On The Road Again

Tuesday October 14, We are getting this adventure underway today. It was suppose to be yesterday but with so much rain we put if off one day. When Jeff woke up and saw it wasn't raining he took advantage of that, got on the roof and swept off all the leaves. Also got the sewer line and water hose put away before it started raining again. Came back in waiting for the rain to stop. Had a knock on the door and a friend Al Moander stopped by to catch up a bit. It was nice to hear about there adventures. It just wasn't gonna quick raining so as soon as it slowed up we hooked up and pulled out. We got on the road about 11:00 and we drove in and out of the rain all the way to Springfield, Illinois. We pulled into Sangchris State Park, Deer Run Campground and found our site # 40A. It was the same site we had last year. We liked it because it was the last site on the loop. We pulled into the loop and backed right in to our spot, instead of going all the way around the loop, dodging tree branches and pot holes. We like this park but it needs some tending to. This loop is really quiet and private. Our spot has 30amp service, no water hook up or sewer.  One thing we didn't like was the dump station for our loop was closed because it was full so we had to go to the next loop which was 1 1/2 miles away. On a positive note our phone, internet and  antenna TV was good.

Wednesday October 15, Its rainy and gloomy outside again. Since the weather was so yucky we decided to head into town for lunch and a movie. We also went to Smash Burger, it was so good. We came last year and it was one of the things I was looking forward to this year. Then we went to a movie at AMC Showplace. They had a special, Monday-Thursday, all tickets were $4.99. The movie we saw was The Judge. We both agreed it was a great pick. Not only was it a good movie but the popcorn was great as well. The weather was cold and rainy all day but it was a great day for a movie.

Thursday October 16, Another rainy, chilly day. We didn't have anything planned. When it quit raining we went for a walk. Then we got in the truck and went for a drive to the second loop to see where the dump station was located, and if there were any good sites up there we might want to use.  Jeff checked the tires and the sensors because we are having some issues with one. Then we decided to call our next destination to see if they had availabilities....nope none there. We were surprised because of the time of year. It seems they have a Halloween thing going on. So now Jeff  has something to keep him busy. It looks like we'll have to make some changes. I also worked on the blog using Jeff's computer. I usually do it on my phone...I know that sounds crazy but I know how it works and can do it anytime, anyplace. I'm nervous about messing with his computer but he showed me how to use it and it went well.

Friday October 17, We are staying over here a few extra days to make our plans work. The weather was better today so I took Belle for a walk. Jeff got busy trying to fix our steps. We had a bolt break and the metal is tearing. We just want them to last til spring...we'll see. Jeff has figured out our route and we will leave here on Monday. Jeff took me in to the little town Rochester, they have an awesome quilt store there. I loved it, I didn't buy a bunch of fabric but I had a great time looking. We had some neighbors pull in, Denny and Dawn. They invited us over to enjoy there campfire.


Saturday October 18, Stayed here all day. It was chilly to start but it warmed up a bit. I'm not sure where the day went. I worked on the blog adding pictures, again Jeff had to show me how. We took the dogs for a walk. I quilted a lot today, I had to take a break because my fingers were hurting. We had such a good time enjoying the neighbors fire we had one of our own. It was a nice day.

Sunday October 19, It was still cool out and we decided to go out for breakfast. We went to a Bob Evans. Haven't been there in a long time. It was a good choice, everything was good with excellent service. Next Jeff wanted to take me to Lincolns Tomb. He went last year without me. We both had made the trip there for our 5th grade field trip. It was really nice and uncrowded. We couldn't go inside cause it was closed but I was ok with that. On the way out spotted a gift shop....had to stop there. I just happened to find me a smashed penny machine....Jackpot....I collect them. That gift shop had been there forever....I found the fake confederate money I got when I was in 5th grade. I
think they sell a lot of the same stuff that was there all those years ago. We came home and again joined our neighbors and there blazing fire. Another fine day.

Monday October 20-We are moving on today....Since the dump station was closed in our loop we had to travel to the dump station at Hickory Point.  It was really tight quarters to turn and head out. We kinda crunched our waste water tote but its not ruined, so that's good. We got on the road around 9a.m. Had about 260 miles to our campground. It was a good day to drive, the weather was nice. Our trip was fairly easy, drove right to our next destination. Our stop was at Cornerstone Retreat Family Campground, located in New Castle IN. We got in a pull through but it was short so had to park the truck in the spot next to us. The site number was 23. This park offers water, sewer, 30/50 amp service, laundry, restaurant and if you are here in the warm weather there are pools too. Our site didn't have sewer but we are only here for 2 days so it didn't matter. We did have one little problem, one of the light bulbs from our ceiling fan fell out and shattered while traveling, it was kinda a mess.  We got everything settled in and it was a longer trip than usual. Just when we had settled in to watch TV, I'm seeing red tail lights heading toward the back of our rig.....that's when we felt a pretty good bump. Jeff jumped up, I said they just hit our rig....he went to check it out. Luckily there bumper hit our bike rack. Couldn't really see if there was any damage because it was dark out. So we would check it out in the morning.

Tuesday October 21- We got up and went out to check out our bike rack. Jeff and I took the bikes down to make sure they were ok. No damage to our rig, no damage to our bike rack and no damage to our bikes. Her bumper wasn't quite as lucky. I used there laundry facilities and then headed into town. We needed to fill up the truck and get some light bulbs to replace our broken one. Now we check those bulbs before leaving. It was really cool out there so made some soup. Jeff has a new favorite soup...chicken tortilla soup. We just stayed in and got ready for another move tomorrow.

Wednesday October 22-Today we headed straight east. Drove to Zanesville Ohio, Dillon State Park Campground, about 200 miles. We had some pretty views on the way. We made it to the park and Jeff went to check in. They let him get on his bike to look for a spot before pulling in. This park was really hopping because they have a BIG Halloween thing happening this weekend. Good for us that we are only here til Friday. We drove to our site #97, after filling up with water. The site has 50 amp service but no water or sewer. Again not a big deal for us because only here 2 days. The attenna TV wasn't that good, had to make do. The rest of the park was really nice and friendly people.

Thursday October 23- Its a chilly morning, we went in town for breakfast. We ended stopping at a few shops and filled the tank for tomorrow. When we got back to the campground it was pretty nice out so we took the dogs for a long walk. Everyone here is getting into the Halloween spirit and decorating there campsites. We talked to a few people and its really something, they say they have around 400 trick or treaters. The night they trick or treat they actually close the park so no cars can come in. They also have lots of other activities going on.  I'm glad we are gonna miss that. Our dogs don't  like Halloween or trick or treaters.  Tomorrow we move on.

Friday October 24- We got up and wanted to be on the road by 9. Well it was super foggy and so we weren't going to start off in that. We waited a bit, it looked like it was about to burn off so we drove to the dump station. By the time we were finished there, the fog had lifted. On the road about 9:30, after the fog lifted it was really a pretty day. Today we had about 185 miles to go. We had some nice fall views, in some spots the colors were gone but in others really pretty. The roads weren't to bad but we did run into some road construction but it didn't really make that much difference in our time. We went on the PA turnpike so had to pay some fees. When we exited the interstate and was driving through town it was a bit tricky. Had to watch because there was some turns you wouldn't expect. To add to that it was hilly in town and had stoplights on top of those hills. I think we had to stop at all of those. After driving through town it was easy to get in the park, Hickory Hollow Campground. Its located in Rockwood PA. Got a pull through site #90. We have 50 amp service, water, sewer and cable. It has lots to offer, a dog park, and when the weathers good a pool. We got set up and then watched the rest of the campground fill up. Across the street there is a big haunted house and we could hear people screaming when we went outside.  Its a big thing over there this is like the 18th year for it. You could just watch the cars pulling in and out. We skipped that.

Saturday October 25-Today we got up and took off to go to the Memorial for Flight 93. It was about 25 miles away. The drive there was kinda hilly. The views were nice, still some fall in the air. We arrived and it was more than we expected. It wasn't very busy and the memorial was very nice. They are still working on the visitor center. They have done a great job in honoring those heros. On our way back we stopped at a shop that sold the good old apple cider, you know like you used to get. It was super yummy,.....good purchase. Jeff stopped and washed the truck and filled it up for our next move. Oh yeah Jeff got some Yuengling Beer, someone got him started on it while we were in the Keys. Its been awhile since hes had any so, a good purchase for him. Can't get this beer in Iowa. Tomorrow on to the DC area.

Wrapping it up.....

Monday September 29-We had a guest last night...normally Hailey's really good about sleeping all night but....not this time. She kept waking up and so I ended up sleeping on the floor next to her. Well I didn't get that much sleep. She didn't have a fever, she sounded a bit croupy. She slept in and was fine in the morning. I promised her we would make cut out sugar cookies before we left so that's what we did. Then she asked if we could go look at more toys. She is still looking for birthday gifts. Then we dropped her off at home then headed back to our rig.

Tuesday October 1-The weather seems to be changing, it was really cool out there today. The leaves are starting to change as well. I finished the rest of the wood in our rig. Boy it sure made a big difference in how it looks. Its like we gave our woodwork a drink. It looks a lot richer. Our to do list is getting smaller.

Wednesday October 2-Today again it was really cool outside, good weather for soup. So we made soup. It was a slow day around the campground. I don't think anyone even used my shower house.

Thursday October 3-Today I got started making Hailey's birthday snacks. I made her sheet cake and when I flipped it out to cut out had a bit of a problem. The center of the cake stuck to the pan. I panicked at first but I could still make it work. So I cut out Olaf from the movie Frozen. I put it in the freezer so I could frost it later. We went into town. Jeff decided he wanted to get a shingles shot. He called the insurance company and they told him it would be paid for. He had tried before and they told him it would cost him $197.00. So this time he had a print out that said it was covered, well guess what....they said it would still cost $180.00. Well needless to say he didn't get the shot. When you here someone say its paid for its real hard to pay that much money. Decided to go in and watch Ashton's hockey practice, the last one we would get to see. He did really good, showed so much hustle and was really listening. Since we ate at Burger Fry last week and loved it we decided to get one more trip in there. It was extremely yummy....again. We even got a milkshake this time and it was homemade and so good.

Friday October 3-Brrrrrrr. Not only is it really cold and wet, its super windy. I made cupcakes for Hailey's birthday and also some princess orderves.  Jeff and I went to the movie Gone Girl...it was really good. We had planned to go to the October Fest in the Amana Colonies tonight but it was so cold we cancelled. We did still drive over to pick up Jeff some beer from the brewery there. Jeff had it last year and they only make it for the October Fest. We stopped by Bushwood to have a drink with both boys. Somebody from there work was quitting. The grand kids were there too. How nice is it to be able to see them whenever you want. We are trying to soak up as much love as we can before taking off. We finished off the night with dinner out at The Butcher Block. Justin and Molly ate with us. We weren't very impressed with the food or the service. The company was good so that saved the night.

Saturday October 4-Big Day today,,, Its Hailey's 4th birthday party. I got up and got started frosting her cake first. Its Olaf the snowman from Frozen the movie. It was a fairly easy cake to decorate and I think it turned out really good. Next I had to frost all the cupcakes and make them pretty. We went over to the party early. Its still really cool out but at least the rain had moved out. When we arrived Hailey was all dressed up in her Elsa dress...a pretty little princess. She even showed a little excitement over her cake. The party was a big success...the weather was just chilly, the cakes turned out and I even got some good pictures this year. I sure felt great after I had the cake and cupcakes finished. Sissy got so many gifts and she is so animated when she opens them up. It really didn't matter what the gift was she loved them all. We left went home for a bit to take care of our babies. We have been leaving them a lot lately. The day wasn't finished yet. Jeff and I met Seth and Ashton at the stable to watch the Rough riders play. It was a real good game. We didn't know what we enjoyed more the game or watching Ashton. He was sitting down on the ice with some kids he knows from hockey. The camera man was there and Ashton did his best to be in every shot. They interviewed him, and put him on the big screen more than once. He participated in the Mac arena dance, the YMCA dance and the chicken dance. The best part was when the mascot Ricochet came out and started messing with him. The mascot sat on Ashton and Ashton pulled his tail. Then Ricochet took Ashton's shoe, smelled it and acted like he was gonna throw it on the ice. If the game wasn't entertaining enough watching Ashton was. It was a real fun night. To bad we wont be able to attend any more games this year.

Sunday October 5-Oh boy it was a lazy day....I don't think we did much. Picked up some stuff outside. Mostly we just rested up from that crazy busy weekend.

Monday October 6- Happy Birthday Hailey!! She is officially 4. It was a real busy day for us. First we had to take the dogs to the vet. It was time to get there vaccinations. Both dogs are doing good, but both have gained weight....it must be something in the water. The vet was in Center Point. We used them last year and really like them there. Stopped to fill up the truck up and headed back to the campground. I got busy...I needed to get the laundry done. Then we loaded up the bikes and cleaned up. We took a trip into town to say Happy Birthday to Sissy and to get our last kisses and hugs. While we were there Justin called to say that Jeff's package arrived. Jeff was excited for this package. It was the series of The Wonder Years. Had to go by and pick that up. Then we headed home.

Tuesday October 7-Another busy day....Started by cleaning the shower house, its been really easy lately cause nobody is using it. Then we started putting things away inside. I loaded a plastic tub with the things we are gonna leave here. Jeff took it up to the shed that Joan said we could use. Called Hickory Haven campground in Keokuk where we are heading next. They have plenty of spots. Then Jeff checked his email and saw that my new phone is going to the wrong address...we thought this was fixed...so that calls for another phone call to Verizon. Boy sometimes I think they just try to make things difficult. Well we think its fixed but no way really of knowing until Thursday, that's when its suppose to be arriving. Next we asked Joan to come join us for chili for lunch. She came and it was a nice visit. With fewer workers here now we haven't seen much of her. After she left...back to work. Loaded up the boats and decided to put the rugs away since they are nice and dry. I got a hammer to loosed the stakes with. I guess I'm not qualified to use a hammer because while I was trying to get one stake out I managed to hit myself in the mouth with the handle....ouch. I didn't make a sound after it happened. The first thing I did was check to make sure my teeth were still there...they were. Then I went in to get some ice and take a look, yep that's gonna leave a mark for sure. After about a 1/2 hour I went and showed Jeff...he agreed that I shouldn't use the hammer. I was just happy My teeth were ok.

Wednesday October 8-Jeff and I both woke up early...I guess we were both thinking to much. Then I remembered about the lunar eclipse.....BLOOD MOON. We went outside and took a look. Pretty cool. Both of us woke up super early so didn't have to rush to get ready to leave. We pulled out around 10 o'clock and dropped off some cookies at the office on our way out. It feels weird to be pulling the rig...its been awhile. We stopped once because one of the tire sensors went off again. Jeff wanted to make sure it was a false alarm, and it was. Didn't have any problem finding our campground because its located in our hometown. It was a nice day to travel and set up. We just happened to get the same spot we were in last spring. This campground is a  good Sam park. We had a full hookup with 50 amp service. The antenna TV wasn't as good as we remembered. The park was fairly busy. They are housing some workers that are working at a new fertilizer plant in Weaver. Well we hit town and the running started. First we went and got supper at the Southside Boat club. They are serving Papa Chico tacos on Wednesday night. Its a favorite restaurant that used to be in town. Our boys use to bus tables there. Those tacos were as good as I remember. We stopped at the fire station and visited a bit before heading home. Jeff's brother Fritz who lives across the street came over and talked. We made the trip back because our niece, his daughter is getting married on Saturday.

Thursday October 9-Had a full schedule today, the bad news its rainy, I mean its pouring, its horrible.  First we had to get prescriptions filled for Jeff. Then stopped by to see my sister Dru I gave her some quilt patterns to use. Next we met a friend for lunch, so nice to get caught up with her. We had an appointment with our financial guy, who just happens to be my old boss. So not only did we check on our mutual funds I got to visit with my old coworkers. So we were there for awhile. It just wouldn't quit raining. Stopped at the store before heading home. Then we went across the street to meet our nieces husband to be. Funny thing his name is Taylor, that just happens to be our nieces name too. We visited for a bit and headed home. Good news....my phone actually came...we thought that a miracle! So it was mailed to my sons house. He is coming to Keokuk to the wedding on Saturday so he will be bringing it to me....yeah!!

Friday October 10-Another day of running but its not raining at least. I had Jeff run me by Stan's  Bakery, they have been here forever and by far make the best creme horns on the planet. Next stop was at the city offices to see about Jeff's health insurance and to pay for his life insurance. One more stop before heading home. It was to see Peggy Vass, she is the mother of my best friend all through grade school. I spent alot of time at her house when I was growing up. Jeff knew her from work. She was a dispatcher at the police department, which was in the same building as the fire station. She was happy to see us, and we were happy to see her too.

Saturday October 11-I had made plans to meet a friend at the local coffee shop, Java River. She was my best friend all thru grade school. We were also going to meet a friend from high school. I haven't seen her since I graduated. We had a great time sipping coffee and catching up with each other. The time flew by. Had to get home before Justin showed up. We got home and changed our clothes for the wedding. Justin and Molly arrived and we had to get to the church. The wedding was small but very nice, next drove to the reception at our old churches multi purpose building. There we got to meet and catch up with family and friends from church. Home after that. I got my new phone out but didn't get started on it yet, tomorrow we'll start on that. I'm sure it will be a pain, to late in the day for that.

Sunday October 12-Today we went back to our home church...NTCC. It always feels good to walk in there. They are in the middle of changing preachers. They have a new preacher but our old preacher doesn't officially retire til next week. He's been there for 40 years. Its good to come home to the church and people you know so well.  I wanted to spend some more time with Judy before we take off so this afternoon was the only time left for that. We took a short road trip to find her a party outfit. We had a successful trip she found something to wear. It was pretty dreary outside but that didn't matter to us we just wanted to spend some time together.  I did get most of my phone set up, with some problems but that's not surprising.


Monday October 13-Rain Rain Rain...We had planned to leave today but that was moved to tomorrow with this weather. I met again with John about my investments. I needed to mail in my old I phone, picked up a few groceries and caught up all the laundry. The campground here has a nice laundry facility. Now I think we are ready to move on down the road. Let the adventure begin.

Welcome Fall

Monday September 15, I have kinda designated this day as my cleaning day. I usually do some extra cleaning at the shower house, so I guess I just carry that momentum back to our home. My friend had to meet with the surgeon today so by keeping  busy I wasn't constantly worrying. She called to say she would have surgery on Wednesday. It's been rather cool here, below normal temps. So we decided chili would be a good fit for supper.

Tuesday sept. 16, Pretty uneventful day. Went to town to pick up some things. Jeff needed more wax cause it's time to wax the rig again before hitting the road. We tried a new restaurant for lunch, Jeff got a deal $20 worth of food for $10. The restaurant was Oyami. It's a Japanese grill and sushi house. We were extremely happy we only spent $10 because our meals were terrible. The chicken was hard to eat. Maybe the sushi is good. Don't think we will be visiting there again.

Wednesday Sept 17, Didn't get much sleep last night, thinking about my friends surgery today. I was waiting by the phone all morning. Her husband called as soon as he talked to the surgeon. Everything went well, she'll be home later tonight. I felt better after hearing from him. For supper Justin invited us to go with them to Smugglers Wharf. Molly's mom Tammy joined us as well. It was nice to meet her. We had a great time visiting but the food and service were just so so.

Thursday Sept 18, I got up really early to get my cleaning done. Then I loaded up my stuff into the truck and headed south to Keokuk. I'm going to spend a couple days with my friend. I'm going to take care of her. When I got there I was pleasantly surprised. Judy is doing great, she's not even feeling any pain. It was a great relief to see her and make sure she's ok. It was also great to just sit and visit. The weather was really nice so we sat outside on the deck and enjoyed the sunshine.

Friday Sept 19, Another full day at Judy's . Again the weather was picture perfect. Judy's friends from work came out for lunch. I heated up some soup, and had lunch outside on the deck. Another friend from church stopped by for a visit as well. Nice to see them. In the afternoon I drove Judy to see her mom. It's nice to see Glo. She's a character and she's just gotten more spicy with age. We sat with her for awhile, she started off a tad grumpy so first we had to get her in a better mood. By the time we left she was happy as a clam.... Time well spent. Headed back to Judy's and didn't do much of anything, just letting her rest up. 

Saturday Sept 20, I woke up before Judy today, I loaded up my stuff cause I'm heading back home. I talked some more before leaving around 9:30. It was really good for me to come back and see how Judy's doing. I think she enjoyed it too. I made one stop on my way home. I went to Dave's Old Fashioned meat market for some homemade wieners. The drive home was long. It was nice to be home, and back to my own stuff. So glad that Judy's doing so well and she's got a great attitude.

Sunday Sept 21, Slept really good in my own bed. Jeff and I got ready for church. After church we went to pick up the grand kids. We went for lunch at Pancheros, one of there favorites. Then on to the movie theater to see "Dolphin Tale 2" we liked it, the kids liked it so it was a great day spent with 2 very special kiddos.

Monday Sept 22, We got up super early today. Jeff took me in to Seth & Katies. I'm going to Chicago with them to attend the Chicago Blackhawk Training Camp. Jeff is staying back and hanging with Ashton. We drove into town, really lucky with the traffic. Drove to our hotel Crowne Plaza, it's really nice. Unloaded our stuff then headed downtown to get lunch and do some shopping. We grabbed a taxi to P F Changs for a light lunch ... It was yummy. The lettuce wraps are really good. Then we walked around and looked at some shops. I was looking for a specific shop....Garret's Popcorn Shop. I got me a bag of carmelcorn so I was happy. We didn't really buy to much but it's always an adventure exploring. We grabbed a taxi back to our hotel. We unloaded and headed to the united center. On our way made one stop. Seth wanted me to experience Billy Goats. So after a beverage we contined our walk to the United Center. The line to get in was already quite long. The tickets to get in were only $5.00. It was general admission. The first 12,000 got free   Duncan Keith bobble heads. We stood in line for about 1 1/2 hours. The doors opened at 5, then the scrimmage between the Blackhawks and the Blackhawks started at 7. Jeff in the mean time had a big night planned for Ashton and him. Ashton called to say they were living like kings. First they went to Planet X.... A place to play laser tag, putt putt golf, rock climbing, you know all the good stuff. After they headed to Red Lobster to feast. Ashton had crab legs and Jeff unlimited shrimp. They had a wonderful time together. Ashton is only  9 but already seems to be outgrowing us. In the meantime in Chicago. We got our bobble heads and found some really good seats. It was really exciting to see all the players in real life that I've watched on TV. I know it would have been more exciting to watch a real game but I had a blast. They played each other the red team and the white team. After the game they had a shoot out that was fun to watch too. I loved it. Someday I hope to attend a real game. After we walked back towards the hotel. Again another stop at Billy Goats for  Hamburgor, fries and coke... No Pepsi. Got back to the hotel and couldn't wait to get my shoes off . My dogs are barking...we walked all over today....it was great, but my feet are feeling it.

Tuesday Sept 23, The beds were super comfy. We got up and headed across the street for breakfast. The restaurant was called Eggsperience. It was wonderful but kinda cashy but the food was awesome . My daughter inlaw had an egg white omelet that was enormous, she said it tasted as good as it looked. Seth had French toast and he gave me a bite.... It was yum. After eating we headed out stopping at Total Hockey to get Seth and Ashton's skates sharpened. Then back  in the car and to the outlet mall in Aurora. The funny thing here was we noticed a Disney store, we didn't know they had one. Katie and I were outside the store when the lady unlocked the door asked if we wanted to come in. Well yes, we were there very first customers. Seems this is there first day, we found the Frozen section and a really special dress that Katie couldn't say no to. Just so happens they have shoes to match. So she had to purchase them as well. I know a little girl that's gonna have a great birthday. The rest of our trip home was uneventful, the way we like it.

Wednesday Sept 24, Jeff wanted to go to town. Seth and Katie told us about a new phone plan they are advertising. It's a sprint ad, I have Sprint now and the coverage is not that good here in Iowa. The cost was gonna be less and I would get a new phone. Well, we stopped in the Sprint store to talk. Then next door was the Verizon store, went in to talk to them. They are offering a plan, unlimited talk, text, and 2 gigs of data for $60. If you are a new customer they give you another gig of data. Also a new IPhone, pretty much free cause they give you $200 for your old iPhone. It seemed to be just what we were looking for so ordered a phone and a new phone plan for us. Hopefully this will work better for us. Then to celebrate went and got pedicures. Jeff's first one ever and I think he liked it. For supper we just had leftover soup ...a new recipe (chicken tortilla soup)....taste even better the second time around.

Thursday Sept 25, Its a gorgeous day and I decided to start on the wood in the rig. I got some stuff called Restore a Finish. You just rub it on the wood, it really is making it look better. There is a lot of wood in here. It needs to be nice out  cause you definitely want some ventilation while applying this.  It's gonna take a couple days to get it all done. I got a call from my friend after she talked to the oncologist, it sounds like everything's looking good. Have to wait for a test to see what's next but it sounds good. We went in to watch Ashton's hockey practice cause we won't be around much longer to watch. He did a great job. He listened and showed great hustle . To reward him we stopped at a new restaurant.... Burgerfry. Oh my my that place has great burgers and frys. Seth got a milkshake and we tried it. Should have ordered a shake....well next time.

Friday Sept 26, More plans today ... It's either feast or famine. I worked on the woodwork again today. Didn't get it finished but I finished the bedroom and bathroom. We were getting ready to head to the Amana Colonies when Jeff got to talking to one if the campers here. We probably visited with him over an hour. When we left,we didn't feel we had time to go into town. We went to the RV park there in the Amana Colonies. The Carriage/ Lifestyle group was having a get together. Jeff met them thru there forums . They were camping there, we couldn't do that but asked if we could come over to meet them. They were having brats and burgers tonight.  Everyone we met was nice. The food was good and it was nice to compare stories.

Saturday Sept 27, It was summer like out there today. After getting my laundry started I got busy making some deviled eggs and pecan bars to take back to the rally. They are having a pot luck tonight. We left to go over early, this time we went into town. I wanted to visit the quilt store which I must say is fabulous, lots of beautiful fabric. I also went to the bakery, I have to get the crispies, my favorite. Jeff went to the brewery there. He loves there Millstream octoberfest brew. After we both got our shopping done we drove over to the RV park and the pot luck dinner. We toured a couple of the rigs and then everyone ate. Again the food was great, and the company better.

Sunday Sept 28, We went to church at Cedar Rapids Family Church. Went to the second service. Hailey is coming out tonight so we ran to the store to get some supplies. Came home to get rested up after all our running.  Went into pick up Hailey. We had promised to take her to Toys R Us to look for a birthday gift. She had a great time looking around. We got some ideas of what to get. Then we went to Justin's for Italian beef sandwiches.... Love them. We headed back home and got Hailey settled in. When she comes to visit we pretty much do what she wants. What a fun busy weekend.

Almost Fall

Tuesday September 2, Today we cleaned up around our campsite. Tomorrow we will be pulling our home to Ketlesons to get our wheel bearing repacked. It just makes it real that we will be packing up and hitting the road soon. Thats a completely different kind of a routine. I think I'm ready, I love being here to see the kids and be a part of there lives but it's hard to stay put for so long. Now I will have to get my check list out to make sure there aren't any silly mistakes before taking off.

Wednesday Sept 3, We got started early because our appointment is at 8:30. We unhooked the water and sewer lines. We hooked up on the first try and headed out. We made it to Ketlesons with only one glitch.... one of the tire sensor alarms went off. This was the first time we actually rode on our new tires. Jeff found a spot to pull over and check it out. It was a false alarm so that was good. We decided to just wait there while the work was being done, it took a little longer then they told us but the quoted price was the same. After pulling out of there we went to a truck scale to weigh the rig. Jeff wanted to get an accurate rear axle weight and the pin weight. Then we headed back to the campground and set back up. It went pretty smooth.

Friday September 5, A special day indeed, It's our grandson 9th birthday so I had to sing to him. It was a rainy day most of the day. Our son Justin had his wisdom teeth out today....that is not fun. He's probably gonna be sore for awhile.

Saturday September 6, We went into town to mail off our old wooden refrigerator panels, Jeff sold them on eBay. We didn't plan on using them again and our kids weren't thrilled about storing  them either. It worked out well all the way around. We stayed and watched the Iowa Hawkeyes play but left at halftime cause it was painful to watch. The good news is they came alive in the last four minutes of the game and won. We brought Hailey home with us to spend the night. So our Saturday night was action packed. 

Sunday September 7, We met Katie & Ashton at Bloomsbury Farm. We had promised Ashton we would take him on the zip line. When we arrived we were the only ones there, we did some exploring and feeding of the goats, llamas and mules. Needless to say that was great fun. Hailey wasn't big enough to zip line so first Jeff and Ashton went. Ashton got a little scared but loved it after the first initial leap. Then it was Katie and my turn... It was a blast. The kids played around on all they had to offer. It was a great way to spend grandparents day....

Monday Sept. 8, It was a nice day and a busy day for me. It's a big cleaning day for me, the shower house and after that I usually continue with the cleaning here at home. I also did the laundry, gave Belle (our schnauzer) a haircut, and helped Jeff install a light on the ceiling fan. My day ended on a sad note, a friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. It looks like they caught it early so that's a plus.

Tuesday Sept 9, It rained a lot last night and it looks like rain is in the forecast for the next few days. We decided to take in a movie,"When The Game Stands Tall", I liked it, Jeff thought it was a bit slow. They have a special on Tuesdays here, $2.00 drinks and popcorn, now that's a deal at the theater. 

Wednesday Sept 10, We both woke up not feeling good, we have sore throats, probably a cold coming on....yuck. We stayed in and didn't do much, Jeff made some yummy turkey and rice soup that tasted really good.

Thursday Sept 11, We hung around home most of the day. We had plans to go watch the Roughriders scrimmage tonight at the ice rink. We met Seth and the kids. First stopped at Justin's to help get his plane tickets bought to come to the Keys this winter for a visit. Then we all watched the game, the Roughriders didn't look to good. They lost. It was still fun to watch.

Friday Sept 12, Still didn't feel to good so hung around here. We had plenty of entertainment though cause the hummingbirds are just going crazy . I'm having to fill the feeders twice a day. We have counted up to 7 or 8 at the window feeder at a time. There's only 2 places to drink from. So it's a battlefield out there. Jeff has been bragging about his meatloaf to Justin and Molly so they came out tonight for supper. They enjoyed the dinner but didn't stay long.

Saturday Sept 13, We still both didn't feel that good, we didn't do much of anything but watch a TV. We couldn't get the Hawkeyes game so I just waited for updates from the kids... We lost. It's really cool outside, way below normal temps.

Sunday Sept 14, I couldn't stay in again today so I took the truck and went to town for some retail therapy. I must be loosing my touch cause I don't seem to get the same joy out of that. When I got back I think Jeff was ready to get out so we went in to see the kids, we hadn't seen them for awhile because we didn't want to give them our colds. Then Justin invited us over for supper so if course we said yes. Who passes up a free dinner?  As we pulled into the park we noticed they had the new sign up....finally. It looks really good, we both had the same thought... Put the sign up just about the time it time to close shop. Oh well it sure looks nice.

Summers winding down.....

Monday August 18, My best friend Judy received a call from her mothers assisted living saying she fell. We packed up Judy to get her on the road..disappointed she had to leave early, but happy her mom was ok. My son Seth nominated us for the ice bucket challenge for ALS, so we knew we wouldn't wimp out on a challenge. We did the challenge and donated online. Jeff went to movie " The Giver" while I ran some errands.

Tuesday & Wednesday it was gloomy and cloudy.....perfect weather to quilt , I finished Ashton's birthday gift which was a big load off my mind. I did have a week to spare. Jeff got in touch with Janie & John trying to get together once more before they take off back on the road. Set up to meet them tomorrow.

Thursday, There is hardly anybody at the campground, so makes for a quiet week. We headed into town to meet our friends for dinner at White Star. They enjoyed happy hour and had dinner. I had crispy chicken with the cheesy potatoes. I loved it, I had that before and couldn't wait to enjoy it again. After we finished eating we decided to move our party to another spot. We walked to a bar called Rocks. Since the flood this city has really worked on the downtown area. It's really nice now. For Thursday night the place was hopping. One of the draws is the mechanical bull. We didn't partake but there were plenty who did....Ones that had been partying harder and longer then us. It was really fun. We said our goodbyes and wished them happy trails.

Our weekend consisted of grocery shopping, a trip to Lowes and Hobby Lobby. Jeff has been helping our younger son work on his basement. So some of that shopping was to help him get everything he needed. The weather for the weekend went from smoking hot to humid and rain. We went back to church Sunday at the Cedar Rapids Family church, we like the church and the welcoming feel they show. 

Monday we were surprised to get a call from Ashton, this is his last day of summer vacation. Seth took the day off to spend the day with him. They invited us to go to a movie, so guess what, we went to a movie..."Into the Storm". It was pretty good,I knew there was a good reason I don't like storms.

Tuesday August 26, Woke up to the camper shaking because of the wind. Jeff had already looked at the radar, he told me we have weather coming. I grabbed my stuff and my dog and headed to the shower house. It looked really bad, we got lucky though mostly just rain and some wind. After seeing that movie yesterday I wasn't taking any chances.

 

We went to town to have our eye appointments. We made them with a new eye Doctor.  He's from our hometown Keokuk Iowa, and went to school with our boys. He did an excellent job and we will definitely go back. Well that's one more thing off our to do list.

Wednesday Jeff got a call that our new 17.5 wheels and tires are here. He ordered them a couple of days ago from Trailer Tire and Wheel and had them shipped to the Fed Ex Distribution center in Urbana.  It saved us some money on shipping. It was only about 10 miles away and so easy to pick up. They even used there forklift to put in the back of our truck. Another  job I did today was defrost the freezer. It had gotten really frosted up. The ice maker wasn't making ice it was so bad. I got it all defrosted and the ice maker worked, so happy about that. Then we put on our new tires. I was really surprised that it went so smooth, no issues. Another task crossed off the list.

Thursday August 28, It was a rainy day and I was kinda bored so I decided to cut my hair. I've done this before but I couldn't remember which comb to use, well I grabbed the wrong one so needless to say its shorter than normal... Good news is it will grow back...

Jeff decided he wants to do a bit more remodeling. Wants to add a light to the ceiling fan. Something that should be so easy right.... Well the wiring that's up there for the light isn't hooked up so it didn't work. Gonna have to do a bit of research before we can get that put up. It was so gloomy and cool that Jeff decided to make some homemade chicken noodle soup. It was yummy, I guess I'm ready for some cooler temps for a bit. 

Friday, it's suppose to be clear today til after supper so I thought I better get the laundry done. We don't have a dryer on board so it all depends on the weather. Also it was Jeff's turn for a haircut, so I took care of that. We purchased a new rug for outside, our other one was just falling apart. We put it down, love it it's super big. My last task to do today was to get my grandsons birthday cake made and put in the freezer for frosting later. I make there cakes every year and I always put a lot if pressure on myself but in the end it always turns out.

Saturday August 30......It's opening day for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Kick off was at 11:01. We were invited to Seth & Katie's for breakfast. I made some homemade cinnamon rolls to take..we enjoyed breakfast burritos and some had bloody Mary's. They say Katie makes really good ones. The Hawkeyes won, closer than we thought but a win. While I was over there and had help, we put up the pictures and shelves in Ashton's room. It's part of his birthday present. I painted one wall and got some Blackhawk pics to put up. It looks good. We headed home to see how everything was going at the campground. It is a holiday weekend, but with that being said it sure is a quiet bunch.....that's great.

Sunday August 31, I made cupcakes today for the party tomorrow. It's a really nice day so Katie and the kids came out. Us girls went to the beach. Jeff & Ashton put together a new balsa wood plane. They didn't get to fly it much cause it was so windy. Glad that we got one more beach day in.

Monday Labor Day...and that means one thing PARTY!  Ashton was born on Labor Day so it's not technically his birthday but usually have his party on this day. The first thing to do was get his cake frosted. He wanted a Stanley Cup Cake this year do that's what I did. After that was finished I frosted those cupcakes too. The party started at 1, so we headed over around 12:30. It was a wonderful day weather wise. Everyone had a great time. He got lots of great gifts and the cake was good. A good time was had by all. Came back home and relaxed, the park had cleared out and party & cake number one done. I can relax til October and Haileys cake and party.