Thursday, February 27th

So keeping up with the retired folks is exhausting!  Today after school we went to dinner with the people in their condo buildings.  There are 17 or 18 units in all.  Only six of that many were represented.  Nonetheless, we enjoyed our meal at Applebees!!  Then, my Dad says, "Is there any place you to stop?"  Mom says, "There's a Savers right over here!"  Well, that's all Audree needed to hear!^*%#^*€<€£{!!!  So at least 45 minutes later and several items into a bag, I said to my Dad, "What were you thinking saying 'shopping' with my daughter along??"  He said, " I wasn't!!"  :)  Later that night, Dad, Mom, and Garrett went to a movie that was a Western.  Audree and I stayed at their house and I did some work with some good WiFi!!  Yea!  Tomorrow we all go to see great friends.  Garrett is going to see Fisher Gasvoda and Audree and I get to go see Baylie and Trish again!    **Sara

Tues and Wed, February 25th & 26th

For a couple weeks, I think we will be living a little bit more "normal."  We will do lots of school and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa. Now zipping around in shorts and t-shirts isn't exactly normal for February and either is swimming at an outside pool but we are staying put!!!  Not moving every 3rd day or so!!  So some entertainment around here today was the ole' folk are just like a bunch of teenagers!  All on their iPhones!  They are quite tech-savvy or trying to be anyway!  It was hilarious!!                         **Sara

Monday, February 24th

We woke up and headed straight over to Mom and Dad's.  Our campground is just over a mile away so it is nice to be close.  It was a beautiful day so we went to yet another pool.  Just spent the rest of the afternoon at the house and headed to the airport in late afternoon for Lisa to catch her flight home to KC.  Kids and I stayed at Mom and Dad's house for the evening and relaxed.  It had been a busy 3 days with my brother and sister both here.  It was great for all of us to be here to see Mom and Dad's new place.
                                               **Sara

Sunday, February 23rd

Jeff hit the road early this morning headed for home.  We all went to church with Mom and Dad.  After eating lunch out, my brother, Todd, headed to the airport for his flight home.  The rest of us went mini golfing and swimming in the afternoon.  My sister, Lisa, and I were trying to figure out if we had EVER played miniature golf with our parents!!!  We got home and quickly decided that Garrett, Lisa, and I would go to the movie Catching Fire - Hunger Games.  Audree stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa and lost a big tooth!  That was her evening entertainment.                                                 **Sara

Saturday, February 22nd

Today started off with Chef Jeff doing his tricks.  He made a great breakfast for all of us including some of Mom and Dad's friends.  We then took a tour around Sun City and all the places Mom and Dad utilize around here.  Pools, pools and more pools.  Classes and clubs and more!  Great fun for them!  Aunt Lisa and Grandma took Audree swimming in the afternoon at one of the pools.  They allow kids at only certain pools at certain times.  Jeff packed up the truck to head out early in the morning for home.  He has to go home for a couple weeks.  I sent plenty of things along home that we didn't need, never used, or had bought.  We did buy a few things other than just postcards and magnets!  :)  My cousin, Fred, came over for the evening to visit. Chef Jeff made dinner for us too.  We had a fish fry with the fish he and Garrett had caught in Florida and Texas........Grouper and Red Fish.  It was especially yummy for all the non-fishing people!  :)
                    **Sara

Friday, February 21st My B-Day

Last night Mom said that it wouldn't be the most fun birthday, but she was proven wrong. I got to spend it with my uncle, aunt, and my grandpa and grandma. After breakfast my uncle and I went to the airport to pick up my aunt from Kansas City, KS. At lunch I got to open a present, it was a ice cream maker. We just relaxed and we made the ice cream. Grandpa took us to a B-B-Q place where I had ribs. Since it was my birthday I got free dessert. We went back to my grandparent's house and had cake and homemade ice cream. I opened a couple presents and we said our goodbyes and headed back to the campground.  I don't know what mom was talking about cause it was a fun birthday.

P.S. About my poll on the 12th nobody commented so I will give everyone another week to answer.

                               -Garrett%

Thursday, February 20th

We left Baylie's and drove to Grandma and Grandpa's house and I was so excited.  Their house is awesome.  Uncle Todd was there too.  They have a Murphy bed that pulls out of the wall. They have a cool mailbox.  I love being here!!!      Audree <>

Wednesday, February 19th

Today we just hung out with Trish and Baylie.  The girls played and Trish and I worked out for old times sake!  Garrett put up with us and worked on some assignments.  Chef Jeff arrived in time to cook fish for dinner.  Yum!  We ended the night with a fun game of HeadBanz and A LOT of laughs!!

                  **Sara

Tuesday, February 18th

So we left the metropolis state of Texas today.  These pictures show some of the fun we had being in the big big big state!!!  We drove just a few hours today hitting 2 more states.  The last picture shows how we just pull over to take all 33 state pictures. We cruised right through New Mexico and into Arizona.  We are at my awesome friend's house Trish Tracy!!!!!!  She had the nerve to move away from Kremmling since we left home in October!  So it is super great to see her!!!   Audree is just as happy getting to see Baylie!!!   They are having a ball. We'll spend 2 nights here at a campground nearby and onto my Mom and Dad's on Thursday.   **Sara

Monday, February 17th

So it was our last morning at the ocean and the kids just couldn't get enough before we left.  They had to dip their toes in right behind our camper one last time. I awoke one last time to the "hummm" of all the oyster boats that head out for the day in the middle of the night!!!!!!  I think they start their day somewhere around 4:30 AM.  Ugh!  We had one last pretty sunset at the campground last night.  We really liked it at Goose Island State Park.  We will go back! 

So we knew we had a big day of traveling ahead of us going west.  We hoped to get across most of Texas but since it's the size of the Atlantic Ocean, we may not make all the way today.  Especially after the way it started.  We got started later than planned because Jeff had to go out on the fishing pier one last time to see how the fishermen were doing!  We'd decided to stop at the famous fishermen donut shop since Audree hadn't gotten a donut yet, unlike Garrett since he is a fisherman.  So finally about 9:30 we leave Rockport, Texas. This was the longest stay by 8 days of sitting still with the camper this entire trip.  

Maybe we had driven for an hour and we get a flat tire on the truck!  Luckily were right by an exit with big gas station so pulled in there.  Jeff talked to this young guy who was just out by his semi truck about a tire shop etc.  Anyway, this guy came right over and helped Jeff changed the tire.  Had to unhook the camper to get the spare out from under the truck!  So drove on down the road and had to find a tire shop.  What a dousy it was!  But it worked, although the kid didn't put enough air in it, so had to pull into another gas station in that town and buy air!!  So by now it's 12:30 and we've maybe driven 100 miles.  Wanted to get in 500!!  The rest of the travel day was fine other than the 33 miles of stress thinking we were gonna run out of fuel.  We didn't!   .8 of a gallon left.  Plenty! :)  Made it to El Paso after all.  Long day!!       **Sara

PS  I wrote part of this in the truck and finished it now, so it probably doesn't make much sense! 

PS  Our map is getting filled up.  :)

Sunday, February 16th

Today was a fabulous day.  We got a text message late last night from my cousin, Lori, (that I just met last week) that said there would be a turtle release taking place on Padre Island the next morning.  So the kids and I went and Jeff went fishing with Skip as planned.  Hundreds of sea turtles had been rescued from the cold water in the last couple of months.  They were found "cold stunned."  The department of wildlife, national parks, and many others had rescued the turtles .  They take them to a rehab facility and keep them until they are ready to be released.  Today was that day!  358 of them!  We watched the volunteers carry the turtles one by one, stop for pictures, and then into the water they were placed.  Some of the small turtles were flapping their flippers LIKE CRAZY as they were being carried to the water.  They had to have known where they were!!!!  It was fun to watch them splash and swim off to their "home!"  The last four pictures are of 2 guys carrying one of the big turtles and placing it into the water.  There were about 4000 people there.  We stayed until the very last 2 turtles were placed in the water.  The majority of the people were gone long before the end.

I must quote Garrett.  He says as we were walking away,"You know there is a lot of bad stuff in the world, but this is one of the good things."

         **Sara

Saturday, February 15th

More of the same for most of the day.  Fishing for the boys (2 keepers today), shopping for us girls, and another Science on the Sphere presentation.  

The only big difference from yesterday was Audree and I went to a Mardi Gras Event in the small town we're staying in as a fundraiser for the firemen.  This morning was the parade.  Lots of beads and lots of candy!  We had fun.  Even got to try out Audree's new masks she bought in New Orleans.  

                    **Sara