We have some really great trees in our front and side yards, it would be a pity if they were wasted. They are huge and mature and they make great climbing trees. So a few months back I decided it would be a great idea to get a tree swing for the kids. We could put one of these lovely trees to use, and more importantly, we could get the kids outside and enjoying it. I got a random $100 gift card...
I may be sub 40 years old, but I have the back of a 90-year-old. You've probably heard that sitting at a desk all day can literally kill you. Well, I don't believe I'm dying from it, but my back is definitely deteriorating as a result of sitting all day at my desk. Exercise and monthly visits to my chiropractor have helped some, but I knew I needed a standing desk at my office so I could stand for part of...
Our 2015 started off with a bang. In January, we purchased an older model RV for an RV trip that we had been wanting to take for a while. Now that we had the RV, our dream was becoming a reality. We did take the trip from June through August and you can read the rest of the articles on this blog to get an idea of how our trip went. It was quite the adventure. Around January, we decided to...
We live in a beautiful country. I really loved seeing the different landscapes in all the various states we visited. Everything was beautiful in its own unique way. The RV performed great! Other than some minor tire trouble, it performed flawlessly and we couldn't have asked for a better RV for the family. I wish we would've done a family photo when our trip was over. It would have showed us all shouting at each other with our hands around each other's...
Our final week of the RV trip consisted of a few days in Scottsbluff, NE and a quick trip to Hay Springs, NE. We finished the week off with a 3-day drive home from Nebraska. Scottsbluff was 3 days filled with food from the local economy. Koryn grew up here so she had to eat at all her favorite places she frequented during high school. This consisted of Wonderful House (chinese), TDO (Mexican), Taco Town (Mexican), Platte Valley Creamery (ice cream)...
Taylor Nebraska, population 180. At first glance, the town appears to be as common as its name. There are probably 10,000 Taylor families in the US and dozens of Taylors (cities named Taylor) across the US. But when Taylor, NE rises above the commonality of a typical small town is when you get to know the people of Taylor. And participate in the county fair held in Taylor. We went to Taylor to visit Koryn's Grandma Viona and her Aunt Marah and...
The week started off with our arrival in Des Moines, IA. We discovered a nice little state park where we had full RV hookups for only $16/night. This is a much better price than the $45/night or so we usually pay at a KOA. Obviously, there are less amenities at the state park, but the price was right. We got there on Sunday and my good friend Dr. Dave came over and spent a couple hours with us. The next day,...
Leaving Cleveland We had an enjoyable time in Cleveland and one of the last things we did was swim at the lake in my Aunt Belle and Uncle Tom's neigborhood. The kids always enjoy swimming and this was especially fun for them as it was their first swim in a real lake. Airplane Ride with Uncle Dave This was one of the top highlights of the trip as far as I'm concerned. My Uncle Dave built his own airplane - yes the kind...
Kim and Dave Wedding We were so grateful to be able to attend my cousin Dave's wedding in NYC. He and Kim had a lovely outdoor Jewish ceremony and a great reception with wonderful food and dancing. It was great to see many relatives that we don't get to see too often and celebrate the special day with Dave and Kim. Crist loved the food (of course) and the girls loved the dancing. Staten Island Ferry We took the ferry to get a...
Polyface Farms We went to Polyface Farm on Monday. To read all about that, view this post. No Smoking Back at the KOA in Virginia, I tried for 2 straight nights to build a camp fire. The first night, I tried it without properly using kindling so I used a ton of paper and paper plates, but never got the logs to burn. So I borrowed some lighter fluid from a neighbor and got the fire raging...for 2 minutes until it all burned...
One of the stops we originally wanted to make on this trip was Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia. Since it was on the way from Florida to D.C., we were able to stop and tour the farm. Polyface Farm is run by Joel Salatin and his family. Joel is one of the premier "beyond organic" farmers in the world. He first gained national notoriety from his appearance in the documentary Food Inc. Polyface looks to be nothing spectacular...
Uncle Wes in Dunedin, FL It had been 18 years since I'd seen my Uncle Wesley so we stopped at his house "on the way" to the Sarasota area. It was great to see him and he got to meet Koryn and the kids for the first time. He lives by himself, a lifetime bachelor, but he had some snacks and juice prepared for our arrival. It was really great to spend an hour with him and wish it could have...
Below is a video for our week 2 highlights. Attractions include Hawaiian Falls Water Park in Texas and Navarre Beach near Pensacola, FL. Enjoy!...
Week 2 started in Waxahachie, TX at my parent's house. We spent a few days there then traveled a few days to Pensacola, FL. What was supposed to be a relaxing few days in Waxahachie, turned into busy times taking care of the RV. My dad helped a ton by installing a new stereo/CD player (no more tape deck!) and rear view camera. Both were awesome upgrades and have made traveling much more comfortable and convenient. Pictures of both coming...
On Tuesday of this week, while parked at my parent's house in TX, I noticed one of my (new) tires bulging at the bottom. I'm not a tire expert, but I know this is not a good thing. So I tried to check the air pressure and couldn't even get a reading. Again, I'm not expert, but I know this is not good either. So my dad and I carefully drove down the highway to local tire shop. After a fairly quick...
Well, week 1 is in the books and we are all still alive and so is the RV. I'd say that's a success. Highlights from week 1 include: Grand Canyon Albuquerque KOA Amarillo KOA Credo House in OKC Bridgeway Church in OKC Arriving at my parent's house in Waxahachie, TX...
I took the GoPro to the pool at the Amarillo KOA today and put together a little video of the fun we had. In case you are interested, here's the GoPro settings I used: 1080p at 60fps Wide ProTune On Image upside down I used a selfie stick so I didn't even have to go in the water Enjoy....
Day 1 Kingman Mishap We got off to a late start due to all the time it took to pack the RV and clear out our house (and say our goodbyes!). We didn't leave until 5pm on Monday. After an hour or so we stopped in Kingman so I could weigh the RV. We packed it pretty heavy and I was concerned about being overweight. The good news is were underweight by 650 lbs on each axle. The bad news is that...
We haven't left yet. We're #stillHere in Henderson. It all started when, on May 19 (yes nearly 30 days ago). I hooked up the RV at home to try and find a fresh water leak that manifested itself underneath the RV a few days earlier while camping in Pahrump. Long story short, a water pipe in our kitchen area burst and the RV was flooded with water. I managed to catch it relatively quickly, within about 45 minutes, but the damage was...
We all need to manage our money well and there are dozens of various tools out there to help us with that. When my wife and I decided to retire Microsoft Money for good, we went on the search for the perfect money management tool. After doing a lot of research, two tools seemed to stand out from the rest: Mint.com and You Need a Budget (YNAB). Here's the list of features we required: Web-based service or ability to sync data so Koryn...
A couple weeks ago, we went out to the dry lake bed near Boulder City and had our family photos taken along with the RV. Special thanks to Erin Childs of Four Lads Photography for her awesome work! If you think they turned out great, please leave a comment below to appreciate Erin's skills....
I was recently blessed to be able to attend the Acts 29 West conference in Reno, NV with some other pastors and leaders from Grace Point Church. It was a quick two days, but a refreshing two days at that. As I look back and think about the overall theme of the conference, I am reminded of the phrase "Pay Yourself First". Pay Yourself First is often a phrase we hear in the financial world. The idea is that if you pay...
I found myself meditating on Psalm 23 recently, and here are some observations I discovered. The chapter of Psalm 23 is divided into 3 sections. The first section speaks about our Good Shepherd leading us in times of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. The writer lists four specific ways that God acts as our shepherd He makes us lie down in green pastures – God gives us rest He leads me beside still waters – God gives us nourishment He restores my soul – God...