWAYS the first one up. This morning I found Stacia and Arielle up. They were busy decorating.

A Pinterest find.....fun pencils, chocolate and bracelets made by Stacia inside the flower centers.

 

Stacia was in charge of decorating and Arielle graciously helped her.

 

By 0630 she was out.

 Next on our agenda was church. After church we had a celebratory lunch at Burger King - because it was convenient, wouldn't be crowded and I HATE eating out on holidays with crowded restaurants. The men went to finish work on the trailer....bless them...it took all day....but they got er done and saved us bucks in the process.

We spent time in the evening to enjoy the loving touches from the kids....

 

Another encouragement to look forward....flamingos and trailer living.

 

Michael bought me these

 

The boys got me teeny tiny office in a box - for the trailer.

 

Sporting new glasses and bracelets made by Stacia

 

A box came earlier in the week. I thought it MAY be something the kids or Michael had ordered. I waited. No one claimed it. I finally asked. No one had ordered anything. Turns out it was a gift from BreZaak. Check it out.....one of the first things I do after each move is put down and welcome mat - and the last thing I do is take it up.....again reminding me that home is not in a state....

Transcripts, Repairs and Snowmen

Saturday was FULL.....

It wouldn't be a trip without a bit of pre-trip repairs. Michael and the boys spent the day discovering why the front side siding of the Caboose is pulling loose and fixing it......It would seem someone discovered they'd cut the front piece too short.....so they simply adjusted their cutting and covered it with trim....this would also explain the water damage in the front closets. The men filled it, glued all the siding back on and put the trim back.

Meanwhile, back at home, it was finally time to take the Christmas wreath and snowmen down.....all but this one which Arielle said needs to keep bringing cheer until we move.

The girls and I spent the day talking with neighbors  and working on transcripts.  Our neighbor wants to buy our trailer if Michael decides to buy an RV - oy vey!

Inputting all the grades onto the transcript gave visible proof that Arielle is s stealth student. She'd completed courses I didn't even know she was taking. She went through the shelves and did courses all the others had requested from time to time.....a very full transcript....and a very impressive one as well. She has ONE .5 credit class that was not an A.....she has two more classes to finish but at this point her GPA is 3.96. I hate to award A's because I'm aware of the "Mommy grade" perception among non-homeschoolers.....but when the tests add up to 99 - they do.  The fact that her sisters graduated at the tip top of their class from the college she is applying too - may help to alleviate the perception of mommy grades. Honestly, she'll need to learn a new way of learning to excel in college....lecture and notes.....and she tends to fall asleep. LOL