I managed to sleep in this morning until about 6:45, which is pretty late for me. Dean had the coffee made so that was really nice. I checked emails and Facebook, especially looking for any more news on the tornado damage near our hometown. Baxter Springs, KS and Quapaw, OK are located about 35 minutes to an hour from us. Dean occasionally worked in Baxter Springs when he worked for Century-Link.
We considered finding someplace to eat breakfast versus having our normal cereal, however I could not find a restaurant in Copperas Cove that served breakfast with really good reviews or that was smoke free. So we ate cereal.
After we had our showers, we headed to Copperas Cove to H-E-B Supermarket. I think I mentioned I love this store! Seriously the deli meat and cheese counter was at least twice as long as most large box store meat counters. I've never seen so many selections with all kinds of different flavorings, such as chipolte; blackened, etc. It would be fun to just try some of them.
We are going to Matt & Megan's later and I am going to fix dinner there. Megan's favorite meal is roast, potatoes and carrots. While my sisters and I were at my Aunt Lillie's (my mom's younger sister) a few weeks ago she made roast and it was so delicious that I've decided I am going to try this. Hopefully it turns out as good as hers! Yes, I've made roast many times, just never have done it the way she made hers. I usually just throw everything in a crockpot with some seasonings and that's it. It's good but does not hold a candle to Aunt Lillie's. She told me at the time it's the way her mom made it except instead of putting it in a roasting pan in the oven, she cooks hers on the stove in a large skillet. She flours both sides of meat and browns each side. She then adds enough water to come about half way up on the roast. Once it comes to a good boil, she turns it down to where it just simmers for about 3 hours. My mom probably cooked hers this way too but I can't remember watching her do it. That may have been by the time I paid attention we were into fixing roast with Lipton onion soup mix and Cream of mushroom soup over the roast. It was always very yummy, but I think I like Aunt Lillie's better. Dean and I love to make hash out of the left over roast beef and it is better if it does not have alot of other seasoning on it.
While at the store I picked up some fresh salmon steaks so Dean and I can try these out tomorrow night when we stop. Dean will cook them on the grill. It will be our first attempt at this. Since Dean is grilling them I'm sure they will be perfect. In all honesty, he is a better cook than me! He won't admit it - but it is true!
Megan called while we were having our lunch of sandwiches here at the trailer. They had just finished with their follow up doctor visit. Joshua is doing well. They have to make a trip to Wal-Mart and will let us know when they get home. We'll go over and spend the afternoon with them. It will be our last chance to see them all before we leave in the morning so we are looking forward to having this last visit with them.
Headed over to Matt & Megan's about 1:30. We got there shortly before they did and I went ahead and got the roast going. After they arrived and Joshua was fed, Papa and Nana got to cuddle with him. He is just a beautiful baby. He has the most beautiful complexion! Today he had his eyes open quite a bit and really studied his Papa alot!
The roast turned out pretty good - not quite as good as Aunt Lillie's but for the first time I was pleased. I will definitely do this more in the future.
All too soon, it was time to head back home. We did our final hugs with Matt & Megan and then little Joshua. The next time we see him (around July 4th) he'll be about 2 1/2 mos. old. Of course we are hoping for many pictures between now and then. We will really miss him - and mom and dad too! :)
We hit the road tomorrow morning for the trip home. Tune in to see where Bentley is parking tomorrow.
Travels with Bentley
Bentley - our Heartland Bighorn
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014 - Pelham Park, Bowie, TX
We got up and around early this morning as we had a lot to do since this is our first travel day in two weeks. This has been a good spot to be in but we are ready for a change - except for leaving Joshua and his parents. We will miss them.
We pulled out of Ft. Hood Travel Park at 9:42 a.m. and headed west towards Highway 281. It was a nice ride, despite the wind. Our mpg was not nearly today as we headed north- into the wind - as it was on the trip down - when the wind was with us. About 2-3 mpg difference!
Believe it or not we only made one stop between Ft. Hood and our final destination. That's quite an achievement for me. I really like having our own bathroom with us wherever we travel.
I made a note that if we make it back to this area again I'd like to spend some time in Mineral Wells, TX. There are several large RV parks in the area and it looked like an interesting town. There is a very large building located in the downtown area that really piqued my interest. You can tell it is an abandoned building but it must have played an important part in the community. I'm not sure how many floors but I would guess 10-12 at least. It has a large dome like top on it with what looks like a large balcony. The one drawback to pulling a large fifth wheel, is you can't just stop anywhere to take a look or get pictures. I did try to take one as a drive-by but it didn't turn out too good.
We arrived in our new destination of Bowie, Texas at about 3:15 or so. Bowie is a town of about 5,200. Pelham Park is on the east side of town in a large recreational area that includes their community center, playground area, soccer fields, rodeo arena and the RV Park. The park is small - only about 12 camping spots. There are not many trees which did not matter to us today. The temperature when we left Ft. Hood was 70 degrees or so - it was 66 when we arrived in Bowie. The wind was really strong so it was cool enough we both changed from shorts/capri's into blue jeans and me from flip/flops to tennis shoes. We did not need shade today. Each site is similar to a chip and seal pavement, with lots of green space around the park area. There is also a walking trail that a few locals seemed to be utilizing. They have 50 amp electric and water hookups for $15 per night with a 7 day maximum stay. We would stay here again. They also have a dump station as you leave the campsite.
After we got the rig set up and rested for a while, we took a tour of the town. They have some interesting looking flea markets. If we had more time I'd like to visit them. Other than that, we did not see much that caught our eye - well, except they do have a Dairy Queen!
We had originally planned to grill our salmon steaks tonight but due to the heavy winds Dean did not want to try grilling, so we opted for a local restaurant - Sweet Boy's Diner. We both had the chicken friend steak. It was what they were known for, per the menu. It was pretty good. Not the best we've had but certainly better than some. I don't think anyone will ever be able to beat Treva's (former cafe in Oswego) chicken fried steak. Sweet Boy's meal was served with a side salad, homemade rolls and 2 sides. We both chose smashed red potatoes and mac' and cheese. Fortunately we both ordered the small size and it was just perfect.
The wait staff wore T-shirts with the following slogan on the back, "Every mama has a Sweet Boy". Hence, the name!
Unfortunately we were so full from the dinner than we even passed on a DQ visit! We really didn't need it after that dinner anyway.
Check in with us to see where Bentley is taking us Wednesday.
We pulled out of Ft. Hood Travel Park at 9:42 a.m. and headed west towards Highway 281. It was a nice ride, despite the wind. Our mpg was not nearly today as we headed north- into the wind - as it was on the trip down - when the wind was with us. About 2-3 mpg difference!
Believe it or not we only made one stop between Ft. Hood and our final destination. That's quite an achievement for me. I really like having our own bathroom with us wherever we travel.
I made a note that if we make it back to this area again I'd like to spend some time in Mineral Wells, TX. There are several large RV parks in the area and it looked like an interesting town. There is a very large building located in the downtown area that really piqued my interest. You can tell it is an abandoned building but it must have played an important part in the community. I'm not sure how many floors but I would guess 10-12 at least. It has a large dome like top on it with what looks like a large balcony. The one drawback to pulling a large fifth wheel, is you can't just stop anywhere to take a look or get pictures. I did try to take one as a drive-by but it didn't turn out too good.
We arrived in our new destination of Bowie, Texas at about 3:15 or so. Bowie is a town of about 5,200. Pelham Park is on the east side of town in a large recreational area that includes their community center, playground area, soccer fields, rodeo arena and the RV Park. The park is small - only about 12 camping spots. There are not many trees which did not matter to us today. The temperature when we left Ft. Hood was 70 degrees or so - it was 66 when we arrived in Bowie. The wind was really strong so it was cool enough we both changed from shorts/capri's into blue jeans and me from flip/flops to tennis shoes. We did not need shade today. Each site is similar to a chip and seal pavement, with lots of green space around the park area. There is also a walking trail that a few locals seemed to be utilizing. They have 50 amp electric and water hookups for $15 per night with a 7 day maximum stay. We would stay here again. They also have a dump station as you leave the campsite.
After we got the rig set up and rested for a while, we took a tour of the town. They have some interesting looking flea markets. If we had more time I'd like to visit them. Other than that, we did not see much that caught our eye - well, except they do have a Dairy Queen!
We had originally planned to grill our salmon steaks tonight but due to the heavy winds Dean did not want to try grilling, so we opted for a local restaurant - Sweet Boy's Diner. We both had the chicken friend steak. It was what they were known for, per the menu. It was pretty good. Not the best we've had but certainly better than some. I don't think anyone will ever be able to beat Treva's (former cafe in Oswego) chicken fried steak. Sweet Boy's meal was served with a side salad, homemade rolls and 2 sides. We both chose smashed red potatoes and mac' and cheese. Fortunately we both ordered the small size and it was just perfect.
The wait staff wore T-shirts with the following slogan on the back, "Every mama has a Sweet Boy". Hence, the name!
Unfortunately we were so full from the dinner than we even passed on a DQ visit! We really didn't need it after that dinner anyway.
Check in with us to see where Bentley is taking us Wednesday.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27, 2014 - Ft. Hood Travel Park, Ft. Hood, TX
Saturday, April 26
After we finally got around this morning, we headed to Killeen. Dean wanted to go by Lowe's and look for a small compressor he could store in the RV in case we need to add air to our tires or other possible uses. We also visited Toys R Us looking for a birthday gift for another grandson, Gideon. His birthday is coming up May 8th and we will be visiting him and his family in Wichita in about 2 weeks. We haven't had much luck finding what he has on his wish list but we'll see if we can't find it before then! It's hard to believe this little guy will be 5 years old. They grow up so quickly. We are really looking forward to seeing Heath and his family - wife Casey, and three boys Abram 6; Gideon 4 and Roman 3.
I bought a pair of capris and a shirt at Academy yesterday and after trying them on again this morning, I decided I did not want them after all, so we also made a stop to return these. While there Dean finally bought a case for his cell phone. He's been looking for the "perfect one" for quite sometime, so I'm glad he decided. I hope it works out for him.
We called Matt & Megan to see if they would like to have lunch from McAllister's. They thought it sounded great. We had about $2.34 left on a gift card that Heath & Casey gave us earlier this year and I wanted to use it up. After we ordered I gave them the card, told them how much was left on it and that I wanted to put the balance on my credit card. They rang it up, but instead of an additional charge that I would have to pay for - the gift card paid it all. They called the manager over. After he looked at it and asked a few questions, he said it's our mistake so it's on us! WOW! I offered to pay anyway but they said no. I asked if this was a special card and if it would work like this at every McAllister's? They told me I should hang on to it!! HAHA
We took lunch to the hospital for Matt & Megan. Dean and I ate our lunch in the waiting room. The hospital room they are in is VERY, VERY SMALL! It's one thing to set and talk, it's entirely too small for 4 people to try and eat lunch in with all of the coming and going of nurses, visitors, etc.
After lunch we stayed and visited for awhile. There were a few other visitors who stopped by to see baby Josh and the new Mom and Dad. It was nice to meet their friends.
Dean and I went to Olive Garden for dinner and brought dinner back for Matt & Megan. We all enjoyed our meals!! Anything Italian is good in my books - but I really love their salads! I almost always get just soup and salad. We stayed for just a short while after dinner. We then took some of the gifts they have received at the hospital by their house and picked up the stroller to bring back to them Sunday morning. We had quite a time trying to figure out HOW to fold the stroller up in order to get it into the truck! LOL!
Just wanted to mention the RV Travel Park here at Ft. Hood. It is a large park, but most of the RV's located here are owned by soldiers that live in them. There is a small area (16 spots) where we are parked and this area is used mostly by visitors. The park is very nice and clean. We have full hook-ups and the cost is $18 per night. There is a nice concrete picnic table at each site. We can stay here since Matt is stationed here, otherwise it would not be available to us. It's been very convenient except for the times we happened to be the vehicle selected for inspection when we return to base. It's a random selection of vehicles coming in but we've managed to get two full inside and outside vehicle inspections since we've been here. Not that it's a big deal it just take a while. Typically when we return we are tired and ready to just be home. Such is a life for a decent camping spot!
Sunday, April 27th
Today Matt, Megan and baby Josh are supposed to be released from the hospital! They are so ready to leave. They have been at the hospital since Wednesday evening around 9p.m. so you can imagine why! The birthing room where Megan was until they moved her to the operating room was HUGE. Lots and lots of room for everyone and still have nurses move around the bed, etc. The room they are in now would fit in the birthing room at least 3 times, maybe 4. Besides Megan's hospital bed, Joshua's crib is there, a large fold out chair for Matt to sleep on, as well as two other folding type chairs for visitors, and all of their luggage and gifts. There's barely room to move.
We left here about 9:15 this morning to take the stroller to the hospital for the kids to use to push Joshua to the car. Even thought we took several things by the house last night, they still have more personal belongings to get to their car as well. It is quite a long walk from their room to where the vehicle is parked. You can not drive up in front of the hospital to load items, so the stroller will probably come in quite handy. It was another interesting moment trying to figure out how to reopen the stroller! Why do they make things so darn complicated? :)
We thought it would be good if Matt, Megan and Josh could go home and get settled on their own so we took care of a few things this morning and then played a bit this afternoon. We needed to do some more laundry so we headed to Copperas Cove. The Laundromat was packed so we decided we would wait until this afternoon to see if it slowed a bit. On the way back, we noticed a new road as we headed back to the rig. We decided to turn around and take it to see if it would provide a better route when we head toward home Tuesday. It turned out it was nice as far as it went, but the roads from where it stopped and where we must reconnect with 195 Highway had too many low-hanging tree branches for us to take the rig down. BUT, because of this detour we ran across another Laundromat that was just as nice as the last one we used, so we were able to go ahead and get that chore done! Quite happy about that. I'm not sure how big Copperas Cove is but it's not that big - but they have 3 Dairy Queens - and we love Dairy Queens. Believe it or not, we have not had any DQ stops since Durant - almost two weeks now, so we decided we should change that. We surely picked the best one in town - and I truly mean the BEST!!! I honestly cannot remember the last time someone made our blizzards and then turned them upside down like Dairy Queen is known for!!! We are off to a really good start here! Second, they actually knew how to make the Heath Cappuccino Blizzard and you could taste ALL of the ingredients; and most IMPORTANT - it was mixed from top to bottom with all ingredients and there was LOTS of Heath bar throughout the entire blizzard. This place earned a +++ from us.
After we had our dessert, we returned to the rig and had leftovers from a few nights ago. Chicken tenders, mac and cheese and broccoli/cauliflower mix. It was pretty good. Even though we ate our dessert first and entrée afterwards - it was a great meal!
Well, I finally talked Dean into taking me to Round Rock to IKEA!!!! I was so excited. We found a route that did not take us into the heavy I-35 traffic and gave us a bit of new scenery. In fact the road hardly had any traffic and was what appeared to be a fairly new road!! The first and last time we went to IKEA we purchased a package of undercounter lighting for the kitchen. It worked perfect and I've wanted to buy some more of them. We were able to do that so now Dean has a new project when we get home. This will be a great addition as my lighting is not as good as I would prefer, except where he has installed this lighting. Can't wait to have it at all 4 work areas!
After that we searched for a BabiesRUs. We could only find a ToysRUs at the Outlet Malls and again we could not find a present for Gideon. We looked around for something else we thought he might like but nothing caught our fancy. On the drive back to Killeen we chose to drive through Georgetown, TX. It was a nice community. They were having their annual "Red Poppy Festival" in the downtown area. Unfortunately, it appeared to be ending as we came through.
There is so much growth throughout Texas. Everywhere we go there are new homes, new businesses, new roads, new schools, etc. It's amazing!
Upon our return to Killeen we headed to Lowe's. Dean started to try out the compressor today and after unpacking it, he realized it did not come with an air hose, so another purchase was needed. We took care of that, then visited Toys R Us again to look at a couple of things for Josh. We could not decide which items Matt and Megan wanted since there were so many choices on a couple of items we knew they needed, so we ended up getting a gift card - that way they can pick out the items they prefer rather than having to worrying about possibly exchanging something.
Once we got home I made salads for our dinner. They were pretty good. I had a couple of things I wanted to do on the computer so I drug out the laptop while Dean went out to play with his new compressor. WOW - I knew they were expecting storms back home but was shocked to see some serious storms had occurred WAY TOO CLOSE TO HOME!!!! Baxter Springs, Galena and Ft. Scott all seemed to have some damage - and it appeared Baxter Springs was hit quite badly by a tornado. Also, Quapaw, OK suffered extensive tornado damage and according to reports at least two deaths occurred. (Note: This morning this was changed to only one death.) There have been too many of these in our corner of the 4-state area for several years now. Our prayers go out to all who suffered losses during these storms.
It was near or after 4p.m. today before they finally released the kids from the hospital!!! Dean talked to Matt this evening and they were getting settled in. They have a follow-up visit with the doctor tomorrow so we will head over there after lunch.
We watched TV, spent time on our laptops and took a little walk around the part of the park where our rig is located later in the evening. A very relaxing and quiet evening.
After we finally got around this morning, we headed to Killeen. Dean wanted to go by Lowe's and look for a small compressor he could store in the RV in case we need to add air to our tires or other possible uses. We also visited Toys R Us looking for a birthday gift for another grandson, Gideon. His birthday is coming up May 8th and we will be visiting him and his family in Wichita in about 2 weeks. We haven't had much luck finding what he has on his wish list but we'll see if we can't find it before then! It's hard to believe this little guy will be 5 years old. They grow up so quickly. We are really looking forward to seeing Heath and his family - wife Casey, and three boys Abram 6; Gideon 4 and Roman 3.
I bought a pair of capris and a shirt at Academy yesterday and after trying them on again this morning, I decided I did not want them after all, so we also made a stop to return these. While there Dean finally bought a case for his cell phone. He's been looking for the "perfect one" for quite sometime, so I'm glad he decided. I hope it works out for him.
We called Matt & Megan to see if they would like to have lunch from McAllister's. They thought it sounded great. We had about $2.34 left on a gift card that Heath & Casey gave us earlier this year and I wanted to use it up. After we ordered I gave them the card, told them how much was left on it and that I wanted to put the balance on my credit card. They rang it up, but instead of an additional charge that I would have to pay for - the gift card paid it all. They called the manager over. After he looked at it and asked a few questions, he said it's our mistake so it's on us! WOW! I offered to pay anyway but they said no. I asked if this was a special card and if it would work like this at every McAllister's? They told me I should hang on to it!! HAHA
We took lunch to the hospital for Matt & Megan. Dean and I ate our lunch in the waiting room. The hospital room they are in is VERY, VERY SMALL! It's one thing to set and talk, it's entirely too small for 4 people to try and eat lunch in with all of the coming and going of nurses, visitors, etc.
After lunch we stayed and visited for awhile. There were a few other visitors who stopped by to see baby Josh and the new Mom and Dad. It was nice to meet their friends.
Dean and I went to Olive Garden for dinner and brought dinner back for Matt & Megan. We all enjoyed our meals!! Anything Italian is good in my books - but I really love their salads! I almost always get just soup and salad. We stayed for just a short while after dinner. We then took some of the gifts they have received at the hospital by their house and picked up the stroller to bring back to them Sunday morning. We had quite a time trying to figure out HOW to fold the stroller up in order to get it into the truck! LOL!
Just wanted to mention the RV Travel Park here at Ft. Hood. It is a large park, but most of the RV's located here are owned by soldiers that live in them. There is a small area (16 spots) where we are parked and this area is used mostly by visitors. The park is very nice and clean. We have full hook-ups and the cost is $18 per night. There is a nice concrete picnic table at each site. We can stay here since Matt is stationed here, otherwise it would not be available to us. It's been very convenient except for the times we happened to be the vehicle selected for inspection when we return to base. It's a random selection of vehicles coming in but we've managed to get two full inside and outside vehicle inspections since we've been here. Not that it's a big deal it just take a while. Typically when we return we are tired and ready to just be home. Such is a life for a decent camping spot!
Sunday, April 27th
Today Matt, Megan and baby Josh are supposed to be released from the hospital! They are so ready to leave. They have been at the hospital since Wednesday evening around 9p.m. so you can imagine why! The birthing room where Megan was until they moved her to the operating room was HUGE. Lots and lots of room for everyone and still have nurses move around the bed, etc. The room they are in now would fit in the birthing room at least 3 times, maybe 4. Besides Megan's hospital bed, Joshua's crib is there, a large fold out chair for Matt to sleep on, as well as two other folding type chairs for visitors, and all of their luggage and gifts. There's barely room to move.
We left here about 9:15 this morning to take the stroller to the hospital for the kids to use to push Joshua to the car. Even thought we took several things by the house last night, they still have more personal belongings to get to their car as well. It is quite a long walk from their room to where the vehicle is parked. You can not drive up in front of the hospital to load items, so the stroller will probably come in quite handy. It was another interesting moment trying to figure out how to reopen the stroller! Why do they make things so darn complicated? :)
We thought it would be good if Matt, Megan and Josh could go home and get settled on their own so we took care of a few things this morning and then played a bit this afternoon. We needed to do some more laundry so we headed to Copperas Cove. The Laundromat was packed so we decided we would wait until this afternoon to see if it slowed a bit. On the way back, we noticed a new road as we headed back to the rig. We decided to turn around and take it to see if it would provide a better route when we head toward home Tuesday. It turned out it was nice as far as it went, but the roads from where it stopped and where we must reconnect with 195 Highway had too many low-hanging tree branches for us to take the rig down. BUT, because of this detour we ran across another Laundromat that was just as nice as the last one we used, so we were able to go ahead and get that chore done! Quite happy about that. I'm not sure how big Copperas Cove is but it's not that big - but they have 3 Dairy Queens - and we love Dairy Queens. Believe it or not, we have not had any DQ stops since Durant - almost two weeks now, so we decided we should change that. We surely picked the best one in town - and I truly mean the BEST!!! I honestly cannot remember the last time someone made our blizzards and then turned them upside down like Dairy Queen is known for!!! We are off to a really good start here! Second, they actually knew how to make the Heath Cappuccino Blizzard and you could taste ALL of the ingredients; and most IMPORTANT - it was mixed from top to bottom with all ingredients and there was LOTS of Heath bar throughout the entire blizzard. This place earned a +++ from us.
After we had our dessert, we returned to the rig and had leftovers from a few nights ago. Chicken tenders, mac and cheese and broccoli/cauliflower mix. It was pretty good. Even though we ate our dessert first and entrée afterwards - it was a great meal!
Well, I finally talked Dean into taking me to Round Rock to IKEA!!!! I was so excited. We found a route that did not take us into the heavy I-35 traffic and gave us a bit of new scenery. In fact the road hardly had any traffic and was what appeared to be a fairly new road!! The first and last time we went to IKEA we purchased a package of undercounter lighting for the kitchen. It worked perfect and I've wanted to buy some more of them. We were able to do that so now Dean has a new project when we get home. This will be a great addition as my lighting is not as good as I would prefer, except where he has installed this lighting. Can't wait to have it at all 4 work areas!
After that we searched for a BabiesRUs. We could only find a ToysRUs at the Outlet Malls and again we could not find a present for Gideon. We looked around for something else we thought he might like but nothing caught our fancy. On the drive back to Killeen we chose to drive through Georgetown, TX. It was a nice community. They were having their annual "Red Poppy Festival" in the downtown area. Unfortunately, it appeared to be ending as we came through.
There is so much growth throughout Texas. Everywhere we go there are new homes, new businesses, new roads, new schools, etc. It's amazing!
Upon our return to Killeen we headed to Lowe's. Dean started to try out the compressor today and after unpacking it, he realized it did not come with an air hose, so another purchase was needed. We took care of that, then visited Toys R Us again to look at a couple of things for Josh. We could not decide which items Matt and Megan wanted since there were so many choices on a couple of items we knew they needed, so we ended up getting a gift card - that way they can pick out the items they prefer rather than having to worrying about possibly exchanging something.
Once we got home I made salads for our dinner. They were pretty good. I had a couple of things I wanted to do on the computer so I drug out the laptop while Dean went out to play with his new compressor. WOW - I knew they were expecting storms back home but was shocked to see some serious storms had occurred WAY TOO CLOSE TO HOME!!!! Baxter Springs, Galena and Ft. Scott all seemed to have some damage - and it appeared Baxter Springs was hit quite badly by a tornado. Also, Quapaw, OK suffered extensive tornado damage and according to reports at least two deaths occurred. (Note: This morning this was changed to only one death.) There have been too many of these in our corner of the 4-state area for several years now. Our prayers go out to all who suffered losses during these storms.
It was near or after 4p.m. today before they finally released the kids from the hospital!!! Dean talked to Matt this evening and they were getting settled in. They have a follow-up visit with the doctor tomorrow so we will head over there after lunch.
We watched TV, spent time on our laptops and took a little walk around the part of the park where our rig is located later in the evening. A very relaxing and quiet evening.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Tuesday, April 22; Wednesday, April 23, and Thursday, April 24, 2014 - Ft. Hood RV Park, Ft. Hood, TX
Well, I have a lot to catch up on in this post.
Tuesday - After our coffee, breakfast and showers we headed to New Braunfels, TX this morning. We have been wanting to go to Camping World to pick up a few things we needed for the RV, and to just look around. Unfortunately the closest CW to us in in Rogers, AK so we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Dean does not enjoy traveling the Interstates, so we took highway 281, which was a beautiful drive into the Hill Country of Texas. You see so much more of the countryside on these local highways versus what always seems like the same old thing on the Interstate. We enjoy the slower pace versus the rush, rush, rush! There were still quite a few spring flowers along the highways and as I mentioned we began to see hills the further south we traveled. One of the things we love most is passing through the towns and smaller cities along the way. Often Dean finds he is looking at phone related equipment and I'm looking at parks, city halls, streetscapes, buildings, etc. Just the way we roll! You know old habits die hard! Fortunately as we neared New Braunfels, the GPS route took us to Camping World via a frontage road leading into their parking lot without ever having to get on the Interstate. This made my husband very happy!
We spent an hour or so looking around Camping World. We found a few things we needed, and a few things that we just wanted, plus we checked prices for items on our wish list! From Camping World we were going to try and find somewhere to eat lunch before we headed back to Killeen. I mentioned to Dean that I had really hoped to at least drive through Gruene (pronounced Green), Texas before heading back. I've heard so much about this neat little community and I thought it was fairly near to us. As we approached a major intersection that would take us under the interstate to a large shopping center with numerous eating establishments, I noticed a sign that said "Historic Gruene Downtown District". I was pretty excited to see the sign so soon after mentioning it and pointed it out to Dean in time for him to make the turn. In about 7 minutes we were driving into Gruene, Texas. As we drove down the first street right in front of us was Gruene Hall. See picture below.
Gruene Hall was constructed in 1878, and is Texas' oldest continually operating and most famous dance hall. The building is 6,000 sq. ft. with side flaps for open air dancing. There is a bar, small stage and a large outdoor garden. Gruene Hall is known as a destination tourist attraction and not only new artists but many well-known ones have played here over the years. Stoney LaRue is scheduled to play there this weekend. Some past performers you might recognize include Garth Brooks, George Strait, and Kris Kristofferson.
I wish we would have had more time to spend here today. We did take time to have lunch at the Gruene River Grill. While this building was constructed more recently it had a very aged look to it. There was outdoor patio seating overlooking the Guadalupe River. Fortunately it was not too busy when we arrived so we were seated here along the patio with beautiful iron railings. While waiting for our waiter to arrive we heard laughing and looked down to watch some kayaks, a small rubber boat and innertubes drift down the river. From our table we could look right into the treetops that grew along the river below us. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining. Such a gorgeous day!
Entrance to the Gruene River Grill
Innertubers floating down the Guadalupe River
Beautiful old trees outside of the Greune River Grill. Aren't these beautiful?
Our dinner was very good. I had a Sante Fe salad with grilled chicken and a spicy chipotle dressing. Even though I did not need it, they had really mixed the dressing into the salad and every bit was delicious. Dean enjoyed his choice of chicken friend steak with mashed potatoes and green beans. Wonderful meal!
Afterwards, we drove down to take a closer look at the river. It would be fun to take a leisurely float someday!
There were many shops and antique stores that I would love to visit, but not this time. It is definitely on our list for a return trip to Texas.
We headed home about 3:30 or so. Matt called us as we were approaching Copperas Cove and wanted to know if we wanted to come over for supper. Megan is a great cook so we were not going to turn them down! Tonight the menu was fresh catfish with a cornmeal coating that she baked, and a yummy green salad with lots of extras (avocado, cranberries, nuts, cheese). We had chocolate chip cookies for an after dinner snack. Yummy!!! We headed home about 8:00 or so since Matt and Megan are now back on the clock and have to be up for work in the morning.
Wednesday morning I decided I would start to plot our drive for the trip home. We enjoy taking different routes traveling to and from a location if we can as we enjoy seeing new things. We plan to travel 281 North to Bowie, Texas the first night and stay at a city park there. From there we will travel to Norman, OK and stay in the Fairground RV Park. Depending on when Joshua arrives we may make one more stop before we take the last leg of the trip back home to Oswego. I would like to be home no later than early afternoon on Friday, May 2. I decided about two months ago I was going to have a garage sale in conjunction with Oswego's city-wide sale, which is Saturday, May 3. If we do not make it home by then my sister - Cindy; daughter - Misti; and niece - Nikki will handle it as they are also participating.
After I finished selecting our overnight stays for our return home, we had our cereal for breakfast and got our morning chores out of the way. We then headed to Copperas Cove to pick up some groceries. Matt and Megan are coming here for dinner tonight so I needed to pick up a few things. After we returned and put things away we made a quick sandwich for lunch.
Tonight we are having grilled chicken, homemade macaroni & cheese, steamed broccoli & cauliflower, and garlic bread heated on the grill. I am making a simple strawberry shortcake for dessert. We bought some leg quarters and I had a few chicken tenders left so Dean grilled all of those. It sure was good! He is a great cook although he won't admit it!!
We set outside while he grilled the chicken. The weather is just perfect here right now - about mid-80's. I can't believe that I've only worn capris 2 or 3 days since we left on March 31 and we are in TEXAS!!! and it's almost May. I am so ready for summer and the lake.
After Megan and Matt arrived Megan told us they had some good news. Her doctor told her at their appointment today that if they did not have anyone else come into delivery by this evening they may call her to come in tonight rather than waiting until tomorrow. Sure enough about 7:30-8:00 she got the call. They left to take care of a few things before they headed to the hospital.
They spent the night at the hospital and assured us they would call if Joshua arrived that night or early morning.
First picture of Daddy-Matt Peine; Mommy-Megan Peine and Joshua Dean Peine. April 25, 2014.
Tuesday - After our coffee, breakfast and showers we headed to New Braunfels, TX this morning. We have been wanting to go to Camping World to pick up a few things we needed for the RV, and to just look around. Unfortunately the closest CW to us in in Rogers, AK so we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Dean does not enjoy traveling the Interstates, so we took highway 281, which was a beautiful drive into the Hill Country of Texas. You see so much more of the countryside on these local highways versus what always seems like the same old thing on the Interstate. We enjoy the slower pace versus the rush, rush, rush! There were still quite a few spring flowers along the highways and as I mentioned we began to see hills the further south we traveled. One of the things we love most is passing through the towns and smaller cities along the way. Often Dean finds he is looking at phone related equipment and I'm looking at parks, city halls, streetscapes, buildings, etc. Just the way we roll! You know old habits die hard! Fortunately as we neared New Braunfels, the GPS route took us to Camping World via a frontage road leading into their parking lot without ever having to get on the Interstate. This made my husband very happy!
We spent an hour or so looking around Camping World. We found a few things we needed, and a few things that we just wanted, plus we checked prices for items on our wish list! From Camping World we were going to try and find somewhere to eat lunch before we headed back to Killeen. I mentioned to Dean that I had really hoped to at least drive through Gruene (pronounced Green), Texas before heading back. I've heard so much about this neat little community and I thought it was fairly near to us. As we approached a major intersection that would take us under the interstate to a large shopping center with numerous eating establishments, I noticed a sign that said "Historic Gruene Downtown District". I was pretty excited to see the sign so soon after mentioning it and pointed it out to Dean in time for him to make the turn. In about 7 minutes we were driving into Gruene, Texas. As we drove down the first street right in front of us was Gruene Hall. See picture below.
Gruene Hall was constructed in 1878, and is Texas' oldest continually operating and most famous dance hall. The building is 6,000 sq. ft. with side flaps for open air dancing. There is a bar, small stage and a large outdoor garden. Gruene Hall is known as a destination tourist attraction and not only new artists but many well-known ones have played here over the years. Stoney LaRue is scheduled to play there this weekend. Some past performers you might recognize include Garth Brooks, George Strait, and Kris Kristofferson.
I wish we would have had more time to spend here today. We did take time to have lunch at the Gruene River Grill. While this building was constructed more recently it had a very aged look to it. There was outdoor patio seating overlooking the Guadalupe River. Fortunately it was not too busy when we arrived so we were seated here along the patio with beautiful iron railings. While waiting for our waiter to arrive we heard laughing and looked down to watch some kayaks, a small rubber boat and innertubes drift down the river. From our table we could look right into the treetops that grew along the river below us. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining. Such a gorgeous day!
Entrance to the Gruene River Grill
Our dinner was very good. I had a Sante Fe salad with grilled chicken and a spicy chipotle dressing. Even though I did not need it, they had really mixed the dressing into the salad and every bit was delicious. Dean enjoyed his choice of chicken friend steak with mashed potatoes and green beans. Wonderful meal!
Afterwards, we drove down to take a closer look at the river. It would be fun to take a leisurely float someday!
There were many shops and antique stores that I would love to visit, but not this time. It is definitely on our list for a return trip to Texas.
We headed home about 3:30 or so. Matt called us as we were approaching Copperas Cove and wanted to know if we wanted to come over for supper. Megan is a great cook so we were not going to turn them down! Tonight the menu was fresh catfish with a cornmeal coating that she baked, and a yummy green salad with lots of extras (avocado, cranberries, nuts, cheese). We had chocolate chip cookies for an after dinner snack. Yummy!!! We headed home about 8:00 or so since Matt and Megan are now back on the clock and have to be up for work in the morning.
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Wednesday morning I decided I would start to plot our drive for the trip home. We enjoy taking different routes traveling to and from a location if we can as we enjoy seeing new things. We plan to travel 281 North to Bowie, Texas the first night and stay at a city park there. From there we will travel to Norman, OK and stay in the Fairground RV Park. Depending on when Joshua arrives we may make one more stop before we take the last leg of the trip back home to Oswego. I would like to be home no later than early afternoon on Friday, May 2. I decided about two months ago I was going to have a garage sale in conjunction with Oswego's city-wide sale, which is Saturday, May 3. If we do not make it home by then my sister - Cindy; daughter - Misti; and niece - Nikki will handle it as they are also participating.
After I finished selecting our overnight stays for our return home, we had our cereal for breakfast and got our morning chores out of the way. We then headed to Copperas Cove to pick up some groceries. Matt and Megan are coming here for dinner tonight so I needed to pick up a few things. After we returned and put things away we made a quick sandwich for lunch.
Tonight we are having grilled chicken, homemade macaroni & cheese, steamed broccoli & cauliflower, and garlic bread heated on the grill. I am making a simple strawberry shortcake for dessert. We bought some leg quarters and I had a few chicken tenders left so Dean grilled all of those. It sure was good! He is a great cook although he won't admit it!!
We set outside while he grilled the chicken. The weather is just perfect here right now - about mid-80's. I can't believe that I've only worn capris 2 or 3 days since we left on March 31 and we are in TEXAS!!! and it's almost May. I am so ready for summer and the lake.
After Megan and Matt arrived Megan told us they had some good news. Her doctor told her at their appointment today that if they did not have anyone else come into delivery by this evening they may call her to come in tonight rather than waiting until tomorrow. Sure enough about 7:30-8:00 she got the call. They left to take care of a few things before they headed to the hospital.
They spent the night at the hospital and assured us they would call if Joshua arrived that night or early morning.
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Thursday morning we were anxious to get to the hospital. As you have probably figured out, no baby yet. It turned out to be a long day for Mom and Dad. Fortunately, despite the fact things did not progress like everyone hoped, Megan was somewhat comfortable for most of the day and evening - as much as you can be laying in a hospital bed with intermittent contractions. At about 10:00 we headed back to Bentley and went to bed with the idea we might get a anytime to head back to the hospital - however, that didn't happen.
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Early Friday morning - At about 2:45 a.m. Matt called to tell us that they were going to take the baby Cesarean. We told him we would be there as soon as we could. As we turned into the parking lot, Matt sent Dean a text telling us he was in the operating room waiting for them to bring Megan in and letting us know to go to the waiting room. He will come and find us after Joshua arrives.
Little Joshua Dean Peine arrived at 3:27 a.m. This "little" guy weighed in at 10 pounds, 5 ounces and was 21" long. Needless to say, I think you can understand why a Cesarean was necessary. He is just as cute and sweet as can be -- as you can see for yourself in the pictures below.
First picture with proud Papa Dean Peine, Joshua's namesake.
I left my camera at the hospital with Matt and Megan and I wanted to include several pictures in this post, so that is the reason for the late posting.
We are so thankful that Mom and Joshua are doing so well and we Thank God for another special blessing to our family. It was exciting to be here to share in Matt and Megan's experience as new parents and we feel so blessed for the opportunity to do that. Matt was one proud Daddy!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014 - Ft Hood RV Park, Ft. Hood, TX
We were pretty lazy first thing this morning - taking our time getting around. It's nice to do this once in awhile. After breakfast we headed to Copperas Cove to take care of laundry. I do miss my washer and dryer very much but I console myself with the fact it only took me 1.5 hours to do 4 loads of laundry. I was able to read emails in between time so accomplished two things at once. We returned to Bentley about 11:30 or so. Fixed a quick lunch of sandwiches. After lunch I put up clothes and put clean sheets on the bed, while Dean did the few dishes we had.
Dean called Matt to see what was on the agenda for the day. They had just returned from the errands they had scheduled this morning. Megan took another non-stress test and all was well with it. As it stands now, if she does not go into labor on her own, she will call the hospital on Thursday and they will determine if she will come in sometime that day or on Friday, based on the number of patients they have at the time. So we will meet Joshua this week!!
Matt suggested another game of golf so we headed to their house. It was quite a bit warmer today but we had a really good game until Hole 8 and things began going to pot. Not sure if it was the clouds that began to head our way and the threat of rain, the guy behind us who seemed put out we weren't going fast enough or we were just tired. Every bunch of high weeds, ponds of water and sand traps seemed to reach up and grab our golf balls. Dean and I still ended the game at the same score as our previous game, 50, but I think we would have definitely improved that if we'd continued to play like we did on the first 7 holes. There was some rain later, but not at the golf course (or at least while we were there).
Following the golf game, Dean told Matt and Megan we would take them to dinner - their choice. We originally were headed to Belton to eat at the Dead Fish Grill, a restaurant at Belton Lake overlooking the water. Before we left Killeen Dean asked if they were sure it was open - some restaurants close on Monday's. Megan Googled it - thank goodness she did - it WAS closed on Monday's. I was intrigued by the name of this place, so was disappointed. Hopefully we can give it a try before we leave.
After that selection failed to work out, they suggested Red's Corner Grill. This is a neat little family sports restaurant. We all chose either burgers or cheesesteak. All of the food was excellent, and VERY filling so we passed on the ice cream that Matt had suggested we get afterwards. Good idea! Over the bar area they had REDS spelled out as follows: Relax - Eat - Drink - Sports.
We went back to Matt & Megan's for a while. Dean and Matt either watched TV or visited - not sure which because I could not keep my eyes open and neither could Megan. We headed home about 8 or so. We watched the end of Dancing with the Stars when we got back and then I headed to bed.
Matt and Megan both have to go back to work tomorrow, so Dean and I are headed to New Braunfels, TX to Camping World and to take in a little sight seeing. If I'm lucky maybe he'll stop at IKEA on the way back!!!!! Stay tuned for new adventures!
Dean called Matt to see what was on the agenda for the day. They had just returned from the errands they had scheduled this morning. Megan took another non-stress test and all was well with it. As it stands now, if she does not go into labor on her own, she will call the hospital on Thursday and they will determine if she will come in sometime that day or on Friday, based on the number of patients they have at the time. So we will meet Joshua this week!!
Matt suggested another game of golf so we headed to their house. It was quite a bit warmer today but we had a really good game until Hole 8 and things began going to pot. Not sure if it was the clouds that began to head our way and the threat of rain, the guy behind us who seemed put out we weren't going fast enough or we were just tired. Every bunch of high weeds, ponds of water and sand traps seemed to reach up and grab our golf balls. Dean and I still ended the game at the same score as our previous game, 50, but I think we would have definitely improved that if we'd continued to play like we did on the first 7 holes. There was some rain later, but not at the golf course (or at least while we were there).
Following the golf game, Dean told Matt and Megan we would take them to dinner - their choice. We originally were headed to Belton to eat at the Dead Fish Grill, a restaurant at Belton Lake overlooking the water. Before we left Killeen Dean asked if they were sure it was open - some restaurants close on Monday's. Megan Googled it - thank goodness she did - it WAS closed on Monday's. I was intrigued by the name of this place, so was disappointed. Hopefully we can give it a try before we leave.
After that selection failed to work out, they suggested Red's Corner Grill. This is a neat little family sports restaurant. We all chose either burgers or cheesesteak. All of the food was excellent, and VERY filling so we passed on the ice cream that Matt had suggested we get afterwards. Good idea! Over the bar area they had REDS spelled out as follows: Relax - Eat - Drink - Sports.
We went back to Matt & Megan's for a while. Dean and Matt either watched TV or visited - not sure which because I could not keep my eyes open and neither could Megan. We headed home about 8 or so. We watched the end of Dancing with the Stars when we got back and then I headed to bed.
Matt and Megan both have to go back to work tomorrow, so Dean and I are headed to New Braunfels, TX to Camping World and to take in a little sight seeing. If I'm lucky maybe he'll stop at IKEA on the way back!!!!! Stay tuned for new adventures!
Monday, April 21, 2014
Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20, 2014 - Ft. Hood RV Park, Ft. Hood, Texas
Saturday, April 19
As you know if you read the previous post, Matt called Saturday morning to see if we wanted to go eat breakfast with them. Neither of us hesitated for a moment. Breakfast is Dean's favorite meal to eat at a restaurant. We chose a Mexican Restaurant, Taqueria Guadalajara that we had visited on a previous trip and enjoyed.
We met them at the Restaurant which was pretty close to us. I cannot remember the name of the dish I ordered but it included scrambled eggs, mixed with Mexican sausage, broken tortilla shells with a cheese sauce over it. Sides included corn tortillas, bacon, refried beans and potatoes, similar to home fries. It was delicious. Dean had an omelet with the same sides and wheat toast. I really love this place and wish we had somewhere closer to home for Mexican breakfasts. We miss Pepe's that was in Chetopa.
Matt and Megan needed to go to Sam's so we tagged along. We no longer have a Sam's card so we enjoyed this little side trip. I found some really nice plastic 22 oz. colored glasses. These will be really nice to have when we have family dinners, since I am short on this size glass for iced tea. We also purchased two large bags of salted almonds. Dean goes through these pretty quick and we saved about $5 by purchasing these compared to what we normally get at Wal-mart. It's always just fun to browse Sam's. Side note: Our second date, Dean and I went to Joplin and stopped at Sam's. They were having a big "sample" day with various foods. Dean had never been to a Sam's before and he thought this was a great date! HAHA He loves telling people our first date he took me to McDonald's and our second he took me to Sam's for dinner; and I still went out with him again!
We went back to Matt and Megan's and hung out for awhile before we played golf at 2:15. Shortly before we left we had a sandwich- we didn't need too much after that big breakfast, but it will be a while before dinner, so we didn't want to get hungry on the course.
Dean and I scrambled against Matt (to save time) and Megan rode along. Dean and I had a score of 50 and Matt had a 46. Matt was pleased since it was his first game of the year. The golf course is called Stonetree. The name comes from a large stone that is in a tree on the 6th hole. I've included a picture of it and one of Dean and Matt discussing their next shot. It's a beautiful course and we enjoy playing it. Typically Matt and I play against Dean and Megan but Megan can't swing a golf club too well right now. :)
We hosted dinner tonight. After the golf game we stopped by the commissary to pick up some groceries. Dean was grilling. We had rib-eye steaks, roasted potatoes on the grill and a salad.
For those interested the roasted potato recipe is from my sister Cindy. I tear off a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, spray it good with Pam (or similar type product), then add about two medium potatoes per person cut into bite sized chunks, add one or two onions (I cut them in half then quarter each half). Add seasoning salt, pepper and dried parsley. I added 3/4 stick of butter sliced into 1/2" pats then laid over the potatoes. Seal your foil tightly along the length and then tightly fold in your ends. Grill for approximately 1 hour, turning from side to side every 15 minutes. Do not turn entirely upside down or you will lose all of your liquid. You will lose some as it is, so don't worry. These are so delicious!
After we cleaned up the dishes, Matt suggested a game of Catch Phrase. Did you know they have an app for your phone that you can use to play with a group--just like the actual game? We played 3 games and I hate to admit that the guys won! We had a great time though and laughed so hard I was just sure it would send Megan into labor - but no luck!!
The weather today was perfect. Warm but a little overcast so it was very comfortable on the course. it was a great day!
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Sunday, April 20
Easter Sunday. We got around this morning as we were meeting Matt & Megan so we could attend church with them. They have two services each Sunday and we chose the early service which started at 9:00. We had to be at their house by 8:40 and it takes about 15 minutes to get there.
From the outside you would not know the building was a church but it is very nice inside. It's a good sized church with a wonderful group of musicians leading the music. While the songs were a bit contemporary for me - the music itself was very good. Their pastor had an excellent sermon and easily held my attention. It seems if I sit still for very long I have a tendency to get that eye dropping disease and never once during his message did my mind wander or my head bob! That is a good thing!
Megan had heard of a place having Easter brunch near them so we thought we would try it out. She made reservations for noon, and we headed over about 11:40. While it was good, it was not nearly as impressive as it sounded. The prime rib and horseradish sauce was the best item, I think. Desserts were not too bad. It included breakfast items of scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes (which were pretty decent), bacon, link sausage, biscuits and gravy, and an omelet station. There were a few pastries, prime rib, chicken fried steak, ham, cheese and fruit table, spinach/strawberry/feta cheese salad and peel and eat shrimp.
After lunch we headed back to Bentley to change clothes and pick up a pork roast for dinner. We are going to do laundry tomorrow and I wanted to check out a Laundromat in Copperas Cove since it is quite close to us. After deciding which Laundromat we would use, we headed back to pick up the needed groceries. A nice little rain storm came up so when we reached Wal-mart Dean was going to drop me at the front door - an idea that every other person in Copperas Cove must have had! The rain let up enough I could finally just walk to the front door - good thing as we set waiting for traffic to let up so Dean could turn to drive in front of the store to drop me off for quite a while. I wanted orange juice and a pork roast - sounds easy, right? Found the OJ pretty quick and headed to the meat department. There was only a small selection of pork roasts left and a lady was standing right over them checking each one out - for what seemed like SEVERAL long minutes. I kept trying to look around her, finally decided on one and asked her to excuse me so I could grab my selection and be on my way. She was still trying to decide when I moved on!! I hurried towards the front of the store, so busy watching foot traffic so I could dodge children and carts that when I reached the front I realized I had gone the wrong direction and I was now at the back of the store again! Only me!! I finally make it to the front of the store, get in the express lane (one of two) and yes, you guessed it - it is the S----L-----O----------W lane!!!!!!!! I am in the store so long to get two things that Dean finally calls me to see if I am okay. I should never be allowed to go to the grocery store when we are in a hurry!!!!
We returned to Matt & Megan's. Megan was taking a nap, so I put the pork roast on for dinner. We are having pulled pork and some sides (to be determined). I checked my emails and Facebook (with the help of Matt's internet connection since I cannot receive anything except phone calls and texts on my phone as I have used all of my data storage for the month.) I had a lot of emails so I enjoyed the time to read my travel blogs and see what is going on at home (Facebook is nice for this). Loved all of the Easter pictures that were posted by everyone!
After Megan got in her nap (she didn't sleep well last night so she really needed some rest), we visited for quite awhile while Dean and Matt looked at a couple of projects they are going to try and accomplish this week while we are here.
We watched "Thor" - can you tell Matt likes movies? It was okay - not nearly as good as Captain America. Dinner of pulled pork, and sides of baked beans and Steamfresh peas was delicious. After the movie was over we headed back to Bentley about 8:30.
Another nice day!
As you know if you read the previous post, Matt called Saturday morning to see if we wanted to go eat breakfast with them. Neither of us hesitated for a moment. Breakfast is Dean's favorite meal to eat at a restaurant. We chose a Mexican Restaurant, Taqueria Guadalajara that we had visited on a previous trip and enjoyed.
We met them at the Restaurant which was pretty close to us. I cannot remember the name of the dish I ordered but it included scrambled eggs, mixed with Mexican sausage, broken tortilla shells with a cheese sauce over it. Sides included corn tortillas, bacon, refried beans and potatoes, similar to home fries. It was delicious. Dean had an omelet with the same sides and wheat toast. I really love this place and wish we had somewhere closer to home for Mexican breakfasts. We miss Pepe's that was in Chetopa.
Matt and Megan needed to go to Sam's so we tagged along. We no longer have a Sam's card so we enjoyed this little side trip. I found some really nice plastic 22 oz. colored glasses. These will be really nice to have when we have family dinners, since I am short on this size glass for iced tea. We also purchased two large bags of salted almonds. Dean goes through these pretty quick and we saved about $5 by purchasing these compared to what we normally get at Wal-mart. It's always just fun to browse Sam's. Side note: Our second date, Dean and I went to Joplin and stopped at Sam's. They were having a big "sample" day with various foods. Dean had never been to a Sam's before and he thought this was a great date! HAHA He loves telling people our first date he took me to McDonald's and our second he took me to Sam's for dinner; and I still went out with him again!
We went back to Matt and Megan's and hung out for awhile before we played golf at 2:15. Shortly before we left we had a sandwich- we didn't need too much after that big breakfast, but it will be a while before dinner, so we didn't want to get hungry on the course.
Dean and I scrambled against Matt (to save time) and Megan rode along. Dean and I had a score of 50 and Matt had a 46. Matt was pleased since it was his first game of the year. The golf course is called Stonetree. The name comes from a large stone that is in a tree on the 6th hole. I've included a picture of it and one of Dean and Matt discussing their next shot. It's a beautiful course and we enjoy playing it. Typically Matt and I play against Dean and Megan but Megan can't swing a golf club too well right now. :)
You will have to click on this picture to enlarge it to see the stone in the street.
I'm sure this was a very serious discussion!
Here is another picture of the Texas bluebonnets that was taken at a closer range than the previous one I posted. The are pretty in this picture, but seeing an entire field or yard of these beauties is just amazing!
We hosted dinner tonight. After the golf game we stopped by the commissary to pick up some groceries. Dean was grilling. We had rib-eye steaks, roasted potatoes on the grill and a salad.
For those interested the roasted potato recipe is from my sister Cindy. I tear off a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, spray it good with Pam (or similar type product), then add about two medium potatoes per person cut into bite sized chunks, add one or two onions (I cut them in half then quarter each half). Add seasoning salt, pepper and dried parsley. I added 3/4 stick of butter sliced into 1/2" pats then laid over the potatoes. Seal your foil tightly along the length and then tightly fold in your ends. Grill for approximately 1 hour, turning from side to side every 15 minutes. Do not turn entirely upside down or you will lose all of your liquid. You will lose some as it is, so don't worry. These are so delicious!
After we cleaned up the dishes, Matt suggested a game of Catch Phrase. Did you know they have an app for your phone that you can use to play with a group--just like the actual game? We played 3 games and I hate to admit that the guys won! We had a great time though and laughed so hard I was just sure it would send Megan into labor - but no luck!!
The weather today was perfect. Warm but a little overcast so it was very comfortable on the course. it was a great day!
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Sunday, April 20
Easter Sunday. We got around this morning as we were meeting Matt & Megan so we could attend church with them. They have two services each Sunday and we chose the early service which started at 9:00. We had to be at their house by 8:40 and it takes about 15 minutes to get there.
From the outside you would not know the building was a church but it is very nice inside. It's a good sized church with a wonderful group of musicians leading the music. While the songs were a bit contemporary for me - the music itself was very good. Their pastor had an excellent sermon and easily held my attention. It seems if I sit still for very long I have a tendency to get that eye dropping disease and never once during his message did my mind wander or my head bob! That is a good thing!
Megan had heard of a place having Easter brunch near them so we thought we would try it out. She made reservations for noon, and we headed over about 11:40. While it was good, it was not nearly as impressive as it sounded. The prime rib and horseradish sauce was the best item, I think. Desserts were not too bad. It included breakfast items of scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes (which were pretty decent), bacon, link sausage, biscuits and gravy, and an omelet station. There were a few pastries, prime rib, chicken fried steak, ham, cheese and fruit table, spinach/strawberry/feta cheese salad and peel and eat shrimp.
After lunch we headed back to Bentley to change clothes and pick up a pork roast for dinner. We are going to do laundry tomorrow and I wanted to check out a Laundromat in Copperas Cove since it is quite close to us. After deciding which Laundromat we would use, we headed back to pick up the needed groceries. A nice little rain storm came up so when we reached Wal-mart Dean was going to drop me at the front door - an idea that every other person in Copperas Cove must have had! The rain let up enough I could finally just walk to the front door - good thing as we set waiting for traffic to let up so Dean could turn to drive in front of the store to drop me off for quite a while. I wanted orange juice and a pork roast - sounds easy, right? Found the OJ pretty quick and headed to the meat department. There was only a small selection of pork roasts left and a lady was standing right over them checking each one out - for what seemed like SEVERAL long minutes. I kept trying to look around her, finally decided on one and asked her to excuse me so I could grab my selection and be on my way. She was still trying to decide when I moved on!! I hurried towards the front of the store, so busy watching foot traffic so I could dodge children and carts that when I reached the front I realized I had gone the wrong direction and I was now at the back of the store again! Only me!! I finally make it to the front of the store, get in the express lane (one of two) and yes, you guessed it - it is the S----L-----O----------W lane!!!!!!!! I am in the store so long to get two things that Dean finally calls me to see if I am okay. I should never be allowed to go to the grocery store when we are in a hurry!!!!
We returned to Matt & Megan's. Megan was taking a nap, so I put the pork roast on for dinner. We are having pulled pork and some sides (to be determined). I checked my emails and Facebook (with the help of Matt's internet connection since I cannot receive anything except phone calls and texts on my phone as I have used all of my data storage for the month.) I had a lot of emails so I enjoyed the time to read my travel blogs and see what is going on at home (Facebook is nice for this). Loved all of the Easter pictures that were posted by everyone!
After Megan got in her nap (she didn't sleep well last night so she really needed some rest), we visited for quite awhile while Dean and Matt looked at a couple of projects they are going to try and accomplish this week while we are here.
We watched "Thor" - can you tell Matt likes movies? It was okay - not nearly as good as Captain America. Dinner of pulled pork, and sides of baked beans and Steamfresh peas was delicious. After the movie was over we headed back to Bentley about 8:30.
Another nice day!
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014 Ft. Hood RV Park, Ft. Hood, Texas
Good morning everyone! Hope you are all doing well.
We had a slow start to our day yesterday, taking our time getting up, having our routine breakfast cereal, spending time on the computer and doing little "household chores". Living in a small space I really like everything in it's place and it does not feel right to leave for the day without making sure that is taken care of. When I do not have to rush - that's all the better. Part of retirement to me is not "rushing" anymore.
As much as I loved my job, I have not missed it - which is a little surprising to me as it was so much a part of me. But what I have found I do not miss is the anxiety I would sometimes feel, the neck aches from the stress, etc. My neck no longer hurts (except from my head bobbing, when I fall asleep as Dean is driving, or trying to watch a movie - hahaha), I no longer wear a mouthpiece at night to keep from grinding my teeth and I just don't feel like I'm always in a hurry because there was never enough time in the day to get things done. I would not have traded the excitement of my job for anything - it was the best job in the world; however it was certainly time to lay it aside and move on and I'm thankful it has been such an easy transition.
We had made plans to meet Matt and Megan about 11:00 today to go play my new favorite game. Too bad we have to make the trip all the way to Texas in order to do this. I know a few of you have heard about this and have even played it but for you golfers out there if you ever get the chance to play "Top Golf", do it! It is just great fun. I do not particularly care to go to a driving range and just hit golf balls one after the other. But Top Golf changes that. Matt drove us to Austin, Texas where Top Golf is located. They also have one in Dallas and a few other locations around the US. (Hey all, I just found out there is now one in Oklahoma City - woohoo!)
I've taken a few pictures and will explain more about it after each one. As you near TG you can see their large nets long before you see the building.
The facility is a large building, with three levels. You can take your own clubs to use or you can use the clubs they have at each bay. I'm not sure how many "bays" there are, but I would guess something like 30-40 on each level. There are 3 levels that you can play from. Yesterday we were on the mid-level. Last time we were here we played from the lower level. The side of the building that overlooks the outfield (215 yards deep) is open as you will see in the picture below. Behind that you have an area to store your golf clubs (just like on the back of your golf cart), and a table that seats up to 6 people, similar to a bowling alley. Anyone can play this game including children and you can play year-round no matter the weather (assuming weather conditions allow you to reach your destination)! You pay by the hour. Through the week (Mon-Thurs) it is $20/hour through 6pm. Then the price increases to $40/hour until closing at 10pm. On weekends (Fri-Sun) it is $20/hour through noon; and then $40/hour until closing.
This is the scorecard for those playing. If you click on the picture to enlarge it you can see I was able to stay with the guys somewhat. I was quite pleased with the fact that I actually had a couple of shots that went beyond the brown and green target to roll into the blue. I'm not sure either of them made it to the white target this time and I can assure you I never did. We played 3 games and part of a 4th when our time ran out. We chose to play for two hours. Believe me - the time goes so fast. I think even non-golfers would enjoy this game!
Another great thing, is they have a full food and beverage menu and the food is excellent! You know how happy that makes me as a foodie! Yesterday I had a turkey/avocado wrap and a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was very, very good. Later Megan ordered a donut hole type dessert, that comes with large syringes that you can infuse the donuts with either raspberry or chocolate sauce! The donuts have a sugar type dusting over them after they have been deep fried. Oh my gosh this is dessert heaven! Each sauce had such a distinctive taste I could not decide which I liked best, so I guess next time I might need an order of my own to make a final determination!! :)
I even took a picture of the dessert. The donut holes were in the two silver cups and I laid one of the donuts on the syringes. There was plenty of sauce for all of these donuts!
After this we headed back to Killeen. I tried to talk Matt into stopping at IKEA but he just flew right on past that exit. Hmmmm! Do you think the guys are telling me something? I have to tell you that we did stop here our first visit to see them shortly after they moved to the area almost two years ago. He could not WAIT to get out of that store. Guess I'll never get him to take me back again. But ladies it is such a neat store. Maybe this should be a road trip for us someday!
We hung out at Matt and Megan's for the rest of the evening. Megan and I ran to the local grocery store (H.E.B.) which is wonderful. I love huge grocery stores that offer a larger variety of things than we normally see at home. Just looking is fun to me! It takes so little to please me. HAHAHAHA
Matt grilled hamburgers and they were delish! For dessert, Megan had mini brownie cups that we placed in the bottom of a bowl, added vanilla ice cream and lots of chocolate syrup. YUMMY!! We seen a coffee flavored ice cream in the store - that I think would have also been very good on the brownies and to take it a step further how about a mashed up Heath bar along with it too.
We then watched another movie at their house - Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn. The father who discovered he had 533 children. What I seen of the movie was really good - but unfortunately I did that bobbing head thing through most of it - yes my neck was a little sore this morning from that! I would like to watch the rest of it someday!
Well, Matt just called and they want to go eat breakfast! I'm not one to miss a meal, so Bentley is out!
We had a slow start to our day yesterday, taking our time getting up, having our routine breakfast cereal, spending time on the computer and doing little "household chores". Living in a small space I really like everything in it's place and it does not feel right to leave for the day without making sure that is taken care of. When I do not have to rush - that's all the better. Part of retirement to me is not "rushing" anymore.
As much as I loved my job, I have not missed it - which is a little surprising to me as it was so much a part of me. But what I have found I do not miss is the anxiety I would sometimes feel, the neck aches from the stress, etc. My neck no longer hurts (except from my head bobbing, when I fall asleep as Dean is driving, or trying to watch a movie - hahaha), I no longer wear a mouthpiece at night to keep from grinding my teeth and I just don't feel like I'm always in a hurry because there was never enough time in the day to get things done. I would not have traded the excitement of my job for anything - it was the best job in the world; however it was certainly time to lay it aside and move on and I'm thankful it has been such an easy transition.
We had made plans to meet Matt and Megan about 11:00 today to go play my new favorite game. Too bad we have to make the trip all the way to Texas in order to do this. I know a few of you have heard about this and have even played it but for you golfers out there if you ever get the chance to play "Top Golf", do it! It is just great fun. I do not particularly care to go to a driving range and just hit golf balls one after the other. But Top Golf changes that. Matt drove us to Austin, Texas where Top Golf is located. They also have one in Dallas and a few other locations around the US. (Hey all, I just found out there is now one in Oklahoma City - woohoo!)
I've taken a few pictures and will explain more about it after each one. As you near TG you can see their large nets long before you see the building.
The facility is a large building, with three levels. You can take your own clubs to use or you can use the clubs they have at each bay. I'm not sure how many "bays" there are, but I would guess something like 30-40 on each level. There are 3 levels that you can play from. Yesterday we were on the mid-level. Last time we were here we played from the lower level. The side of the building that overlooks the outfield (215 yards deep) is open as you will see in the picture below. Behind that you have an area to store your golf clubs (just like on the back of your golf cart), and a table that seats up to 6 people, similar to a bowling alley. Anyone can play this game including children and you can play year-round no matter the weather (assuming weather conditions allow you to reach your destination)! You pay by the hour. Through the week (Mon-Thurs) it is $20/hour through 6pm. Then the price increases to $40/hour until closing at 10pm. On weekends (Fri-Sun) it is $20/hour through noon; and then $40/hour until closing.
Here is Dean taking some of his first shots. You can see the dartboard-like targets in the ground. You hit special golf balls that are microchipped. The closer you get to the center or "bull's-eye" the more points you receive.
This is where the golf balls are released. At the top right you see a small hole. You wave your club over this to release each ball. We chose to hit 5 balls at a time with a total of 20 per player. There is another screen where you change to the next player after each person completes their round, I forgot to get a picture of it.
This is the scorecard for those playing. If you click on the picture to enlarge it you can see I was able to stay with the guys somewhat. I was quite pleased with the fact that I actually had a couple of shots that went beyond the brown and green target to roll into the blue. I'm not sure either of them made it to the white target this time and I can assure you I never did. We played 3 games and part of a 4th when our time ran out. We chose to play for two hours. Believe me - the time goes so fast. I think even non-golfers would enjoy this game!
Another great thing, is they have a full food and beverage menu and the food is excellent! You know how happy that makes me as a foodie! Yesterday I had a turkey/avocado wrap and a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was very, very good. Later Megan ordered a donut hole type dessert, that comes with large syringes that you can infuse the donuts with either raspberry or chocolate sauce! The donuts have a sugar type dusting over them after they have been deep fried. Oh my gosh this is dessert heaven! Each sauce had such a distinctive taste I could not decide which I liked best, so I guess next time I might need an order of my own to make a final determination!! :)
I even took a picture of the dessert. The donut holes were in the two silver cups and I laid one of the donuts on the syringes. There was plenty of sauce for all of these donuts!
After this we headed back to Killeen. I tried to talk Matt into stopping at IKEA but he just flew right on past that exit. Hmmmm! Do you think the guys are telling me something? I have to tell you that we did stop here our first visit to see them shortly after they moved to the area almost two years ago. He could not WAIT to get out of that store. Guess I'll never get him to take me back again. But ladies it is such a neat store. Maybe this should be a road trip for us someday!
We hung out at Matt and Megan's for the rest of the evening. Megan and I ran to the local grocery store (H.E.B.) which is wonderful. I love huge grocery stores that offer a larger variety of things than we normally see at home. Just looking is fun to me! It takes so little to please me. HAHAHAHA
Matt grilled hamburgers and they were delish! For dessert, Megan had mini brownie cups that we placed in the bottom of a bowl, added vanilla ice cream and lots of chocolate syrup. YUMMY!! We seen a coffee flavored ice cream in the store - that I think would have also been very good on the brownies and to take it a step further how about a mashed up Heath bar along with it too.
We then watched another movie at their house - Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn. The father who discovered he had 533 children. What I seen of the movie was really good - but unfortunately I did that bobbing head thing through most of it - yes my neck was a little sore this morning from that! I would like to watch the rest of it someday!
Well, Matt just called and they want to go eat breakfast! I'm not one to miss a meal, so Bentley is out!
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