It is getting harder and harder to write my blog as the holiday get closer. Seems like I am going into vacation mode (I'm always on vacation). This year was fairly easy. I didn't buy many gifts. A lot of our family agreed to NO gifts. It takes the pressure off and definitely saves money. Everyone asks us if we have been saving a ton of money now that we are in the RV. Oddly enough. . . no. There are so many accessories needed to go along with the 5th wheel. We have been sending so much. The good thing though is we have the money to spend whereas before, we were scrounging by. The few Christmas gifts we did buy have taken up a bit of money as well. Hopefully as soon as the holidays are over, we will start saving a ton.
Last night Jason and I joined our friends Jackie and Justin for our 3rd annual holiday dinner. We were down one couple this year, but we glad to carry the tradition on even if it was only a double date. True friends are so hard to find.
Today Jason and I enjoyed an early lunch at our favorite spot Panera. I just can't get enough of it. I even got a "You look really pretty" from Jason. I guess I should do my hair more often :) Taylor enjoyed her hour at the dog park. Soon we are off to my parents to do a load of laundry and Jason will attend a jiu jitsu class tonight. It will be his first time back in almost a year. Injuries to his shoulder and ankle have kept him away. I think Miss Universe tonight is calling my name. Probably because we only get a few options and it's one of the only channels in English.
I am not crazy about our new spot. We had the option of 3 different ones and Jason thought this would be the best because of its proximity to the dog park. It is nice to be able to walk to the park rather than loading the car and driving, but I can't seem to be able to open a window without seeing a building or RV. Our other 2 sites had amazing views and were very private. I get to pick the next spot :)
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Bringing our home with us
Ocala was great. It was so nice getting to spend time with my in laws. We spent time shopping, cooking, baking, watching Virginia and Charlie participate in their neighborhood Christmas musical, and visiting downtown Ocala. Virginia got tickets for us all to tour a home built in 1890 called Seven Sisters Inn. It was such an experience. I love old construction.
We again set a plan to leave Ocala by 2pm so we could arrive in Sebring before dark. . . again another plan bites the dust. We didn't leave until 4:30pm. Jason purchased a truck tool box and spent a lot of time organizing his tools. I guess it needed to be done. The drive to Sebring was easy breezy. Hwy 27 is so nice to drive. Easy to pull over and get gas or food. It was kind of weird using our 5th wheel bathroom and feeling 'at home' and yet being in the middle of a gas station parking lot. It was odd.
Sebring was a good time as well. We ended up getting there around 8:45pm and set up camp in the driveway. Everyone congregated in our 5th wheel living room. We fit 9 people in there comfortably. It was nice to see that we could have a group of people over our house still. Mom, Sean, and Dustin arrived later in the night around 11:00pm. A few conversations later and we were all in bed. It was nice being able to escape to our own home. We could set the thermostat at the temperature we wanted, use our own pillows, etc. When we woke up, we knew we had something to eat guaranteed.
Mom scheduled family pictures at Sears. 8:00am was a tough wake up call after all that driving and the trip we just left, especially when it takes an hour to do your hair. Pictures were kind of a hassle. Trying to fit 12 people into 1 frame is not easy. When the fan in the room in broken and there are 12+ people with body temps @ 98.6 and above, it makes for a really nice sweat box.
We ate a traditional Christmas dinner full of turkey, pork, yams, mashed potatoes, etc. There were 2 new additions to the table this year, 1 being Justin and the other being Sissy (grandma and grandpa's new dog). It just so happened that she was ready to be picked up from the humane society the day we were all there.
We decided to not exchange gifts this year. It just gets too costly and at this point, everyone has everything that they need anyways. Of course mom and Sean had to get for us. They don't think they have to oblige to the rule. Jason and I got some great gifts from them. A customized sign for the 5th wheel, accessories, an ornament, a grill, and a custom vinyl wall quote from our favorite song 'Home'.
After dinner and gifts, we went to the Sebring circle. It's become a family tradition. It was Justin's first year visiting so we had to show him the awesomeness Sebring has to offer :) Dinner after lights was a must. I don't know why people insist on easting Christmas dinner at 2 in the afternoon and expect that meal to hold everyone over until the next day. Cody's Roadhouse sure did hit the spot followed by a few rounds of catch phrase (it's our families new favorite game).
Our Sunday was spent driving to Camping World, shopping, saying goodbye to Mom, Sean, Dusty, and Tara because she was going back to Orange Park with mom. Grandma and Grandpa drove Jason and I back to the house, stopping for lunch at Manny's Chop House for another amazing meal. The new goodies we bought from Camping World helped out a lot in the packing up process. It only took us a half hour this time. We are getting good.
Our drive back was enjoyable. I just love our road trips. It's where we talk the most. Jason brought up buying a house on the West coast. He mentioned not being too thrilled with the supply on the East coast, adding the cost being higher is just not worth it. Music to my ears. Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, . . . I'll start looking :)
Back to Markham we went. New campsite this time. Closer to the dog park is always appreciated by Miss Taylor. The next 10 days will be spent running errands, catching up on laundry, checking off things on my to do list, and organizing the RV a bit more. Our next destination is Cape Coral for a post Christmas party with the Allis family.
We again set a plan to leave Ocala by 2pm so we could arrive in Sebring before dark. . . again another plan bites the dust. We didn't leave until 4:30pm. Jason purchased a truck tool box and spent a lot of time organizing his tools. I guess it needed to be done. The drive to Sebring was easy breezy. Hwy 27 is so nice to drive. Easy to pull over and get gas or food. It was kind of weird using our 5th wheel bathroom and feeling 'at home' and yet being in the middle of a gas station parking lot. It was odd.
Sebring was a good time as well. We ended up getting there around 8:45pm and set up camp in the driveway. Everyone congregated in our 5th wheel living room. We fit 9 people in there comfortably. It was nice to see that we could have a group of people over our house still. Mom, Sean, and Dustin arrived later in the night around 11:00pm. A few conversations later and we were all in bed. It was nice being able to escape to our own home. We could set the thermostat at the temperature we wanted, use our own pillows, etc. When we woke up, we knew we had something to eat guaranteed.
Mom scheduled family pictures at Sears. 8:00am was a tough wake up call after all that driving and the trip we just left, especially when it takes an hour to do your hair. Pictures were kind of a hassle. Trying to fit 12 people into 1 frame is not easy. When the fan in the room in broken and there are 12+ people with body temps @ 98.6 and above, it makes for a really nice sweat box.
We ate a traditional Christmas dinner full of turkey, pork, yams, mashed potatoes, etc. There were 2 new additions to the table this year, 1 being Justin and the other being Sissy (grandma and grandpa's new dog). It just so happened that she was ready to be picked up from the humane society the day we were all there.
We decided to not exchange gifts this year. It just gets too costly and at this point, everyone has everything that they need anyways. Of course mom and Sean had to get for us. They don't think they have to oblige to the rule. Jason and I got some great gifts from them. A customized sign for the 5th wheel, accessories, an ornament, a grill, and a custom vinyl wall quote from our favorite song 'Home'.
After dinner and gifts, we went to the Sebring circle. It's become a family tradition. It was Justin's first year visiting so we had to show him the awesomeness Sebring has to offer :) Dinner after lights was a must. I don't know why people insist on easting Christmas dinner at 2 in the afternoon and expect that meal to hold everyone over until the next day. Cody's Roadhouse sure did hit the spot followed by a few rounds of catch phrase (it's our families new favorite game).
Our Sunday was spent driving to Camping World, shopping, saying goodbye to Mom, Sean, Dusty, and Tara because she was going back to Orange Park with mom. Grandma and Grandpa drove Jason and I back to the house, stopping for lunch at Manny's Chop House for another amazing meal. The new goodies we bought from Camping World helped out a lot in the packing up process. It only took us a half hour this time. We are getting good.
Our drive back was enjoyable. I just love our road trips. It's where we talk the most. Jason brought up buying a house on the West coast. He mentioned not being too thrilled with the supply on the East coast, adding the cost being higher is just not worth it. Music to my ears. Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, . . . I'll start looking :)
Back to Markham we went. New campsite this time. Closer to the dog park is always appreciated by Miss Taylor. The next 10 days will be spent running errands, catching up on laundry, checking off things on my to do list, and organizing the RV a bit more. Our next destination is Cape Coral for a post Christmas party with the Allis family.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Hit the road Jack
On Sunday, Tara and I drove over to Naples to visit with our cousins Maggie and Ryan and their daughter Hannah. While we were there we would do a quick 6 month old photo shoot and also take their Christmas pictures. The shoot went great. Hannah was the perfect model (I think it's because we started her out the day of her birth with a photo shoot in the hospital). She was so well behaved and probably my best subject yet. Hanging out with Maggie and Ryan was great. We got a chance to chat while at lunch and catch up. Tara and I eventually took off and headed back to the East coast.
We stopped at Markham to check on the RV. Markham has the Toys for Tots run at the park, so there were thousands of bikers in and out of the park all day. I was kind of happy that we weren't there. The RV was perfect and all the crowds had cleared before we even got there. I wasn't too comfortable staying the night (not because of the bikers) because the morning before, I was awoken with the bright lights of our bedroom ceiling. I later found out that Jason had to turn the lights on the catch yet another frog in the bedroom. Awesome! So I didn't feel comfortable staying in a room that frogs are somehow figuring out how to get in while being all alone. No thank you! Off to my dad's we went. We had left Taylor there for the day anyways, so her and I slept on the couch.
Why is there ever a plan involved in trips? Trips should consist of zero planning. That way when nothing goes according to no plan, I don't get upset :) Of course we had a plan. Jason was suppose to be at my dad's to pick us up right after shift around 8:15/8:30ish. 9:30 rolls around and he finally shows. Of course he had to go to the RV store and spend $100 on things "We absolutely needed!" Whatever. Off to Markham we went. It was time to load up our 2 weeks of site F 4 and hit the road. Long story short. . . around 1:30pm Jason comes into the RV and says "Are you ready to say I told you so?" I am always ready for that. My response was "Yes, I am just excited to find out which thing you are referring to." Side note. . . I love being right :) So the silly scooted that he just had to borrow from his friend OJ doesn't seem to sit on the rack well enough. It seems to be bouncing all over the place. Of course it's the racks fault. Stupid thing says 500lb weight capacity and can't barely seem to hold 180lbs. Maybe it's because it's a stupid scooter and the back tire is hanging off the back of the rack. Maybe because it's really a bike rack and not a nerd mobile holder.
I get a text from my mother-in-law around 1:45ish asking us if we had left yet (we are headed to Ocala to see her). At that point we still had bikes on the ground, the 5th wheel not hitched up, Jason freaking out, slides not pulled in, etc. I don't know how, but it all came together and we were headed to the station to drop this stupid scooter off. The ride to the station was horrible. It was my first time in the truck while towing the RV. Oh man. Taking a 33.5 foot 5th wheel down the craziness and construction of 595 was almost unbearable. I literally almost threw up twice due to anxiety. The scooter bounces with every bump we hit and the gallons and gallons of water left in the tank shook us around like a bumper car. Thank goodness nothing happened.
After eliminating the stress and weight of the scooter as well as the 500 extra lbs of the water, we were smooth sailing. It made such a world of difference. Of course we were both starving as soon as we got on the road. We were approaching 4:00pm and were worried about rush hour. On top of that, we can't just pull up to a regular drive through and order our meal anymore. Rest stop it was! We pulled into the first Turnpike rest area we found. Of course those would all be under construction as well because nothing could just be easy. We park with all the huge trucks and jump out. Jason runs in because he needed food first. We don't want the Hulk to come out. Taylor and I wondered over to the grass area so she could use the ladies room. All of a sudden. . . I spotted it. . . it was like a angel came down and said "Here is a little slice of heaven on Earth. A little calmness amongst your crazy day of anxiety." What was it you ask? No not a bar. It was a designated dog park area!!! Taylor and I ran straight through the parking lot across the the gate. It was so nice being able to take her off her leash and let her run around for a few minutes. I didn't have to worry about food on the floor because people rather not touch the nasty garbage cans. I wasn't worried about cars flying by and almost hitting her. It was perfect. She of course was the only dog in the park, but I was just happy she could stretch her legs/
Jason came out with a personal pan pizza (the new stops have better food now). I probably looked like a kid in a candy store. I was so excited to show him the dog park area. After a half hour of getting food, dog park time, and loading back up, we were ready to hit the road again. We stopped a few more times for gas, food, and the bathroom. We almost forgot that the RV was behind us because of the easiness of the drive. We made it to Ocala around 9pm, stopped at Subway for a quick bite to eat, and then to Virginia and Charlie's for a change of scenery. We positioned the RV just off their driveway in the grass. We have a great sunset view out the back window.
While setting up, I noticed one of the tree frogs on the grass just outside of the RV. That little brat hitched a ride all the way from Markham. I tried to set everything up inside so Charlie and Virginia could see our new house. Sure enough. . . another tree frog in the bedroom. Jason used the infamous cup and plate contraption and got that guy out. A few minutes later I go in the RV bathroom to wash my hands and. . . another FROG! What the heck? Jason to the rescue again. He thinks they were sitting on the slides at the park and then when we pulled the slides in, they came in also. All more the reason I asked him if he swept the slides first. . .
Finally all the frogs were out of the RV and we were able to show his parents the house. They loved it. They jokingly talked of building a huge hanger for their airplane and toys and just living in one of these. We went into their house and watched some tv, talked a bite, and enjoyed a drink. Our bed never felt so comfy. Taylor settled right in as if nothing had changed. Technically her home was the exact same way only her yard changed. We have been so excited to get this thing on the road. Ocala is a good start. A 4 1/2 hour drive, no nightly charge, able to plug in still, and most importantly. . . able to see family for the holidays. Love it! We leave for Sebring on Friday to see my mom, Sean, Dusty, and that whole side :)
We stopped at Markham to check on the RV. Markham has the Toys for Tots run at the park, so there were thousands of bikers in and out of the park all day. I was kind of happy that we weren't there. The RV was perfect and all the crowds had cleared before we even got there. I wasn't too comfortable staying the night (not because of the bikers) because the morning before, I was awoken with the bright lights of our bedroom ceiling. I later found out that Jason had to turn the lights on the catch yet another frog in the bedroom. Awesome! So I didn't feel comfortable staying in a room that frogs are somehow figuring out how to get in while being all alone. No thank you! Off to my dad's we went. We had left Taylor there for the day anyways, so her and I slept on the couch.
Why is there ever a plan involved in trips? Trips should consist of zero planning. That way when nothing goes according to no plan, I don't get upset :) Of course we had a plan. Jason was suppose to be at my dad's to pick us up right after shift around 8:15/8:30ish. 9:30 rolls around and he finally shows. Of course he had to go to the RV store and spend $100 on things "We absolutely needed!" Whatever. Off to Markham we went. It was time to load up our 2 weeks of site F 4 and hit the road. Long story short. . . around 1:30pm Jason comes into the RV and says "Are you ready to say I told you so?" I am always ready for that. My response was "Yes, I am just excited to find out which thing you are referring to." Side note. . . I love being right :) So the silly scooted that he just had to borrow from his friend OJ doesn't seem to sit on the rack well enough. It seems to be bouncing all over the place. Of course it's the racks fault. Stupid thing says 500lb weight capacity and can't barely seem to hold 180lbs. Maybe it's because it's a stupid scooter and the back tire is hanging off the back of the rack. Maybe because it's really a bike rack and not a nerd mobile holder.
I get a text from my mother-in-law around 1:45ish asking us if we had left yet (we are headed to Ocala to see her). At that point we still had bikes on the ground, the 5th wheel not hitched up, Jason freaking out, slides not pulled in, etc. I don't know how, but it all came together and we were headed to the station to drop this stupid scooter off. The ride to the station was horrible. It was my first time in the truck while towing the RV. Oh man. Taking a 33.5 foot 5th wheel down the craziness and construction of 595 was almost unbearable. I literally almost threw up twice due to anxiety. The scooter bounces with every bump we hit and the gallons and gallons of water left in the tank shook us around like a bumper car. Thank goodness nothing happened.
After eliminating the stress and weight of the scooter as well as the 500 extra lbs of the water, we were smooth sailing. It made such a world of difference. Of course we were both starving as soon as we got on the road. We were approaching 4:00pm and were worried about rush hour. On top of that, we can't just pull up to a regular drive through and order our meal anymore. Rest stop it was! We pulled into the first Turnpike rest area we found. Of course those would all be under construction as well because nothing could just be easy. We park with all the huge trucks and jump out. Jason runs in because he needed food first. We don't want the Hulk to come out. Taylor and I wondered over to the grass area so she could use the ladies room. All of a sudden. . . I spotted it. . . it was like a angel came down and said "Here is a little slice of heaven on Earth. A little calmness amongst your crazy day of anxiety." What was it you ask? No not a bar. It was a designated dog park area!!! Taylor and I ran straight through the parking lot across the the gate. It was so nice being able to take her off her leash and let her run around for a few minutes. I didn't have to worry about food on the floor because people rather not touch the nasty garbage cans. I wasn't worried about cars flying by and almost hitting her. It was perfect. She of course was the only dog in the park, but I was just happy she could stretch her legs/
Jason came out with a personal pan pizza (the new stops have better food now). I probably looked like a kid in a candy store. I was so excited to show him the dog park area. After a half hour of getting food, dog park time, and loading back up, we were ready to hit the road again. We stopped a few more times for gas, food, and the bathroom. We almost forgot that the RV was behind us because of the easiness of the drive. We made it to Ocala around 9pm, stopped at Subway for a quick bite to eat, and then to Virginia and Charlie's for a change of scenery. We positioned the RV just off their driveway in the grass. We have a great sunset view out the back window.
While setting up, I noticed one of the tree frogs on the grass just outside of the RV. That little brat hitched a ride all the way from Markham. I tried to set everything up inside so Charlie and Virginia could see our new house. Sure enough. . . another tree frog in the bedroom. Jason used the infamous cup and plate contraption and got that guy out. A few minutes later I go in the RV bathroom to wash my hands and. . . another FROG! What the heck? Jason to the rescue again. He thinks they were sitting on the slides at the park and then when we pulled the slides in, they came in also. All more the reason I asked him if he swept the slides first. . .
Finally all the frogs were out of the RV and we were able to show his parents the house. They loved it. They jokingly talked of building a huge hanger for their airplane and toys and just living in one of these. We went into their house and watched some tv, talked a bite, and enjoyed a drink. Our bed never felt so comfy. Taylor settled right in as if nothing had changed. Technically her home was the exact same way only her yard changed. We have been so excited to get this thing on the road. Ocala is a good start. A 4 1/2 hour drive, no nightly charge, able to plug in still, and most importantly. . . able to see family for the holidays. Love it! We leave for Sebring on Friday to see my mom, Sean, Dusty, and that whole side :)
Friday, December 7, 2012
Something was on my head
Jason decided to bring a friends scooter home for us to try out. We ended up taking it to a restaurant across the street from Markham for lunch. This very nice gentleman in a lifted F-250 thought it would be super to honk his obnoxious train horn at us scarring me to death. I felt like we were on the stupid scooted from Dumb and Dumber when it shakes. I thought we were going down for a quick second. Asshole.
The dog park with Taylor was fun. She is definitely losing weight as many people have mentioned. I am excited to see how much she weighs the next time we go to the vet. The last time she was almost
40 lbs and Dr. Bufaleri put her on a diet. . .
Jason was invited out with the guys from work last night. I finished addressing, adding pictures, and labeling our Christmas cards. 7:04 am I felt something land on my head while sleeping. There had been a large moth swarming around the front door for a few days. I swatted at my head but felt it land just on the other side of my head. I swatted it again thinking it must just be the moth. I saw an object fly (actually it jumped) over to my nightstand. As I moved our wedding picture to kind of trap the 'moth' underneath it, I saw it! A tree frog jumped onto the wall of our bedroom. I jumped up in a panic and screamed to Jason. "Jason. Get up. There is a frog and it was just on my head (completely out of breath)." I was freaked out. We had one another tree frog in the RV. It had hopped in and accidentally was squished in the door frame of the bathroom. Tara saw it and bent down to explore what was stuck to the inside of the door and noticed it was a smashed frog only after touching it :) Of course she freaked also. So Jason jumps up to confirm that it is a frog and I am not just trying to get him out of bed early (now that I think of it, that would be a great idea). Jason runs out to the kitchen, I hide under the covers with the dog. I couldn't have it jump on me again. He comes into the bedroom with a paper plate and a styrofoam cup. Awesome! He did manage to trap the frog in the cup and release it outside. I didn't want him to kill it :)
Just another day in paradise.
The dog park with Taylor was fun. She is definitely losing weight as many people have mentioned. I am excited to see how much she weighs the next time we go to the vet. The last time she was almost
40 lbs and Dr. Bufaleri put her on a diet. . .
Jason was invited out with the guys from work last night. I finished addressing, adding pictures, and labeling our Christmas cards. 7:04 am I felt something land on my head while sleeping. There had been a large moth swarming around the front door for a few days. I swatted at my head but felt it land just on the other side of my head. I swatted it again thinking it must just be the moth. I saw an object fly (actually it jumped) over to my nightstand. As I moved our wedding picture to kind of trap the 'moth' underneath it, I saw it! A tree frog jumped onto the wall of our bedroom. I jumped up in a panic and screamed to Jason. "Jason. Get up. There is a frog and it was just on my head (completely out of breath)." I was freaked out. We had one another tree frog in the RV. It had hopped in and accidentally was squished in the door frame of the bathroom. Tara saw it and bent down to explore what was stuck to the inside of the door and noticed it was a smashed frog only after touching it :) Of course she freaked also. So Jason jumps up to confirm that it is a frog and I am not just trying to get him out of bed early (now that I think of it, that would be a great idea). Jason runs out to the kitchen, I hide under the covers with the dog. I couldn't have it jump on me again. He comes into the bedroom with a paper plate and a styrofoam cup. Awesome! He did manage to trap the frog in the cup and release it outside. I didn't want him to kill it :)
Just another day in paradise.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Working like crazy
Oh my goodness. It's been quite a while since my last post. I have been a busy girl. Friday I had a photo shoot here at Markham. I had the pleasure of 'shooting' two beautiful little girls and one loving momma. It was such a fun photo shoot. I then had another shoot on Sunday, this time at my favorite Robbin's park. This shoot was a bit more intense, but just as fun. Not only did I 'shoot' a cute little boy and his parents, but their parents as well. It was a great family affair.
After the photo shoot on Sunday I stopped by the old house. I had emailed the family asking about our mail and making sure they were settling in alright. Ellie invited me over the house. She jokingly told us to bring a paint brush. Jason wasn't able to go just yet. He thought it would be just too hard still. I managed to make my way over there. It was extremely weird being back there again. It was the same house of course, just with different things inside of it. They hadn't had any time to unpack yet. There were boxes everywhere. The kids seemed to be loving the house. They had to show me their rooms and how they were decorated. Super cute! They ripped up the carpet in the master and the end room. They are putting laminate wood down. They already painted the back room (2 tone blue), master (a southwestern tan), and guest bathroom (dark blue). They put up a chain link fence in the back yard along the canal (safety reasons with the kids). It was definitely a different look. The dad opened the sliding glass door in the back. It was a weird moment. I remembered exactly what that sounded like. It sparked a few memories. Jason would not have been able to handle the changes. When I went back home and told him of the changes he seemed to have a negative reaction, even stating that it was too soon to see it all changed.
Jason has been working like crazy. I hate when he is gone for long spans. It's that much harder to get back into the groove of things once he is back home. We kind of establish our own ways of doing things when we are apart that are hard to merge back with one another once back together :( We are much better after just one day apart.
My days have been spent editing photos, Christmas shopping, taking the dog to the park, and running errands. Jason and I thought tiki torches would add a great deal of ambiance to the camp site. Do you know how hard it is to find tiki torches during December? HARD! I finally found them in a far away neighborhood at a Lowes. I absolutely love them and the way they make the site look.
Tara and Justin ate dinner over the other night. I wasn't expecting the visit, but it was definitely welcomed. Pork, rice, grilled squash, and ginger salad always does the trick.
We have been planning a few trips. Jason is going to Colorado with the guys for his 30th and we are still trying to decide on our annual anniversary trip (even though our anniversary was back in November). Trying to figure out if we want to go to Chicago, New York, or this great lodge we found in Asheville, North Carolina. Anyone have any thoughts on those locations? We would fly and just stay a few nights.
Tomorrow night Justin, Tara, Jason, and I are going to light up Cooper City. It's becoming a tradition. Kind of like Founder's Day. We will then go out to dinner and watch a movie here at the RV. It should be fun.
After the photo shoot on Sunday I stopped by the old house. I had emailed the family asking about our mail and making sure they were settling in alright. Ellie invited me over the house. She jokingly told us to bring a paint brush. Jason wasn't able to go just yet. He thought it would be just too hard still. I managed to make my way over there. It was extremely weird being back there again. It was the same house of course, just with different things inside of it. They hadn't had any time to unpack yet. There were boxes everywhere. The kids seemed to be loving the house. They had to show me their rooms and how they were decorated. Super cute! They ripped up the carpet in the master and the end room. They are putting laminate wood down. They already painted the back room (2 tone blue), master (a southwestern tan), and guest bathroom (dark blue). They put up a chain link fence in the back yard along the canal (safety reasons with the kids). It was definitely a different look. The dad opened the sliding glass door in the back. It was a weird moment. I remembered exactly what that sounded like. It sparked a few memories. Jason would not have been able to handle the changes. When I went back home and told him of the changes he seemed to have a negative reaction, even stating that it was too soon to see it all changed.
Jason has been working like crazy. I hate when he is gone for long spans. It's that much harder to get back into the groove of things once he is back home. We kind of establish our own ways of doing things when we are apart that are hard to merge back with one another once back together :( We are much better after just one day apart.
My days have been spent editing photos, Christmas shopping, taking the dog to the park, and running errands. Jason and I thought tiki torches would add a great deal of ambiance to the camp site. Do you know how hard it is to find tiki torches during December? HARD! I finally found them in a far away neighborhood at a Lowes. I absolutely love them and the way they make the site look.
Tara and Justin ate dinner over the other night. I wasn't expecting the visit, but it was definitely welcomed. Pork, rice, grilled squash, and ginger salad always does the trick.
We have been planning a few trips. Jason is going to Colorado with the guys for his 30th and we are still trying to decide on our annual anniversary trip (even though our anniversary was back in November). Trying to figure out if we want to go to Chicago, New York, or this great lodge we found in Asheville, North Carolina. Anyone have any thoughts on those locations? We would fly and just stay a few nights.
Tomorrow night Justin, Tara, Jason, and I are going to light up Cooper City. It's becoming a tradition. Kind of like Founder's Day. We will then go out to dinner and watch a movie here at the RV. It should be fun.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
@ home with a newborn
November 30, 2012
Jason had to work today so Taylor and I were on our own. I had a photo shoot later in the day so the first art was consumed with deleting old shoots off my camera, making breakfast and lunch, taking Taylor to the dog park to wipe her out, and get ready for the shoot. The weather wasn't looking to good while I sat at the dog park. I grew worried about the shoot. Luckily when 3 pm came around the weather miraculously started getting better.
The shoot went well. It went very quickly. When working with a 1 year old and a 7 year old, you have to move fast. I have been asked not to post any pics of this shoot until after the holidays. Completely understandable. These pics will make a great gift. The only issue with the photo shoot was Taylor. Because Candice brought a truck full of props, I wanted to stay fairly close in proximity to the RV. Not a good idea. Taylor apparently could see us the whole time thus making her howl throughout the whole shoot.
I kind of lost it for a few moments later on in the night. Here it is Friday night and I am stuck in an RV by myself with a separation anxiety ridden dog who can't bare a second without me. I felt like I had a completely dependent newborn baby. I had Christmas shopping to do while Jason was away at work but wasn't comfortable with leaving Taylor in the RV alone. She would either howl the whole time and bother our neighbors (the walls aren't very thick) or she would mess things up like the screen and window treatments again. Jason suggested taking off to my dad and Tam's house dropping Taylor off before I ran my errands. When I got to their house, no one was home. Jason just so happened to take their house key off of my key ring leaving me no easy way to get into the house. That was all fine and dandy until it started raining and Taylor began freaking out because she was getting wet. Perfect. Nothing can just be easy I guess. I finally was able to find a way in and kind of enjoyed the idea of sitting and catching up on some of my favorite shows I recorder on their DVR. Long story short. . . I ended up watching my Real housewives and Giuliana and Bill episodes thus missing Target but getting to spend time with everyone. Pizza always makes things better.
It was a bit nerve racking coming back to a dark county park. I left all of the RV lights on so it would be a bit more lit. I expressed my nerves about returning home for the night alone to Jason. I think I made him feel a little bad. When I walked into the RV. . . it was just magical. I felt so 'at home.' The Christmas tree was lit. The fireplace was on. The RV was the perfect temperature to snuggle up in the covers. I called Jason and told him the good news. I think he felt relieved.
Another day out here at Markham. I have a day of errands and editing in store for me. Everyone pray for me and more so Taylor. I pray she lets me get out of the RV for my shopping. I hope I don't come back to a completely destroyed house.
The shoot went well. It went very quickly. When working with a 1 year old and a 7 year old, you have to move fast. I have been asked not to post any pics of this shoot until after the holidays. Completely understandable. These pics will make a great gift. The only issue with the photo shoot was Taylor. Because Candice brought a truck full of props, I wanted to stay fairly close in proximity to the RV. Not a good idea. Taylor apparently could see us the whole time thus making her howl throughout the whole shoot.
I kind of lost it for a few moments later on in the night. Here it is Friday night and I am stuck in an RV by myself with a separation anxiety ridden dog who can't bare a second without me. I felt like I had a completely dependent newborn baby. I had Christmas shopping to do while Jason was away at work but wasn't comfortable with leaving Taylor in the RV alone. She would either howl the whole time and bother our neighbors (the walls aren't very thick) or she would mess things up like the screen and window treatments again. Jason suggested taking off to my dad and Tam's house dropping Taylor off before I ran my errands. When I got to their house, no one was home. Jason just so happened to take their house key off of my key ring leaving me no easy way to get into the house. That was all fine and dandy until it started raining and Taylor began freaking out because she was getting wet. Perfect. Nothing can just be easy I guess. I finally was able to find a way in and kind of enjoyed the idea of sitting and catching up on some of my favorite shows I recorder on their DVR. Long story short. . . I ended up watching my Real housewives and Giuliana and Bill episodes thus missing Target but getting to spend time with everyone. Pizza always makes things better.
It was a bit nerve racking coming back to a dark county park. I left all of the RV lights on so it would be a bit more lit. I expressed my nerves about returning home for the night alone to Jason. I think I made him feel a little bad. When I walked into the RV. . . it was just magical. I felt so 'at home.' The Christmas tree was lit. The fireplace was on. The RV was the perfect temperature to snuggle up in the covers. I called Jason and told him the good news. I think he felt relieved.
December 1, 2012
I forgot to mention that one of our favorite neighbors Al stopped by Markham the other day and surprised us. He knew we were out here and brought his dog Foxy to the dog park. He found our cars, knocked on our RV door, and completely surprised us. He literally surprised us seeing as we were sleeping still.Another day out here at Markham. I have a day of errands and editing in store for me. Everyone pray for me and more so Taylor. I pray she lets me get out of the RV for my shopping. I hope I don't come back to a completely destroyed house.
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