Christmas X2

 OKC, OK.

Chris, Kayla and of course our newest Grandbaby Easton were able to come up from Dallas for a couple of days. They had to miss our Christmas get together due to the bad weather, so it was nice to have a little second Christmas with them.

 Easton is just growing to fast for us, 6 months now, last time we saw him he was just a little newborn.

While here, we took them down to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. I know it's not the most festive place to be during the holidays, but it's still good to see and remember those who perished in the senseless act.

Then it was on to happier moments. Hunger set in and Italian sounded good, we all headed over to the Bricktown area of OKC for a stroll along the Riverwalk and a great dinner. It was good be out with both our daughters and their family's.

They headed back to Dallas Sunday as the poor working stiff's had to be back at the ole grind Monday (glad those days are over for us!!!).

Next Stop, New Years Eve and the New Year!!! Be Safe and see you then!!!

Icy Lake

OKC, OK.

Wow, we've had quite the little snow storm this morning. Now this may just be a drop in the hat to many of you, but for us it's something really new. Now of course we've been in snow before, but this is the first time I've ever seen it cold enough to freeze over a lake!!! Above is our little lake here at the RV Park as seen from our window. Now the day before yesterday, the lake was actually 3/4 froze over, of course that's when it was 9 degrees out....burrrrrrrr, we are so in the wrong place to ride out the cold months!!!

Ok, just an observation from a southern boy.......hope things are warmer in your neck of the woods and we'll see you back here again soon!!!

Family Christmas 2012

OKC, OK.

Christmas 2012, we got as many family member together as possible However it turned out to just be a few of us due to the pending bad weather that hit Christmas day. Our hosts were Joseph and Audrey (Sheryl's Son and DIL) centered in the picture above. We arrived Christmas eve to a great dinner and a wonderful visit.

 It's Audrey's family tradition to make breakfast for dinner on Christmas Eve, so everyone chipped in to help and it turned out great!!!

 After dinner it was time to start preparing for Santa's arrival. Only Josh could make rolling out cookie dough look so manly!!!

 Clara's job as to get the cookies all decorated.

 Josh was appointed honorary Santa for the handing out of the gifts.

 Sheryl got a beautiful necklace from Joe and Audrey.

And of course Clara make out like a bandit. She apparently a very good girl this year!!!

We all had a great time and it was so good to get together with everyone this year, too bad the weather made it difficult for all to make it. Our other daughter which couldn't make it will be coming up this weekend and we'll have another little Christmas when they get here.

That's the one of the things we have enjoyed about fulltiming. We have been able to see all of our family more than ever before during our working days, it truly has been a blessing for us.

Ok, until next time, keep Lovin Your Life as we do ours and we'll see you then.

Merry Christmas All!!!

OKC, OK.

Merry Christmas All!!! Last night, Kaileigh, Josh, Clara and us, went into downtown OKC to check out the last days of the Christmas celebration.

 We took the guided boat ride through the Bricktown Canals, think San Antonio, only not quite as far. It was a cold, but fun night, looking at all the lights and decorations.

A parting shot of our little Clara, listening intently to the boat guide. The town was all lit up and lots of people were out doing the same thing as us, just enjoying the holiday spirit!!!
Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and we'll see you back here in a couple of days!!!

Snuggie's for Dogs???

Whats better than curling up on a nice cold morning, than curling up in a nice warm Snuggie. So, why shouldn't Scrappy beable to do the same thing.....well, now he can, with his new nice warm Snuggie!!! Yes, believe it or not, the make a Snuggie for Dogs and we just happen to find one at the Thrift Store here on base. First thing we did was laugh our heads off when we saw it, then it was, we so have to get this for Scrappy!!! Of course this time we didn't go to the Thrift Store just for Scrappy, we actually went to see if they had and cute work out clothes for Sheryl, and they did! Surprisingly, we found 3 almost new workout sets, and I found some nice long sleeve shirts to help with these cold winter days. So $30.00 and 4 bags of clothes later we headed home. We have found that Thrift Stores on Military Bases and in general are really good bargins and we hit them up when we can.
Ok, now for a little back story on the recent Scrappy Doo and his new duds posts. For those of you who didn't know, I was a Police Dog Trainer for 24 years in the Air Force. Working with large macho dogs and their handlers, little dogs were always thought of with.....lets just say not a lot of respect and dressing one up, well.....................you get the point. Fast forward several years after my retirement and enter Scrappy Doo into our lives, he has stole our hearts and I never thought a little dog could do that for me. With the weather changing we couldn't bare to watch out little guy shiver, and of course just how cute he looks in his little coat and Snuggie. He is just a ray of sunshine for us and has turned out to be a great travelling companion for us.
Ok, take care for now and see ya next time.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

OKC, OK.

 A string of lights here, a little Christmas Tree there and our little home is getting in the Christmas spirit. This year we wanted something a little more cheerful, so we ditched the ole standard green tree for a lively little white one. The tree now matches our little snow couple we got during our first Christmas together, because it reminded us of us :)

This year we were also given another little snowman (Sheryl loves Snowmen) by her sister in law, so he now stands guard over the computer, ensuring only nice things are said over it....lol.
The outside of the rig, well that's a different story, we would love to give it a little Christmas cheer, however with winds here in OKC, we're afraid they wouldn't last long, so they'll have to wait for another year.
So that's our little home all decorated for the holidays, all our Christmas Careds have been mailed out, so now it's just enjoying the season and await that magical day that is Christmas. Happy Holidays All!!!

A Little Roof Maintenance

As with most older RV's and even some newer, caulking around roof opening and seams, just wears out over time and begins to crack. These cracks let water in, which is never a good thing and keeping them filled with new caulk can be a never ending battle. Our motorhome is no exception, I did manage to stem the tide of the leaky roof for a bit, but needed a more permanent solution....enter Eternabond. After much research and forum searching, the clear winner for a more permanent solution was Eternabond Tape. I ordered a roll 4"x50' from Best Materials and it arrived with in a few days. The next day it was up on the roof and begin the process of seam sealing. My major headaches we the shower skylight and the bathroom vent, so those were done first. Since they are pretty small items to do, they were a good place to start. I must say the Eternabond tape was very easy to work with, much easier than the Dicor tape sold at Camping world for more than twice the price. Now just need to finish the rest of the seams.
I'm pleased at how it turned out, but only time and a few rain storms will tell how well it holds and seals. I had used the Dicor tape on our previous 5th wheel and it held up very well.
Next major project is a new water heater, I had been suspecting a leak, but finally tracked it down to the water heater. Now the dilemma, spend $350.00 on a new unit and install it myself or spend the $500.00 deductible and let someone else do it. I have replaced them before in our travel trailer and it's really not that hard, so may just do it myself.
The Extended Service Plan with the Good Sam Club seems to be very comprehensive, however the large deductible tends to keep you from using it as much as you may want to. Think it's time to start looking at other options.
Ok, another day in the life down, we'll see you fine folks back here again soon!!!  

Scrappy's Cool Weather Duds

 With Scrappy's recent haircut, the weather has has not cooperated to keep him warm, so drastic measures were in order! Hmmm a puppy sweater or coat should do the trick.......so off to PetSmart we went. Well, to say the least, sticker shock, holy cow, little puppy gear is expensive. Being the ever thrifty person I am, I said what the heck and stopped by the thrift store on base, and what do you know, they had two brand new puppy jackets just sitting there on the shelf. So I scooped up the little boy Jacket and it fits just fine, and now Scrappy is a warm Happy Puppy!!!

Here is Scrappy getting into the Holiday spirit, sporting his new Holiday bandanna.

Happy Holiday's everyone!!!, we are also getting into the holiday spirit and working on decorating the rig. I post pics in the next day or so, until then Keep Lovin Your Life as we do Ours!!! 

Dinner with Family and Friends

OKC, OK. 

Our daughter Kaileigh gave us a call yesterday inviting us to go out to dinner with them. Knowing we prefer to check out local places, they thought a locally owned Irish Pub would be a good choice. The Pub is located in the up and coming Mid Town area of OKC, and was actually a pretty nice and popular place.

Our little group settled in for a nice dinner, Sheryl had a steak and I went with the Fish and Chips (it is an Irish Pub after all). Dinner was good but the company was much better. We haven't seen everyone since last month, so it was good to catch up and just have a good time together.

So a nice time out with family and friends, what else cold be better!!!

Scrappy's Spa Day and Fish Stocking

Tinker AFB, OKC, OK.

Yesterday was Scrappy's Spa Day. Last time we had his hair cut we told her to not cut it as short and we would also let it grow out alittle for the cooler weather. Well after a bit he really began to look like a ragamuffin and we just can't have that. We found a local independent lady who does his grooming at a very reasonable rate, and of course a good job. After a couple hours we got him back looking dashing as usual!!!

 After returning home with Scrappy, we noticed a truck pull up and back up to the small lake here in the RV Park and right infront of our site. We recognized it as the fish stocking truck, so we went out to say hey and see what today stocking was going to be.

 Another 500 Trout are heading into our lake, this should make close to 1500 trout that have been put into the RV Park lake in the last 2 months.

The trout are brought in from a farm in Missouri, and the stocking always draws a crowd from the park. After the excitement was over we went back to our day to day life, patiently waiting for the next time something exciting happens to catch our interest.
Looks like a cool/cold front is headed our way, heck, their even talking about snow flurries! Looks like we'll be hunkering down and staying in till the cold front passes, man we need to head south, ahhh well soon enough.
That's all for today, take care and we'll see you back here again soon!!!

Back in OKC

Tinker AFB, OKC, OK.

Were back in OKC after our Thanksgiving trip to Kansas. We ended up staying in KS for about a week longer than we had planned. We finally left Tuesday morning and arrived here at 4:00pm.  We also got lucky and scored a nice lakefront site, now with the motorhome we can really enjoy the view out the big front windows.

Our little Scrappy also discovered a new favorite sitting spot. He just loves it up there and will spend hours just watching the world go by.
We are planning on being here through the Xmas Holidays before starting our trek south. We'll be taking care of some RV maint items while we're here also.
Not much for this entry other than to say were back in OKC for a bit. So until next time, thats all the news thats fit to print and we'll see you then.

A Taste of Local Flavor

 Contrary to popular belief, we were supposed to leave Hugoton today and head back towards OKC. However due to helping out a family member we needed to stay and extra day. That actually turned out to be a good thing as we took in lunch at a local favorite. The Jet Drive Inn has been around about as long as the town it's self, or at least seems that way. Sheryl grew up here and remembers eating at the then much smaller Jet. The last time she ate there was when she was 17 years old, so it's been quite a while.

We decided on the Jet as a little bit of nostalgia for Sheryl and of course hoping the food was going to be as good as it once was. Well we both must say, it was! The lunch special was homemade Chicken Fried Steak sandwich and Fried Okra, yummmmmmm. We each got the special and ended up bringing one home, as one sandwich filled both of us to the brim.

We both prefer local places to the chain restaurants, especially in small towns and the Jet didn't disappoint. So if you ever find yourself in S.W. Kansas in need of a meal, point your rig towards Main St. in Hugoton and enjoy some local small town flavor! See ya next time!!!

Happy Thanksgiving and the Hunt

 Happy belated Thanksgiving all as I still play catch up with the blog. Our Thanksgiving went well, with almost 30 family members showing up. Now some may say, that's not all that many?? True, but in today's day and age, with family scattered all over the U.S. it actually can be quite a group. Combine that with the cold weather and a small farm house, it turned out to be quite hectic, but fun!!! Sheryl seemed to be Cook in Charge this year (as most years) as she directed with the talent of a Executive Chef, ok, she may have a few more wrinkles and gray hair from the experience, but in the end everything turned out Great!!!

 Four Generations were able to attend and this is just a small sampling seated at the farm house table. The other 20 folks were siting and standing anyplace they could find room. We decided the farm is getting alittle to small for large gatherings in cold weather, so maybe 4th of July gathering maybe better, lots of room outside to sit and mmmmmm BBQ.

 Many of the men folk brought there guns for a little hunting and target practice. Here our daughter shoots my .40 for the first time. Instructed by her husband, she has quite the stance.....lol

 An unforgettable Father/Son experience as Sheryl's brother helps his son shoot for the first time. Love this picture.

 The mighty hunters headed back in, empty handed......lol

 I went out with them just to get out (I'm not a hunter) It stuck me funny as they walked past this sign. Of course the sign is on our property.

A parting shot of Sheryl, her brother George and Sister Carol.

All and all the holiday went well, we all ate much more than we should have (whats new), got to see and catch up with distant relatives and just have an all around good time. Keeping the memory of the farm is very important to this family and it is great that they are able to do it.

Ok, looks like I'm all caught up, it's now Monday and were planning on heading back towards OKC on Wed to spend the Christmas holidays with the most of our kids. We'll also be finishing up some medical appointments before making our way towards warmer weather. This spending the cold months in the cold states is for the birds!!! Come to think of it, the birds are smarter as they are alreadys heading south for the winter!!! Take Care and see soon.

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

 The ole farm house is still standing, built in 1926 by Sheryl's Grandfather, her Grandparents homesteaded this 400 acre farm here in South West Kansas. The land is now leased out to a local farmer, but the house and out buildings are kept up for family gatherings and respect to the family. No one lives on the property, but everything is still in working order, just needs alittle TLC when getting ready for a gathering.

The old house is just 4 small rooms, hard to believe 10 people lived here at one time, just the way it was back in the day. Here Sheryl is tending to her Grandparents room and nothing has changed in it since their passing.

We are expecting over 20 people to show this year (and they did) quite the crowd for such a small place, but more on that later. Between us and one of Sheryl's brothers, we got the place all cleaned up and ready for the holidays. Now just waiting for the crowd to trickle in.

That's all for this episode and stay tuned for more as I break this down time into smaller bite size segments. See you then.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

A few days after arriving here in Kansas, the dreaded birthday was once again upon me...lol. Birthdays were great when we were younger, however the older we get, it seems more like a reminder of just how old we are getting, dang it. Sheryl did bake me up a nice birthday cake and it was yummy, chocolate cake w/chocolate frosting and enough candles to light up the country side....lol.

Now a welcome to all, to the continuation of our blog. We maybe playing catch up for a few days but we'll get there.

Ok, we shall see all you nice folks here at our new blog soon, so take care and keep Lovin Your Life as we do ours.