Fruit Aplenty: Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 10

“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.”

~ Brian O'Driscoll

We have been eating so much delicious fruit on this trip! My favorite is Pink Lady apples. I love them! Cut up or whole, I am eating a lot of them. I am also a huge fan of a berry salad – blueberries and strawberries cut up and served together;  if there are any other berries around (such as raspberries) I am eager to add them in also! 

The kids have discovered some delicious apricots. They have been a rare find as the store is having difficulty keeping them in stock due to the sweetness the apricot offers. Today they took their first taste of a champagne mango. Their Grandpop shared this delightful fruit with them and then gifted us with a box of them. The kids immediately got their knives, sliced them and raved about them.  

~ Happy Camper

Happy Mother's Day: Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 9

“Enjoy the little things,

for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things.”
–Robert Brault

Happy Mother's Day! Recognize and celebrate what makes you a GREAT Mom today!!! Take a few minutes to sit with your kids and count your blessings. We are off to make a yummy brunch for my Mom and my Mother-in-law! Then spend the rest of the day with our siblings and all of our nieces and nephews. Time flies by so fast and our family continues to grow. So glad to spend this Mother's Day with all of them. 

~ Happy Camper

Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 7

The weather got a little chilly overnight. We awoke to a chill in the air….awesome camping weather. We all snuggled under our blankets and stayed cozy for a while longer in our beds this morning!

We spent time at our site today and in our camper. The boys went fishing. Tonight we visited with family.

We are going to bed late tonight, however we have been early to bed and early to rise for most of this trip. We are tired from the day’s activities by nightfall!

~ Happy Camper

Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 6

Almost here a week already! We are still settling in since we’ve been so busy.

Storage is always an issue in the RV, well, that and packing light! I can’t emphasize packing light enough! I struggle with this every trip. With staying for 2 seasons and being far from home, it’s challenging! Then, I remind myself that we have limited space and I don’t want to be tripping over things in the camper!

We did bring 2 square storage ottomans this trip. This is a first run for them. We haven’t used them in the camper before. They are multi-functional, which is important. They offer storage, seating and use as an ottoman. As we were leaving the house, my son was bringing his clothes downstairs and we ended up putting them in the empty ottoman to take out to the camper. All of his clothes fit in one of the ottomans! I then had my daughter bring her clothes down to test out the other ottoman. Lo and behold, all of her clothes fit in the other ottoman! Huge win-win. They really needed more space for their clothes, so bringing the ottomans has really been working out so far.

Please share if you have any storage ideas that are working out well for you or your family!

~ Happy Camper

Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 5

We have been busy running around the past few days visiting with extended family. Today we spent more time at the camper, worked on our daily schedules and established routines – work, exercise and learning. I created a checklist for my son. My daughter is working on organizing her sleeping area and her personal belongings.

I think we are still adjusting to being in a much smaller space.

Kids are trying new activities – wiffleball, karate and volleyball. So we are learning new skills and getting in lots of exercise and time outdoors. Hubby has been spending a lot of time with the kids. The kids are loving the extra time with Dad.  The kids are learning to manage toddlers this summer – thanks to extended family – a valuable skill.  =D   We are spending a lot of time visiting and connecting with family as was the main purpose of our visit.

~ Happy Camper 

Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 4

I find these two common sayings valuable mottos for RV living:

“Less is more” ~ Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

“A place for everything, and everything in its place.” ~ Samuel Smiles

Everyone has to do the work to keep the place tidy. Initially finding a place for everything and then working together to put the item back in its place every time. Things are tidy and run smoothly when following that advice!

The boys have been fishing every day. The past 3 nights, we have had different dinner invitations by family. A nice treat! Today I made meatballs in the crockpot for dinner. I am very pleased with the recipe which I have used several times in the past. Again, they turned out well. So nice to spend the day with family and know that dinner is cooking away in the crockpot. We invited my parents over for dinner. We all enjoyed a nice treat, plus I have some leftovers for the week! A win-win! 

~ Happy Camper

Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 3

It's Monday morning. I find myself content and rested after traveling and arriving at our destination. We visited with a lot of family over the weekend. Now a new week is starting and I need to get us on track a bit - starting with a food shopping trip! I'm not sure our RV fridge is big enough for a week's worth of groceries. Today will be about getting some staples and supplies for meals.

I have brought a trusted friend with me on our 3 1/2 month journey - my crockpot! I've envisioned myself making crockpot meals, spending the day out then returning home for a hot meal! I do this at home, however this is the first time I've committed to trying it in the RV. I will be searching out and trying some new crockpot recipes. If you have any, please share them!

~ Happy Camper

Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 2

Life seems so much simpler in the camper! Why is that? There is less stuff and I really can't accumulate much more, unless it is to replace a current item. We have less here in the camper than we do at home, however we have almost everything we need here. What we don't have, we can go out and use (such as a washer and dryer).

There are fewer choices to be made in the camper. With this being a longer trip, we had to pack for two seasons - spring and summer. I brought more clothes than I ever have on this trip. That's it though, I have x amount of clothes and those are my only choices.

I find it quite cozy in the camper. We spend a lot of time connecting with one another. We also spend a lot of time outside, which we all enjoy.

Our RV Journey - Summer Trip - Day 1

We are campers and travelers - I guess you'd say a part time family on the road. The past few years we have stayed at a campground near our extended family and enjoyed spending time with the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Each year over the past 3 years we have increased the length of our trip. In 2013, we stayed for a month, which was a leap of faith then for us. It was a success! The following year in 2014, we stayed for 6 weeks. Another success. This year, we are staying for 3 1/2 months  - another leap. We arrived at our destination this morning safely. We unpacked and settled in pretty quickly.

I continue to streamline our possessions at home. Prior to this trip was the longest I've had to prepare the house. I went through a lot of our belongings and purged! How does a family accumulate so much? We donated a lot, sold some and a lot of papers made it into the trash! I recycle, bless others with our gently used stuff and re-purpose as much as I can. It was a big clean out and I'll have a more simple and tidy home to return to, for that I am grateful.

I'm always looking for creative ways to maximize our space. I'm concerned I've overpacked, even though I've been mindful of this issue. My hope is to post about our journey.

~ Happy Camper