First Incident

 

On a cold, snow covered morning I took a side rode near Leamington, and I slide off the road as I tried to turn around so I kept going trying to find a place to turn.  I came upon a closed fence so I had to turn where I was.  Sadly, on the turn I slide as I was backing up and hit the van back into a cedar post of the fence.  It barely tapped so I didn't get out to look more than just to see that the fence was fine.  I was able to climb out of the property without too much trouble as long as I kept it slow and steady.  However, when I got home I noticed I had broken the tail light.  We ordered a couple because the other one also had a piece out of it and when they came they were both broken.  Oh, the fun we have.  They made it good, and sent us lights that were not broken.

Shooting Together

 

Between Delta and Nephi, is a great rabbit hunting ground.  It has internet reception so so Taylor can even hunt when he is on call.   He invited all of us to join him for a fun day of shooting.  I do believe I need more practice and I'm not awful at hitting the target.  All of my children are much better than I and at least Taylor's two far surpass me.

Mr. Paxman is a very good shot.  He always shoots a few shots and then he enjoys his surroundings.  Sofie is also a great shot.

Taylor has been very good to invite us to join them on practices and he and Dad always enjoy it.  Sofie and Pax shot for a while and then they play.  I am usually puppy sitting, to keep the dogs calm and out of trouble.  We all seem to enjoy our chosen lot in life.

Heading Home by way of Grandma Mary's Beloved Tetons

 

We drove the loop, but with everything closed for Covid 19, we didn't really have a reason to stop.  It would have been fun to go into the shops of Jackson Hole, but alas, that will have to wait for another trip for each of them.  Dean and I have done that so we will have to rely on our memories of the past.   Taylor and his family had gone to Oregon so they didn't make it.  Nikki had to work.

At the Local Swimming Hole

One of the most fun I think we had was at the local swimming hole.  After we enjoyed a great breakfast at camp, we headed to the river to do some swimming.  We finally had everyone together and everyone had a wonderful time.

Ellie enjoyed time with most of her Wood cousins.  The water didn't seem to be too cold, but I wouldn't know for sure.

 

Near West Yellowstone, We Sat up Camp

Now the party can begin with all of the cousins together.

Each family brought their own tent/van and we were lined up in a row.  It was a perfect family vacation.  We ended up each going our own way a little bit more than I would have liked, but unless you have someone that is serious about the schedule and everyone listens to them, then this is what is going to happen.  Dad had some stress when we weren't able to make connections but we still had fun together. 

 

 

Pizza in Gillette

 Gillette may be the energy capital of the nation, but during Covid with everything shut down we just stopped by for a pizza and ate it out on the street, sitting on the curb. Oh the places we go, the places we see.

Crazy Horse Monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota

 

We stopped in at the visitors center but didn't take the tour to the site.  I had never even heard about this memorial, and it is still under construction.  With our many trips back to Kansas we decided we would wait until it was further along before stopping to see it close up.

 

From the parking lot, you have a pretty good idea of how much they have left to do on it.

Devils Tower, WY

 As we were passing through Wyoming we went near Devils Tower, protruding out of the prairies near the Black Hills.  

All of these fun sites we can look at in the news or hear people talking about and we will understand better because we have seen them with our own eyes.  

 

Driving and seeing this 'tower' rising from the ground is just an amazing thing.  It is surrounded by prairie and was something totally new to me.  I had heard about it, but I don't think I had even seen a picture before seeing it in person.

Welcome to Nebraska

 

Kim did all the planning of this trip and we were just along for the ride, but what a fun, happening trip it was.  We were able to see so many interesting, quick stops along the way before we met up with the res
t of our family. 

Imagine our excitement when we found Grandma Anne Wood's sugar bowl in an antique store attached to a diner and gas station.  Of course, we purchased it, and have since the first sighting, believed it was actually hers and we just found it.

Geographic Center of the Lower 48

A perfect spot for a quick snack and to stretch our legs and give the dogs a break.  So many fun stops in their home state of Kansas.

 

Just two hours from Sterling, in Lebanon KS, is the geographic center of the lower 48 states.  It's a quick stop and a great place for a picnic before heading on down the road.

Family Vacation from Sterling to Wilson, Kansas

Seriously time for a hair dye, but I have decided to go natural so it's got to be bad sometime.

Easily the cutest, quirkiest roadside attraction we’ve visited is in Cawker City, KS, weighing tons.

 We found a huge Czech egg up in Ellsworth County, not far from where we started.  What a fun little stop highlighting their culture.

We've just gotten started and with a long road ahead, the kids didn't seem overjoyed with the stop, but we thought it was pretty fun and they were good sports about it.

Discovered the Passenger Van was a Waste of Money in Yellowstone

Our trip to Yellowstone was the first of many (reflection writing) where I firmly believed that buying the passenger van was misguided and a waste of money.  Don't get me wrong, I love the van.  I love being able to go to the back seat and fall asleep - everything about the cargo van holds true with the passenger van, except I do love the windows.

But, the main justification for buying a second van was that it would be so great to have the van filled to capacity with little excited people, sharing the experience of traveling together and enjoying the experience.   I hadn't found the third bench yet, but was still looking when I found that everyone wanted to travel as a family in their own vehicles.  

We struggled to meet up with each other at every place we went, so we quickly learned to just do our own thing.  We followed the Sant's around most often, and J and Candice usually found us.  I don't think we ever met up with Blaine until the swimming hole.

The colors were as vivid as I remembered from our trips there from Idaho Falls.  The only other time I remember going was when I was about five or six and Dad pulled the trailer up to Yellowstone.   There were only two beds in the camper, with a sling on top of the master bed, so Mom, Dad, Devon and Kelly stayed in the camper and Fenton and I made our beds on the bench seats of the car.  

In the middle of the night, a bear came into camp.  We heard him messing around, making noise, as he went through all the camping supplies left out.  My guess is that the food was stored in the car, because after we had laid back down to avoid being

spotted in the car, the bear actually come over to the car and played with the handle.  I don't remember how long it was from first watching him in the campsite to him coming over to the car, but it was a sheer terror for both of us.  Fenton must have reassured me that he couldn't get in, and I was able to calm back down enough to lay flat on the bed.  A short while later, Fenton opened his door and ran to the trailer, leaving me alone in the car, I'm sure to be eaten by the bear.  I remembered he said that the bear couldn't open the door, and I knew that he could come eat me while I was running,so I stayed put.

This trip was not nearly as dramatic as that, but it was one of the first times I realized that all of the effort I made over the years to have a close family were not working out as planned.   I was broken hearted throughout the whole trip.  Dean struggles with anxiety that has been debilitating for him.  I truly hoped it would pass but found this trip was difficult for him - and wouldn't be getting better any time soon.

 

Picture Perfect

 Spent the day taking photos of this delightful young child of God getting ready for her baptism.  She didn't mind the photo shoot one little bit.

We just went over to the Sterling Lake and took pictures in different areas around the walking path.  What a fun spot they have in their cute little town.

I'm so very pleased with all of our grandchildr

en.  

On the Road Again,

 Time for another trip out to Kansas for a special baptism day.  We had to get their early to take pictures and make the program.  The van isn't complete yet, but it's ready to go, and gets the job done.

It seems the rain never stops this year, and we are once again on the road in the rain.  But I'm happy to be there.

 

Are you ready for the tour?  It's not complete yet, but it has everything in it that we need with the exception of the water plumbed.  That is something I don' feel comfortable doing and haven't been able to get Dean excited to help me with much of anything, with the exception of the electrical which I could not have done without him.  

Notice the solar reading light in the window getting charged for the nights possible use.  And we love having our map on the phone/Garmin in front of us.

Just a 2024 Cargo Van that could use a good paint job, topped with 400 watts of solar.

I have used every spare inch of space.  There is a hanging shelf on the back doors and wire bins to hold the clothes.  It will look much better if I hide that, so I will make thin cupboards around it.

At the bottom of the bed, we have hung a lace curtain.  It gives us enough privacy we can dress on the bed while guests are in the front of the van.  This is on the passenger side of the van, and is our vanity.  It has a little shelf above the fridge where the water sits, and can easily be used to fill the sink for dishes, for drinking water or to wash your face first thing in the morning.  

The Ikea buckets hold bathroom drawer supplies like makeup and brushes, lotion and other needed items.  The fire alarm and carbon dioxide monitors hang out of sight in the cubby and in the back are necessities like curling irons, razors and a vanity mirror.  The power isn't working yet on this side of the van, so I ran an extension cord from the inverter making power easily accessible.  Dean cut off the TV and internet cable that were just hanging loose in this area, so those two comforts are gone for good.  I wanted plumbing and have a 35 gallon tank under the bed, but that is likely to never happen.  There is a couple of wire racks hanging under the bed as well, where we store our wet weather clothes and shoes, and on the upper shelf we have games and crafts.  I plan on living in this thing.

The cupboards are unique as I used a dresser with an upper part.  I cut it off and extended it so that we could put the sink in.  There is just barely enough room for the hose to go underneath and drain.  It currently drains into a 5 gallon water jug, but hopefully will soon get converted to draining outside of the van with a lever outside.  I plan on putting a piece of molding over the top of the bottom mess so that it can hide the junk but be lifted up for easy access.  On the very top is storage for bags, spices, Voss plastic bottles of food, and a small size jar of peanut butter.  What else is needed?  The shelves above the sink hold all necessary items for quick access, like pills, salt and pepper, as well as other things that just need to be readily available. 

The bottom part of the dresser takes more space than I should have given it but I wanted something pretty to look at.  It has a silverware drawer, as well as space for all cooking items like plates, cups, containers, and pans.  The dutch oven is stored underneath, and the heater and water tank are immediately under the sink.  There are eye hooks to thread bungees on to keep everything from sliding around.  The drawers still come open even with a magnet inside, so the bottom I keep in place with a dowel through the handles and the top I have a long screw that keeps those drawers locked in place.

On the wall opposite the kitchen is the bench/bed.  We built it when Nikki was still around and thought she might go with us.  It slides out into a full size bed, and with feet underneath our bed, it allows the sleeper to stretch fully out.  Under the pillow portion, is the toilet.  It is not part of the bed, but the comforter is long enough to put over the top of it and hid it a bit.  I made a cushion that goes on top of the seat so it can be sat on as a chair, but at night we just leave it uncovered for ease of access.  Underneath the bench are 3 pull out shelves that store pantry items in water bottles so we have a little of many items.  They are kept from sliding with an eye screw and a hook.  The inverter is under the foot of the bed, not easily accessed but as easy as I could make it.

Dean installed my seat swivel but has yet to install his.  I have a small chest of drawers, probably meant to hold 8.5x11" sheets of paper, that we use to store everything else, including office supplies, dog supplies, junk drawer supplies, and simple tools and fixing supplies.  The fire extinguisher is attached to the side of the van.  There is a pop up table where I use my computer or watch tv from the swivel chair.  Between the seats should be kept clear but we seldom get that done on our trips with our dog.  There is a cubby on the step going out the sliding door where one pair of shoes each are stored.

Welcome to the garage.  On the right is the propane tank, and a 35 gallon water tank for storage (yet unused).  Laundry supplies go above the propane and a shelf holding crafts and games goes the length of the bed.  In the center are items we need to grab from either side.  At the back on the top shelf if the shower.  It holds all items necessary for showers, including the tote and a shower curtain which I hope to someday install in the entrance on the side.  The curtain hangs on a curtain rod that is installed in a circle and a shower head planned to be above the door so that it can be used inside or outside.  The curtain fits inside the tote where there is enough room to easily stand.  It will be dumped outside and not have a drain.  Extra water and dry food storage in a Lifetime cooler fit in the middle on the floor.  The left side stores: chairs, coats, tools, car supplies, fishing rod and fishing box.  Shovel, rake and extension cords hang on the left wall with hitch ball and other large necessary items.

 What more could a girl want?

Candice Wants to Go Camping in Her Vehicle Now Too

 With all of my excitement Candice must have caught some, because she asked us to help her convert her SUV into a camper.  That, I must confess, sounded like a challenge.  She wouldn't have any spare room, and sleeping would be a challenge but we were up for the task, and even Dean got on board when it came to actually building it.  I was more of the designer, and Candice and Dean did most of the work.  The make a pretty handy pair.

We wanted a pull out shelf where she could mix the food, and do the prep work, then replacing it with a portable stove.  The cookware and stove could be stored there.  The mattress could be put in place and left, and their clothing bags could easily be put on the floor space behind the driver and passenger seat .  We had a plan, and we went to town to put it together.

 We used good plywood and made sure it would support two bodies, and a mattress.  It is easily put in and taken out, so that they can put it in when needed.  The only thing I was worried about was the head space from the person lying in the bed to the ceiling.  I was afraid it would be very claustrophobic.

We cut some nice foam to make it totally comfortable and I know they are excited to try it out.  I hope they love it, and that they will actually use it. 

 

Nasty Eye is Making Progress

 I'll spare you the images, but my RA eye is getting better.  It is still inflamed with blood vessels going everywhere but the pie shape bloodshot is gone and the pain is better.  I am hopeful that I will be able to overcome it completely.

Salem Canyon Park, UT

 Taylor and Candice put together a fun get away to heal my broken heart and see if Dean could handle a low key get together up Salem Canyon.  What a perfect get away.  We each drove separately and we loved spending time together.  

The kids fished, and we were able to take our camp chairs and sit next to them where we could enjoy each other and visit.  We were grateful for the van where we had coats and blankets, but in the end, the rain cut the trip short. 

But it's amazing how we think things are ruined but instead the kids were very happy just moving inside out of the rain, and hanging out.  It wasn't big enough for all the adults so it didn't last long, but the attitudes were good and I really appreciated the chance to try again.  

I do love spending time with the kids, and it is never too often.  We are both so proud of what wonderful adults they have all turned out to be, and love spending as much time with them as possible.  This small group turned out to be a good idea, and although it was tough on Dean, he managed to handle it as well as could be expected.

Oregon Bucket List

 What a crazy bucket list trip.  We went through the coast, viewed either near or far all of the lighthouses but somehow I feel so empty.  Some how I feel incomplete.

Dean was happy to get back home, but it was not an immediate recovery.  Just being home wasn't enough.  It took weeks to see any sign of improvement.  

The kids were well aware of my disappointment in not being able to spend more time.  They were equally aware that Dean had given it his all to let me experience some of the locations I longed to go.

We were quite a pair.  Me having looked forward to being able to leave, to travel, to enjoy my surrounds for well over 10 years.

He spent at least that same amount of time, looking forward to retiring and being able to putter around the yard and do the things he wanted to do there.  

We had not planned for this great divide we found ourselves in.