Homeward Bound!!!

There was a light shower when we got up this morning, but it was very short.  We started getting the inside of Willie ready for our trip home today!  Then we cooked breakfast and got to eat it outside! The rain had stopped!

We met Duane and Louise at the Pickle Ball court at 8:30 and had so much fun playing!  We look forward to playing more often and hopefully improving!  It think we need better paddles!!  Isn't that what everyone says????  We said our good-byes (but we plan to see them again in Jekyll Island in mid October!  Maybe we will go to Hershey Preserve with a day pass to play Pickle Ball with them next Monday or Tuesday before they leave that CG. 

Chris Sinclair came over to Willie to say good-bye and tell us the good news - she was offered a job in Florida, but would have to be in Texas for training by Sept. 7. and she would have to go to Florida 1st to get her truck!  Not sure what she will do!  We will await to hear the rest of the story!!!

We were back home by noon and starting the process of unloading Willie and doing wash!  It rained off and on all day!

After a trip for groceries, Ken and I went to Jamie's to walk to the bus stop to meet Bria as she arrived from school.  So good to see all of them.  Jamie also gave her Dad his professional haircut.  So kind!

Jamie, Bria, Cali, and Grandma (PaPa took the
picture), on the way home from the bus stop.  3rd
day of 1st grade for Bria!

Last Full Day at Hershey Preserve!

After cooking and eating our breakfast outdoors, Ken and I headed to the Pickle Ball Court to met Barry and Donna.  They were already playing with Duane and Louise so we watched for awhile and then practiced on the adjacent court.  Then we got to play games, changing partners and learning a lot from them.  We appreciated their willingness to play with us, for we were definitely the "new players on the block".  We really had a good time.  Both couples have been full-timing for about 7 years and loving it.  Interesting to hear their take on the RV lifestyle!

We went back to Willie around lunchtime.  Spent time "zeroing in" on our times for being in Florida this Fall and Winter.  Actually reserved a week in Jekyll Island, GA from October 17 to the 24.  Then we will head to Florida for about 4 more weeks.  We have never been to Florida in the fall, so we are really looking forward to it.  Took a walk around the CG and went to see Duane and Louise's Toy Hauler.  Spent about 1 1/2 hours visiting with them.  Back to Willie where Ken starting packing up outside for our trip home tomorrow while I worked on jewelry!  Chris stopped by to visit and then purchased a necklace and earring set!  She travels in a 5th wheel by herself and is so capable.  Such a nice lady!

Ken made supper for us while I kept working on jewelry.  After eating, Chris, Duane, and Louise stopped by to visit and chat.  What a nice evening.  So interesting to hear about their adventures and workcamping experiences.  Duane gave me a beautiful tumbled rock he had cut and polished.

Checking out the polished and tumbled rocks!

Gorgeous rocks and Chris wanted to share with
us the unusual squash she bought at Root's Market!
She loved walking around the market!

We watched America's Got Talent before going to bed.  So many talented acts.  Looking forward to playing Pickle Ball with Duane and Louise tomorrow morning before heading home!

Fun Day Rving!

First thing this morning, we called our granddaughter, Bria to wish her a great 1st day at school.  We can't believe she is old enough to go to First Grade.  Where does the time go?  Bria was so excited to go back to school.  You are so thankful when the little ones are not fearful or anxious about going back to school.

After cooking and eating our breakfast outdoors, we headed to 9:00 Pickle Ball.  Unfortunately, no one else A fellow camper showed up and asked if we would like to play tomorrow morning with him and his wife.  So, we have a Pickle Ball date!!!

Back to Willie to pack lunch, load the bikes, and drive to Mt. Gretna to ride the Rails Trail.  What a gorgeous day to ride on that beautiful trail!  We rode around 13 miles and parts of it were definitely on a slight incline!  We did stop at the Sales Office at the CG to get info on a Thousand Trails Elite Membership.  Something to think about for the future!

This Root Beer Barrel is along the trail and open
sccasionally for food and root beer.  There is
a history + for years this was along Route 72 and then
moved here so it could be preserved!

Back to Willie to shower, eat supper and head to Masonic Homes to visit my parents for the evening.

This has been a great day!

Had to Say Goodbye to the Martins!

It was only around 55 degrees when we got up on Sunday, but warmed up quickly with the bright sunshine!  We were outside drinking our hot tea and chatting with the Martins around 9.  No one was in a big hurry to do anything.  We each made our breakfast and got together outside to eat together. 

By noon, they were packed up and heading home!  We didn't get to spend much time together since we had our card club group here.  But, Martins and us are heading to Sea Pines near Avalon NJ the Thursday after Labor Day and will be together for 11 days.  We will get to play lots of cards, mini golf, and shuffleboard.  Of course, the women will probably win!

I spent some time in the afternoon making jewelry at the picnic table and Ken organized articles on RVing in an "accordion" type file we recently purchased.  Good to have all of that info at 1 place!!!!  Late afternoon we took a walk and played 2 rounds of mini golf here at the CG.  We each won a round! 

Ken cooked supper on the campfire and I had my last s'more for this trip.  A leisure evening inside (we had a very late dinner) and to bed by 9:45.  Really enjoying our time here at Hershey Preserve!

A New Adventure! Couples Card Club at the CG!

What a leisure Saturday morning!  We were up by 7 but took our time getting ready and then headed outside with hot tea!  Went over to Martins 5th Wheel and spent time just chatting!   By 10, we thought we should consider making breakfast.  So we each made our cooked breakfast and then met to eat together outside!  It was only 56 degrees when we got up, but by 11 it was in the upper 70's and very sunny! 

After cleaning up, we walked to the pickle ball courts to give the game a try.  Ken and I played about 3 times and finally understand the rules and scoring, but we need practice.  Martins had played with us 1 other time and were eager to try again.  We played 5 games and had so much fun.  Really is a great game and Ken and I would like to get more skilled at it!

Back to Willie to shower and get prepared for our card club group to join us at the CG this evening.  The 4 couples have been getting together to play cards once a month (go out to dinner and then take turns hosting an evening of card playing) for at least 20 years.  We appreciate having such a special group of friends.  The hosts have snacks and then serve dessert at the end of the evening.  Since we were camping and it was our turn to host, we asked if they would come to the CG for the evening (about 30 minutes from home).  So, we met the Quentin Tavern to eat on their deck at 5:30 (great place with delicious food!) and then back to Willie.  Ken started a campfire and we sat around talking about our summers.  We hadn't all been together for several months - everyone was doing traveling!  Then we played cards both inside and out and ended the evening making s'mores and snakes around the campfire.  A perfect evening to be outdoors - cool, but the fire kept us "toasty".  They all left around 11, after a very fun and different type card club evening!  The sad thing was that Ken and I didn't take any photos to "document" the special evening!

Little Ones Go Home and Martins Arrive!

The girls finished watching their movie while Ken and I packed up all of their belongings to take home and things that Ken and I no longer needed to keep in Willie since they were leaving.  After another breakfast of Mickey Mouse pancakes, Ken and the little gals were on their way back to Ephrata to meet their mommies at Jamie's house.  I stayed at the CG and spent the entire morning thoroughly cleaning Willie!  Not a fun job, but certainly takes a lot less time than cleaning our house!!  I don't even have to move the vacuum cleaning cord to a different receptacle.  I can reach the entire camper from one "plug in"! 

Ken went to the house to mow, drop of extra "stuff" from our kids camping adventure, and to bring addition food and items we needed for the remainder of our stay.  When he returned around 1:30, I was working on jewelry and Martins had just pulled into the site next to us!  After Fred and Doloris were set-up, we had lunch ( a late one!) and then we took a walk around the CG.  Then it was time for a game of cards.  The men were winning the entire game, but we scored "big time" on a hand and we won the game.  They were upset!!!!

We made supper a late supper over a campfire and finished with s'mores!  We called it a day around 11!  Another great camping day!

A Fun Day of Camping!

Thursday morning was rather cool and very cloudy.  Everything was so wet from the thunderstorm we had during the night!  We did make Mickey Mouse pancakes outside and sat outside to eat too!  Too wet to go to the playground and too cool to go to the pool.  The girls really wanted to go back to Chocolate World!  (We only did the ride there yesterday 2X's).  But, what the heck!!!  So we loaded everyone in the truck and off we went to Chocolate World.  Lots more people than on Wednesday!  We rode 2x's again and by the last time, we decided to make silly faces for the picture they take at the end of the ride!

PaPa brought their little picnic table from home!
Works well when camping!

Sam was "practicing" for our photo
at the end of the ride!

 

Guess we aren't setting a very good example!

Back to the CG by 12:30 and now the sun was out.  So we changed into our bathing suits, packed lunches, and drove to PA Dutch CG about 15 minutes away to check out their swimming pool.  Much more kid friendly pool than the one at Hershey Preserve.  Had a waterfall mushroom and a much larger shallow area.  The girls played in the water from 1:30 to 4:30, only stopping to eat their lunch.  They had such a good time.

Pool at PA Dutch!  There is ramp to walk in and then
only 1' to 3' in the shallow end!  They enjoyed
the mushroom falls!

Such a good PaPa.   They love when he plays
in the water with them!

Cali is definitely the most dramatic of the group
and loves to pose for photos!

Stopped by the store at our CG for ice cream knowing that supper wouldn't be ready for at least 1 1/2 hours and of course, they were hungry.  We all got showers (all 3 girls sat in the bottom of the shower - so cute!).  No campfire tonight.  We made hot dogs on the grill.  Girls were tired, so we read a book, watched part of a movie, and they were asleep by 9:15.  We had such a fun day with them.  Each camping trip gets better and better.  They already mentioned that they want to stay longer!

Camping with Bria, Cali and Sam!

On Wednesday we met Jamie, Lanie, and the little gals at a church about a mile from the CG at 9 on Wednesday morning!  Lanie and Jamie went to the Hershey outlets and Ken and I took the 4 little ones to Chocolate World.  We went on the ride 2x's at their request.  They really enjoyed it.  Then we drove back to the CG and we all had lunch.  Then we went to the playground and on the way back they played in the little stream near Willie.  At 1 Lanie picked up Katelyn and they headed home.  Ken, Bria, Cali, Sam and I went to the pool.  It is amazing how much all the girls have improved in their swimming abilities this summer.  Bria and Cali have become little mermaids!!!

A "Kodak" moment before going into Chocolate World!

All smiles after we got our candy at the end of the ride
in Chocolate World!

Katelyn loved the duck!

More time playing in the stream on the way back to Willie.  After showers, the girls played outside - what imaginations!  We cooked over an open fire and then made s'mores.  The girls kept saying how much they love camping!!!  Another trip to the playground and then it was time to watch a movie to settle down.  By 9 everyone was in their bed, but it took alittle time for everyone to go to sleep.  They did very well for all sleeping together in the living room.  They actually slept thru the thunderstorm we had early this morning.  Lots of lightning and thunder!

S'more making time!

It's worth all the work to get to eat the
yummy s'mores!

Back at Hershey Preserve!

Well, we were only home about 5 hours from the beach when we decided it was time to get on the road again!  So we called on Sunday and added Monday to our time at the Thousand Trails CG near Hershey!  Sunday and Monday were very busy days at the Hosler House!  Took quite awhile to get Willie ready to head out for another adventure!

We left home around 2 yesterday, Monday, and I followed Ken in the CRV.  It is odd for us to not be together in the truck when towing Willie.  We don't like it!!!  We were surprised at how full the CG was when we got there, but we found a site in our favorite area.  Set up went well and we were so excited to be here!  After dinner we took a walk around the CG and then watched some TV. 

Love the sites at this CG.  Large sites and so quite here!

Water area in the middle of the CG!

Today, Tuesday, was a very unusual day for Ken and me.  We never left the CG and spent most of the day under Willie's canopy relaxing and doing somethings we haven't had a chance to do, such as making jewelry and for Ken, researching numerous things on the internet.  We have several Amazon gift cards and we spent time making a wishlist of things we need or would just like to have.  We will wait to order until we have time to really evaluate the list.  It is amazing how much time we spent outside talking and sharing while we were doing things that we both enjoy doing!  That just doesn't happen too often at home! 

After we finished cooking and eating dinner, we started to walk around the CG and stopped to talk to a full-timing couple, Ray and Linda, that Fred and Doloris had met here last weekend and suggested we met them.  They were sitting around a campfire with their camping companions, John and Betty.  Ray and Linda just finished a 3 year trip across the USA and John and Betty were with them for about 2 of those years.  They are both from Lebanon, but met when camping in Florida.  They sold their homes and are loving being on the road full-time.  We spent about 1 1/2 hours talking with them - what delightful people with a wealth of knowledge concerning CG's, places to see, etc.  Hopefully we will have a chance to spend more time with them while we are here!

Full time campers - John, Betty, Linda and Ray!
They love to do extended travels together!

Tomorrow morning we will meet Lanie, Jamie and our 4 granddaughters outside of the CG and we will take the 4 little ones to Chocolate World while their mommies shop the outlets!  We will bring them back to the CG for lunch and to swim.  Lanie will pick up Katelyn and take her home and Bria, Cali, and Sam will stay with us at the CG until Friday morning.  We are looking forward to a wonderful time.  They get so excited to go camping and we love having the opportunity to share this lifestyle with them. 

Time to Head Home!

Ken headed to the beach at 5:45 this morning to see the sun rise.  I was too tired.  He loves photographing sunrises and sunsets and said it was a special morning!  Back by 6:30 and we were all up by 7.  Time to finish the packing and begin the loading process.  All went well and we were on our way to PA by 8:30. 

The start of another day, but the last day of our family vacation for 2013!

Ken and I stopped at the WaWa in Rehobeth Beach for a breakfast sandwich and Jamie and Dane were leaving as we arrived.  We also stopped at Parkview RV to look at Class A and Class C Winnebagos and left feeling like Willie is a great RV for us!  We arrived home around 2 after several additional stops.

Then the work begins again - unloading, unpacking, washing, and mowing.  Ken wanted to cook dinner, and who am I to argue.  He grilled chicken with sauteed onions and peppers, grilled a Caesar salad, and grilled corn on the cob.  Fantastic dinner and he even insisted on cleaning up.  What a guy!

We have reservations to camp at the Thousand Trails Hershey Preserve from this Tuesday to the following Wednesday.  At dinner we said we should leave on Monday - we are so excited to camp again!  So, we are going to check with the CG tomorrow to see if we can check in on Monday.  Bria, Cali, and Sam will camp with us from Wed. morning until Friday morning with a visit to Chocolate World.  We are looking forward to having them with us!

A Very Special Birthday!

Friday was my birthday and what a way to celebrate - spending the whole day with your children, their spouses, and your granddaughters!  I got a special card from Sam - one she made while she was resting in her bedroom before coming to the beach.  Bria and Cali helped Grandpa pick and card and then signed their names.  Bria also went with PaPa to the grocery store to get a birthday cake and ice cream as a surprise when having dinner that evening!

After eating breakfast, the girls played the bully game of Haus with Ken and I and we got severely beaten!  Dane and Bob had gone for a 2 hour bike ride from 7 to 9.  Second one for the week.  We packed lunches and were all on the beach by 10:45.  It was a nice day, but still only partly sunny and a little cool when the sun was in!  The little gals enjoyed going out in the water with the big folks and jumping waves.  Then they spent time playing in the sand.  The men took the 4 little ones back to the Condo at 1 where they watched some movies while Katelyn slept.  Then they took all 4 of them to the pool.

This is the back of the condo where we stayed!
Ours is on the far left!

Lanie, Jamie, and I stayed in Bethany and went in and out of several shops.  Then we went to Mangos for Happy Hour - drinks and nachos.  Left there and went to Happy Hour at Cottage Cafe, one of my favorite places for drinks and excellent food.  I had the best frozen Peach Drink ever!  We had such a special time together.  So nice to spend some alone time with my daughters!

Back to the Condo by 4 and the men and girls were at the pool.  We started to do some packing and loads of wash.  We ordered in from a local barbeque shop - pulled pork, ribs, chicken and numerous sides.  Enjoyed eating on our deck.  Then we had delicious birthday cake and ice cream.  What a perfect birthday!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

So great to have my whole family here for my special day!

Ken and I took Bria, Sam, Cali, and Katelyn for a walk to the playground where they had such a good time.  Little ones to bed around 8:45 and then the adults played games till 11.  All of us so tired.  Can't believe it is time to head home!  Family vacations are so special and we feel so blessed!

On our way to the playground!

Another Wrong Forecast for the Weathermen!

Thursday was supposed to be a spectacular day in Bethany Beach, but a lot of the day was overcast and cool.  After breakfast, the men took the little gals to the playground while we packed lunches and got ready to go to the beach.  We were on the sand by 10:30, but it was abit chilly!  Not much time spent in the water, but the girls did enjoy playing in the sand.  After eating our packed lunches, we headed back to the Condo.  Both Katelyn and Cali were ready for naps.  Dane and Bob took Sam and Bria to the indoor pool while the other girls slept.

Ken and I took a walk and played some ping pong.  Then it was time for Ken and I to play Hause with Jamie and Lanie.  We used to play a lot when the girls were growing up and we don't have the opportunity to do it very often.  We enjoyed.   Girls enjoyed playing and watching a movie after naptime.

By 4:45, we all went to Bethany Beach to eat dinner on the 2nd floor porch of Mangos, right on the boardwalk.  Good food and the little ones did very well.  Then we enjoyed a fun evening on the beach taking lots of photos and flying kites.  Ice Cream was the final treat before heading back to the Condo.

Ken and I are so blessed to have such a wonderful family!

With our daughters, Lanie and Jamie

Marching!

Sam was an intense kite flyer!

Katelyn has to do whatever the big girls do!

Lanie and her family!

Jamie and her family!

 

Bria really enjoyed flying her kite.  She needed to rest!

The proud parents and Grandma and PaPa!

Jamie is a kid at heart!

How many girls can be in one family?????

Love this mother daughter picture!

PaPa wanted to be a part of the kite flying too!

So hard to get a good photo of 10 on the beach!  Not bad!!!