Thanksgiving Post....Sort of

Any week that you only work three days is good in my book. This year we are staying home for Thanksgiving and I must say its just fine with me. Traveling with two kids is hard enough let alone the biggest travel week of the year it becomes a bit stupid. One of the biggest issues with air travel this week is that  it's insanely expensive. So with that said,  we had thanksgiving early this year in Houston with Ali's parents. All in all it was a good trip highlighted with Max taking his first steps while we were there. Now, of course we are full steam ahead and its a little creepy seeing him so quietly sneak around corner at night. Very stealthy.

The house is starting to feel more like home thankfully. This weekend I put up a ceiling fan in the living room and installed some dimmers for the can lights. We also put up the Christmas tree and can finally hang our stockings over a fireplace just like Norman Rockwell intended. This weekend I plan on tackling the Christmas lights. The plan is to wrap the columns as we did at our old house but this time it appears that my work is cut out for me having 14 columns. This may be a one and done kind of thing...wait and see.

Over the last week or so we also had our fence installed and now can let Gibby out without a leash...and it couldn't have come at a better time with the weather now turning below freezing. The fence looks fantastic and the construction and attention to detail is very good. If you are in the market for a very well built wooden fence in St. Charles call Brad Reed @ Dragonfly Studio.

End of the Season

All good things must come to an end. This weekend marked the end of the 2013 camping season and the RV is tucked away waiting for spring. This year while we didn't get out as much as I would have liked, but did have some fun trips and hit a few new favorites. 

We had a number of issues this season...everything from a awing taking flight and nearly putting a hole in the roof to a hub fire from a wheel bearing that let loose. A new axle and 4 new tires were also needed for a defect in the original axle. It was an expensive season for sure. Even with over $1500 in repair bills, fuel and camping fees I still think it is an asset for our family. Being able to spend time with my kids un-obstructed from the leashes of cell phones, videos and endless TV shows is worth a lot more to me than money. Standing at the edge of a lake with morning fog blanketing the area with a little boy skipping rocks across the smooth surface is a good thing. Talking a walk at night and looking up and realizing that the sky is really peppered with stars you didn't know existed is a good thing.  Sitting by a fire so hot you think that your shins have caught on fire is a good thing. The more you learn and plan, the more you find out that by traveling with an RV you really can have your own lakefront property for a few days for what others pay thousands or even millions for...being able to share this with your family is a good thing. 

Big things planned for next year. Started the process of planning our longest trip to date to Table Rock Lake. It sounds funny, but the next few months you should start planning trips for the spring especially if you want to go during weekends...By the end of December most of our season will already be in stone. In terms of improvements, I am seriously considering dropping the bulky husky hitch that is a pain in the ass for something that preforms a bit better and is easier to use.