Travel quotes

My kids make me laugh. Now that I think about it, my whole family makes me laugh. A lot! And when the rest of them aren't saying something funny, they make fun of me. So I decided to keep track of some of the funny things they (we) say.  I'll probably update this post periodically.

If I had it to do all over again...

This trip has exceeded my expectations. From amazing landscapes and wonderful small towns to incredibly educational museums and the nicest, most welcoming people any where in the world, I have gotten more out of this adventure than I planned.

Mine craft family night

We had a mine craft family night last Sunday. Minecraft is a video game that Aaron and I love. It is a game where you can load a world and live like a king or start from scratch.

New fitbits!

Us and The Setzer family were having some trouble with walking. So my dad challenged them to a walking showdown. Loser family has to buy ice cream for the other family.

 So we all got new fitbits and we are walking like crazy. So much so that my mom wouldn't let me in the house until I got 2,000 steps one day. And she says next week we have to walk 10,000 steps at the same time!  We are in the lead right now!

Papa met the Setzer family online and there're really nice. Doug and Mandy Setzer have two children, Logan and Paige. Paige is my age and Logan is three years old. I hit it off with Paige and so we are friends now. It makes me feel good to know I have a friend that's just as crazy as me.  I can't wait to see them again at the rally!

We are going to Tampa for a not back to school rally. It's going to be AWESOME! There is going to be a talent show there. I'm probably going to twirl and there's a little girl that wants to do ballet but has never done it before. I can't wait to see her.  I know she will be great! Paige is hosting the talent show. I wish I could have hosted the talent show. Organizing is just my thing.

We are at Lake City at the moment and it is Tuesday, and Paige will join us on soon.This campground is called oak 'n pines. We are staying here for two weeks. We were supposed to stay at the last campground for one week and this one for one week but we didn't like the last one so we left the day after we got there. I just realized that I got way off topic. 

So the blogs take a long time to post so each paragraph is about 2 days apart. Paige is with us now and it is super fun to have her around. We might be able to have a sleep over tonight. Her little brother Logan is the most adorable three year old ever.  That's all for now so I will se you next time, BYE!!!!

3 weeks in Minnesota don't ya know...

After leaving Wisconsin, we made our first venture into totally uncharted territory when we headed for Minnesota.  None of us had ever been there, so no one really knew what to expect.  Luckily we were pleasantly surprised!

Mall of America

LWe spent a week at a campground near a casino called Mystic Lake. The property was on a Dakotah Sioux reservation. It is located south of the twin cities: Minneapolis and St Paul.

The highlight of the week was going to the Mall of America. We actually were able to go twice. The first time we walked around and looked in stores but didn't buy anything. The second visit my grandma went with us.  This was when I got my ears pierced at the mall. I chose the amethyst earrings. It is my birthstone, that is why I chose it. It is also my favorite color. 

Minnesota fur traders

We went to Murphy's Landing in Shakopee, MN. There was an old fur trader's log house from the 1840s. The fur trader got furs from the Dakotahs and traded for things like copper pot, tools, and other stuff from the white man. The fur trader sold the furs to people in Europe for lots of money.

I got to touch a lot of furs. Mink, bear, otter, deer, beaver, fox and more. There was a really old stove for a fire to cook and keep the place warm. There was a bed that had furs for blankets. 

Crossing the Mississippi River

We went to the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca state Park. Headwaters meens start.

We walked down a short path from the parking lot, over a bridge and there was the beginning of the river. I saw stones from one side to the other, a bridge made out of a log that was cut in half and a few people. I ran across the log bridge and then walked across the stones. The third time I tried to cross I got my foot a little wet. The water was really cold!

Camping with Aunt Pam

We didn't get to play with our electronics very much on the trip to Devils Lake. It wasn't really a bad thing though because it got us outside more. We only had electric hookups. We didn't have water, we had to fill up our fresh water before we got there. It was hard. The bathhouses were clean. 

Beanboozeled around the campfire

I had been wanting to do the beanboozled challenge for months now. We tried to do it a few times but it was never the right time. I saw the challenge on YouTube.

It's not easy bein cheesy!

For the past 2+ weeks we've been running all over "Cheesehead" land.  It's been a very enjoyable stay and I wanted to share some overall thoughts about the state...as well as update on some of the sights we were lucky enough to experience.

Heading North...

Well...here I am with a late post again.  We've got plenty to catch up on, so let's get jammin!

We'll Be Back!!

Our goal when we started on this journey was to travel along the east coast and then north to Minnesota and follow the Mississippi River back to the Gulf. We roughly planned this to be a six month trip. I believe it was before we left Florida that we began making plans for additional trips to Canada, out west, and New England. We quickly realized that full timing could be a reality for the next few years.

Maker faire Cincinnati

We went to maker faire Cincinnati.it was great. 

The Ping Pong ball explosion was my favorite thing. They put liquid nitrogen in a bottle and put it in a trash can full of 576 ping pong balls and it blew up. There were ping pong balls everywhere. I helped clean it up.

$400 well spent!

For those of you who follow this blog, you probably remember a story about a campsite in the hills of Ohio where I had 'No Service' and had to leave sooner than I would have liked in order to work.  That episode of our journey set another wheel in motion.  I started to seriously consider a cellular booster.

Catching up the last three states (WV, OH, IN)

Ok...so I know I promised some of you I'd be better about timely blogging...but it's so easy to just let my eyes close and start snoring....  Anyway...I promise again...let's see how it goes this time😀

To recap, we've rolled through or into 3 new states since my last post.  I'm going to try to stay with the highlights as much as I can in the interest of actually getting this done, so bear with me, but be warned...it's going to be a long one!

Planning vs. wingin' it

We started this journey with a solid plan in place. While we didn't have reservations for each week, we had mapped out where we thought we would be. That all changed after we had moved out of our house but before we pulled out of Florida. 

Everything was going fine until a holiday showed up on the calendar and we had no reservations. Steve and I called half a dozen campgrounds and all were booked. Crazy thoughts went through my mind but mostly the realization that we were homeless. Seriously! We can't just stay in a Walmart parking lot for three days. Our camper is too big for most state parks. I just knew we were doomed. 

We finally found a KOA in Indy. We paid way too much for a campground but we have a place to stay! 

Enjoy the rest of your night...I'm off to book Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hell, I might even book into the next year. 

Little Farm on the River Campground review

We found Little Farm on the River campground through Passport America. It's located in Rising Sun, IN. There are two places on the property to camp - down the hill next to the Ohio River or up the hill next to the pool and game room. We chose to be by the pool. The upper campsites are about a quarter mile from the river. It was a perfect bike ride by the corn field.

Ohio Caverns

IThe first thing I noticed when I walked in the cavern was that it was really dark and cold. The guide turned off the lights and I couldn't see anything. I have never been in dark like that before. 

The difference between caves and caverns is caves have an opening and caverns have to be discovered. These caverns were discovered in the 1800s. 

We're lost, but we're making good time. -Yogi Berra

This trip is providing me with many learning opportunities. We change our direction of travel every day. I have had to jump out of the truck on a country road and run to the other side of an overpass to be sure we had enough clearance for the trailer. I have climbed on top of the camper a few times to clean it and to check for damage when we "hit" a tree branch. I have even done maintenance on our black tanks. And still, every day I wake up I know we made the right decision to take this trip.

I love this picture...

My sweet Stephanie is growing up!

My First Junior Olympics

 I competed in my first Junior Olympics this year. It was held in Virginia Beach. It was 3 days long. I only did 4-6 routines every day. I did not eat much at all. I bought a baton and costume for my doll Ella. Back stage might sound fancy but it was not at all. It wasn't bad but it was just a black curtain with a hole in it.  The cool thing about back stage is that you are allowed to stick your head out to watch the twirlers that are on. It is fun to watch the other twirlers. I had lots of fun. 

There's no place like Grandma's

I moved to Florida about 13 years ago. I got married and had kids in Florida. Steve and I bought a house in Florida. I had a great life in Florida except that I was so far from my family. My mom and dad have made a lot of effort to visit and spend time with the grandkids but there is nothing like living so close you can go to Grandma's whenever you want!

We experienced that this past week. My dad worked really hard to create a full hookup site on his property next to the old country store he and my mom are remodeling. We had a great view of the mountains, deer crossed close by every night and the kids spent most of their time with Grandma and Grandfather. We met on the porch every morning for coffee and every evening for a glass of sangria. We spent the days together tubing, gardening, swimming in the community pool, playing games and just visiting. We spent good, quality time together and created many memories of family time. 

We are sad to leave but excited for the next leg of our journey! Look out West Virginia...here comes the Church Family!

The rules are different on the other side of the yard!

We stayed at Grandma's house for more than a week. It was great! We didn't have to do any work, we could eat junk food whenever. We were living the life. 

Papa clatterbuck died before we got there so we had a service for him and afterwards we had a cookout. I miss him a lot. 

My family surprised me with a twirling baner to cheer me on for J.R. Olympics. It was super pretty. My cousin Madison made it. 

We went tubing on a river caled the James river. 

We watched a lot ov tv while I was sick. I watched the old fashioned batman for the first time. It was pathetic compared to the newer one. We also watched Star Trek. All I can say is: I LOVE TRIBLES! I have two stuffiez ( stuffed animals ) that look just like tribles. Here is a pic of Glitz and Arnold. 

They are kinda like super fat hamsters. Arnold is the purple one and Glitz is the pink one. 

Grandma got a pas to a local pool so we could swim when we were there. It was really cold. We made friends with one of the lifeguards that was there. She was super friendly.  

Grandma also found a local yarn dying place. I would say company but it's just 2 people. They did some alpaca some angora goat but mostly just regular wool. For natural color the color comes out strong and bright. 

I loved Arcadia, if you have been comment below and tell me what you liked or where you would like to go. That's all this time! BYE!!! ♥️💜❣😋❣💜♥️

Junior Olympics

I am happy I went to Junior Olympics to support Stephanie. It was a little boring though. The days were really long. We had to wake up at 5:30 in the morning and didn't get home until after 9:00 at night. We sat there most of the time doing nothing.

Made it to the Mountains!

We made it through the craziest week yet.  Steph competed in the Junior Olympics this past week.  It was three days of craziness: get up at 5:30 and get ready, be at the convention center by 7:00, watch 12 hours of twirling with only 15 minutes of it being Stephanie, go back to RV, swim for 30 minutes so Aaron doesn't lose it, shower and get in bed, do it again the next day!  It was the slowest, fast-paced week I've ever had...but at the end of the day Steph did her thing and walked away with 6 medals (team: 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 copper (4th).  Individual: 2 copper (1 5th and 1 6th)).  Now she sounds like wind chimes when she walks...go figure...lol

New Poll

We added a new poll on the top right.  Please let us know your thoughts!

(by the way...in the last poll Jimmy Buffett kicked Dave Matthews @ss!)

((If using mobile you must click "view web version" at the bottom to see the poll))

Lazy Acres Campground review

I didn't make a reservation at Lazy Acres in Fayetteville, NC. We only needed an overnight spot on a Wednesday. I knew it was a gamble but figured luck was on my side in the middle of the week.  When we arrived the lady in the office was quite bothered that I didn't have a reservation. She wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do next. She finally offered an electric/water only site. Since it was only for one night, I accepted. She then proceeded to find a reason to charge me for every extra thing she could: early arrival fee, extra kid fee, and full rate for the site even though it was an overflow site. She was also very concerned about the breed of my dogs. I told her that one was a Boxer mix and the other was a Parson's Russell Terrier. She asked me if they were aggressive. I told her I hoped not. She did give me a $2 Good Sam discount. 

Palmetto Shores review

This campground in Santee South Carolina is a resort. It's very nice.  We are staying here for two days. It has 2 pools, bathhouse, lazy river, mini golf, the lots are long and easy to get to, an arcade, easy in/out and easy access to the I 95, they have camp fire pits. It has no fenced in dog parks

Golden Isles campground review

I stayed at Golden isles campground in Brunswick Georgia yesterday. The rating it gets online is 3 out of 5 stars. It has a pool, dog walk area, level spots, laundry, bathhouse and is supposed to have a dog park but I didn't see one. The downsides are: small pool, no paper towels or air dryers in the bathroom, no shade, tall grass, no concrete pads on lot, the entire campground smells like sewers, the pool is dirty and only open from 9 am to 7 pm(10 hours), no fence in dog park.

I give this campground:

Seamist campground review

This campground is great. It is called Seamist. It's in Sunset Beach, NC.  I love it. 😊  It has bad WiFi though.

The lots are grassy but it was a pull though and was level. There was no shade so it was hard to keep the camper cool.

The IDI Justin

A few days ago my cousin Justin finally visited. He is so annoying because he keeps trying to pick me up by my feet!!!!! We go swimming together, to Universal, to Disney and he plays ball with me outside. He watches me play Minecraft and sometimes gives me suggestions on what to build. I love having him here!!!!!

Goodbye Florida

Today I carried the last box from our house and finally sold my car. Our full time journey really started on July 10th but we had access to our house until today. I was able to slowly move the last few things we needed to the fiver. Our journey feels more real now.

This is so emotional for me. I am saying goodbye to some amazing friends and neighbors. These past couple weeks have been so hectic and haven't had a chance to give as many hugs as I had wanted...I am going to miss everyone so much!  

We have lived in our house for almost 12 years. During that time we have met some amazing people. Our neighborhood is small and quiet, we have our typical Orlando trouble, but the people on our street are the kindest people anywhere. My homeschooling circle is filled with moms I trust for advice on how to raise and educate my kids. And I have some friends I call family scattered about town. I am taking so many memories with me but I am going to miss my chats with neighbors as I walk to the mailbox, watching my kids play outside while catching up with friends next door, lingering at the park or after history class just to vent about life, the library, Disney, my Publix...

So now I have no job, no house and no car. Time to suck it up and make some memories. I am excited to start this journey! My life is already more than I could have ever dreamed of. This journey gives my family an opportunity to see the country from a different perspective. I'm excited for what's to come! 

Next stop - Virginia Beach for Junior Olympics.      

It's time to go!

Well...here we are...This should have been the day we left Florida, but my daughter had 1 more private practice she was able to work in today, and we are going to officially say goodbye to Mickey tomorrow before pulling out of Florida on Sunday!  We do officially have someone else living in our house now and Karen sold her car yesterday, so we are in the RV for good now...so I think we are officially launched (we aren't tied to the dock anymore, but we are still in the harbor...that counts right?).

The Training Wheels Are Off

I know I've been pretty quiet recently.  My apologies for that...let me catch you up with the past couple weeks.

A few weeks back we decided to do a 2 week "break-in" excursion to feel out the camper and make sure we had everything we needed.  We booked time at Tropical Palms in Kissimmee for sentimental reasons...that was the first campground we stayed at in our first travel trailer, and we love it there anyway.  We loaded up and headed down, and outside of a couple missing things (only 20ft of water hose when we needed 25 for example...doh!) and one washer catastrophe (always check the tanks before starting the wash) everything went well.  We swam damn near every morning before I 'went to work' at my desk in the bedroom.  The kids did their schoolwork with Karen and quite honestly everything went fine.

Our First Set-up...the Eagle has landed!

The new camper

We finally went camping in our new fifth wheel. We went to Tropical Palms. It's the first campground we took our old camper. I am glad we went to Tropical Palms because they have an awesome pool and their wifi is pretty good.

Minecraft

I love Minecraft. The world is made of blocks. I like survival and creative modes. In creative mode the point is to run around and create stuff like buildings, roller coasters, elevators, castles and more.

League of 7 book review

This book is truly amazing. I don't know how Alan Gratz came up with this stuff. The League of Seven was written in 2014. It is about a kid who wants to be a hero and finds out that he isn't one. His name is Archie. Archie is looking for his parents who were abducted by Manglespawn.  There is a secret society called the Septemberests. They are the only ones who remember that a league of 7 comes every 100 years and puts the evil mangleborn back to sleep. He then finds two others that are part of the league of 7. Their names are Hachi and Fergus. Archie the strongman, Hatchi the warrior and Fergusthe tinker. This book is about their adventures.

Blue

Finding a home for my chickens was the hardest thing about this trip. I was very sad to let them go. I gave them to a man that lives in the Christmas area of Florida. He can probably give the chickens a better life than I ever could have. He has more space and a big garden. He also has other chickens that are Blue's size so maybe she can have friends. But he can never love my chickens as much as I do.

Tropical palms review

I love this campground. TP is the first campground we ever stayed at with the old camper and now we can say we have been here with the new camper too. 

This campground has the best stuff. It's right next to Old Town ( I can see the sling shot from my window ). It has a dog park, a heated pool, mini golf, nice roads for biking, a kiddy pool, pull through spots, there is great Wifi, always other kids to play with, there are some deer here, a small lake with alligators and a new deck. There are gift shops all within a mile of here and even better it's a 10 minute drive to Disney from the campground. 

But there are some cons. There are ants, not a lot but they are in big mounds. The lake has no movement which means mosquitoes. The kiddy pool is very cold. And there is no water and very little shade at the dog park.

Overall, I would rate this campground

Aaron has thrown down the gauntlet!

For the past month or so Aaron has been rambling about "Bean-Boozled", which until the other day I though was a made up word in "Aaron Language" (there have been other good ones in the past to support that assumption).  Monday night however, he made me watch some videos with him to really explain what it is.  'Evan-tube' is one of his favorite YouTube channels, and now I can see why...what a fun kid and family!   I'm sure Aaron will do a full review of the game later, but I got so excited that I wanted to get something out there and share the love.

Taking the Next Step!

So my final addition (for the moment) for Brutus arrived this afternoon, and man is it awesome.  I don't know how many of you are young and spry enough to hop into and out of the bed of a 4WD truck, by I for for one am not (at least not currently).  The BedStep by AMP Research is awesome.  I installed it in just a couple minutes and it is exactly as advertised.  Check the quick video of how it works.  Highly recommended!

Brutus gets some new features...

  The one feature Brutus didn't have when we brought him home was a spray-in bed liner.  Luckily that worked out in our favor since I had to travel to Phoenix this past week.  That allowed me to leave him with Jennifer and the guys at Truck-FX.  What a great job they did as usual...now my bed is damn near bullet proof!

Surface 3 review

I got a Surface 3. I LOVE it! I have been saving my money for almost 2 years. My Surface 3 has 128 gb of hard drive storage and 4 gb of ram. The screen is 10.8 inches. I also bought a red type cover.  The surface weighs 887 grams with the type cover attached. My grandma and grandfather sent me a red Surface pen too.

I wanted the Surface 3 because it uses Windows 8 operating system. It's also a touch pad/notebook computer. The apps aren't as good with Windows 8. That's because Apple has been around longer and has more apps and Windows is newer in mobile devices.

One thing I like better about the Surface than the iPad is that the Surface can become a notebook computer and can run full Windows. The Surface can display multiple apps at a time.

The type cover snaps in the bottom with magnets. The type cover has a backlight. It is the normal, notebook keyboard that snaps in and is optional. It acts as a screen cover too.

It was released on May 5, 2015. I decided to go with the Surface 3 instead of the Surface Pro 3 because it is $200 cheaper and I did not need the pro. The Surface Pro would be good for work.

Welcome Our Newest Family Member...BRUTUS

Let me start by apologizing for misleading my Facebook followers, even though that was a tad intentional ;). BRUTUS came into our lives yesterday.  We (I) had been shopping for a new 3500 RAM with dual rear wheels to haul the new home more comfortably and safely, and I happened to luck into a deal that was just too good to pass up.  I worked all the numbers and we brought him home yesterday.

And....we're back!

Hello again everyone.  Sorry for the gap in posts, but we've had an absolutely crazy last few weeks.  Of course when other priorities come calling something has to give, but as things slow down a bit we'll get back in the swing.  I know we've got a big review coming from Aaron and Karen has started something as well so we should have a few updates for you really soon!

What's next?

Things are starting to fall into place as we prepare for July 24th...our Independance Day!  Most of the easy things are done and now I'm down to a hand full of decisions I need to make and things I need to do.  I'm going to try to make a list here, and if anyone has thoughts or feedback this would be a great time!

Words of wisdom from Violet

My humans call me Violet except for one dumb human who calls be ViVi. I am fluffy and I like to chase chickens. I am dumb. I like cookies a lot! Especially peanut butter ones. Did I mention I like peanut butter cookies. I know a  lot of tricks.

We set a date!

Things are coming together nicely and plans are falling into place. The house is cleared of most of the things will be taking with us and I am beginning to pack up things I can make a decision about later...no pressure!

Strange Day...again..

Warning...this is a bit sappy...and not camping or homeschooling or anything like that.  Proceed at your own risk!

This is one of those days that seems to sneak up on me every year.  The first time...the hardest time...was in 2013.  On a morning like any other I got a notification on Facebook about the birthday of a good pal of mine, Doug Arthur.

The Driver....

This is exactly right...

Long week...

Sorry for the lack of posts recently...last week was a tough week for work, then Stephanie had her twirling competition over the weekend (she did great by the way, I bet she'll have a post on that pretty soon), and I took an extra day to catch my breath.  Karen and the kids have been purging things we don't need, and moving the others out to their new home.  I had a couple minutes free tonight though, so let me catch you guys up on a few tidbits we were able to add to the camper.

The bunkhouse

We finally got the new camper. It is 41 feet long. Our old camper was 29 feet so this is a big upgrade. The bunkhouse is about 7 feet by 7 feet not including the beds. I am so glad it's home!

The bunkhouse has a LOT of cabinets( a whole wall ) and two couches! And we have our own bathroom! That will come in handy a lot. The beds fold down over the couches. 

I will be sharing the room with my brother. We have our own TV. Aaron already knows where the Wii U

and the Xbox will be. Our favorite game on the Xbox is Minecraft. 

I plan to sew a curtain for each bed for privacy and to practice sewing. I have a bunch of grumpy cat stickers that I am going to put in my bunk. I am bringing beanbags for me and Aaron. I am funny about dirt so no shoes in the room.

I'm very excited to do this trip but we have to find a new home for the chickens and I'm very picky about where they go. It has to be non kill, I have to know they will be loved and have no danger like dogs that might try to eat them. 

I'm also super sad that I am moving away from my friends. I'm sure I will find new friends along the way. Plus I have lots of ways to keep in touch with my Florida friends!

Cool stuff

We got a new camper. It is 41 feet long. It has a lot of cool stuff in it.

What I really like is the automatic leveling system. This will make it easier for everybody when we get to the campgrounds.  To make it work you just have to push a button. 

I don't know why there is a ceiling fan inside of a camper. That's just weird.

I couldn't have said it better myself...

I sure love Abe Lincoln quotes...the consistent simplicity and depth is hard to find.  And...I usually agree with him too which is nice!

Reality has set in...

The reality has set in. The fifth wheel is in the driveway and we have started making modifications to make it feel like home. The kids have hung pictures in the bunkhouse and designated space for their belongings. The dogs have even started testing out their favorite places to take naps.

The New "House"

Ok...so here it is!

Not quite sure if you can tell, but this thing is damn near as big as our house. It's a Montana Mountaineer 350QBQ by Keystone.

LineX Bed Liner

Just wanted to drop a note about the Folks at Truck-FX.  They did the spray-in bedliner for me so I could get the fifth wheel hitch installed.  Jennifer was totally helpful from the time I asked for a quote until I picked it up.  Actually everyone was extremely nice and professional.  Take a look at the job they did...excellent work!

It's home!

Finally we were able to get the new fifth wheel home.  It took a ridiculously long chain of events to make it occur (including an extra set of someone else's camper keys and a last minute upside down install of our license plate) but we did it.  It was late by the time we stopped parading neighbors through it, so the home pics and more details will come tomorrow...but we made it!

Special kudos to Rob Alvarez for riding with me today.  Totally appreciated!

Here's a pic of the rig before departing for home.  Pardon the shopping cart, we were using whatever we could find to keep people from parking there.

Saying Goodbye

When Steve and I first started talking about taking a six month camping trip, I admit, I never really thought we would do it. It didn't take long, though, for discussions of a six month trip to turn into plans to sell our house and camp full time. All four of us love the adventures that travel brings. It's a great opportunity for the family and you only live once, right?

At first our conversations revolved around all the places we wanted to go. I'd like to take a trip across Canada but Steve prefers the warmer climates. I had to remind Steve that parking the camper in Key West for a year was not the "opportunity" for the family we had originally discussed. At first we thought we would stay close to the east coast. My family is in Virginia and no camping trip would be complete without an extended stay with family. Soon our plans veered further north and to the west. Our kids were open to any route as long as they didn't have to cross the border into "ichigan". 

Big Day...and some trip details!

Well...it's done.  We've officially upgraded to a fifth wheel.  We spent the morning doing our walk through at the Cocoa Camping World and signing the mandatory paperwork.  We even have the shiny keys to prove it!

Unfortunately, we didn't bring the ship home yet.  I won't have my hitch installed until next week after I get my spray-in bed liner done, so right now I'm kind of like a kid who peeked at the best Christmas present...you know what it is, but you can't enjoy it till the big day!  It's eating away at my soul!!

The End of the Beginning

So we just emptied out our old travel trailer for the last time.  Tomorrow we trade it in on the new fifth wheel.  I have to admit there is a bit of sadness in letting it go.

It was a year and a half ago that we purchased that camper for way more than we should have, but ultimately I think it was worth every penny.  I learned so much with it.  We learned how to tow and that we probably shouldn't tow with a Durango!  We replaced the defective toilet (what a pain).  I built a rack for my fishing poles.  We took the kids on their first fishing trip.  Aaron and I installed multi-color LED lights.  Steph even had her 11th birthday slumber party in it.  I could go on and on.

Timeline game review

This game is great! It is like a history test for all ages! The box suggests for ages 8+ but anyone who can read can play.

It comes in a little tin box. There are different kinds like historical events and inventions. You don't need a lot of room for this game, maybe two feet. We play on a small table. The cards are very small. They are good for little hands but my dad has big hands and wishes they were bigger. 

You start with 5 cards. The first one to have no cards wins.You have to take turns putting the cards in historical order.

  

A Typical Day

I've been asked a few times about what our typical homeschool day looks like. First, I would say there isn't much that's "typical" about our family. I don't have a label for what we do either. When I first started this homeschooling journey I had some negative preconceived notions. The funny thing

Why we homeschool?

Steve and I met in our 30s. We both had steady jobs and were working our way up the corporate ladder. Life was good for us. We had a daughter, three dogs, a nice house, two cars, two 401ks...living the American Dream. We were financially comfortable. Steve worked to pay the bills and I worked to cover private school tuition. 

A new ship to sail...

As I've mentioned elsewhere, we took a month long trip up the east coast last year in our 26TBUD travel trailer.  It was a blast, but it was a tight fit and we came away with a list of things that would make our lives easier.
That list included things like:

• Two bathrooms
• More counter space in the kitchen
• Washer/dryer

Aaron's Skylanders Trap Team Review

I bought Skylanders trap team with my own money. It's a little like the other Skylanders games but there are challenges that you can unlock like Kaos' doom challenge. You can still use the old Skylanders figures.

I love it. And I very highly recommend it. I give it 4 1/2 Buckeyes out of 5!  The goal of the game is to find all the bad guys and trap them in traps. You have to buy traps. They are small, plastic pieces. There are fire, water, magic, air, undead, light, dark, earth, life, tech and kaos traps. I am trying to collect a trap for each bad guy. That's a lot of traps! I think about 48.

This game can be played as a single player but is way more fun as a multiplayer. I play with my pop and my sister. 

Traps are $6.99.

The starter pack is $64.99.

Trap masters are about $16.99.

Others are about $6.99.

Sometimes you can get them on sale. At first I bought the starter pack for $64.99 but then my mom saw it on sale for $39.99. So I took the receipt back to the store and they gave me money back. I used that extra money to buy traps. 

April fools jokes

April fools is coming up and I have a couple pranks for you today. The first is sure to gross out mom.

Welcome to Our Rear View!

Hello world!  We are the Church family.  A family of 4 with 2 dogs.  Let me tell you a little bit about why we are here.  We are currently planning to hit the road for an extended period of time...