Sunday, April 24, 2011

We packed everything up, did a final load of laundry, then made our way around saying goodbye to our friends. It was really, really hard.

(Janet and Bill)

The campground has felt like home from the moment we first arrived, and even thought it’s bare and the atmosphere is less than desirable (weekenders are NOT the same as snowbirds!) it wasn’t easy to leave.

We are now back in the Tampa area, boon docking at a walmart for the evening. We decided to stay put because we went into the store to look at phone contracts and I was too lazy to move anywhere else for the night. We are right across from a Whole Foods Market so I was able to pick up some unique groceries that I haven’t been able to get in awhile.

(view from my bedroom)

I mentioned how much better I like Easter Ziplock Baggies (no mess, no wondering who the stray candy belongs to!) and the children told me that they love Easter Ziplock Baggies because they get so much more candy inside. Joshua asked me if I had a good coupon, because his good friend Bubbles mentioned that he had the exact same candy at his house! Bubbles’ mom is a friend of mine and fellow couponer, and the kids have often mentioned that no matter which house they eat at it’s the exact same food!

Aside from the obscene amount of chocolate still in our teeny tiny house, all is good in my world!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter. Today the bunny brought Easter Ziplock Baggies instead of Easter Baskets.

I was concerned about having a candy hunt inside the motor home, worried that there wouldn’t be any place for hiding eggs. I had a hard enough time finding places to put them all when we lived in a huge house. My fears were unfounded though, because motor homes offer a myriad of places to hide small objects. One piece of chocolate went undetected almost the entire day! That never happened to us in our house!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

We just returned from another amazing experience! Our friends invited us to join them for dinner as they had quite a feast planned. We gorged ourselves on crawfish and oysters, (two foods that we had never experienced before and boy were they delicious!), garlic shrimp, blackened tilapia, Spanish rice, corn on the cob, spinach salad, and a whole table full of appetizers. Yum!

Invitations to dinner are hard to come by when you have six children, so we were especially grateful to have been invited. The food was just delicious; so many different flavors and textures!

It was of course bitter sweet because we are having to say goodbye again. It’s hard on everyone, and this time we know that it’ll be awhile before we see them. We hope to be back in the fall, but we have no idea where we’ll be pulled to. Sometimes the place that we feel we should be changes drastically from one day to the next, and we can’t predict what opportunities with arise for us. Usually they are far greater than anything that we could plan ourselves.

4/23/11

We were able to make it to the dock last night, but the fireworks were disappointing. It’s true that you could see them, but only through trees. I’m glad that we weren’t the only people there because I was terrified that at any moment a gator was going to come thrashing out of the water and eat me. I’m lucky to be alive!

Today is truly our last day here. I’m feeling somber at the thought of leaving. I’m not sure why; there is always something amazing around the corner, and I KNOW that, but it doesn’t make the transition easier. When we leave here we know that we are not coming back until at least fall, if ever, so it’s not just saying “see you soon” but rather closing a chapter in our lives.

Today I will rejoice in what I have. I am going to take the kids on our final three mile hike around the preserve and marvel at how empty it is compared to this winter when there were times we couldn’t even get a site! Then we will hunt for Easter eggs that the staff are hiding and enjoy the last hours at our beloved Thousand Trails Orlando Preserve!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Another wonderful day in HOT and sunny Florida. We are starting to feel the pull; it’s time to leave. There are few of us “full timers” and “snow birds” left in the park, instead “weekenders” are starting to trickle in. The atmosphere is different. People don’t seem as friendly and open to socializing now.

We stopped by to visit with some full time neighbors so we could return some magazines they had loaned us. We were in a rush to get them back lest we loose them or ruin them (Molly colored inside a hard cover book just today!) They took back the loaner magazines and handed us another bag full!

Today was spent just relaxing (if you can relax with a 3 year old and 14 month old underfoot!) and soaking in the sunshine. Dinner was simple cold sandwiches followed by a dip in the pool. Could life get any sweeter? I just wish that one of these nights I would remember to head down to the dock at the lake as I have heard it is a fabulous place to view the Disney fireworks!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Hot. Hot. Hot. Not even May yet and we are melting. I guess that explains why the campground is so empty. I’m still loving it though. I go for my walk and it feels like my face is melting right off my head, and strangely enough, I’m still appreciative.

I met a really nice woman today who gave me water and offered me a seat while we chatted. Interesting conversation about religion, the details of which I would rather not share, but the result is that I feel like we are earnestly discussing what we will be having for lunch next week in Aruba when we haven’t even discussed taking a trip together. Bad example?

I feel pretty strongly in my belief, as do most people I suppose. The difference is that I feel it’s important to respect what other people believe, that’s why I’m often reluctant to discuss religion because I feel like if I am honest, I will poke holes in the belief of another. However, I often feel as though the other party might not rest until I agree to agree to whatever they are selling.

I often feel as thought my choices are limited to admitting that the other party is right and I am wrong, or introducing ideas that might cause them to question their own faith. Neither option sits well with me, so I try to avoid the topic as much as possible.

I guess what I wish is for it to be less important for everyone to agree. Agreeing is nice, but so is diversity. We can all be different with our own thoughts and ideas and unique human expressions and it’s all okay.

Wednesday April 20, 2011

Sinus infection. Gah.