Not much Going on

 How is it already over half way through January. I am going to blink and it is going to be summer already. I just re-registered the kids for school. Elijah somehow is going to be in Middle School Next year and Eden in K5. I will have all kids in school until 3pm next year! CRAZY! How did I get to this point.  Brad is still dealing with effects from the wreck. He has had a headache since it happened and his back is hurting a lot. He has been going to the chiropractor 2x a week. Yesterday he went to the regular doctor and they did a head and neck CT and the doctor confirmed he has a concussion. He can't get comfortable at night and driving or sitting up for periods of time really make him hurt.  Hopefully he will get some relief soon.  

I am in week 3 of E2M- I feel like my progress is slower this time, but I am seeing changes. Drinking a gallon of water each day is the hardest part for me. I am really wanting this year to be the year that I finally reach my weight loss goals. 

Just for fun here are a few pictures of Eden the other night. The dogs were very interested in her snack so she improvised and made a fort so that they wouldn't get her food. 

Recently I have really been thinking about our RV trip a lot and really wanting to get back out on the road. I LOVED every second of the RV trip and would go back out tomorrow if we could. Yes, there were some really frustrating times, but overall it was an amazing trip!  I don't remember if I mentioned it, but Brad and I went to the RV show earlier this month for a date night. It was fun to go in the RV's and see what they look like etc. There are so many amazing RVs out there. We really need to get Tina up and running again. I would love to do an RV rennovation and really upgrade the RV. It would be fun to do and Tina needs some work. The chair is permanently reclined, the drawers won't stay closes, the stairs quit working again, the fridge wasn't working correctly, and now the generator isn't working.  We have some work to do for sure.  

That was short lived!

 So much for a good start to 2023! Yesterday on my way home from dropping the kids off at school, I got a phone call that Brad had been in an accident (not even 1/4 mile from our house.) I had to run home and put a bra on because well who wears a bra to drop the kids off when they are still in their pj's.  Then I quickly got in the car and went down to the wreck.  Brad had been turning left at a traffic light and a lady in a mustang ran the light and hit him right in the middle of the two doors on the drivers side. It pushed his truck around and caused his passenger rear tire to come off of the rim. His airbags deployed and his glasses went flying and landed in the side of the passenger door. His truck kept automatically calling 911 and saying it appears you have been in an accident. Thankfully he was not seriously injured, we are a bit worried about his back now that he is feeling the effects from the wreck. I am going to call the chiropractor for him and get an appointment.  We said we had wished that he had been driving the Mercedes because it is not very valuable and an older car, but then looking at the wreck and the way she hit him, he would have been seriously injured if he had been driving it instead of the truck.  Its kind of crazy because he had been driving the Mercedes a few days before, but he had just taken it back a day or two before because something wasn't working correctly on it. I am thankful the Lord protected him and that there were not any kids in the truck with him at the time. 

 

This is what I could see from down the road. 

She literally made a hole through his drivers side door. 

The passenger tire is all the way off the rim 

All the side airbags deployed 

The tow truck driver was joking with Brad and said "so I am guessing you called me because you got a flat tire."

The pictures don't really show the extent of the damage to his truck 

Her Mustang was pretty messed up. 

Already 2023

 Time flies and days are filled. Life is just busy. I always have intention to do things like blog but I never have the time. I always say "ok I am going to do it now" and then life happens. I wanted our entire trip to be blogged but it just wasn't possible. Our trip across the US was so amazing and with lack of internet in places or just lack of time, it never got completed. I did at least post to Facebook so I can go back and recall those posts. 

So October 2022 we went to Dollywood for a weekend with Brandon and Kathryn and the kids. Caleb was having what I believe is a gallbladder attack. We will go at the end of January for a specialist visit with a gastro doctor for him. 

November 2, 2022 Brad and I went to Jamaica for our 17th Anniversary Trip.  It was wonderful and we stayed at the Sandals South Coast Resort. 

November 29th Grandad turned 93.  That was also the day I got a call from school that Caleb may have a broken finger from playing football at break. Turns out it was mallet finger and he has been in a brace since then. We ended up in the ER for it because they wanted us to see an ortho doctor. It was a crazy day for sure. 

December 4th- Benjamin turned 15!!! Trust me I have NO idea how this happened! NONE AT ALL!  My baby is 15! He is turning into such an amazing young man. He is fun to be around and still lives and breathes fishing! 

Christmas was really different this year- I WAS NOT in the Christmas spirit at all this year. I got a little decorating done, but it was just not Christmas this year. We had incredibly cold weather which I loved and was thankful for because it made it feel like Christmas. 

Cristy Smith flew in to town before Christmas this year which was really fun! It was so good to see her. 

On Christmas Eve we were headed out the door when the boys noticed the neighbors house was leaking water out of the garage. Long story short their house flooded while they were in Pennsylvania. We were able to get the water turned off at the street before we left to go over to Brads moms house for Christmas. 

Christmas Day was nice, but we had to leave to drive to Charlotte for our trip to Cancun with all of the family. It was a fun time and our flights home got canceled leaving us with an extra 2 days at the resort. 

January started with a bang- Benjamin got his permit for driving on the 5th and I am not going to lie I am kind of glad he is nervous about driving. He really doesn't want to drive yet. He has driven twice so far. Once just in the neighborhood the day he got his permit and then again yesterday (a short distance on real roads and then in a neighborhood.)  He is cautious and not comfortable yet, but I'm not upset about that. 

I started with E2M again this January and I am so excited to be on a path of health. Its time for me to get healthy and in shape. I am going to do it for me and for my family. 

Brad and I had our first date night of 2023 - I had planned for us to go to the RV show and it was fun to just walk around and see all the different RV's out there. We have to decide at some point what we are going to do with Tina- do we sell her or do we put a little money into her and fix her up/renovate her. After we went to the RV show, we went to dinner at Stax before we went back home before 9pm Ha ha!

Yesterday I went to the monster truck rally with Elijah and 11 of his friends and their moms. It was one of his friends Christmas gifts. He had so much fun and we got to sit in a box which is honestly the only way to do events like that. 

Well this is the start to our year so far. I hope that 2023 is a good year full of blessing. I am thankful for the start of another year. 

Lack of service...

 I had this grand plan of being able to get all my blogging done from day to day as we drive etc. This plan however was thrown out the window due to lack of service in so many areas. I just can't get the pictures to download etc. When I do get them to download they are all out of order, so I am just going to go back and fill in everything. This this trip has been so amazing and I am sad that it is quickly coming to an end. Don't get me wrong there has been plenty of bickering and fighting going on between everyone, but we get over it and move on and enjoy what's next. Its hard not to get on each others nerves when you live in a 34x10ish foot space. We have 4 days left and are doing one full day tomorrow at Custer State Park in South Dakota and then we will book it home. We will have 3 long days of driving to get back. 

Once back I will get all the pictures in and post the second half of the trip (it will be picture OVERLOAD) 

Bearizona

 After leaving the Grand Canyon we headed to Bearizona in Williams, AZ. It is an animal habitat/zoo that you can drive through and see many different animals. Then they also have a walkable part of the park where you get to see a bunch of other animals as well as different informational shows etc. The park was pretty expensive $155 for all 6 of us and Eden was even free.  We paid and started to drive into the park and we crossed into the first section and the RV quit. Brad kept trying to re-start it and it would restart and then die again. This went on the entire way through the drivable part of the park. We had to keep stopping (which you are not supposed to do) and we would let it sit and then restart. The temp. gauge kept getting higher and higher and we realized that it was probably overheating. The last section we told the kids that we needed to just get to the parking lot but if it cooled down we would drive around again. It didn't help that while this was happening over and over, the kids were fighting constantly over the windows and who could see and who took someone else's spot etc. It was really frustrating and the tension kept growing. 

Once we got Tina to a spot to cool down we went inside the "zoo" or walkable part of the park. It was really nice and we got to see a bunch of different animals. Porcupines, beaver, otters, foxes, jaguars, a raccoon, peacock, bears etc. Overall we really enjoyed the park and all that it had to offer. We got there around 4:00 and left around 6:30. We did end up driving around to see the animals one more time. The RV cooled down and it was good to go. 

 When we left the park, Brad was making a turn and we heard a bunch of things fall in the RV. The fridge door had not been shut all the way and the Eggs flew out of the fridge and 12 of the 18 eggs smashed all over the RV floor. I got that all cleaned up and then had to get dinner on the RV while we were driving. Tonights special dinner was microwaved pizzas. While it was not ideal, everyone ate and it was all good. 

When we were leaving Bearizona we had to make a decision on how far to drive because we either needed to get a spot to stay right near where we were or we would need to drive about 2 hours to Kingman, AZ because there was NOTHING in between. We decided to head to Kingman, AZ. I called Sunshine RV park and we were able to get a spot. We just had to do the night check in and slide the paper in the door with money. We arrived by 8:30 and we were all exhausted. We wanted to hook up and go to bed. Well, I got this realization that our AC says zone 1 on it but the back of the RV usually has zero air coming out. I  figured there had to be another zone that worked the back. Well I did a little internet digging and figured out how to turn on the back unit. Well turning it on smelled like a dead animal and then it all the sudden died and the ac wouldn't work at all. We opened the windows and did what we could to try and figure out what happened but nothing helped. I was so mad at myself for even trying it and making it shut off. The RV was getting HOT and the windows didn't help. I finally said I wonder if it flipped the breaker outside. The lights still worked though so it didn't seem likely. We decided we would just have to deal with the heat and go to bed. I went to plug in my pone and it wouldn't charge. Brads phone wouldn't either, so I said I am going to check the breaker outside. I went out and sure enough it had flipped the breaker. I flipped it and immediately could hear the AC unit kick in. It was such a relief after the other things going wrong today. 

Today was also one of those days where I think the tired of this trip has set in a little and the grumpy side of everyone started to come out. Eden has been whining for two days now about EVERYTHING!  She is so feisty! Caleb tends to get really pestery and just doesn't know when to stop. Benjamin gets annoyed by everything (I am not sure if this is just him being a teenager or just because he was a bit extra tired) and Elijah tends to get loud and also gets his feelings hurt easily. I was grumpy because I started my day off worried about getting an offer in and the internet etc. Brad was getting frustrated with everyone else being snappy and grumpy etc. It was just an endless cycle that came in waves today. 

I knew at some point living in tight quarters and just lack of sleep etc. it would happen at some point. Hopefully we can recover and move on. The day wasn't bad either, we packed a lot into the day. Hopefully everyone sleeps well tonight and we can re-start tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day and a new adventure. 

The Grand Canyon

 This morning I woke up around 6:30 am and looked at my phone and realized I had a client in Greenville that wanted to make an offer on a house. I spent the morning getting the offer written up while Brad got us on the road headed towards the Grand Canyon. Let me tell you, it is hard to write an offer and get all the paperwork done when your internet goes out constantly. I did it though and got the offer submitted for my client. 

We arrived at the Grand Canyon fairly early and we were able to get in without any issues or waits. Brad is the only one of us that has been to the Grand Canyon before. It is pretty magnificent. We went to the south rim and we were able to view multiple different areas today. 

I was blown away by how incredible it is. At one point we were in the visitor center and a video was playing talking about how many millions of years ago it was formed and blah blah blah. I was just sitting there thinking.. what about God? How can someone look at this amazing canyon and just think it came together and happened by chance? Seeing all these amazing wonders of our world on this trip just makes me realize how intricate and precise God was in creation. I don't know how anyone can look at it and not believe in God. 

While the canyon was amazing, I am pretty sure the kids were more amazed by the squirrels around the park. They were so used to people and you could just touch them and pet them. We told the kids that we have squirrels in our back yard that they can look at but that this could be the only time in their lives that they get to see the Grand Canyon. 

Horseshoe Bend

 I have always seen pictures of Horseshoe Bend but never really knew what to expect. We got into the parking lot and there is a charge to get in, I think around $10. We parked and it is about a 1/2 mile hike to the actual lookout. It is absolutely amazing and we decided it is one of the only places we have been where pictures actually look somewhat like the real thing.  

I didn't expect that it would make me feel so dizzy though when we looked out over the overlook. There were people everywhere and they were all out climbing on the edges and getting close to the edge. It was making me SO NERVOUS!  I was so afraid I was going to witness someone falling to their death. It is SO FAR DOWN! The boats looked like little toys in the water. The kayaks at the bottom were like grains of rice. It was really amazing and scary at the same time.  It is truly beautiful. 

Caleb had a really hard time with it and it made him so uneasy watching people. He started to walk back because he was so uneasy with it. 

I am so glad we made sure to see it. 

We were going to go to Antelope Canyon, but we didn't realize you have to have a tour guide take you. It is on an Indian Reservation as well and you are not allowed to just go. All the tours we saw or looked at either wouldn't allow children under 5 or 6, or they were fully booked. Not to mention it would have cost us around $700 to go see it. We decided to save it for another trip. It is something I absolutely want to see, but we can't do everything on this trip. We headed back to the campground and got set up for the night. The kids started fighting and whining etc. and it got to be a little much. I ended up giving all the kids melatonin, so they could just get calm and relaxed for bed. I think we have been going and going and going and it is going to take a toll on everyone at some point. We finally got them settled in and we all got in bed and the kids watched a movie and Brad and I watched a movie and we all finally fell asleep. 

Big Johns BBQ

 We had heard that we needed to eat at Big Johns BBQ once we got to Page, AZ. We had to park at the community center because there really wasn't a place to park. The outdoor seating was nice, but I did not expect the prices they charge. We spent $200 for each of us to get a BBQ plate (well Eden only got the $7.00 kids Mac and Cheese). It was really good, but I think they have built a name and feel justified in charging so much for BBQ. (Just my opinion.)  

After eating we got back in the RV and headed to the Page-Lake Powell Campground. Don't let it fool you its not on lake Powell. It was in a convenient location though. We got checked in and found our spot, but we didn't stay. We were off again to Horseshoe Bend. 

Run Forest Run!

On the road again... headed to Page, AZ this time.  We got packed up and ready to go while the kids were all still sleeping or just waking up. We needed to stop on our way out to wash the windshield of the RV. It was amazing how well we could see once it was clean again. 

On the drive, the scenery was of course diverse and beautiful. I have been so amazed how each state can be so different just a 10 minuted drive away. I have been blown away at this amazing country we live in and we are just seeing a small portion of it. We saw the iconic "Mexican Hat" rock on our drive. This is right before you get to the town of Mexican Hat. 

On the way to Page, AZ we were able to stop at the spot where Forest Gump stops running in the movie and says "I think I want to go home now." 

It was fun to stop and remember that scene with Monument Valley in the background. 

We continued on to Monument Valley. We read ahead of time that you can't drive the 17 mile loop in monument valley in an RV, but the visitor center had great views. We got to the visitor center and they charge. you per person in your vehicle to get in to the visitor center. It is on an Indian Reservation so they can charge whatever they want to see it. We enjoyed the overlook and gift shop. Benjamin found a cowboy hat he really liked. We got a sticker for the RV as well. The pictures were nice from the visitor center and we really didn't feel like we needed to drive the loop or that we were missing out by not doing it. 

We got back in the RV and back on the road. 

Picture Troubles

 Picture Troubles:  I am having a hard time getting photos to upload to my computer. I am working on it, but will get it fixed soon (I hope).  In the meantime I am going to write about our days and go back and add the pictures of the day. This way I don't miss too many days that I have to go back and remember all I want to write about. 

Magical Moab

 We packed up early and headed out towards Moab, UT. It was amazing to watch the scenery change as we drove to Moab. 

We stopped at Wilson Arch on our way into Moab. 

Hole in the Rock is apparently a home someone built into the side of the rock. They used to do tours but it is closed to the public at this time. There is a jeep at the top of the rock above it. 

A lizard Caleb saw at Wilson Arch 

We got to Moab around 2:00 in the afternoon and got checked into the Campground. We are spending 2 nights in Moab. Last night we booked a fun tour for the kids. We are doing a sunset hummer tour on the slick rock called Hells Revenge. We found out it is called Hell's revenge because of the heat that reflects off the rocks and that it is "hell's revenge" Once we got to Moab and got settled in we found a restaurant called The Trailhead and walked from the campground through town- they had really good food. I had something called a dirty coke (apparently it is a Utah thing),  but it is coke with coconut milk and lime in it. I thought it was pretty good. It reminded me of an Italian soda with cream. On the way back we stopped in a few stores and got ice cream as well. 

This was a piece of a tree that was in a restaurant that we were going to eat at, but the wait was too long. 

We went back to the RV because I had to get on the computer at exactly 6:00 pm to get a reservation for Arches national park. I was able to snag one for 9:00am. It is so crazy that these HUGE national parks require reservations. Due to us not knowing exactly where we would be and when, we were not able to make advance reservations. We knew that there would be possibilities that we would end up not getting into places and we would just adjust and go from there. 

After booking the pass into Arches National Park, we all got ready for the Hummer Ride. We did not tell the kids what we were going to be doing. We wanted it to be a surprise. We went to meet the hummer at the entrance to the campground since they were picking us up. We were able to get Edens carseat all hooked in and off we went to sign waivers and pick up the rest of the group that was doing the tour with us. I am not going to lie when we first go to the slick rocks and started the climb up it was a bit scary! I used to be a total daredevil and would try anything without fear. Having kids changed that in me. I still want to do things and experience things with the kids, but the fear comes in because I want to keep them safe and protected. All of the parents out there know what I am talking about. I don't let it stop us from doing fun things though. 

Our guide Ian was awesome. He has been driving the slickrocks for a year and a half. At one point he stopped with a huge climb behind us and the boys were joking and said "we should go backwards up the hill" Ian stood up and said "the boys in the back said it, lets go backwards!" and we did - up a HUGE hill. Another time we were going down this really steep area and Ian stopped the hummer right when we were facing straight down. He said "I told you that this would be like a slow roller coaster, but sometimes roller coasters go really fast" and he released the hummer and we shot straight down. It was really fun. 

All my pictures are out of order again. I am not sure why it keeps downloading it all out of order. 

This was a group of dirtbikes riding down the huge hill. 

Another stop we made allowed us to see Dino tracks that are preserved in the rock. 

This is the huge hill that the dirt bikes were going down in the picture above. We actually went backwards up this hill! It was crazy. 

This was information about the Dino tracks in the area. 

These next two pictures were more Dino tracks. 

This is us going backwards up the huge hill! 

This is how incredibly close we were driving through some of the rocks. 

At another point the guide stopped with the hummer facing straight down.. He then all the sudden released the hummer and we went flying down the hill. It was called roller coaster hill. 

This was before we left when the hummer picked us up. 

Sunset on top a rock with my sweet Elijah 

The amazing sunset over the slick rocks. 

Benjamin caught this lizard with a blue belly. 

Our last stop was on top of a hill where we watched the beautiful sunset over the slick rock canyons. It was amazing.   The kids absolutely loved it. 

One more stop we made was where you can take "illusion" pictures that make it look like you are sliding off into the canyon below. I have to get the pictures from Brads phone because he was the one who took them. 

Once we got back we got some snacks since we didn't really have dinner due to our late lunch and then everyone got ready for bed. I think the hummer ride is going to be one of the things on this trip that sticks out to all of us. The pictures absolutely do not do justice to the area.