One Year Anniversary

Next week we celebrate our one year anniversary in the RV. How time flies!

Living in the RV simplied the move and made it more enjoyable! :)

For the most part this past year has been a good journey and we are no worse for the wear.

Will we still be living in the RV this time next year? God only knows!

The Trip to Colorado Springs

Our trip from Fenton, MO to Colorado Springs was quite an adventure!

After a stop at MidWest RV for some quick repairs on the RV, we left Fenton on Thursday morning, May 1st. Driving through Kansas City held it's challenges. (I followed Steve in the car.) I sang most of the way and barely had a voice by the time we reached the KOA campground in Lawrence, KS that evening! :)

We went to bed and woke up to the sound of thunder and a strong wind rocking the 5th wheel. Steve and I clung to each other in bed and prayed for about 15 minutes until the storm moved over us. The next day we heard that Lawrence had been under a tornado warning with 60-70 mi hr winds! We thanked God for His protection.

On Friday, May 2nd we left Lawrence and headed for the KOA in WaKeeney, KS about 275 miles away. The last few hours of our trip we battled 35-40 mi hour winds with gusts much higher. I prayed continually as I followed Steve in the car and watched 18 wheelers being blown all over the road as they tried to pass him. From my vantage point it seemed there were several near misses between the tractor trailers and our RV. Again, I thanked God over and over for His mercy and protection. At the KOA in WaKeeney that night, the wind continued to howl and we were rocked to sleep by the swaying of the RV.

On Saturday, May 3rd we took off for Colorado Springs. After a few hours the winds decreased and the trip was much more enjoyable. I did have to smile when I noticed snow on the ground in Goodland, KS and in eastern Colorado. After all it was already May!! :) We arrived at Mom and Dad's in good spirits in the early afternoon. I was so happy to finally be here and know we wouldn't have to make the trip across Kansas again any time soon!

Celebrating the Holidays

Living in a 5th wheel presents its challenges but with it comes the simplicity of the RV lifestyle.

Obviously we won't retrieve the 6' Christmas tree or 7 totes of decorations from storage. However, we will decorate. Just on a much smaller scale.

Our 24" optic tree will fit perfect on a small table between the recliners. Garland and a few lights will adorn the windows. We might hang a few lights outside. And there is even a place for our stockings above the electric fireplace.

We'll cook a turkey or ham in our RV size oven on Christmas Day. And bake a few other goodies to go with it.

I will be estatic on January 1st when I don't have totes of decorations to repack and a tree to take down. It will be a breeze!

A Fireplace in an RV?

People laugh and give me a funny look when I mention a fireplace in our RV. One person even asked if we had a chimney! Now that would be a sight! :)

I have to admit, a fireplace did seem strange to us at first. And to be honest, if we'd ordered this RV we probably would have chosen the cabinet for storage rather than the fireplace.

With dropping temperatures, we've used the electirc fireplace several times this week. A flip of a switch lights up the logs, creates flames and makes the embers glow. Another switch turns on the electric heater.

Not bad....puts out pretty good heat.

We Moved Again!

That's the great thing about living in an RV....it's fairly easy to move.

Steve wanted to move to higher ground in case of flooding. (I wondered about his reasoning since we're in a drought but decided against it. A few years ago he insisted on moving for the same reason and later I was so glad he did. A wind storm hit soon after our move and the canopy of the RV in our old spot was destroyed by a broken tree limb.)

So we moved up on the hill and I started thinking we'd made a mistake. The small concrete pad barely held our RV, truck and car.

Two days later we noticed the motor home two spaces up from us pull out. Steve immediately called the park manager and found out the space was available. We moved again several days later.

We love our new spot. This pad holds a 16x80 trailer and we have plenty of room for our fifth wheel, one ton dually truck, and car. There is even an extra concrete space behind the fifth wheel for a storage shed.

We feel so blessed!

Organization

Organization takes priority when living in an RV.

Small baskets work wonderfully in the large, deep drawers. Plastic containers keep CDs, VCR tapes, and smaller misc items in place in the larger storage areas.

When the shower is not in use, it is a perfect place to store the laundry basket!

And when travelling, the shower creates a secure place for computers, plants and other items.

Content

It's been a few months since we became fulltime RVers.

I wondered if I would miss our house. To be honest, I really haven't. Except for the basement and garage, this RV contains everything we had in the house, just in a smaller space.

We've learned to make some adjustments. Since the TV/entertainment center is next to the computer, hubby and I have worked out a schedule.

If I am working on the computer, he watches TV in the bedroom. Or I work on the laptop in the bedroom if he wants to be in the living area.

All in all, I am happy here.