First Celebration happening in San Antonio. . .second celebration will happen in California. . .

ahhhh. . .a drippy, dreary, drizzly cold South Texas day. . .
exactly the kind of day we had for our wedding. . .

exactly forty years ago today. . .40 years y’all. . .

that’s a long time. . .wow!  a long, long time. . .

a friend posted this beautiful quote on FB this morning. . .
says it perfectly. . .don’cha think?

”workin’ it out” and “makin’ it work”  takes lots of effort sometimes. . .

but it has been so worth it. . .

our anniversary celebration has once again
found it’s way to the Riverwalk. . .
to our favorite little Bistro. . .Boudro’s. . .

where guacamole created tableside is an absolute necessity. . .
here’s the divine recipe. . .right on Boudro’s website. . .
the touch of freshly squeezed orange makes all the difference. .

.

considering the decadent Christmas Day dinner we enjoyed. . .
we both chose to order a very light lunch. . .
isn’t it gorgeous?

but seeing yourself eating everytime you look up was a bit weird. . .LOL!
I ended up switching my place to the other side of the table. . .
seeing it in pics is enough. . .I don’t need to experience it in real life. . . ha ha!

 

the RiverWalk is, of course, just beautiful. . .
and we highly recommend the boat tour
at NIGHT, at CHRISTMASTIME. . .

given the weather, we chose to forego the boat tour this trip. . .
SO. . .
this pic is borrowed from the internet. . .

but trust me. . .this is a beautiful treat. . .you should go!


Our real anniversary celebration will happen, as usual. . .later!

We have scheduled a cruise in February,
from Los Angeles to Catalina Island. . .
should be a great trip. . .

See you next time in Del Rio TX. . .now doesn’t THAT sound exciting?

’til then,
Janice and Dave

 

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,San Antonio Riverwalk,Texas

Schedule Change and Celebrating Family and Friends

You know. . .when you work a full time job and are raising a family. . .
when life is just happening on a daily basis. . .
you don’t realize how frantic the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is.
You just get up. . .go to work every day. . .
and work all the miscellaneous extras into the schedule somehow!

However. . .once you are retired. . .
and are sitting back watching it all unfold in everyone else’s life,
you really begin to wonder. . .

How on earth did we ever get it all done?

That is what we have been doing for the past month. . .

We raised our kids on the South Side of Houston. . .
’bout half an hour or so from Galveston. . .
so we brought the motorhome “HOME for the Holidays” this year. . .

and as we’ve watched everyone scrambling, trying to get it all done. . .

we’ve decided. . .

”this is a crazy time to be here”. . .CRAZY I tell you. . .

even if folks have time to meet up. . .
we really didn’t want to be out there in the traffic and busy-ness of it all. . .
and will perhaps (after family discussions)
revamp how and when our holiday celebrations happen.

Perhaps earlier in December. . .before all the madness. . .LOL!
After all. . .our grands are all practically grown. . .
and once the great grands get here (years from now, I pray)
it will be THEIR granpa and granma’s job to make the magic happen. . .right?

With all that said, we’ve loved seeing all the kiddos. . .every single one of the grands. . .

We’ve had lunches and suppers with the boys at various times during the month. . .
took our 20 year old Grandson and his love out for a birthday celebration lunch at Olive Garden. . .

met with, and had various friends over for meals and get togethers. . .
and basically, kept busy doing nothing. . .

Did not shop for one single present. . .
CASH is KING. . .makes life easy. . .
makes Grands, Nieces, Nephews happy. . .


and for those too young to understand it. . .
makes Mom’s and Dad’s happy. . .

so. . .there ya go. . .DONE!

Anyway. ..enough of all that. . .

we’ve decided to head out right away instead of waiting ‘til after the New Year. . .
so, we will see you next in San Antonio where, on Saturday,
we will celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary . . .

see you there. . .

Wishing you all the Merriest of Merry Christmases
and the Happiest of Happy New Years

 

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Christmas 2014

In a Holding Pattern

Dave resigned from teaching Fire School. . .

so we’ve not had anything going on since we

finished with doctor appts. . .

 

just basically in a holding pattern until we move

over to the South side of Houston in order

to disrupt the kids schedules for a couple of weeks. . .hee hee!


Headed that direction tomorrow. . .

things should get a little more exciting. . .

 

See you there,

Janice and Dave

RV Friends ~ Who knew they would become like family?

When we embarked on this journey of Full Time RV Living,

we anticipated meeting lots of different folks along the way. . .

but never, in our wildest imagination did we

think we would make connections that feel so much like family. . .

I’m sure FaceBook helps with this connection,

by making it so very simple to stay in touch. . .

but still. . .it’s nice to know they are available to call

for whatever we may need,

and we certainly hope they feel the same. . .

 

Once we crossed the Texas border we zigzagged our way

south touching base with family members along the way,

many of whom I’ve posted pics of on former blog posts. . .

but as soon as Ed and Debi knew we were rolling in

to the Thousand Trails at Columbus TX. . .

they completely rearranged their schedule to bring the rig over for a visit. . .

we spent the next few days visiting, eating, celebrating my birthday. . .

(btw. . .thanks for the birthday lunch guys). . .enjoying the wildlife. . .etc., etc. . .

 

We met Debi and Ed through our blog (I think) and once she and I discovered

we were both former postal employees. . .awww. . .well that was it. . .

we knew we had to meet up . . .immediate bond. . .

so she and Ed have dived head long into the RV Lifestyle,

creating and moderating three different RV Groups on FaceBook. . .

Check them out here:

RV Tips

RV Chat

Debi’s RV Cooking

even putting together a Meet, Greet and Eat at Luby’s for

RV’ers in the Houston Area and beyond. . .

I know some folks came from as far as the Beaumont Area. . .

it was nice to put faces and voices with folks we chat with on

FB and forums. . .

 

and now they’ve finally headed off west on their very first

long term Hurlburt Full Time Adventure. . .

the next folks we had the privilege of meeting up with again

this past month are the Binns, Rick and Janice. . .

 

We met them through the Thousand Trails – Good and Bad page on FaceBook

when we checked in at the Kennissee Lake TT in Ohio,

over the Fourth of July Holiday on our way to Niagara Falls. . .

they were there for the weekend. . .not yet retired. . .had not quite sold their house,

and sent us a note saying they would love to visit. . .well, we’re always up for an RV Chat. . .

 

and that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. . .

this year, they rolled up in their new to them “man truck”

a Ford F450 dually, well designed to handle their Mobile Suites. . .

we all spent a lot of time visiting, and eating, and playing Mexican Train. . .

even had the privilege of meeting new friends Shorty and Liz

over Mexican Train. . .Shorty is quite a mess, and I am quite sure

he and Dave could give each other a run for their money in entertainment value. . .

We had made Shorty’s acquaintance as one of the moderators on

Thousand Trails – Good and Bad . . .so it was great to meet them in person. . .

sure hope our paths cross a bunch more times this summer. . .

 

and what a surprise it was to have Marian and Jack,

who we park hosted with at Fort Parker in Mexia in 2012,

recognize us at the Escapee’s Park in Livingston,

and stop by for a visit. . .so great to catch up guys. . .

we need to spend some more time together at some point.

 

and last, but certainly not least. . .Judy and Dick drove over

to Livingston this week to have lunch and pick up a

box of really nice 4x4 wooden jack pads Dave had made. . .

Since we no longer have jacks, Dave was just going to donate them at the dumpster. . .

you know, when you leave something outside the dumpster,

because you don’t have the heart to throw it away. . .

hoping someone will see it’s value, and take it home with them. . .LOL!

Judy had posted a pic on FB telling Dick they needed to make some of these. . .

I told her we had a whole box of them that they were welcome to. . .so there ya go!  WIN WIN. . .

 

Anyway. . .we met Judy and Dick when we were all volunteering in Estes Park

as campground hosts in 2012. . .what a wonderful summer that was. . .

with them and us being from the Nasa Area, we had an immediate connection. . .

 

We loved getting together with them for a great four hour visit. . .
Thanks for driving over guys. . .it was wonderful to see you. . .

 

These are just the handful of RV friends we’ve seen in the past month. . .

there are plenty of others we’ve met around the country,

that we have plans to meet up with over the next few months. . .

 

we plan (Lord willing) to head to AZ

and then the West Coast after the first of the year. ..

would love to meet up with more of you. . .

 

stay in touch. . .

’til then,

Janice and Dave

 

 

 

Exciting News–Overjoyed

the floor is finished. . .DONE!

by some miracle, Dave and I even managed to cut the angles on the transition pieces to match. . .

trust me. . .carpenters we are not!

even covering the stairs went together nicely. . .

of course the trim we bought for the top wouldn’t work. . .

so we’ll need to finish that up next week in Conroe. . .

always something. ..

 

Doctors appts are done for another year. . .well. . .

unless I need to see the cardiologist. . .hopefully, they are all done!

All the tests came back great. . .as usual. . .

weight loss and walking has come to the forefront. . .AGAIN! 

. . . UGH!. . .it’s gotta be done though. . .

 

but. . .the most fabulous wonderful news that we are so excited about is. . .
our son MARRIED his love Lori in a very small, very private ceremony. . .

Lori is the sweetest, most beautiful, most wonderful girl ever. . .

and the fact that she loves my boy unconditionally,

and brings out all the best in him,  just makes her a genuine treasure. . .

there are no words to tell you how thrilled this Mom is. . .

and Dad. . .in usual man fashion, says. . .’bout time. . .LOL!

We love you kids. . .you’ve absolutely made our year complete. . .

 

and the bonus. . .

three instant Grands. . .whose Mama needs to get me some pics . . .JS!


Not sure how it could get much better. . .

but Monday we’ll move back to Lake Conroe Thousand Trails

in preparation for Thanksgiving week. . .

’til next time,

Janice and Dave

The Floor is Done. . .and we are tired!

we knew we were going to change out the floor while we were in Conroe. . .but we’ve been so busy visiting, nothing had gotten done. . .plus the tile had to be ordered, so we were waiting for it to be delivered. . .

  

after much contemplation, we decided that we love the ceramic tile in our kitchen and bathroom area, and that if we could find something we like that would tie in with it, leaving it would be the better solution, and would only require replacing the floor in the carpeted areas. . .

as I mentioned Home Depot did not have it in stock, so we brought home a sample, which looked great laid on the kitchen tile. . .so there ya go. . .decision made!

with Debi and Ed gone off to Florida to visit their daughter, and AJ and Rick not due in for another week, we’ve run out of excuses. . .so first, the underlayment which will bring the vinyl floor up to the level of the ceramic tile. . .nothing too difficult about getting it laid. . .I measured. . .Dave cut. . .once it was all it place, Dave got out his handy, dandy air compressor and brad nailer, and went to town securing it to our subfloor. . .piece of cake. . .

Wish I could say the same about laying the Allure Vinyl Planks once they finally arrived. . .oh my word. . .all those little cuts that needed to be made. . .aii yaaiii yaaiii. . .no wonder flooring installations in RV’s cost so much. . .goodness. . .goodness. . .goodness. . .at least we were smart enough to start in the bedroom which was a much smaller area. . .we at least, sort of figured out what we were doing before moving the project to the living room. . .

but we won. . .and got it in. . .here it is before we laid the transition piece. . .the only negative, is that, because we based our decision on a sample only, it is a bit grayer than the tile in the kitchen. . .which is. . .sadly, going to require a bit of redecorating. . .oh. . .boo hoo!

here is the first re-decorating installation. . .approved by David, Debi and AJ. . .it has a bit of the gray, some gold. . .some green (for me) some blue (because Debi says I need to add some color) and of course the brown. . .because we have brown. . .lots and lots of brown everywhere. . .it’s a pretty good base to build from. . .don’t’cha think?

It’s looking better I must admit. . .will post more updates once we get the rest of the transition pieces down. . .we ran out of something. . .so will make a stop by Lowe’s on our next trip into town. . .oh. . .twist my arm already. . .LOL!

AJ and Rick have arrived with their Mobile Suites and fancy dancy, new to them F450 man truck to pull it with. . .the HEB Gang (as titled by Rick)  is all here, Hurlburt’s-Evans-Binns. . .so enough work already. . .time for visiting and eating. . .

’til next time,

Janice and Dave

What a Weirdly Wonderful Week

This week’s been weird in that we’ve been so busy,

but I haven’t taken any pics of all our busy-ness. . .

very strange for me? ? ?


We missed two of the grand’s birthdays while we were gone,

so last Monday, we took our oldest grandgirl out to celebrate,

her choice. . .Red Lobster. . .and then the fun part. . .

taking her to use her birthday cash for something she wants. . .

 

and then on Tuesday, the younger sister. . .

our middle grandgirl. . .who turned 16 in September. . .

her choice. . .Olive Garden. . .

and off to Game Stop for Nintendo games. . . awesome!

 

With all the grands being grown up almost,

and busy with school, and sports, and choir, and art, and work,

we take our moments and hugs when we can,

life goes on and we’ve learned to adapt to their new phases. . .
and they to ours. . .yaaaa!

Wednesday morning, bright and early,

we loaded up and headed to Conroe Thousand Trails

where RV friends, Debi and Ed were already set up. . .

look where we ended up. . .sharing utilities. . .ha ha. . .

as Debi had told us. . .most of the GOOD 50 A spots were taken,

and it’s still hot. . .so were looking for a bit of shade. . .

and NOT having the west sun shining in the windshield. . .

so this spot fit the bill. . .and they said they didn’t care if we chose it. . .

so here we are. . .we would rather have shared a front yard. . .

but the next space over is 30A. . .and that just does not work

with temps still as high as they are. . .ugh!

We needed to stay in the north just a bit longer. . .

 

We got caught up on essentials and shopping,

Debi and I had a girls days out. . .mani/pedi style

with lunch at Casa Ole’. . .

while I was gone, Dave started ripping the carpet out of our rig. . .

we knew from the moment we purchased the rig,

the carpet would need to be changed,

and now, two years later, is the time. . .

The Allure Vinyl Planks are on order from Home Depot,

and should arrive this week. . .

we would love to have the prep work done before they arrive. . .

wish us luck. . .I’ll post after pics later. . .

pray for our poor backs and knees. . .LOL. . .

 

Saturday, we went to watch our

Baby Grand’s softball game. . .

and get hugs from her, and our boy, her daddy. . .

she is quite the little athlete,

and has already been offered a

scholarship to play softball

for a Texas College. . .

 

Yesterday, Sunday, my brother stopped by on his way home from the deer lease,

with a SURPRISE. . .my DADDY!  Wasn’t expecting to see him for a

couple more weeks, so it was great to get my hugs in early.

The fact that Bub left us with a beautiful venison backstrap wasn’t shabby either. . .

thanks Bub. . .I love the rewards of your bow hunting skills. . .you’re awesome!

 

and I guess that’s about it. . .we’ll drive to Livingston tomorrow to early vote. . .

pick up a few more things at Home Depot. . .

(I’m sure this project will require many more treks there)

and continue on until we are done. . .


’til next time,

Janice and Dave

 

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel

We love Austin Texas . . .

 

last Friday we pulled into Austin TX. . .

well really. . .Round Rock TX, named after this round rock in Brushy Creek,

which had become a landmark along the Chisholm Trail during cattle drive days. . .

you know. . .as in, cross the creek at the Round Rock. . .LOL!

Supposedly, the wagon grooves can still be see in the bedrock of the creek. . .

we have never been when the creek is down low enough, but would love to see those!

the little park where the “round rock” is located is a lovely place for a picnic. . .

the historic downtown area is also worth exploring. . .

and the next town over. . .Georgetown. . .is beautiful as well. . .

 

 

 

but here is the #1 reason for our stop. . .an adorable “great”. . .Mr Jaden!

 

 

His Mommy just happens to be my #1 niece, as in the first born. . .

Boy, are we ever having a blast with our brother’s and sister’s grands. . .so much fun!

 

Dave’s #1 niece just happens to live in the Austin area too. . .

we were so happy to stop by and get our hugs from her. . .

 

We visited with a family friend. . .

had lunch with church friends. . .

 

had Texas BBQ at the Salt Lick. . .highly recommend. . .

overall, a fast paced, wonderful weekend. . .fabulous!

we’ve stayed in so many different RV Parks in the Austin area. . .

but we always seem to return to The Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock. . .

FHU – 50A – pull through – $23. . .quiet and convenient. . .

nothing spectacular, but we love it!

 

right across the street from Dell Diamond. . .home of the Texas Rangers Farm Team. . .

and then on Monday morning, we made tracks for our favorite Thousand Trails Park

on the Colorado River in Columbus Texas. . .

Debi and Ed Hurlburt rolled in right behind us. . .

eating, visiting, and watching the deer. . .that’s what we’ve been doing all week. . .

it’s been great!

 

See you next time in Conroe. . .

til then,

Janice and Dave

 

 

 

 

 

ah. . .Waco TX. . .what to say. ..what to say!

after seeing and having lunch with our beautiful friends,

the Stump Family on Sunday. . .

(pic taken on their California vacation this summer)

we pulled out of Granbury on Monday and headed for Waco. . .

it’s a great stopping point between Fort Worth and Austin

for two reasons. . .

the Midway Corp of Engineer Park

50A – FHU – $24 – 1/2 off over 62

is right on Lake Waco which you can see at the end of the road right behind the rig. . .

and

Sam’s is very, very convenient. . .which is NOT the case in Austin. . .

picking up coffee, and a few other Sam’s items was high priority. . .

plus

I thought there were several things we could check out there. . .

nothing pressing on the schedule until the weekend. ..

let’s give it a whirl. . .

Once I checked out TripAdvisor, I realized it was gonna be slim pickin’s

as most everything listed were either museums, the zoo, or hiking trails. . .

but hey. . .there’s an old timey soda fountain

at the Dr Pepper Museum. . .let’s go there first. ..

they made a delicious “root beer” float. . .yum!

and then. ..the Waco Suspension Bridge

spanning the Brazos River is listed. . .

let’s go see what that’s about

it was kind of interesting to find out that it was the first bridge across the Brazos River

and was originally built in 1870 as a toll bridge. . .and is on the Register of Historic Places. . .

I must say the park where the bridge is located had a few guys sprawled about everywhere,

and though we did not feel unsafe, it was a bit uncomfortable to hafta walk around them

to get from one place to the next. . .I certainly would not have felt comfortable to be there alone,

or even to bring my children for a picnic. . .but overall, an enjoyable stop. . .

the ducks swimming along the edge of the river were a bit interesting. . .

I’ve never seen ducks with a poof on their heads like this. . .have you?

Dave wanted to visit the Texas Ranger Museum,

so that is where we headed next. . .

although set up in typical “museum style”

there were a lot of interesting things to see. . .

these guys were “ALL THAT” back in the day. . .

and still play a huge role in Texas Law Enforcement. . .

Check out the little 22 caliber handgun that slides right into your belt buckle. . .

awesome. . .I want one!  LOL. . .

a lot of Texas Art. . .

and Texas Sculptures displayed,

which I, of course, loved. . .

Dave’s favorite thing. . .Walker, Texas Ranger. . .

you have watched that series. . .right?

see more pics from the Texas Ranger Museum

so, that was it. . .a week in the life of the Evans once our travels have wound down. . .

this morning we rolled into Round Rock Texas

for a visit with the awesome Mr Jaden, and his mommy and daddy. . .yaaa!


Janice and Dave