It has been awhile

So many things have happened in the last few days/weeks.

          We have been busy moving from the Excel fifth wheel to the Hitch Hiker fifth wheel, in preparation for taking it to Texas.  We had the HH in storage with electricity so that it could be power washed and cleaned for travel.  It also let the house batteries receive a full charge after sitting in storage.  We didn't really have to move much more into it because we've been outfitting it over the entire summer.  We split our ample supply of clothing and household items between the two.  We then purchased a few duplicate items such as the Mr. Coffee coffee maker that we love so much.  We shopped Salvation Army, Goodwill, D.A.V., our church's rummage sale, and a garage sale to find additional items like a toaster, George Forman Grill, a patio fireplace and more.

          This last week we moved the canned and dry-goods food into the HH.  And then this past weekend we moved the refrigerated and frozen food ... and lastly, US!

          This past weekend John, Dawn and Brandon came out to camp at Cutty’s and we got them a site near us.  We had meals together and sat around the campfires just visiting.  It was something that we’ve wanted to do for quite a while.  However, our schedules never seemed to line up.  Now that Ella and my scheduled have freed up from the summer camping season, we were able to have a weekend off when neither John, Dawn nor Brandon had anything else demanding their attention.  It was a good and peaceful time to sit and just visit.         

          Adam and Leigha called to say that they were bringing Tate and Emery to Adventureland on Sunday and would come out to visit us in the afternoon (after the kids had ridden as many rides and done as many things as they wanted).

          Ella and I went to our church’s Saturday Praise Service and then we came back and had stew and biscuits with John and Dawn.  Brandon had gone back into town to work on homework.  About 8/8:30 we got a phone call that our Pastor’s mother had died.  He wanted to know if I would fill in for him.  Of course I would. That meant, however, that our campfire visit was over and I had to go work on a sermon for the next morning.

          As I had left the Saturday service, I picked up a Sunday bulletin, which is something that I’ve never done before.  That meant I had the order of the service as well as the scripture verses that were to be used.  Also, since I had heard Pastor’s sermon, I had already been thinking about the events and importance of those verses.

View of the lake from one of our windows

          Sunday morning we were receiving some new members into the church and I asked Gary, one of our lay leaders, to handle that part of the service.  Jewel was the liturgist and did a wonderful job.  And Bob came up to me just before the service to ask who was running the audio/visual.  Opps!  Cathy, the pastor’s wife, was going to do that.  Obviously she wasn’t there.  Bob said that he knew how to run it and volunteered.  Thank God for thoughtful, talented people.

          Around three on Sunday, Adam and family showed up.  John and Dawn were all packed and hitched up to their trailer but stayed and visited a little longer before leaving.  Tate and Emery went over to the swings and Emery asked me to push her.  Once she was going she could keep it going.  We three then played in a sand box while the adults talked.  Then we took the kids swimming (they both actually can swim as opposed to just splashing in the pool). 

          While the kids swam we got to talk with Adam and Leigha about their plans for next year.  The big plan is: sell the house and move to Austin, Texas.  From there things are a lot more fluid.  Both of them are sending out resumes and job application to places in and around Austin.  They are going to spend Thanksgiving and Spring Break in Austin where they hope to do some job interviewing as well as visiting with realtors.  They already have someone interested in buying their home in Tiffin.  He is currently in a rental contract that expires in May of 2013 and hopes to buy a house at that time.  Adam and Leigha have said that if he doesn’t use a realtor, and they don’t use a realtor, that they can work a better deal.  Even if they have to pay a lawyer to draw up a contract it will be much less expensive than paying the realtor’s commission.

          Monday, yesterday, we moved the HH from the electric storage area onto an actual campsite.  We are very near the lake, which is beautiful out our windows.  I walked to the other side of the lake to see the spillway.  In all the years that we’ve lived here I’ve never been able to walk over there before.  Thank God for renewed use of my legs and feet.