Friday, April 6, 2018 - Busy Day with Paperwork, Visiting, Running Errands and Helping Out
I had a hair appointment this morning at 8:15 and I was ready! It has been almost three months since I've had one. Besides getting a hair cut, going to your beautician is always an opportunity to see friends (and familly, in my case) while there. After being gone for 3 months I was having a great time. My mom's cousin Lula Mae was having her hair done when I arrived. I enjoyed visiting with her. Sarah from Chetopa (just 8 miles south of Oswego) came in. I jumped from my seat to hug her. Her daughter Tina and my sister Cindy were great friends in grade school - and still are today. Before I left Colene from the church we used to attend came in. I worked with her husband, Marvin, when he served on the city's Housing Committee. What a great day it was. As I was leaving, I told Sarah to tell her husband hello from me. Come to find out he was out in the truck waiting for her, so of course, I had to stop and visit with him before I headed back to Bentley. In small towns you know most everyone, so going home is always a treat!!
When I returned, I noticed Dean had his golf clubs and shoes sitting out. I guess he's waiting on me to get back? (Misti has my van in her garage full of presents for Project Prom, so we only have the truck for a few days) I forgot my phone. When he came outside he told me he had called Marla to see if I had left yet - probably while I was outside visiting! I'm glad I made it back in time for him to make it to the golf course before 10. When Marla finished with my hair, I asked her if she had time to wax my eyebrows. She did, but I had to wait for her to finish up with someone else first, so I was there about 30 minutes longer than I had originally intended.
While Dean was gone I was blessed to get the pulmonary function test scheduled that I've been working on for the past 3 months. Actually a phone call to my doctor's case manager at the Cherokee Health Center in Vinita was what did the trick. She got on it and had it taken care of before noon. My appointment with the lung specialist is April 23rd and she's going to try to get me scheduled for the test prior to that. Unfortunately, we have very few open days left in our schedule between now and then. I expect I'll end up changing my appointment with the lung specialist.
I also made an appointment with my primary care physician for next week. When I called they told me she did not have any openings, and then she said oh, wait, she has a cancellation for Tuesday morning at 8. I was elated. I love early morning appointments - so I don't end up waiting for long periods of time later in the day. One of my pet peeves.
We need to get our taxes done but I've not even started working on those, so I called our tax preparer and asked if he could submit an extension request on our behalf. My plan is to get that all gathered up and to him within the next couple of weeks.
In between all of the above I was on the phone with different friends and family who called which I thoroughly enjoyed!!
When Dean returned we ate lunch, then worked on trying to sync my Google calendar with his so he would have all of our appointments, campouts, etc. and doesn't have to continually ask me about all of these events. We managed to sync them to his computer but still haven't found a way to get them to sync to his phone. It occurred to me as I am writing this that I think he now needs to sync his updated calendar on his computer to his phone. We'll try that tomorrow. (As I'm reviewing this before posting - it worked and we are in total sync with each other, well at least our calendars are! Lol!)
I needed to stop at the bank to take care of a few things and make a deposit. Afterwards I went to visit with my Aunt Lil. It's always good to spend time with her. Shortly before I planned to leave, my daughter called to see if I could take Haleigh (my granddaughter) to Marla's (beauty shop) to get her eyebrows waxed (remember, it's Prom tomorrow), so of course, I said yes, and off I was on another errand. Afterwards, I dropped Haleigh off at their house, and then headed to the Community Center where Project Prom is being held. I wanted to drop off the item we purchased at Sam's in Wichita. I've had it covered up in the truck so Haleigh could not see what it was. There were 8-10 women out there scurrying around like crazy, unloading tubs, gifts, setting things up in preparation for tomorrow night's activities. Dean and I used to help with this when our kids were in High School and it was always a fun time. I'm glad Misti is involved because those memories are very special, although I know it can be time consuming.
Back at Bentley, I quickly threw together chicken and noodles in the Instapot and about 35 minutes later we were enjoyiing a wonderful hot meal on what was now a very cold evening. Yesterday when we arrived it was beautiful - in the 60's, and today the temperatures have gradually dropped and it was just COLD by the time I got back. It's supposed to continue to drop this evening, the wind is to pick up and they are calling for rain, sleet, ice and snow.
After dinner I called my granddaughter Kamron to see if she would like to come to the Prom Promenade at the High School tomorrow night to see Haleigh arrive with her date. She didn't hesitate to say yes! That made this Nana's heart very happy. My grandson (Misti's son) Logan lives in Parsons at the college dorms, so he will bring her down with him tomorrow. Dean and I will take her home after the Promenade is over. That way we can see her little brother Jaxson, my son Marc and daugher-in-law Jennifer. We are looking forward to catching up with all of them.
Before we went to bed, it rained for close to an hour and then the snow started. I remember several March weather events like this and I'm sure we've probably had them in April, but it's been awhile. It's supposed to warm back up and be in the 70's by mid-week. Hopefully it will stay somewhat warm from this point forward. I know everyone is ready!
Travels with Bentley
Bentley - our Heartland Bighorn
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Friday, April 6, 2018
Thursday, April 5, 2018 - Moving Day - Wichita to Oswego, Catching up with Family
Thursday, April 5, 2018 - Moving Day - Wichita to Oswego, Catching up with Family
It was a little before 5:00 when I rolled out of bed this morning. I thought seriously about rolling over and staying there, but knowing it's moving day I decided it would be best not to.
I wrote the blog for the previous 3 days to catch us up to date. I was finishing it as Dean joined me. After breakfast, we got busy packing and hitching up. We pulled out of the RV Park by 9:45.
Our drive from Wichita to Oswego seemed to fly by. As with every trip to and from Wichita, I just love the drive after Beaumont to around the Severy area through the Flint Hills. I never get tired of that scenery. We had to make a stop at Parsons Walmart to pick up a prescription for Dean. As we were getting ready to take the exit, my son Marc called me. I glanced at the clock and it was just after 12:00. I asked him if he called because he had seen us taking the exit at Parsons, he said no, I didn't but I see you now. He was headed home, going the opposite direction of where we were now - so as we were going down the exit ramp, he was going up the merge ramp. How funny!
We pulled into Oswego and were set up by 1:15. We had a quick bite to eat and then I walked up to pay Todd, owner of the RV Park, for the two months we will be here. I talked to him for awhile, asking him about a possible rally for our Escapees group. We walked back to our site so he could show me the sites that would be available if it happened. It appears there is plenty of room. He has an underground house that is currently occupied but will be vacant soon, and it could be available for a meeting room, so Dean and I may throw it out as a possibility for a rally or casual campout next year.
While visiting with Todd and Dean, my sister, Cindy pulled in. She was dressed up and when I asked her where she had been, she said I just came from that funeral. I had no idea what she was talking about. She said I just assumed you probably saw it on Facebook. While I have looked at Facebook a time or two in the past few days I haven't really been on it much, so I evidently didn't get far enough for it to show up. One of her good friends from high schools' youngest brother passed away earlier this week. I was shocked. He was only 52. We left Dean and Todd to visit and we went inside Bentley. Other than the kids/grandkids, I've missed my sisters a lot and look forward to spending time with them while we are in Oswego. Before she left, Misti showed up with Haleigh - she had sent me a text earlier to see if Haleigh could hang out with us for awhile this evening while Misti runs some errands for Project Prom - which is this weekend. I told her, Absolutely, she could. We had a great time catching up with Haleigh. I'm so glad she hung out with Nana and Papa this evening. Can't wait to see all of the other grandkids while we are here. We'd love to spend some one on one time with each of them and that will be a goal while we are here.
So, it was a busy and full day, however that's all I have to share today. It will be a busy time while we are here. Between doctor visits, seeing and catching up with family members, and attending a few rallies, I'm afraid the time will fly by way faster than the two months we'll be here.
It was a little before 5:00 when I rolled out of bed this morning. I thought seriously about rolling over and staying there, but knowing it's moving day I decided it would be best not to.
I wrote the blog for the previous 3 days to catch us up to date. I was finishing it as Dean joined me. After breakfast, we got busy packing and hitching up. We pulled out of the RV Park by 9:45.
Our drive from Wichita to Oswego seemed to fly by. As with every trip to and from Wichita, I just love the drive after Beaumont to around the Severy area through the Flint Hills. I never get tired of that scenery. We had to make a stop at Parsons Walmart to pick up a prescription for Dean. As we were getting ready to take the exit, my son Marc called me. I glanced at the clock and it was just after 12:00. I asked him if he called because he had seen us taking the exit at Parsons, he said no, I didn't but I see you now. He was headed home, going the opposite direction of where we were now - so as we were going down the exit ramp, he was going up the merge ramp. How funny!
We pulled into Oswego and were set up by 1:15. We had a quick bite to eat and then I walked up to pay Todd, owner of the RV Park, for the two months we will be here. I talked to him for awhile, asking him about a possible rally for our Escapees group. We walked back to our site so he could show me the sites that would be available if it happened. It appears there is plenty of room. He has an underground house that is currently occupied but will be vacant soon, and it could be available for a meeting room, so Dean and I may throw it out as a possibility for a rally or casual campout next year.
While visiting with Todd and Dean, my sister, Cindy pulled in. She was dressed up and when I asked her where she had been, she said I just came from that funeral. I had no idea what she was talking about. She said I just assumed you probably saw it on Facebook. While I have looked at Facebook a time or two in the past few days I haven't really been on it much, so I evidently didn't get far enough for it to show up. One of her good friends from high schools' youngest brother passed away earlier this week. I was shocked. He was only 52. We left Dean and Todd to visit and we went inside Bentley. Other than the kids/grandkids, I've missed my sisters a lot and look forward to spending time with them while we are in Oswego. Before she left, Misti showed up with Haleigh - she had sent me a text earlier to see if Haleigh could hang out with us for awhile this evening while Misti runs some errands for Project Prom - which is this weekend. I told her, Absolutely, she could. We had a great time catching up with Haleigh. I'm so glad she hung out with Nana and Papa this evening. Can't wait to see all of the other grandkids while we are here. We'd love to spend some one on one time with each of them and that will be a goal while we are here.
So, it was a busy and full day, however that's all I have to share today. It will be a busy time while we are here. Between doctor visits, seeing and catching up with family members, and attending a few rallies, I'm afraid the time will fly by way faster than the two months we'll be here.
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-April 2,3 & 4 - Catching Up
Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-April 2,3 & 4 - Catching Up
Monday - April 2
Sunday evening I decided I would print off our bank statements for the month of April so we could reconcile for the month. Our printer wouldn't work at all. So that means today we need to get serious about the purchase of a printer. We have not checked out Walmart yet so that is where we headed this morning.
They had a Canon that seemed to have everything we wanted but I wanted to make sure it would print on both sides, so I googled it. Fortunately, it did have that option. The good news, when it came up on my phone it actually came up on a Wal-mart site where it was advertised for $20 less than the in-store price. I asked a clerk about it and they told me to take it to Customer Service and ask them about it. So we did. I showed the clerk the ad and she said they would ad match anything on Walmart's site so the $60 printer was now only $40. The ink replacement was more than half less than our previous printer so that is also a good deal. I doubt we go through 50 pages of paper in a month so hopefully each cartridge will last us for quite a while.
It was so cold I didn't really want to do much else while we were out, so we returned to Bentley. We had some lunch and just hung out the rest of the day. Tomorrow we are supposed to meet up with friends we met in South Texas for lunch and we are looking forward to that.
Dean still had not put our water hose out since the temperatures were well below freezing at night and much of the morning so I couldn't do any laundry.
We are going to the show tonight with Jarred to watch "I Can Only Imagine". Since we always get popcorn and something to drink there we didn't eat before we went. If we are still hungry afterwards, we'll get something then. The movie started at 6:15 and we pulled in shortly after Jarred. The movie was wonderful and if you haven't seen it, you really should! What a wonderful true story and the song "I Can Only Imagine" is one of my favorite Christian songs!
Once we returned home we settled in to watch some TV - or I should say Dean did and I played a game on my Kindle.
Tuesday - April 3
Well, I'm not sure if it was actually Monday or Tuesday when I first got up - but I went through a very similar episode as I did back in February after we ate at Dirty Al's - so I guess it wasn't the food I ate. Our anniversary was February 26 for those that might not have read the blog back then, and later that night I had violent dry heaves. I do not drink alcohol, I ate the same thing Dean did and it wasn't a heavy meal, so there didn't seem to be any reason for it.
This time I ate some trail mix a while before we went to the show but other than a light lunch I had not eaten since morning. I woke up in the night feeling queasy and went through the same thing again only not quite as violent as it was the first time. Nothing ever came up - but it did cause my neck to ache again the next day. I spent almost all day in bed on Tuesday with one or two more episodes occuring before it finally quit. I slept most of the time, and not only all night Tuesday but until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. I hated that we had to end up canceling our lunch with our friends for today but there was no way I could have made it. Fortunately we did become friends on Facebook so we can stay in touch with each other and hopefully we'll see them again next winter in South Texas. I had hoped to get in touch with some other friends today who live near Wichita to see if they might be free for lunch Wednesday, but I felt so bad I didn't even try to call, not knowing if I would feel sick again.
Sunday we told Heath we'd pick the boys up from school and take them to dinner since he has a late meeting at his school today. I was unable to go, but Dean picked the boys up and took them to Logan's for dinner. It's one of their favorite places because of the rolls! I hated missing out, but I was just in no condition to go anywhere yet - mostly because my neck hurt so badly and I just felt exhausted. I tried to watch TV while they were gone, but gave that up and laid down again.
When Dean returned, I was feeling better yet, and later we did watch American Idol from Sunday night.
Wednesday - April 4
I got up and made coffee - not sure if I could drink it or not. I felt better but just weak and shaky, however my neck feels at least 90% better today. I am so thankful for that! I only have one area where it is still sore, and it isn't as bad as yesterday. Once the coffee was made I was able to drank it with no problems. Later I had a little yogurt. It felt good to get something on my stomach.
A little later in the morning Dean put the water and sewer hoses out so I could do some laundry. After the first load was done we went down the road to Subway for a sandwich. I was able to eat most of it, but Dean finished off the last of it. Afterwards we stopped by Pathway Church to pick up Emerson's car seat from Jarred. We are picking her up from her babysitter's about 4:00 since they have something to do tonight. From there we stopped at Sam's to pick up a couple of their rotissere chickens, and a few other things we needed. I talked to Misti earlier in the day and she mentioned another Project Prom gift they wanted to get. She wanted to know if I was going to Joplin on Friday (I had mentioned I might try to do that when I talked to her a few weeks ago), but I didn't think I would probably go now. She was needing another gift at Sam's. Since we were going to Sam's today I told her we'd pick it up - so we got that taken care of as well.
One last stop at Walmart for just a few grocery items and we were back home at 2:30. I was hoping to lay down for just a bit, but I guess my energy level was better because I couldn't set still. I did another load of laundry. Dean and I cut the chicken up, placing two cups into individual freezer bags (9 bags). I'll use these for a variety of meals over the next month or two. I picked up around Bentley a bit, and Dean put the locks on our table that we purchased a few days ago to keep the table from sliding open while we are traveling or whle I am working at it. It works great!
By then it was time to pick up Emerson. When we arrived she was sleeping and she absolutely did not want to go with us. It was heartbreaking after she was so loving the other day, but after we got her in the carseat and were back on the main road to the RV Park she was starting to talk. By the time we made it to Bentley she was herself again. Whew! We had a great time with her. She kept us in stitches. She plays well by herself too, which is a good thing. She brought her makeup and brushes, tiny horses, her baby Scarlett and a little stuffed horse. She really had a good time playing with each one throughout the evening. We played and played and laughed and laughed. I'd like to have half of her energy!
She has an active imagination and she used it all evening playing her make-up games with us. It seemed no time until Mom and Dad showed up to get her. We visited for a while before they left to head home. Chances are we won't get to see them again until September or October. April and May are full months while we are in Oswego, and then we'll leave for Matt's and our New England trip. We've sure enjoyed our time here in Wichita with both Heath and Jarred's families. Thanks to both for the good times. We had a great time with all of you!
Tomorrow we'll pack up Bentley and head to Oswego, our home base. We're anxious to see all of our kids, Misti, Marc and Brett and their spouses that live near "home", plus the grandkids Logan, Haleigh; Kamron, Jaxson; Dacy and Tucker. Some more good times are ahead!
Monday - April 2
Sunday evening I decided I would print off our bank statements for the month of April so we could reconcile for the month. Our printer wouldn't work at all. So that means today we need to get serious about the purchase of a printer. We have not checked out Walmart yet so that is where we headed this morning.
They had a Canon that seemed to have everything we wanted but I wanted to make sure it would print on both sides, so I googled it. Fortunately, it did have that option. The good news, when it came up on my phone it actually came up on a Wal-mart site where it was advertised for $20 less than the in-store price. I asked a clerk about it and they told me to take it to Customer Service and ask them about it. So we did. I showed the clerk the ad and she said they would ad match anything on Walmart's site so the $60 printer was now only $40. The ink replacement was more than half less than our previous printer so that is also a good deal. I doubt we go through 50 pages of paper in a month so hopefully each cartridge will last us for quite a while.
It was so cold I didn't really want to do much else while we were out, so we returned to Bentley. We had some lunch and just hung out the rest of the day. Tomorrow we are supposed to meet up with friends we met in South Texas for lunch and we are looking forward to that.
Dean still had not put our water hose out since the temperatures were well below freezing at night and much of the morning so I couldn't do any laundry.
We are going to the show tonight with Jarred to watch "I Can Only Imagine". Since we always get popcorn and something to drink there we didn't eat before we went. If we are still hungry afterwards, we'll get something then. The movie started at 6:15 and we pulled in shortly after Jarred. The movie was wonderful and if you haven't seen it, you really should! What a wonderful true story and the song "I Can Only Imagine" is one of my favorite Christian songs!
Once we returned home we settled in to watch some TV - or I should say Dean did and I played a game on my Kindle.
Tuesday - April 3
Well, I'm not sure if it was actually Monday or Tuesday when I first got up - but I went through a very similar episode as I did back in February after we ate at Dirty Al's - so I guess it wasn't the food I ate. Our anniversary was February 26 for those that might not have read the blog back then, and later that night I had violent dry heaves. I do not drink alcohol, I ate the same thing Dean did and it wasn't a heavy meal, so there didn't seem to be any reason for it.
This time I ate some trail mix a while before we went to the show but other than a light lunch I had not eaten since morning. I woke up in the night feeling queasy and went through the same thing again only not quite as violent as it was the first time. Nothing ever came up - but it did cause my neck to ache again the next day. I spent almost all day in bed on Tuesday with one or two more episodes occuring before it finally quit. I slept most of the time, and not only all night Tuesday but until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. I hated that we had to end up canceling our lunch with our friends for today but there was no way I could have made it. Fortunately we did become friends on Facebook so we can stay in touch with each other and hopefully we'll see them again next winter in South Texas. I had hoped to get in touch with some other friends today who live near Wichita to see if they might be free for lunch Wednesday, but I felt so bad I didn't even try to call, not knowing if I would feel sick again.
Sunday we told Heath we'd pick the boys up from school and take them to dinner since he has a late meeting at his school today. I was unable to go, but Dean picked the boys up and took them to Logan's for dinner. It's one of their favorite places because of the rolls! I hated missing out, but I was just in no condition to go anywhere yet - mostly because my neck hurt so badly and I just felt exhausted. I tried to watch TV while they were gone, but gave that up and laid down again.
When Dean returned, I was feeling better yet, and later we did watch American Idol from Sunday night.
Wednesday - April 4
I got up and made coffee - not sure if I could drink it or not. I felt better but just weak and shaky, however my neck feels at least 90% better today. I am so thankful for that! I only have one area where it is still sore, and it isn't as bad as yesterday. Once the coffee was made I was able to drank it with no problems. Later I had a little yogurt. It felt good to get something on my stomach.
A little later in the morning Dean put the water and sewer hoses out so I could do some laundry. After the first load was done we went down the road to Subway for a sandwich. I was able to eat most of it, but Dean finished off the last of it. Afterwards we stopped by Pathway Church to pick up Emerson's car seat from Jarred. We are picking her up from her babysitter's about 4:00 since they have something to do tonight. From there we stopped at Sam's to pick up a couple of their rotissere chickens, and a few other things we needed. I talked to Misti earlier in the day and she mentioned another Project Prom gift they wanted to get. She wanted to know if I was going to Joplin on Friday (I had mentioned I might try to do that when I talked to her a few weeks ago), but I didn't think I would probably go now. She was needing another gift at Sam's. Since we were going to Sam's today I told her we'd pick it up - so we got that taken care of as well.
One last stop at Walmart for just a few grocery items and we were back home at 2:30. I was hoping to lay down for just a bit, but I guess my energy level was better because I couldn't set still. I did another load of laundry. Dean and I cut the chicken up, placing two cups into individual freezer bags (9 bags). I'll use these for a variety of meals over the next month or two. I picked up around Bentley a bit, and Dean put the locks on our table that we purchased a few days ago to keep the table from sliding open while we are traveling or whle I am working at it. It works great!
By then it was time to pick up Emerson. When we arrived she was sleeping and she absolutely did not want to go with us. It was heartbreaking after she was so loving the other day, but after we got her in the carseat and were back on the main road to the RV Park she was starting to talk. By the time we made it to Bentley she was herself again. Whew! We had a great time with her. She kept us in stitches. She plays well by herself too, which is a good thing. She brought her makeup and brushes, tiny horses, her baby Scarlett and a little stuffed horse. She really had a good time playing with each one throughout the evening. We played and played and laughed and laughed. I'd like to have half of her energy!
She has an active imagination and she used it all evening playing her make-up games with us. It seemed no time until Mom and Dad showed up to get her. We visited for a while before they left to head home. Chances are we won't get to see them again until September or October. April and May are full months while we are in Oswego, and then we'll leave for Matt's and our New England trip. We've sure enjoyed our time here in Wichita with both Heath and Jarred's families. Thanks to both for the good times. We had a great time with all of you!
Tomorrow we'll pack up Bentley and head to Oswego, our home base. We're anxious to see all of our kids, Misti, Marc and Brett and their spouses that live near "home", plus the grandkids Logan, Haleigh; Kamron, Jaxson; Dacy and Tucker. Some more good times are ahead!
Monday, April 2, 2018
Sunday, April 1, 2018 - Happy Easter! Church with Family; Late Birthday Party for Emmy; Visit with Heath's Family;
Sunday, April 1, 2018 - Happy Easter! Church with Family; Late Birthday Party for Emmy; Visit with Heath's Family;
Happy Easter to everyone! What a blessing to be able to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For us it's extra special to celebrate at Pathway Church this morning where our son Jarred is Cafe Leader. We attended the service there at 9:00 a.m.
It was 30 degrees when we headed to Pathway this morning, so Dean dropped me at the front door while he parked Maxx - always in the back 40 so no one dings his doors or sides since he's so wide! I went on in and I was greeted by a couple "Tony" and "Diane" I think it was. Diane walked over to talk to another couple and I was visiting with Tony. I asked him if they had plans after church for Easter. He pointed to his wife, who was standing with the couple, and said yes they were having lunch at their house, that his wife's parents were here from Pittsburg, KS. Now, for those that know me, my ears immediately perked up - because Pittsburg is in our neck of the woods.....as he's saying this to me I notice this young lady walking our way with a phone like she's taking a picture...with a quick thought that she looked alot like my daughter Misti....I looked back to him about to say something about where we were from and Pittsburg was close to us....blah,blah...when I realized Haleigh was standing next to the lady with the phone pointed at me. It was my Misti!...and she was videoing the surprised look on my face as I said to Tony - That's my daughter! Once we hugged and I wiped the tears out of my eyes from being so surprised and overwhelmed, I explained to him that this was my daughter and granddaughter. They live in Oswego, Kansas and we haven't seen them since the first of January because we've been in Texas all winter. He said, well that explains why you all were hugging and such. I just assumed she lived here so wasn't sure what was going on.
I was totally taken by surprise. And then I noticed Isaiah - my cousin Scott's grandson, Isaiah was also with them. Haleigh watched Isaiah when his mom was working in Oswego. She recently moved to Wichita. Misti was able to bring him to church and I was so glad she did. He's just a sweet young man and I was so glad to see him too. Come to find out Jarred and Andrea knew all about this planned surprise! After church they had a place set up to take pictures and here is our picture:
Unfortunately, Misti had to get back to Oswego and couldn't stay to have lunch. She needs to study and the weather forecast is calling for some sleet later today in southeast Kansas so its best they get back before they run into that.
Dean and I went back to Bentley to change clothes and then we went to Applebee's for lunch. Thank you to Heath & Casey for the Christmas gift card that we used for our lunch today. We enjoyed it. Afterwards we returned to the RV Park. I straightened things up and did the morning dishes before setting down to begin work on today's blog post.
We are going to Andrea's Uncle's home (Bob & Elaine) once all of the church services are over (they had a total of 3 services this morning), for Easter dinner and to celebrate Emerson's birthday. Jarred, Andrea and Emerson were in Colorado on her birthday so they haven't celebrated with family here yet. I'm glad it worked out that we are here so we could participate as well. It will be the first birthday party we've been able to attend for her. While typing this we received a text they were on their way, so we were out the door pretty quickly.
What a fun time - great people, great lunch and oh yum, the desserts! And the star of today's events was something else. Emerson came into the room with her eyes closed, because her main present was too large to wrap or hide.
She ran straight to her new vanity and play makeup. It was so cute watching her. It was apparent she has watched her Mommy more than once. She was using her brushes for all the right things - eyebrows, cheeks, contour, etc. So cute!
She also received a really nice Vera Bradley duffel bag from Granny & Papa Braitsch which will be wonderful for their travels. Uncle Bob, Aunt Elaine, Steven and Suzanne gave her a big Easter basket full of goodies - candy, stuffed bunny, 2 shirts and pajamas (with matching pajamas for her baby doll).
Then we watched her hunt for Easter eggs in their basement. If it was an egg she would pick it up and put it in the basket but if it was something else - she would just lay it down - it wasn't an egg! It was pretty cute! She just couldn't bring herself to pick up something that wasn't an egg if she was doing an Easter egg hunt! What a fun time for her and for all of us to see the joy in her little eyes.
It was almost 4:00 when we left, so we drove straight to Heath's to visit for a little while before heading home for the evening. We had a really nice visit with Heath and family for about an hour. Heath will be late coming home from work on Tuesday evening so we are going to pick the boys up from school and take them to dinner It works great for him as Casey will be out of town. We look forward to spending the evening with them and hopefully making things a little easier for everyone.
Back at Bentley I worked on this blog post and we planned to watch American Idol later. I got busy with the blog and trying to read a few emails. Dean started watching a show and just forgot, so we are thankful we now have the opportunity to watch it at a later date with our Firestick! It's all good!
Happy Easter to everyone! What a blessing to be able to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For us it's extra special to celebrate at Pathway Church this morning where our son Jarred is Cafe Leader. We attended the service there at 9:00 a.m.
It was 30 degrees when we headed to Pathway this morning, so Dean dropped me at the front door while he parked Maxx - always in the back 40 so no one dings his doors or sides since he's so wide! I went on in and I was greeted by a couple "Tony" and "Diane" I think it was. Diane walked over to talk to another couple and I was visiting with Tony. I asked him if they had plans after church for Easter. He pointed to his wife, who was standing with the couple, and said yes they were having lunch at their house, that his wife's parents were here from Pittsburg, KS. Now, for those that know me, my ears immediately perked up - because Pittsburg is in our neck of the woods.....as he's saying this to me I notice this young lady walking our way with a phone like she's taking a picture...with a quick thought that she looked alot like my daughter Misti....I looked back to him about to say something about where we were from and Pittsburg was close to us....blah,blah...when I realized Haleigh was standing next to the lady with the phone pointed at me. It was my Misti!...and she was videoing the surprised look on my face as I said to Tony - That's my daughter! Once we hugged and I wiped the tears out of my eyes from being so surprised and overwhelmed, I explained to him that this was my daughter and granddaughter. They live in Oswego, Kansas and we haven't seen them since the first of January because we've been in Texas all winter. He said, well that explains why you all were hugging and such. I just assumed she lived here so wasn't sure what was going on.
I was totally taken by surprise. And then I noticed Isaiah - my cousin Scott's grandson, Isaiah was also with them. Haleigh watched Isaiah when his mom was working in Oswego. She recently moved to Wichita. Misti was able to bring him to church and I was so glad she did. He's just a sweet young man and I was so glad to see him too. Come to find out Jarred and Andrea knew all about this planned surprise! After church they had a place set up to take pictures and here is our picture:
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| Back: Misti, Me, Dean, Andrea & Jarred Front: Haleigh & Isaiah |
Unfortunately, Misti had to get back to Oswego and couldn't stay to have lunch. She needs to study and the weather forecast is calling for some sleet later today in southeast Kansas so its best they get back before they run into that.
Dean and I went back to Bentley to change clothes and then we went to Applebee's for lunch. Thank you to Heath & Casey for the Christmas gift card that we used for our lunch today. We enjoyed it. Afterwards we returned to the RV Park. I straightened things up and did the morning dishes before setting down to begin work on today's blog post.
We are going to Andrea's Uncle's home (Bob & Elaine) once all of the church services are over (they had a total of 3 services this morning), for Easter dinner and to celebrate Emerson's birthday. Jarred, Andrea and Emerson were in Colorado on her birthday so they haven't celebrated with family here yet. I'm glad it worked out that we are here so we could participate as well. It will be the first birthday party we've been able to attend for her. While typing this we received a text they were on their way, so we were out the door pretty quickly.
What a fun time - great people, great lunch and oh yum, the desserts! And the star of today's events was something else. Emerson came into the room with her eyes closed, because her main present was too large to wrap or hide.
She ran straight to her new vanity and play makeup. It was so cute watching her. It was apparent she has watched her Mommy more than once. She was using her brushes for all the right things - eyebrows, cheeks, contour, etc. So cute!
She also received a really nice Vera Bradley duffel bag from Granny & Papa Braitsch which will be wonderful for their travels. Uncle Bob, Aunt Elaine, Steven and Suzanne gave her a big Easter basket full of goodies - candy, stuffed bunny, 2 shirts and pajamas (with matching pajamas for her baby doll).
Then we watched her hunt for Easter eggs in their basement. If it was an egg she would pick it up and put it in the basket but if it was something else - she would just lay it down - it wasn't an egg! It was pretty cute! She just couldn't bring herself to pick up something that wasn't an egg if she was doing an Easter egg hunt! What a fun time for her and for all of us to see the joy in her little eyes.
It was almost 4:00 when we left, so we drove straight to Heath's to visit for a little while before heading home for the evening. We had a really nice visit with Heath and family for about an hour. Heath will be late coming home from work on Tuesday evening so we are going to pick the boys up from school and take them to dinner It works great for him as Casey will be out of town. We look forward to spending the evening with them and hopefully making things a little easier for everyone.
Back at Bentley I worked on this blog post and we planned to watch American Idol later. I got busy with the blog and trying to read a few emails. Dean started watching a show and just forgot, so we are thankful we now have the opportunity to watch it at a later date with our Firestick! It's all good!
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Saturday, March 31, 2018 - Lamar's Doughnuts; Spending the day with Heath & Family; Doing a Little Shopping; Watching KU
Saturday, March 31, 2018 - Lamar's Doughnuts; Spending the day with Heath & Family; Doing a Little Shopping; Watching KU
One of the things that Heath's family introduced us to years ago was Lamar's Doughnuts. They really do make some amazing baked goods and we LOVE their apple fritters. They are still our favorite of all the places we've tried them. All of their other products are also delicious - well, at least the ones we've tried! Emerson and I both were anxious for Papa to get around this morning so he could go pick some up for our breakfast.
Today we plan to spend the day with Heath and his family. Their boys are growing up so fast. Abram is 10, Gideon will be 9 in just a little over a month, and Roman is 7. Abram is 5' 2", and looks much older than he is. They remind me a lot of Dean's boys when they were younger.
Emerson woke up not too long after we got up. We cuddled for awhile until she was fully awake. She had lots of questions about everything - she's really in that Why? stage. Papa finally left to go get our doughnuts and we thoroughly enjoyed them when he returned.
Jarred and Andrea picked Emerson up around 9:30. It was 10:45 before we made it to Heath's. Dean helped Heath with a few projects and I played cards with Roman and Abram - Skipbo. I don't think I've ever played it before but it was a fun game. Roman won the first game and Abram won the second. Afterwards I went outside with them and we shot baskets, and played PIG and HORSE. Papa joined us towards the end once he and Heath managed to get their lawnmower running.
Of course I lost those to Abram, but I was surprised I even managed to make several baskets since I'm not very athletic - especially at basketball. But we had lots of fun and that is what matters. It was also some good exercise which I really needed.
For lunch we all rode together to McAlister's Deli. We really like this place. Dean had a McAlister Club and I had a Turkey Peppercorn Sandwich. They were both very good and we really love their sweet tea. Lunch and dinner conversations are always interesting with kids - nothing outstanding, just fun!
It was well after 2-2:30 before we returned. We hung around for awhile longer visiting some more. I took a few pictures of Gideon and some of his favorite things. He is a whiz at putting Lego sets together. I can't remember the number of hours he spent on this but I think they said about 12-14 hours over a few days. The age range for this particular Lego set was 14+. He loves music and recently got a guitar. Shortly before we left he came out to the living room with a rubik cube that he likes to work with.
When we left their house, we headed to Best Buy to look at some printers. We really didn't find anything we liked that well, at least for the price I was hoping to pay. They do have a good selection. We'll check Walmart one day this week and I'll also take a look on Amazon. Our next stop was Lowe's. We bought a "lock" to put underneath the table to hold each side of the leaf tight to the table so it does not come apart when we are traveling or I am using it.
By then we were both tired and just wanted to head back to Bentley. Dean messed around some with the TV. He downloaded the Dish Anywhere App to the Amazon Fire Stick and we discovered that our Dish Tailgator Receiver is not compatible with the app. We can use the app with the laptop just fine but that requires an HDMI cord strung across the room - which can be done - just a bit of a pain to mess with on a regular basis. We had to call Dish to find this out, but while on the line I also complained about channels not coming in well - specifically HGTV and The Food Channel. Of course they will send a report to a tech and have them get back with me. Our Tailgator is 4 years old. I imagine its "out of date" and our option will end up being upgrading to a new one. We plan to use the Firestick with HULU and Amazon Prime as much as possible during the month of April and see how well it works for us - we might even extend that into May since we will be camping in at least 8 different spots in KS, OK and MO during that time. It should give us a pretty good idea how well it will work. If we like it well enough we may drop Dish altogether. We can always upgrade to a different Dish setup down the road if we determine at some point the streaming does not work for us.
We settled in to watch the KU Jayhawks play basketball while enjoying our leftover BBQ and Chinese meals. Both still tasted pretty good. Unfortunately, the Hawks got off to a slow start and lost, even though they worked hard to make a comeback.
We didn't last too long after the game was over before we headed to bed.
One of the things that Heath's family introduced us to years ago was Lamar's Doughnuts. They really do make some amazing baked goods and we LOVE their apple fritters. They are still our favorite of all the places we've tried them. All of their other products are also delicious - well, at least the ones we've tried! Emerson and I both were anxious for Papa to get around this morning so he could go pick some up for our breakfast.
Today we plan to spend the day with Heath and his family. Their boys are growing up so fast. Abram is 10, Gideon will be 9 in just a little over a month, and Roman is 7. Abram is 5' 2", and looks much older than he is. They remind me a lot of Dean's boys when they were younger.
Emerson woke up not too long after we got up. We cuddled for awhile until she was fully awake. She had lots of questions about everything - she's really in that Why? stage. Papa finally left to go get our doughnuts and we thoroughly enjoyed them when he returned.
Jarred and Andrea picked Emerson up around 9:30. It was 10:45 before we made it to Heath's. Dean helped Heath with a few projects and I played cards with Roman and Abram - Skipbo. I don't think I've ever played it before but it was a fun game. Roman won the first game and Abram won the second. Afterwards I went outside with them and we shot baskets, and played PIG and HORSE. Papa joined us towards the end once he and Heath managed to get their lawnmower running.
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| Roman and Abram |
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| Roman on his cool bike that lets him turn complete circles. |
Of course I lost those to Abram, but I was surprised I even managed to make several baskets since I'm not very athletic - especially at basketball. But we had lots of fun and that is what matters. It was also some good exercise which I really needed.
For lunch we all rode together to McAlister's Deli. We really like this place. Dean had a McAlister Club and I had a Turkey Peppercorn Sandwich. They were both very good and we really love their sweet tea. Lunch and dinner conversations are always interesting with kids - nothing outstanding, just fun!
It was well after 2-2:30 before we returned. We hung around for awhile longer visiting some more. I took a few pictures of Gideon and some of his favorite things. He is a whiz at putting Lego sets together. I can't remember the number of hours he spent on this but I think they said about 12-14 hours over a few days. The age range for this particular Lego set was 14+. He loves music and recently got a guitar. Shortly before we left he came out to the living room with a rubik cube that he likes to work with.
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| Gideon - I have no idea how many pieces are in this Lego spaceship - but it's amazing that he could put this together on his own. He's put many sets together over the years. |
When we left their house, we headed to Best Buy to look at some printers. We really didn't find anything we liked that well, at least for the price I was hoping to pay. They do have a good selection. We'll check Walmart one day this week and I'll also take a look on Amazon. Our next stop was Lowe's. We bought a "lock" to put underneath the table to hold each side of the leaf tight to the table so it does not come apart when we are traveling or I am using it.
By then we were both tired and just wanted to head back to Bentley. Dean messed around some with the TV. He downloaded the Dish Anywhere App to the Amazon Fire Stick and we discovered that our Dish Tailgator Receiver is not compatible with the app. We can use the app with the laptop just fine but that requires an HDMI cord strung across the room - which can be done - just a bit of a pain to mess with on a regular basis. We had to call Dish to find this out, but while on the line I also complained about channels not coming in well - specifically HGTV and The Food Channel. Of course they will send a report to a tech and have them get back with me. Our Tailgator is 4 years old. I imagine its "out of date" and our option will end up being upgrading to a new one. We plan to use the Firestick with HULU and Amazon Prime as much as possible during the month of April and see how well it works for us - we might even extend that into May since we will be camping in at least 8 different spots in KS, OK and MO during that time. It should give us a pretty good idea how well it will work. If we like it well enough we may drop Dish altogether. We can always upgrade to a different Dish setup down the road if we determine at some point the streaming does not work for us.
We settled in to watch the KU Jayhawks play basketball while enjoying our leftover BBQ and Chinese meals. Both still tasted pretty good. Unfortunately, the Hawks got off to a slow start and lost, even though they worked hard to make a comeback.
We didn't last too long after the game was over before we headed to bed.
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Friday, March 30, 2018 - Spending the Day with Jarred & Family; Emmy's First Overnight with Nana & Papa
Friday, March 30, 2018 - Spending the Day with Jarred & Family; Emmy's First Overnight with Nana & Papa
We are meeting up with Jarred and his family around 10 this morning so we had plenty of time to get everything done before we left to head their way. It's approximately 5 miles from the park to their house, and less than 4 miles to Heath's. This really is a convenient park for us to stay in when we are visiting both boys and their families.
Andrea had some errands and appointments today. She is off of work today due to Good Friday and Jarred's day off is always on Friday. We visited for awhile at the house. Emerson thought her Papa was okay.
Emerson turned 3 earlier this month but we haven't bought her present yet, so we thought it might be fun to take her to help select it. Daddy had some suggestions and it will be helpful if he's along to help pick it out as well. Our first stop was at Academy where we found a nice "Little Pony" bounce ball that she loved. She knew all of the little ponies names but one. She loved these bike helmets.
Our next stop was at Walmart where we bought her the cutest little pink softball glove, a T-ball set that came with bat and ball, and an extra softball. It seems Emerson might have some of her daddy's athletic ability. She could throw both balls well, kick well, and hit well for not having done too much of it. She's very quick and almost fearless. I think she might be able to hold her own!
Before we left Walmart we had a little fun with this bull ride. Unfortunately after we put the 50 cents in, it would not work, so Dad told her to pretend she was riding and she obliged.
By now it was almost 12:30 and we were all hungry. Jarred suggested a BBQ restaurant, "When Pigs Fly". A good choice. I had the brisket with creamed corn and baked beans. Dean chose ribs and pulled pork with cole slaw and potato salad. Jarred also had the brisket and baked beans - but I don't remember his other side. Emerson had macaroni and cheese. It was a very good meal and we enjoyed visiting while we were there.
Afterwards we went back to the house so Emerson could play with her new birthday presents. We kicked ball, hit softballs, threw both the bounce ball and softball, and did lots of running. Emerson is also good at instructing everyone on who to kick the ball to and it was quite fun to watch her. She was having a great time.
Afterwards, Daddy and Papa went in the house and brought out her "Frozen Jeep" for her to ride. She rode it down the side road by their house (with us walking along side her) for almost a block, then we turned around and came back. She did pretty good. Dad said she steered better today than she ever has so she's beginning to figure that out. She got it for Christmas and the weather is just now getting nice enough to use it more often.
Speaking of that, the weather today turned out to be wonderful. I'm glad we are getting a couple of good days to spend with the grandkids before it turns cold Sunday. Brrr! It makes me cold just thinking about below 30 degree temperatures.
Once we came inside Emerson and I played in her room. She showed me all of her beautiful play clothes - she loves being a princess and someone gave her several outfits that she loves to dress up in. We played with her kitchen set and she fed her babies. She's quite the conversationalist.
By now, Emerson was worn out from all the play so she laid down for a nap. We visited with Jarred for about an hour and then headed back to Bentley. Our mail was supposed to be delivered to the park today and we wanted to pick it up. I was happy to see it had indeed made it. At Bentley, we went through it and then I freshened up a bit before we returned to Jarred's. We are having dinner with Andrea's parents, Bill and Diane, and Andrea's sister and her husband, Kelly & Chris. We haven't seen them for quite awhile so we are looking forward to visiting with them.
We had a great Chinese meal at a favorite restaurant of theirs, and a wonderful time visiting with everyone, mostly Bill and Diane since we set across from them. The food was delicious. As you can see I didn't think to take pictures of either of our meals today. We have enough food for at least another meal for both Dean and I in our refrigerator, which is always a good thing.
Jarred and Andrea are going to a place near downtown Wichita this evening to listen to some friends of ours from Oswego. Craig and his dad, Rick Cook have performed for several years, playing country music. Emerson is going to spend the night with us - a first for both of us! Craig and Jarred ran around together during school and Craig sang at his and Andrea's wedding. I've known Rick for years as he played for most of Oswego's 4th of July celebrations, and his wife is my hairdresser. All of the band members are staying overnight at Jarred and Andrea's.afterwards. They stopped by to drop off their suitcases while we were there. It was good to see both Rick and Craig.
Emerson just made herself at home once we returned to the RV Park. She was curious about a lot of things in the RV itself and had to check things out. We played, watched a movie, cuddled and laughed a lot. She's a treat and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening with her. She laid down with us, with the thought one of us would move her to the couch after she fell asleep, but instead we all fell asleep and that's where she stayed for the night.
I think we have Papa talked into visiting Lamar's Doughnuts tomorrow morning. We had to twist his arm really hard, but we're pretty sure he's convinced now!
We are meeting up with Jarred and his family around 10 this morning so we had plenty of time to get everything done before we left to head their way. It's approximately 5 miles from the park to their house, and less than 4 miles to Heath's. This really is a convenient park for us to stay in when we are visiting both boys and their families.
Andrea had some errands and appointments today. She is off of work today due to Good Friday and Jarred's day off is always on Friday. We visited for awhile at the house. Emerson thought her Papa was okay.
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| Happy Papa and Granddaughter! |
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| All smiles! |
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| Trying to get it off! |
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| Ta-da! |
Our next stop was at Walmart where we bought her the cutest little pink softball glove, a T-ball set that came with bat and ball, and an extra softball. It seems Emerson might have some of her daddy's athletic ability. She could throw both balls well, kick well, and hit well for not having done too much of it. She's very quick and almost fearless. I think she might be able to hold her own!
Before we left Walmart we had a little fun with this bull ride. Unfortunately after we put the 50 cents in, it would not work, so Dad told her to pretend she was riding and she obliged.
By now it was almost 12:30 and we were all hungry. Jarred suggested a BBQ restaurant, "When Pigs Fly". A good choice. I had the brisket with creamed corn and baked beans. Dean chose ribs and pulled pork with cole slaw and potato salad. Jarred also had the brisket and baked beans - but I don't remember his other side. Emerson had macaroni and cheese. It was a very good meal and we enjoyed visiting while we were there.
Afterwards we went back to the house so Emerson could play with her new birthday presents. We kicked ball, hit softballs, threw both the bounce ball and softball, and did lots of running. Emerson is also good at instructing everyone on who to kick the ball to and it was quite fun to watch her. She was having a great time.
Afterwards, Daddy and Papa went in the house and brought out her "Frozen Jeep" for her to ride. She rode it down the side road by their house (with us walking along side her) for almost a block, then we turned around and came back. She did pretty good. Dad said she steered better today than she ever has so she's beginning to figure that out. She got it for Christmas and the weather is just now getting nice enough to use it more often.
Speaking of that, the weather today turned out to be wonderful. I'm glad we are getting a couple of good days to spend with the grandkids before it turns cold Sunday. Brrr! It makes me cold just thinking about below 30 degree temperatures.
Once we came inside Emerson and I played in her room. She showed me all of her beautiful play clothes - she loves being a princess and someone gave her several outfits that she loves to dress up in. We played with her kitchen set and she fed her babies. She's quite the conversationalist.
By now, Emerson was worn out from all the play so she laid down for a nap. We visited with Jarred for about an hour and then headed back to Bentley. Our mail was supposed to be delivered to the park today and we wanted to pick it up. I was happy to see it had indeed made it. At Bentley, we went through it and then I freshened up a bit before we returned to Jarred's. We are having dinner with Andrea's parents, Bill and Diane, and Andrea's sister and her husband, Kelly & Chris. We haven't seen them for quite awhile so we are looking forward to visiting with them.
We had a great Chinese meal at a favorite restaurant of theirs, and a wonderful time visiting with everyone, mostly Bill and Diane since we set across from them. The food was delicious. As you can see I didn't think to take pictures of either of our meals today. We have enough food for at least another meal for both Dean and I in our refrigerator, which is always a good thing.
Jarred and Andrea are going to a place near downtown Wichita this evening to listen to some friends of ours from Oswego. Craig and his dad, Rick Cook have performed for several years, playing country music. Emerson is going to spend the night with us - a first for both of us! Craig and Jarred ran around together during school and Craig sang at his and Andrea's wedding. I've known Rick for years as he played for most of Oswego's 4th of July celebrations, and his wife is my hairdresser. All of the band members are staying overnight at Jarred and Andrea's.afterwards. They stopped by to drop off their suitcases while we were there. It was good to see both Rick and Craig.
Emerson just made herself at home once we returned to the RV Park. She was curious about a lot of things in the RV itself and had to check things out. We played, watched a movie, cuddled and laughed a lot. She's a treat and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening with her. She laid down with us, with the thought one of us would move her to the couch after she fell asleep, but instead we all fell asleep and that's where she stayed for the night.
I think we have Papa talked into visiting Lamar's Doughnuts tomorrow morning. We had to twist his arm really hard, but we're pretty sure he's convinced now!
Thursday, March 29, 2018 - Travel Day to Wichita, A Very Interesting Day, Visiting with Family
Thursday, March 29, 2018 - Travel Day to Wichita, Visiting with Family
We were a little slow getting around this morning but that was okay - we do not have far to drive today. Rather than take I-35 which would have shaved a few miles off we decided to take Hwy 177 north, to Hwy 81 which we took into Wichita. We took a few local roads to Goddard where All Seasons RV Park is located. It's conveniently located near both of our son's houses so we stay here regularly when we are in Wichita.
We arrived shortly after noon, only to find the office closed. We know they close from 12:00-2:00 but in the past they've always had park brochures for expected guests taped to the window with the last name written on them, telling us where to park. There was no information. It was cold, we were hungry and as you can imagine I was not happy. There was a number to call, and when I called it all I got was the office answering machine. Hmmmm! We set in the RV for a little while and then I decided to call the number again and listen to the entire message - which I should have done the first time - but I was irritated no one answered! The message said if we arrived when the office is closed to go ahead and pick out a site - so that is what we did. First we pulled in to the site on the very end, but fortunately before we unhooked we realized it only had 30 amp electric. If we were here for a day or two we probably would have stayed but since we'll be here a week, we decided to move to the next spot over which had 50 amp service. By the time we got hooked up it was a little after 1. We put the slides out, but we didn't put too many things out just in case something happened that required we moved - although I was hoping that would not happen. We fixed some lunch, then just checked our phones until 2:05, when we walked up to the office only to find no one was there yet. This is not going well! There was another couple sitting in their truck out front with their RV, also waiting. We walked back to the RV and about 10 minutes later the owner (or manager) knocked on our door. He wanted to know if we had a reservation and I told him yes we did. Him: How long are you staying? Me: One week. He said he had someone who had selected this site online but he'd see if he couldn't work something out. I explained that in the past when we arrived during the noon hour we have always found information on the door telling us what site to go to, but there wasn't anything, so I called the number they had at the door and the message said to pick a site if no one was there so that is what we did. He just shook his head yes and said that was fine.
We waited awhile and the vehicle parked out front pulled in to the site next to us on the west side. We thought they had settled things so we decided we'd go on up to the office and pay for our site. Unfortunately, the guy next to us was on his way up there and we walked in not long behind him. He was not happy with his site and wanted to move - but someone else had asked for that site. That didn't set well with him since he had to move from the site he had selected. The owner/manager said to go ahead and move there and he would figure it out. The people that own/or are managing the park are fairly new (I believe they were training when we were here last fall). It seems they should have stuck with the way things had been done if they are going to be closed for two hours through a time of the day they would expect people to begin showing up. You have to be out of your spot by noon. I would say we've arrived between noon and 2 more than 50% of the time we've been coming here.
It was stressful for all of us, but in the end I guess it worked out. I just felt bad for the couple. We really didn't want to have to move since we had already unhooked and he had not, especially since there were other places he could park. I hope the management realizes how important it is to stick to a plan that works and will do that in the future.
I also needed to make a few phone calls - to have our mail forwarded to us here; order medication that should make it to Oswego by the time we get home; and to see if my doctor's office had sent an order for my pulmonary function test to my doctor at the Cherokee Indian Clinic in Vinita yet. Surprise, surprise - guess what hasn't happened yet? So I had to call, only to leave ANOTHER message, explaining what was needed and all but begging them to please return my call so that I know it is taken care of since I need to get it done before my next appointment with the doctor. I'm definitely going to have to talk to the doctor about this again when I go in. I had already called and left one message a few weeks ago - no one ever returned the call, so I decided I'd better follow up on it. I'm glad I did, but I shouldn't have to. I've already talked to him about it once before for the exact same reasons - they did change the message on their answering machine to say they will return calls with 24 hours - but I've yet to get a return call, let alone one within 24 hours.
I was hoping to take a nap when we got here, but by the time all of this happened I was no longer in the napping mood. We watched some TV, then went to eat before we headed to our eldest son's house to visit. It so happened there was a Subway just a few blocks from the RV Park. We haven't ate at a Subway in months and it sounded really good - and it was REALLY good! We arrived at Heath's a little before 6. He had not made it home from work yet - but showed up about 10-15 minutes later. Casey and the boys were eating dinner when we got there.
We stayed for about an hour and a half before we headed back to Bentley. We'll see them again over the weekend and most likely a few times next week before we head home. Whle we were at Heath's we picked up a few packages I had delivered there. Two were Dawgs sandals. I wrote about these a few weeks ago. In Texas, they were $25 for plain colors, and $35 for patterned ones. I was able to get both pairs for less than $30 with free shipping from J-Club. I was anxious to see if they were what I expected and they fit perfectly and was exactly what I looked at in Texas. I don't know if these are as popular everywhere else but in South Texas I think everyone has at least one pair - and some have several. They are very comfortable and perfect for summer.
The other thing we ordered was an Amazon Fire Stick in order to stream shows. When we returned to Bentley, Dean started the process to get it set up. We forgot that American Idol was on this past Monday evening, so we were anxious to see if we could watch it online. We could....and, I am going to love this! We signed up for a free month of Hulu. If we keep it, it will cost us $7.99 a month. We've not been overly happy with our Tailgator Satellite since we first got it. When it works its wonderful but when it doesn't - well, its just not fun for either of us. Dean loves his TV. I really don't care that much but when I want to watch something, I really want to watch it. I do not care if it's a day or two later, as long as I can watch it at some point. That is what we are hoping for with the Fire Stick. The worse thing about the Tailgator though is some channels just will not come in well enough to watch - and of course, they are the shows that I prefer (HGTV & Food Network), so I rarely get to see the shows that I enjoy. We found out last night while we were still in Ponca City, that we can actually use Dish Anywhere with our computer and watch current shows without any problem. I wish we had known about that option before now, but now we do and that makes me happy. So we will just see how things go this spring and summer and determine what setup works best for us.
We watched American Idol, without commercials I might add, until the end - about 10:30. We wasted no time heading to bed. We were both really tired...only to discover a semi tractor was running just across the street from where our bedroom is located. What happened to quiet hours? Fortunately we turned a show on to watch which mostly drowned it out. I guess we fell asleep before the show was over...we always set a timer for 30 minutes so the TV will go off automatically. I did wake up about 11:30 or so and the tractor was no longer running. I had no problem going right back to sleep and I didn't wake up again until around 6 this morning. So all in all it all turned out fine.
What an interesting day it was - but all of it turned out okay - well except I still don't know about the test I'm supposed to get, but I'll get it figured out one way or another.
Tomorrow we plan to spend time with our youngest son Jarred, wife Andrea and daughter Emerson.
We were a little slow getting around this morning but that was okay - we do not have far to drive today. Rather than take I-35 which would have shaved a few miles off we decided to take Hwy 177 north, to Hwy 81 which we took into Wichita. We took a few local roads to Goddard where All Seasons RV Park is located. It's conveniently located near both of our son's houses so we stay here regularly when we are in Wichita.
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| We saw this in front of a school in a town we stopped in for a break. Our grandson Jaxson has been learning about different monuments and he loves the "Statue of Liberty". His pose as the statue is adorable. |
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| Just a neat mural on the side of a Bob's Grill. |
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| I loved this metal art in front of a house not too far from Wellington, KS. |
We arrived shortly after noon, only to find the office closed. We know they close from 12:00-2:00 but in the past they've always had park brochures for expected guests taped to the window with the last name written on them, telling us where to park. There was no information. It was cold, we were hungry and as you can imagine I was not happy. There was a number to call, and when I called it all I got was the office answering machine. Hmmmm! We set in the RV for a little while and then I decided to call the number again and listen to the entire message - which I should have done the first time - but I was irritated no one answered! The message said if we arrived when the office is closed to go ahead and pick out a site - so that is what we did. First we pulled in to the site on the very end, but fortunately before we unhooked we realized it only had 30 amp electric. If we were here for a day or two we probably would have stayed but since we'll be here a week, we decided to move to the next spot over which had 50 amp service. By the time we got hooked up it was a little after 1. We put the slides out, but we didn't put too many things out just in case something happened that required we moved - although I was hoping that would not happen. We fixed some lunch, then just checked our phones until 2:05, when we walked up to the office only to find no one was there yet. This is not going well! There was another couple sitting in their truck out front with their RV, also waiting. We walked back to the RV and about 10 minutes later the owner (or manager) knocked on our door. He wanted to know if we had a reservation and I told him yes we did. Him: How long are you staying? Me: One week. He said he had someone who had selected this site online but he'd see if he couldn't work something out. I explained that in the past when we arrived during the noon hour we have always found information on the door telling us what site to go to, but there wasn't anything, so I called the number they had at the door and the message said to pick a site if no one was there so that is what we did. He just shook his head yes and said that was fine.
We waited awhile and the vehicle parked out front pulled in to the site next to us on the west side. We thought they had settled things so we decided we'd go on up to the office and pay for our site. Unfortunately, the guy next to us was on his way up there and we walked in not long behind him. He was not happy with his site and wanted to move - but someone else had asked for that site. That didn't set well with him since he had to move from the site he had selected. The owner/manager said to go ahead and move there and he would figure it out. The people that own/or are managing the park are fairly new (I believe they were training when we were here last fall). It seems they should have stuck with the way things had been done if they are going to be closed for two hours through a time of the day they would expect people to begin showing up. You have to be out of your spot by noon. I would say we've arrived between noon and 2 more than 50% of the time we've been coming here.
It was stressful for all of us, but in the end I guess it worked out. I just felt bad for the couple. We really didn't want to have to move since we had already unhooked and he had not, especially since there were other places he could park. I hope the management realizes how important it is to stick to a plan that works and will do that in the future.
I also needed to make a few phone calls - to have our mail forwarded to us here; order medication that should make it to Oswego by the time we get home; and to see if my doctor's office had sent an order for my pulmonary function test to my doctor at the Cherokee Indian Clinic in Vinita yet. Surprise, surprise - guess what hasn't happened yet? So I had to call, only to leave ANOTHER message, explaining what was needed and all but begging them to please return my call so that I know it is taken care of since I need to get it done before my next appointment with the doctor. I'm definitely going to have to talk to the doctor about this again when I go in. I had already called and left one message a few weeks ago - no one ever returned the call, so I decided I'd better follow up on it. I'm glad I did, but I shouldn't have to. I've already talked to him about it once before for the exact same reasons - they did change the message on their answering machine to say they will return calls with 24 hours - but I've yet to get a return call, let alone one within 24 hours.
I was hoping to take a nap when we got here, but by the time all of this happened I was no longer in the napping mood. We watched some TV, then went to eat before we headed to our eldest son's house to visit. It so happened there was a Subway just a few blocks from the RV Park. We haven't ate at a Subway in months and it sounded really good - and it was REALLY good! We arrived at Heath's a little before 6. He had not made it home from work yet - but showed up about 10-15 minutes later. Casey and the boys were eating dinner when we got there.
We stayed for about an hour and a half before we headed back to Bentley. We'll see them again over the weekend and most likely a few times next week before we head home. Whle we were at Heath's we picked up a few packages I had delivered there. Two were Dawgs sandals. I wrote about these a few weeks ago. In Texas, they were $25 for plain colors, and $35 for patterned ones. I was able to get both pairs for less than $30 with free shipping from J-Club. I was anxious to see if they were what I expected and they fit perfectly and was exactly what I looked at in Texas. I don't know if these are as popular everywhere else but in South Texas I think everyone has at least one pair - and some have several. They are very comfortable and perfect for summer.
The other thing we ordered was an Amazon Fire Stick in order to stream shows. When we returned to Bentley, Dean started the process to get it set up. We forgot that American Idol was on this past Monday evening, so we were anxious to see if we could watch it online. We could....and, I am going to love this! We signed up for a free month of Hulu. If we keep it, it will cost us $7.99 a month. We've not been overly happy with our Tailgator Satellite since we first got it. When it works its wonderful but when it doesn't - well, its just not fun for either of us. Dean loves his TV. I really don't care that much but when I want to watch something, I really want to watch it. I do not care if it's a day or two later, as long as I can watch it at some point. That is what we are hoping for with the Fire Stick. The worse thing about the Tailgator though is some channels just will not come in well enough to watch - and of course, they are the shows that I prefer (HGTV & Food Network), so I rarely get to see the shows that I enjoy. We found out last night while we were still in Ponca City, that we can actually use Dish Anywhere with our computer and watch current shows without any problem. I wish we had known about that option before now, but now we do and that makes me happy. So we will just see how things go this spring and summer and determine what setup works best for us.
We watched American Idol, without commercials I might add, until the end - about 10:30. We wasted no time heading to bed. We were both really tired...only to discover a semi tractor was running just across the street from where our bedroom is located. What happened to quiet hours? Fortunately we turned a show on to watch which mostly drowned it out. I guess we fell asleep before the show was over...we always set a timer for 30 minutes so the TV will go off automatically. I did wake up about 11:30 or so and the tractor was no longer running. I had no problem going right back to sleep and I didn't wake up again until around 6 this morning. So all in all it all turned out fine.
What an interesting day it was - but all of it turned out okay - well except I still don't know about the test I'm supposed to get, but I'll get it figured out one way or another.
Tomorrow we plan to spend time with our youngest son Jarred, wife Andrea and daughter Emerson.
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