OOPS!  I just realized that I wrote this post, but never officially “posted” it.  Anyway…here it is, a few months late…

 

So here we were…setting up at Opa’s!

 

The first thing Cliff did was check out his car.  A mouse was living in it before we left.  Thankfully, he vacated in our absence, but not before leaving a mess!  It also needed an oil change.

 

The first thing the kids did was explore the woods!

 

 

Honestly, I can’t even remember the first thing I did.  But I’m sure it involved getting ready for school.

 

 

The 4th night we stayed there was strange!  We hadn’t stayed 4 nights anywhere in months!  It rained.  A lot.

 

 

We didn’t stay in one place for long.  Cliff & the kids bought and restored a boat trailer, so we took that to Starve Hollow Lake for a fun weekend.

 

I discovered the love of kayaking at the Palisades Reservoir in Idaho, so I was eager to get back on some water.

 

It was also fun to have our annual tradition of harvesting the ripe sumac and making a vitamin-rich punch.  When Nadia was little she mistakenly called it “Soomuch Punk” and the name has stuck!

 

We also went returned to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore over Labor Day weekend.

 

 

It was fun to actually be at a warm beach.  (We had to wear jackets during our time on the Pacific Coast.)

 

We tried a new kind of camping while we were here.  We arrived at the beach early in the mornings and then stayed in local parking lots at night.  It worked like a budget-friendly charm!

 

The following weekend found us at the Cornerstone Campground in New Castle for the first annual Family Man Rally.

 

Although wet, we had a great time…especially because we were able to reunite with friends.

 

Plus, I was able to rent a kayak again.  (I really need to just buy one!)

 

Unfortunately, we lost one of our solar panels in a storm while we were there.

 

Two weeks ago we visited the new Ark Encounter in Kentucky.

 

It was an amazing structure, don’t get me wrong, but the entire time was spent waiting in line.  We’d finish one line…only to be greeted by another.  If you decide to visit, take some advice…go during the week!

 

The kids wanted to see the petting zoo, but there was a line to get in.  So we just drove to the nearby Creation Museum and visited theirs!  We also caught a planetarium show and a movie.  And it was a gorgeous day for a walk.  Of course, we stayed at our favorite spot in Lawrenceburg for free camping while we were there.

 

Last weekend was a special weekend because my sister Kathryn was married in Carmel to a wonderful man named Brandon.  We were able to park in the hotel lot and be close to all the festivities.  The RV life can be very convenient sometimes!

 

While we were away, Cliff’s brother & his partner surprised us by building us a new porch.  We’ve come a long way since living in the mud at the beginning of this post!  (We also poured a gravel driveway a few weeks ago.)

 

So that catches up to today.  I don’t know what this blog will look like in the future.  I guess it will sit silent until we head back on the road.  Hopefully, that will be soon!  Cheers, friends!