Texas (Dallas,Austin,San Antonio) Nov.25-Dec.9

We made our 3 day trek from Tucson, AZ to Plano, TX with two overnight Walmart stops.  One in Las Cruces, NM and the other in Midland, TX.  

We stayed a week in Plano, Tx and got to see where Mike and Kit live and work. We enjoyed our visit with them and appreciated their time they took to show us around.  We did take an afternoon to go into Dallas and visit the JFK museum ,which was a unique experience.  Rick was able to work at an HP office a couple days while here and seem to appreciate this.  We noticed the difference in humidity in Plano, and had a few restless night sleeps.  Being raised in Ca. and coming from the dry air up north, humidity is a first for the kids in and I.  Rick has experienced it before and doesn't seem to bother him much, says "its good for your skin".  On our push over to Texas we noticed Farley not acting himself.  On the 3 day trek, each truck drive he seem to be extremely anxious, excessively panting and climbing up on the boxes in the truck instead of staying in his nice designated area he always does.  Excessive drinking and loose bowels.  Decided to have him looked at by the local animal hospital and with further evaluation we had some blood work done and his teethed cleaned.  Blood work came back great, and except for a night and day of being drugged,  Farley was good to go. :)  We left with 14 days of antibiotics, a tick/flee collar, a 6 month dosage of parasite preventive treatments (since we are traveling south), clean teeth, better smelling breathe, and a loopy dog.. :)  Oh, and a prescription for something to calm him if needed on our big truck trips, which we don't plan on using unless we have to. 

Our next stop was Austin, Tx.  Our rv park was 25 min outside of town and after a day of driving around the area we decided our time here would be brief.  We enjoyed seeing the Capital building and going to a Sunday church service, but felt a pull to move on into San Antonio after a 3 day stay.  

We are now on our 3rd day in San Antonio, Tx.  We like the area thus far, although on the south side of town we only have a 3 mile drive right into the heart of downtown.  Our days are still consisting of kids schooling and Rick working, but we were able to get out wed evening to see The Tower of the Americas and take a boat ride on the famous river walk.  The tower is 100 feet taller then the Seattle Space Needle and the observation deck goes all the way around the top.  Not liking heights much I was a bit nervous to take the ride up the elevator that looks out over town, but I made it and the view was great, specially the sunset. The river walk boat ride was amazing, it is its own little city down there, and all lit up for Christmas time.  I would like to go back when we have more time to just walk the area and see more.  Yesterday the boys and I took a bike ride on the river walk path that starts behind our rv park.  After about 3 miles we came across a park to stop at for Farley to get some water.  While there we saw 6 dogs who appeared to be homeless and fending for themselves.  3 of them had broken legs, and all seemed to once have been pets who were just abandoned.  My heart went out to the young female who looked to have had babies at one point and very thin and malnourished looking.  After 3 calls to different shelters I was able to give them our location and description of the dogs.  A police officer pulled up shortly only to tell me that there are over 100 parks in San Antonio and there are dogs at most of them.  One park, he said, had 15 dogs at it.  He went on to tell me that since the law past that they cannot put them down any longer, once the shelters fill up that its, they dump them; along with people who have lost their jobs/homes, etc..  So hard to see.  We went back later in the afternoon and brought them food and water and we will continue to check on them and feed them till we leave.  

Tomorrow is our last day here and we plan on visiting the Alamo, visiting with some high school friends of Rick's and checking our the North side of town.   

Part of our decision making over this last week has been based on where we wanted to land for Christmas.  We felt it would possibly be San Antonio, but after thinking it through we decided we would stay in San Antonio 4 days. From here we will make a push over to Pensacola, Fl. for a 5 day stay before landing in Orlando, Fl for a couple weeks for Christmas.  We the Ethridge family at the CDA Rv park before we left, who were doing the same thing as us, (renting our their house and living in a trailer and traveling down to Fl).  Their push to Florida was a bit faster then ours since they needed to be in Florida by Nov 1st for their sons swim team.  Although a couple months behind them we will be landing in the same Thousand Trail Rv Park in Orlando for Christmas time and hope to meet up with them.  

---Jenn

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone, Hope you all had a nice thanksgiving! This year we slept in, watched the Macy's parade and dog show, washed/waxed the truck,  and went out for dinner. Wasn't really the 'traditional' thanksgiving where we play football and cook a turkey, but it was good :) For dinner we went out to a place named "India Oven".. it was interesting. We ordered Tikki Masala, Beef Curry, a lamb dish, and a veggie dish. Dad and I enjoyed the food, but Ave and mom quit after a few bites. More for us! After saying goodbye to the very hospitable owner, we went home and watched 'Batman Begins'.
Today we all slept in, again :) Once we finished breakfast we started cleaning up the house in preparation to take off. We left at 2, and after a 5 hour drive we are now living comfortably at a Walmart parking lot in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Tomorrow we will take a long drive and end up at another Walmart in Midland, Texas. On Sunday we will take the last long drive of this spurt and stop at Plano for a week to visit our aunt Kit and uncle Mike. It is nice to finally have some cooler weather (35-55), as we've been living in 70-80 degree weather lately. Hope all is well back home, miss you all.
-Devin

Tombstone

“The Town to Tough to Die”

In 1877 Ed Schieffelin set up a survey camp in the area of future Tombstone. He was looking for valuable ore samples. Along with possibly having valuable rocks, the area also had Indians who had recently just murdered three superintendents from the near U. S. Army headquarters. When Ed’s friends heard what he was up to, they told him, "The only rock you will find out there will be your own tombstone" and "Better take your coffin with you; you will find your tombstone there, and nothing else."

When he finally found some ore, he found a lot of it. The vein of silver ore he found estimated to be about fifty feet long and twelve inches wide. This was near the San Pedro River Valley, on a plateau known as Goose Flats. On September 21, 1877, Schieffelin filed a land claim and named his stake Tombstone.

Once people had heard of Schieffelin’s discovery, a great deal of them left their homes to partake in the wealth. With all of the new residents, a town started establishing. Lots were sold on Allen Street for $5.00 each. The town soon had some 40 cabins and about 100 residents. By the fall of 1879 a few thousand people were in camp, hovering among the richest silver strike in the Arizona Territory.

Cowboys in those days were not the cowboys we often picture today. Cowboys back then were “a loosely organized band of friends and acquaintances who teamed up for various crimes and came to each other's aid [when necessary]”. The San Francisco Examiner wrote in an editorial, "Cowboys [are] the most reckless class of outlaws in that wild country...infinitely worse than the ordinary robber." The town of Tombstone had diversity, such as European miners and Chinese Laundromats, but the majority of the town was filled with Cowboys.

As the fastest growing town in southwest American, the silver industry and the possibility of wealth invited many professionals and traders who brought their families along with them.

If you’ve watched the movie Tombstone you know about the Earps and Doc Holliday. If you haven’t seen it, that’s okay. The famous Gun Fight at the O.K. Coral took place at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, during which the lawmen (Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp) along with Doc Holliday killed Cowboys Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton. Many of the facts surrounding the gun fight are uncertain, including the reason for it in the first place.

The town goes on today as a tourist attraction. While there you can see “Cowboys” talking, smoking, and walking up and down the street, along with a reenactment of the famous O.K. Coral Gun Fight every hour.

-Devin

Arizona (Oct.27-Nov.24th)

Made it to Arizona!  We were not sure how long our stay would be here but due to some health issues we have remained in the Mesa/Apache Junction area for 3 weeks. Today we will  be leaving for Tucson area for another week before heading over to New Mexico and then on into Texas.  

First thing we noticed about the desert area is the cacti... yep, they are everywhere.  2nd thing is, you do not see much grass around, it is all rock, gravel or cement.  Warm warm warm!  Our first week here it was in the 90's, but over the last week in half it has cooled down into the high 70s-low 80s which has been very pleasant.

We were blessed to be able to drive up north to see the Grand Canyon.  What a wonderful, amazing sight for the eyes.  On our drive up Devin read to us the history of the Grand Canyon via http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2005/12/20/message-grand-canyon
which made our views of this spectacular place all the more special.   Our drive up was 5 hrs, so after a quick peek we settled in for a night at a nearby hotel, (our first time out of our trailer in 4 months).  It seems I am sensitive to higher altitudes, so I was laid up in bed the rest of the evening.  Thankful that I could go in the morning with my boys to see the Grand Canyon!  Being that we only had a few hours we took in as many stops as we could along the south rim of the canyon before having to leave for the drive home.  It was amazing!  On the way home we took a scenic drive through Sedona and stopped in town for dinner.  Such beautiful red rock formations and we were all happy to see the color of fall in the trees. ( missed our fall colors back home)

Earlier this week we took a drive up to Scottsdale to see the town that my great great great uncle founded.  On the drive home we stumbled across a Bass Pro Shop which was very exciting for Avery.  We didn't think we would see one until Texas.  :)

The rest of our time here has been laying low, routine and lots of rest for me.  We are thankful for our time here and the things we were able to see. Thankful for seeing my cousins Rob and Juli and where they live.  Thankful for the two churches we were able to attend and hear the Word preached.  Thankful for God's provisions and daily grace!  There is still quite the struggle with health issues for me right now, but my prayer is that I would learn what God would have me learn in this trial and that I would be content in His finished work.  For this life is but a moment, it will fade away. May I have my eyes focused on eternal things and not the pain and suffering of this life here on earth.

We will finish our time here in Arizona with a week in Tucson.  It seems this is where we will be for Thanksgiving this year!

---Jenn

Winfield Scott Plaque

Scottsdale's founder, a minister, Civil War hero, member of the Territorial House of Representatives and Chancellor of the University of Arizona who promoted the dusty desert east of Phoenix is honored here by the citizens of Scottsdale for his many accomplishments. This memorial depicts Chaplain Scott welcoming newcomers and Helen Scott seated on their beloved mule, "Old Maud"

• Known as "the fighting Parson". Winfield Scott was born Feb 26, 1837 in West Novi, Michigan. His wife Helen Louise Brown, was born Feb. 8, 1838 in New York. They married Dec. 13, 1861, the day he graduated from Rochester Seminary School.

• In 1862 Captain Scott organized Company C of the 126th New York Volunteer Infantry to fight with the Union Army in the battles of Harper's Ferry, Gettysburg, the Wilderness and Spotsylvania.

• For the next two decades he served as a Baptist missionary and preacher in the West. In 1882, he returned to the Army serving as Chaplain.

• After visiting the Valley and envisioning land where citrus could be grown, in 1888 he purchased 640 acres of desert east of Scottsdale Road and north of Indian School Road.

• In 1893 he retired with his Army mule, "Old Maud," a veteran of the Apache campaigns.

• The city's namesake died in 1910 at age 73. Helen passed away in 1931 at age 93.
----
Winfield Scott is also my Great-Great-Great-Great-Uncle on my mom's side, which means he is my mom's Great-Great-Great-Uncle. Kinda neat :)

-Devin

Thoughts from Dad..

We have been on the road now for over 2 months and living in our trailer for 4 months.  It has been a huge change in some ways but not so big of a change in another.

The changes that have been different are:

-My work, I still haven't started full time work, although I'm being paid for it :p .
-Constantly shopping at a new grocery store, had steady Costco and Fred Meyer before.
-Learning the rules of each RV park. Kids and Pets.
-Cooking, working, cleaning, and hanging out in an approx. 20x20 main living space.
-Driving a huge diesel truck everywhere, used to have the Element and Yukon.
-Changing how we treat our home, it isn't built as solid as a normal home.
-Doing laundry and showering in the RV park facilities.
-Sleeping: Jenn and I are in a mini queen RV bed (had a Cal King), Boys are in mini twins in the same room.
-In most parks we have access to Cable TV so we occasionally watch a show, didn't watch much before.
-Every week or two we are in a different town with a different feel.
-Farley doesn't have a yard to hang out in, we have to purposely take him out for potty time :).
-No yard to take care of, no lawn to mow, no snow to shovel :).

Thing that hasn't changed too much:

AVERY - Although he is using sticks to walk instead of his walker and is riding his bike now, he still refuses to use his legs fully and remove the sunglasses when there is any light.  It is obvious to us he has been capable to do these things all along but he continues to believe the lie that he can't do certain things.
Please pray that God would rescue him from his sin and deceit and that he would start seeing truth for what it is.

The truck and trailer have been holding up so far which has been relieving to me, however there are a couple things broken with the trailer now.  While still in CDA I broke our stabilizer jacks because I tried to use them as hoists and put too much weight on them.  Now they squeak and one of them has to be manually raised and lowered.  One of our beautiful children forgets to be gentle with the trailer and has  accidentally broken a couple things.  We have a broken cabinet and a crack in our kitchen faucet which need to be fixed.  Over all those are very minor though.  Amazingly, we are still using our initial propane that we left with from the dealer.  We have learned that not only do we need to treat the black tank (#1 and #2) with anti smell chemicals, but we also need to treat the grey 2 tank (kitchen sink) because it gets awfully smelly if stuff sits in there too long in the heat.  Our bikes were drug behind the trailer which totalled a couple of them.  Fortunately the only expensive bike we had only took minor damage.  We started with 4 bikes, now we have two :).  

We have traveled from Idaho to Oregon to California to Arizona so far and Jenn and my favorite places have been Pacific City, Florence, Roseburg and Pismo.  Our favorite churches have been in Pacific City and Castroville/Watsonville/Salinas. Devin's favorite fun spots have been Pacific City, Winchester Bay, Santa Cruz, Pismo, Venice, Grand Canyon, and Santa Monica.  We'll see how we like Texas, Florida, and any other places at which we plan to stop.

Thanks for stopping to read our blog!  Please drop a comment and keep in touch.

-Rick

Venice Beach recollections

We are currently in Apache Junction, AZ going through our photos from the last few weeks and I came across a couple that needed to be shared :).  These were from Venice beach.  Hope you enjoy!  --Rick