Category Archives: The Adventure

Tales from our travels

Family and Friends, Life at Bass Lake Lot 205, SOWER Projects, The Adventure

Sixteen for Dinner

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Yep – Sixteen. In our Little Lindale House!!

It started quite innocently.  Four SOWER couples were working at a nearby SOWER project, and since we had previously worked with three of them, we wanted to make sure we connected before they left the area.  Surely we could host those good folks for burgers, right? We checked with all parties involved, and set the day and time  – it was a go! But wait – what about the active SOWERs that live here in our community? Maybe they would like to come and meet these guys. OK, that’s only 2 more couples – we could still fit, couldn’t we? Oh – I forgot – there’s an Alumni SOWER parked in our SOWER RV lot. I bet they’d like to come too! And so it was – including the old SOWERs who live in the house, there were 16 of us for dinner! It was a pseudo-structured potluck – burgers, rolls, and fixin’s were covered. The rest was a delightful surprise! Thankfully, the weather was mild enough that about half the gang was outside at any given time,
Dinner party
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so while the fellowship was very sweet, it didn’t have to also be “close fellowship”!
Until we all squeezed in for a traditional SOWER Group Picture, that is!
Dinner party

I loved the way the plan came together!! It’s an encouragement to me to get back on the entertaining bandwagon, but also to keep a close eye on the weather!! Yesterday it was in the high 50’s. Not too bad for January. Today it has rained all day, and the temps are plummeting as I type. Starting tomorrow morning, we’re being promised 90+ hours of below-freezing weather. Like in the teens below-freezing.

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Oh, and some sort of wintery mix – rain, sleet, freezing rain and maybe even snow. We’re stocked up on our bread, eggs, milk, and TP so I think we’re ready!  (Oh, and maple syrup for that French Toast!)

Needless to say, we got that dinner party in just under the wire! Pretty sure we won’t be budging from the house until next week sometime. (Unless the power goes out and we need to find a neighbor with a working generator!)

Texas isn’t the only location under a Winter Weather Watch – so stay warm and safe out there, friends!! Maybe you should stay home too!!

Steph

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Family and Friends, The Adventure

Finishing up December – and 2025!

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We had such a grand finale to 2025! All 20 of us traveled to Destin, Florida to finish out the year, and ring in 2026!

Yes, the house was ginormous – 8 bedrooms (including two dorm type areas that contained most of the grands), 9 bathrooms, two game areas (including a pool table), great community/kitchen space and double dining tables. Every bedroom was used, and I believe that every area was enjoyed!
Oh – and did I mention a heated pool and hot tub?

There were a lot of us – 4 couples (ages 44-75) and 12 grands (ages 20 months – 22 years). My heart was overflowing with thankfulness and joy as I watched everyone playing together. The old with the young. The bigs with the littles. Cousins who don’t see each other very often became good friends. Older siblings had stories to share and us “seniors” just sat back and watched all of the beauty unfold!
You know, with 14 cell phones taking pictures, there are oodles to choose from. So in an effort to keep this to a reasonable length – here are just a few!
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The weather was on the cool side – but the heated pool never failed to bring happiness!
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and the hot tub
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always drew a crowd! (Gary and I even indulged a couple of evenings – but no photographic proof of that!)
There were puzzles
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and games

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and toys for the littlest one!
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We enjoyed lunch out on New Year’s Day
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and a sunset bonfire on the beach earlier in the week.
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(Yes – it was a chilly night, but still so very much fun!)
We had a photoshoot on the beach, too! We haven’t gotten the proofs back from that, but here’s a shot of Toby working hard to get all his kids to look at the camera!
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(Another chilly day (and man, was that sand cold!), but we all just pretended it really was beach weather!)
And speaking of the beach – the weather wasn’t especially cooperative, but there were still a couple of beach-day attempts!
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“Don’t go out too far – we’ll lose you in the fog!”
And finally, a beautiful clear day to play in the surf and sand.
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We ended our week with our traditional “Heads in a circle” photo (or oval as it happens these days).

(All the grands, in birth order!)
Which is needing a taller and taller ladder each time!

It was a fabulous week! Oh, there were a few glitches – a bad toothache, a trip to urgent care, a delayed arrival due to some health concerns, and perhaps a few too many coughs and sneezes – but nothing that couldn’t be overcome (or at least lived with!).

Some of the sweetest words a Momma (or a Gramma) can hear are “When are we going to do this again?”  My heart is full – and the calendar is already marked:  December 27, 2028 – January 3, 2029.  (Lord willing, of course!)

Man, I love these guys!

Steph

More pictures, you ask?? Of course! You can check them out HERE if you’d like!

 

 

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Family and Friends, Pictures of the Adventure, The Adventure

December – Part II

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Back in 2024, I flew to Pennsylvania in mid-December to surprise my sister for her 75th birthday. It was great fun, working with her kids in the area to facilitate the surprise, and even more fun spending those days with Joie! I decided then that an annual trip (but without the surprise element) was something I needed to work into my December schedule. And so was born the Second Annual Birthday Trip.

We did all the things we love to do together –
Puzzles
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(Coffee and chocolate just out of the frame.)
and games
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(Super fun afternoon joining friends for a Rummicub marathon.)
and thrifting, of course!
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(Yes, I brought home (much) more than I took!)
We enjoyed lunch out with Joie’s lovely SIL
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(Yes, we are wearing matching scarves. Sorry, not sorry!)
and even got to take in a delightful Christmas concert at their local Christian School.
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(Oh, the memories of the many Christmas concerts we attended over the years!)
Since Joie has several of her kids living within a reasonable driving distance, we also got to spend some lovely time with those folks, too! No picture of the nine who came for brunch one day,
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but we did get to spend some quality time (and did a bit more thrifting, tis true!) with these folks!
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(This dear family also lives close to the airport and were instrumental in the entire ‘getting me there’ project!)

Quiet mornings, coffee with cream, homemade everything, and time to share our hearts. How precious those days were. Days that reminded us of how much we miss our sister, Elna (who is waiting for us in heaven), but also how blessed we are to have each other!
And how important it is to get the Third Annual Birthday Trip on the calendar!

But wait – there’s more!! The December fun continues…
Next time!
Steph

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Family and Friends, Life at Bass Lake Lot 205, Pictures of the Adventure, The Adventure

And just like that…

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it’s the last Saturday in November! Life seems to be going at warp speed these days, so I’d better do a bit of a rewind to see just how we got here! Starting with
Thanksgiving!
We joined about 70 other neighbors and their families for a grand Thanksgiving feast on Thursday.
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It was great! But what made it very special for us is that sitting around our table (and I have no photo proof of this!) were our kids and grands from Waco! So.Much.Food.  So.Much.Fun.  Much to my heart’s delight, the gang arrived before The Dinner
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and then stayed the night –
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so it was great fun as we all fit into our little nest (and a nearby guest room) and enjoyed some close fellowship!Untitled

(Gary missed our family photo because he was off working on a Sewer Sump Pump Emergency. But he was there most of the time, I promise!)

Then the week before we were in
Louisana!…
for two weeks, helping out with a building project at one of our favorite ministries – Dry Creek Baptist Camp. They had a couple of decks (16X30 (!!!) and 16×16) that needed to be built, so we joined the team!! And much to my amazement, in 8 days: the posts were installed for the roof cover (10 – 8x8x20 posts), the unit had its skirting installed, both decks were built (including railings and steps) and the area was cleaned up! Phew!
From a typical Monday
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to the following Wednesday afternoon –
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Success!
The back yard was likewise impressive –
In the beginning –
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At the completion –
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Since working with giant pieces of pressure-treated lumber (i.e. stinking heavy) isn’t really my forte, I was primarily working on the skirting. This was a first for me, but with a little help from YouTube (and Gary) I think I got the hang of it!
Skirting
Gary jumped in to help with some of the more technical parts (i.e. cutting to size)
Preparing the skirting
and I also had a great assist from one of the interns when the skirting had to go behind the in-process-of-being-built deck.
Skirting challenge
(Skirting Tip – do it BEFORE you put on a deck!)

With all of the heavy lifting the guys were doing, I confess it was a mostly light-duty time for me! (I also confess that I didn’t hate that!) During our last couple of days, I was able to help in the kitchen with prep work for their monthly Community Fish Fry (which was excellent as always!).
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Now those are my comfort-zone tools!
All in all, it was a lovely couple of weeks! Gary came home tired each day – but it was a good tired – and it was great to see a building project from the start to the finish. Since we had no house chores to take care of at the end of the day, we may or may not have binge-watched the final season of Blue Bloods during our downtime.  Plus, we were able to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones along the way!

Meanwhile – back at The Little Texas House –
Gary continues to find things to construct!
There’s the new gazebo on the deck –
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(This picture was taken upon our return from Louisiana. Hence the  plethora of leaves and acorns!)
He removed the existing walkway cover and built the framing for a roof extension on the driveway cover.

Thankfully, he let actual roofers finish the job.
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On a rainy day, he helped me inside, getting some pictures hung while I worked on some Christmas decorations.

It’s beginning to feel really cozy in here!
While he’s been building, I’ve been enjoying my new design wall in my sewing room (which he also built for me!)-

It’s very exciting to me to be able to lay things out like that, even though it will probably be January before I get to sewing those squares together!

Looking ahead, the days continue to be full (and fabulous, I’m sure).
We leave on Monday morning to complete our grandson’s Texas Adventure – four days in San Antonio!
The following week, I leave for seven days with my sister in Pennsylvania. (Who knows what Gary will build while I’m away??)
The week after that is – yes – Christmas and the day after Christmas we leave for a Conrad (post)Christmas Holiday in Destin. Florida.
When I look at my phone calendar (which I am trying very hard to keep current), I have 8 days with nothing scheduled between now and January 5th. I’m pretty sure your calendar has a similar glow to it! I’ll try to pop in here from time to time in December – but no promises my friends!

May these next days be filled with many reminders that Christ is the reason for this season, and that wise men still seek Him!
Steph

 

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On the Road, RV Life, The Adventure

A Gentle Good-bye

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Maybe it’s because she hasn’t moved more than 100 yards in the last year.

Maybe it’s because it was quite the job to empty her and get her cleaned up.

Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten used to putting something on a shelf without having to worry if it will fall off when we move to our next spot.

But since the primary reason saying good-bye to our faithful 22-year-old Lizzie was not as hard as I expected it to be is because God said, “Time for Retirement Part II. Wait until you see what I have planned for you next!”

And if I start to lose sight of how blessed those years of travel and ministry were,  my 38 picture books and 2537 blog posts will help me remember all of the fabulous places we’ve been to, all the beautiful people we’ve met, and all the ways we’ve seen God working around the country.

So even as we said that gentle goodbye to our well-loved home for these last 20 years, we wait with eager anticipation to see how God will use us as we settle in to this next chapter.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Steph

PS – After 20 years of full-time occupation,  Lizzie is also moving to some light-duty work! Her new owner will be using her just for vacations and outings – I think next up is Daytona in February.  Sounds like he’s putting the “Recreation” back into RV category!

 

 

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