Trips and Flops

On Friday, we drove up to Flagstaff after Sam got off of work.  We had decided we needed to go somewhere cooler, so we made a reservation at a motel and off we went.  The drive up there was a little over two hours.  We went through desert, desert and more desert for quite a while even going up into the mountains at first.  Then we went around a mountain and all of a sudden BOOM!  trees!!!!   Wonderful trees!!!  Did I mention that I LOVE trees?!?!?!?!  Yeah, I'm missing my Piney Woods Region of Texas at this point.  I'm not a desert girl, that's for sure.  Anyway, we did finally make it up to Flagstaff and Sam and I decided that we would love to live there, but we couldn't afford it!:) Haha!  Who knows, God can totally do anything.  We got to our motel, the Super 8 off of business I-40 and it wasn't too shabby.  Our room was pretty neat because it had two queen beds and bunk beds.   After we  got settled in, we had to find some food, so we decided to drive around and look for some place to eat.  The temperature was fabulous and we got to see the way the city looks at night.  Just in case some of you don't know, Flagstaff has a dark-sky coalition.  There is an observatory there for deep space observation and the whole city stays as dark as possible.  All of the street lights are yellow and most of the business signs are muted.  It really felt as though my eyes were playing tricks on me.:)  Very strange feeling.  Anyway, after driving around and not really seeing anything we just had to have, I suggested we go back to the motel because there was a Village Inn restaurant right beside it and with our hotel keys we could get 10% off of whatever we ordered.  Sam wasn't really hungry anyway and I was really thinking that a stack of pancakes would be good for me and the boys to share.  Plus, we could get it to go and come back to the room and eat and relax.  So that's what we did.  The Village Inn is kinda between a Denny's and an IHOP.  There's no smoking and this one was super quiet. (Arizona Law - lovin' that.  No offense to smokers.  I'm not trying to be malicious or anything.  I personally think its a terrible habit to have because it controls you and not the other way around.  Not to mention the fact that you are sucking in all kinds of carcinogenic toxins.  Yeah, I just don't see or smell ANYTHING good about cigarettes.  Plus, I'm allergic to the smoke and right now in my pregnancy, if I get a whiff of cigarette smoke, I nearly can't control the urge to puke.  Oh yeah, just so you know, my grandpa died of a huge tumor between his lungs caused by 70+ years of smoking and I've had friends through the years who have smoked.)  It was pretty full, but so quiet.  I was amazed.  Anyway, we got to the room with the pancakes and they were very yummy!  The boys were loving them, too.  The night went by peacefully despite that the hotel was full.  The next day, Sam saw a brochure for several things to do.  There was a train ride into the Grand Canyon that would be really fun, but it was expensive and time consuming and right now wouldn't be the ideal time to do that, but we are thinking we want to do that before we leave Arizona.  The other thing that really interested us was a ride up a mountain on a ski lift.  We would only have to pay for Sam and I and it would only take part of the day to do it.   Before we went to the mountain, we went to this outfitters place that we had driven by the night before.  Sam wanted to see if they had anything interesting and we also wanted to see what their prices on backpack kid carriers was.  It was a very neat store and we did find a carrier.  It was also cheaper than others that we've looked at.  (We've been wanting one since Braden was a toddler.  Sam usually gets the brunt of carrying the wee one and a carrier would make that job so much nicer for him!) When we got to the mountain, it was very overcast and a sign said that rain was likely.  Well, neither of us brought any foul weather gear from the van.  We had two unbrellas...... WARNING: unwise decision-making ahead!   We did put the boys into long sleeves and pants, though.  We got to the lift and right before we got on I noticed a sign that said it takes 30 mins for the ride up and 30 for the ride down.  Yeah.....  We got on and I just prayed it wouldn't rain on us.  But it DID!!!!  Yeah, a down pour.  As we got closer to the top, it started hailing on us.  Poor Braden and Zekey!  Zekey actually didn't seem to mind as much as Braden, but that's because he was in a backpack carrier and Braden was sitting between Sam and I and had only his little light-weight jacket for cover.  Sam had put on a windbreaker and I had on his Dickies work coat.  Needless to say, we all got soaked.  Zekey's middle didn't get soaked thanks to the protection of the carrier, but the rest of us were wet clean through.  The sad part is that at first Braden was all excited and as we got thoroughly soaked, he started whimpering and saying how he wanted to go home.  Poor little guy.  Sam was doing his best to keep Zekey's head from getting wet with one of his little blankets, but it only did so much.  I took the coat off and used it to try and keep the rain off of Braden and I as much as possible.  Anyway, we were wet and freezing when we finally got to the top.  (They actually sped the ski-lift up because so many people were in our same predicament and they didn't want anyone to get hypothermia.  The temp at the top was 29 degrees F.  Yeah, just a tad nippy!)  Anyway, they had a little emergency shack at the top and plenty of people were piled in there trying to warm up with wool blankets.  You know, I've never been a fan of wool because it makes me so stinkin' itchy, but let me just say, "Thank you, Dear Lord, for wool blankets!!!!!!"  We would have been in serious trouble without them, that's for sure.  The only way down the mountain was on the lift, so yeah.  Well, I don't know exactly how long we were up there, but another problem also presented itself.  Halfway up the mountain, I realized that I didn't bring any snacks with me.  I had eaten something right before we left, but  I needed something to eat at the hour mark or the nausea would set in with a vengeance.  Well, God was totally taking care of me in that because even though I was getting hungry, I was much more concerned with the kids well-being to pay too much attention to my stomach.  Anyway, what ended up happening was they sped up the lift to get all of us frozen people down the mountain as quickly as possible.  It basically cut our time in half.  Before we made the decision to go ahead and go back down, I explained to Braden that they were going to make us go down faster and that if we went ahead and left, then we could go get in the van and get them changed into dry clothes and get the heater going.  I asked if he could be brave and he said he could and let's go.  Such a brave little boy!!!!  My sweet Braden!  As we were getting back on the lift, the lady that was operating it took one look at us and asked if we needed a blanket and I said if she had one, absolutely!  She had another lady run and get us one from the shack and she tucked us all in!  Oh, more blessings from God!!!!!  Seriously, that blanket was a total blessing!  Not only did it keep us warm from the blowing wind, but guess what...  It started pouring down rain on us again!  Yep, lovely water-resistant wool, let me count the ways that I love it now.:)  Imagine with me if you will....  Sam had Zekey wrapped in his little blanket and then tucked under his jacket to share body heat.  I had Braden in my lap with my coat wrapped around us and then we had the wool blanket over us.  For most of the way down, we were all completely under it, heads and all.  We passed a guy who said, "Only on a mountain do you have to worry about freezing to death in August!"  Isn't that the truth.  We finally got to the bottom and headed inside to get some hot chocolate, but decided against that and went to the van instead.  We got the boys dry and warm and Sam and I just made do in our soaked clothing.  We didn't have any extras since we only stayed the one night.  The boys always have extras cuz I always expect something involving the need to change their clothes.:D  Anyway, we ended up going to Chili's and getting it to go and boy did that help.  Fooooooooood.  All I have to say is broccoli-cheese soup in one's belly after being that cold is a magnificent thing!!!!  So, from there, we decided we should just head home.  We were all tired and Sam and I were still wet.  We want to do the whole mountain thing again, but we've decided that we will all be dressed for a blizzard and umbrellas will be present, rain or shine! :)  The trip home went more quickly than the trip there because it was all downhill at 75 mph for the most part.  The funny thing is, we spent the morning freezing our hineys off and when we got home we were sweating!  (Sam got dry in the time it took him to unload about five things from the van.  Seriously.)  Yep.  That was our little mini-trip.  We can't ever say that our traveling experiences are boring, that's for sure!

Just me yapping

So I guess I'm due to write something.  We got back in our motorhome just fine.  Of course, it did leave the place quite a mess.  Let's just say, at this point, its a work in progress.:)  We are still undetermined whether we want to stay at this rv park or venture to another one that is pretty far from Sam's work.  Right now, we're about 15 mins away.  We'll prolly try and stay here.

Well, Sunday after church, we went and ate at Olive Garden and it was sooooo good.  I had to ration myself, but I still enjoyed it.  I got the cheese ravioli's and only ate three of them in the restaurant and ended up having three more meals out of it later!  Woohoo.  I didn't even have to prepare it.:)  Apparently, Braden and Zekey are Fettucini Alfredo lovers like their daddy.  I myself am NOT fond of Alfredo sauce.  Anyway, they scarfed theirs down.  Then we went to the mall.  Sam needed some tools and while we were there, I saw that they have a Motherhood Maternity, so we went there and I got several things to wear.  Yay!  I don't have any of my former maternity clothes with me. This mall also has one of those free play areas for the kids and while Sam was checking out of Sears, I took Braden to the play area.  He had so much fun!  Zekey slept right through it and woke up just in time to leave. :(  Well, I'm sure there will be a next time.  Anyway, Sam then agreed to let me get a new pair of dress shoes because I don't have any that are comfy.  I found some ballerina-style shoes at Payless and got them.  I am now on the lookout for some snazzy flipflops on the days I don't want my whole foot covered up.  We'll see what I can find.  I'm pretty sure nothing will compare with my Crocs, which are the MOST comfy flipflops I have ever had.  Before these, I was a connoisseur of flipflops.  Really, I was just excited to be able to go around the mall and still be okay.  I did start running out of steam by the end and that's pretty much all I had in me for the rest of the day.  It was progress though and that's the point.  Thank you God for making me able to spend a day with my family without the need to lay down the whole time!!!!:)  Woohoo!!!

There has also been another funny/interesting development.  We have had our mobile home for about three years now.  We first got it when we moved to Diana.  My sister Jennifer's parents let us cop a squat on their land for free.   It was truly a blessing.  Then when we moved to Corpus Christi, it sat for a while with no occupants until my sister Mollie moved it to her land and lived in it for a year.  Well, now its going back to Jennifer's parents land and Ben, Jen and the boys are buying it from us and are going to live in it!  Isn't that great?  Its really a blessing for all around because we wanted to sell it.  Mollie and her husband wanted to live somewhere else and they were interested in it not being on their property anymore and then Ben and Jen decided to sell their house and were looking into mobile homes and ours was the best deal.  Its so funny that we've kept it in the family!  Anyway, they plan to make many improvements to it and I'm excited to see the end result.  A lot of the improvements are things Sam and I would have liked to do to it when we lived in it, but just flat out didn't have the money to do it.  So I'm glad they are going to fix the ole girl up. :D  So, Praise God! for another debt taken care of.  Its amazing what He does in His timing when we step back out of His way!!!!!

I do have something that's been on my mind, but It'll take a bit for me to formulate it all and write another post.  Until then....

Developements

I thought I'd give you all an update. I've really appreciated all of your emails. The past few days were really rough, so I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you until now. Last Friday was especially troublesome. The night before, I started feeling really bad and after trying to go to sleep and my stomach hurting, I finally threw up. After that I had some really crazy nervous energy and I didn't actually fall asleep until about 3 am after which I got up for the day at 6 am. Then I threw up again. Yeah, it got me in a panic. I hadn't gotten an appointment for a doctor yet because I was just intending to take it easy and find one I really liked in my own time. Well, yesterday morning I was thinking I needed to go to the emergency room. I called my family and made prayer requests and Sam came to get me. He wanted me to try to get an appointment with a doctor because he didn't want me waiting around an emergency room all day. I also called on some friends of Sam's aunt and uncle that live very close by and asked them if they would come watch the boys while we went to the doctor. I had met their son, one of their daughters and the father and all I can say is I knew they were a neat family. The mother and second oldest daughter came over and the mother Michelle immediately prayed over me! I'm telling you God totally provides! Anyway, I looked in the yellow pages and found a very interesting birthing place. They have two ob/gyns, several nurse midwives, several nurse practitioners and I think a doctor of obstetrics. Anyway, they used to operate the only birthing center in Arizona, but they had to shut it down. They now deliver exclusively out of a hospital very close to their offices. I was really thinking home birth this time, but was also very open to a birthing center experience. The main thing I want is to do it the way I want and not be pressured into anything. So anyway, my doctor is just fabulous. Totally open to whatever I want to do. For the first 20 mins he just sat and talked with Sam and I and stated that he really just wanted to get to know us. So cool. He then did the exam and though we don't know for sure how far along I am, we do know I'm not yet 10 wks. (I should be about there now, however;) We couldn't hear the heart beat yet. He also decided to get out their little sonogram machine and take a look-see. Yep, we got to see our precious little one just hanging out. We saw the baby's hand sticking up and the really cool thing was that the baby looked like a baby and not a jelly bean this time.:) Anyway, after that, the doctor addressed my nausea issues and gave me a prescription for Zofran. We discussed it and after telling him that I didn't want to be on it for any longer than I had to and that I wanted to take the lowest dose possible, he was all for that and told me that he would just prescribe the lowest dose available and then I could cut it in half. He also told me to eat every hour, which I think has also made a difference. We also talked more about the hospital where they do the deliveries and I am very impressed to say the least. He said that since they do the majority of births at this hospital, the hospital really caters to them and will allow lots of things. He said they have jacuzzi tubs and while they don't allow water births:( , they do allow you to labor in water. I also said I didn't want to be flat on my back delivering and he said that was fine with him. I can bring whatever birthing tools I want. He said that he has even gotten down on the floor on his back to deliver a baby before. So, there's a whopping WOO-HOO from me. The only thing now is are we going to be here that long? Well, that's in God's hands. The other great thing is that they take our insurance!!! I may or may not get the VA involved this time. Its really a big hassle and there's a real possibility that the VA wouldn't allow me to use this clinic and as far as I'm concerned, this is the place for us. :D So, there we are. When we got back Braden and Zekey were having such a good time. They had made all kinds of projects and there were stickers all over the place and colors and just lots of fun stuff. Michelle and her daughter Leanne (hope I spelled that right...) stayed until mid-afternoon just hanging out with us and still helping to watch the boys. Sam and I got to have a really great discussion with Michelle and we got such peace out of that day even though it started out roughly. I was also able to lay down and take a nap! I don't know how I'm going to thank them, but I will!!! :D

Okay, so on to other things. So, we are going to be getting back into our motor home this weekend and I'm really glad we'll be back home! Its been very difficult trying to maintain order in such a large house when I am not able at this time to do a whole lot. Anyway, we were able to get several things done on the motor home that we hadn't been able to do previously, so YAY!

Mostly everything has been slow going so far, which I'm really grateful for because that is the only pace I move at these days. I have thrown up again since the first incident above, but it all worked out and the medicine is there when I need it and I don't take it when i don't need it. I have another appointment on the 9th, so maybe I'll know more details then. Well, gotta go eat, yet again!

More on Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Sam and I watched the three part series and I'm telling you it is weird, quirky and definitely worth watching.  You can only see it on iTunes now, but seriously, if you want to see something different, this is for you.  They eventually want to get it out on dvd, but are also working on a cd, the songs are great, and there are possibilities for sequels. Here is the trailer so you can catch a glimpse of the oddness.

Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

Things that make you go...hhhhmmmmm

Sorry, I haven't blogged in a while, but I've been busy with a whole lot of nothingness.  Mostly, I've been picking up after two very messy kids and trying to keep someone else's house from looking like a disaster area!  Its really not fun when all your body keeps trying to do is gag.;p  

Yeah, so yesterday Sam went out to put up the resident chickens here and out of 7, 4 hens and the rooster were dead.  Apparently there is a brazen band of coyotes here that strikes during the day.  I was here all day along with several other people who were in and out and none of us heard a thing!  My experience with coyotes is that they strike at night when they can be sneaky.  Anyway, I felt really bad about the chickens.  The remaining two were super freaked out.  The interesting thing is that out of the five that were killed, only the rooster was eaten on.  The others were just killed.  I'm thinking that these are some very stupid coyotes!

So then this morning I woke up with a super mega neck cramp!  AAAAaaaahhhh!  Just call me Mrs. Robot for the next few days.  Good grief.:)  Obviously, I'm not being kind to my neck while I sleep.  Oh, well.

Anyway, the boys are doing well.  They are the masters of making huge messes, so that's always fun.  Last night, I came into the bathroom and it was wet all around the toilet.  I called Braden in there and asked him if he did it.  He said yes and I asked him why.  He said he couldn't get the potty seat up, so he just decided to go all over the floor.  WHAT?!?!  I think my child has taken a crazy pill!  Zekey has just taken to getting into everything.  I'm beginning to think the reason I haven't thrown up is because I don't have time to!  They are both still really funny and so much fun to watch.  Everyday Braden comes up with something new and funny to say.  Zekey tries to do everything that Braden does and when you ask him a question he nods his head.  He's actually selective about it too.  Sometimes, I just know he knows what we're talking about and he's answering accordingly.  He is communicating in other ways, too, which is cool.

Okay, so far that's all I've got.  More later as things progress.

Well, isn't this different...

I was reading the latest blog of favorite author Karen Hancock and she directed anyone reading to this website.  Its called Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog.  Its made by Joss Whedon, the very same creator of the Firefly series turned movie Serenity.  Sam and I are avid Sci-fi fans and the more strange and creative, the better.  (I don't mean horror, just weird.)  The series Firefly is basically a western set in outer space.  Very interesting premise.  I highly encourage a peak if you can get a hold of it.  I think iTunes has it and if I'm not mistaken you can rent it off of Netflix.  The movie Serenity, too.  Anyhoo, seeing as how this new project has Nathan Fillion (star of Firefly and Serenity) and Neil Patrick Harris in it and they are singing and its a comic spoof, well, let's just say I am thoroughly enjoying it.  Its only going to be available for free viewing until Saturday at midnight.  After that, there will be a fee charged.  Right now act one and two are showing and the third will be up tomorrow.  I'll also put up the link for the "plan" of the whole thing.  Joss Whedon does a very funny little FAQ thing.   Let me know what you think.....

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

The plan

Cool Stuff! and prayer needed

Well, we have had a wonderful blessing bestowed upon us.  Sam's Aunt and Uncle who have a house here in Phoenix have asked us to come live in their house.  They have a vacation home which they are currently in for the summer and only come to this house in Phoenix to check on things and if they need to do something here.  They have a guest area and we are loving it.  The house itself is just beautiful.  There is a really big back yard with a playground and lots of shade.  What a difference from the rv park!!  Anyway, I'm still sick most of the day, but am able to do way more so far this pregnancy than the last one.  I have been able to keep all my food down, PRAISE GOD!!!  I'm still just being patient and waiting on the Lord.  Its so much nicer to be here than in our rv at this point and we're very grateful.  Also, we had a bit of a mini-reunion with family that we haven't seen for about 6 years.  So cool.  I'm really excited about this turn of events.  I'll keep everyone posted.

Okay, I have a prayer request.  I just found out that a very dear friend of mine just lost her baby.  I'm not going to give more details than that.  Please keep her and her husband in your prayers.  Those of you who know what it is like to have a miscarriage, I'm asking for your prayers in particular because you'll know more specifically what to pray for/about.

Update on our move and more.....news.....:)

Sorry, it has been a while since I gave an update, but things have been...interesting.  We made it out to Arizona just fine.  We did get to see Uncle Jim and Aunt Dianne in Lubbock, TX.  It was only one night, but we loved being able to see them and hang out with them for even a short amount of time.  Uncle Jim married us nearly 8 years ago...twice.  When we got to their house Aunt Dianne was still at work.  (She's having to work 12's right now...yuck!)  Anyway, he had lots of goodies for the boys. Seriously, it was like their birthday all over again.  Braden loved his surprises and Zekey was just running around excited about all of the room...hehehe.  One of the neat things about Uncle Jim and Aunt Dianne is they keep 3 box turtles in their backyard with their dog.  They will seriously follow you around expecting a treat!  That's just so cool.  Braden got to touch one and he just really did a great job being careful and gentle.

Well, after we said goodbye, the next day we headed out to Carlsbad Caverns.  That was really fun and exhausting!  We did take pics, but had to do it with 35 mm so I'll have to have them transferred to disk before I can post them and that might be a while, but they will eventually show up.  Braden was kinda freakin' out when we first headed down into the mouth of the cave, but after I put him on my back for a bit, he wanted down and he walked the entire thing himself after that.  Yay, Braden!  Its so neat to see your child conquer a fear and then really enjoy himself!  Zekey mostly rode on his Daddy's shoulders, but we did take turns carrying him.  He wound up getting a bit chilled even though we brought a blanket. It was 57 degrees in there!  That was so nice!!  Anyway, I don't remember how long it took us to get through the whole thing, but let me assure you, when we were done, we took the elevators back up!

After that adventure, we went to Las Cruces and stayed in the Sam's parking lot there.  Quite a storm picked up right after we got there and we discovered that there are several things we need to get fixed on our rig.  Yeah, fun.  Anyway, we made it to Tucson the next day and took refuge at Billy Gene and Patsy's house.  They are Sam's cousins and we were able to stay with them for two days.  Braden took to calling Patsy, Pantsy.  So funny!  She thinks so too.  This couple is just so cool.  They are great fun and so generous and loving!  They have a pool and before we left, Billy Gene had Braden jumping off of the diving board and swimming the whole length of the poolwith the aid of arm floaties.  Woohoo!  He's been wanting to get back in a pool ever since.  Patsy also took him on a cactus walk.  I've never seen so many different kinds of cacti before, but that is what their garden mostly consists of.  Its amazingly beautiful!  Anyway, Braden was just loving it!  Poor Zekey happened to have a rash cover his whole body by the time we made it there.  The doctor said it was probably from when he got his MMR shot.  All I have to say is, YIKES!  It did go away after a few days and it didn't seem to bother him at all the whole time, so....hmmmm.  Zekey also enjoyed the pool quite a bit.  He enjoyed being shoved gently off of the diving board.:)  I really think that's why Braden ended up jumping off. ;)  Well, of course, Braden had a hard time leaving and still constantly talks about going and visiting them.  We will get to go back, but it will be a bit.

So, then, we made it to Tempe, which if you look on the map, looks like Phoenix swallowed it up.  Let's just say, for me, this place leaves much to be desired.  ITS HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sam seems to be just fine, but I don't do well in heat.  Never have.  When we got here I already wasn't feeling too well and then the heat on top of it.  Yeah, not a good combo.  That's when Sam and I both came to the conclusion that I'm pregnant.   Lots of lovely signs pointing to the fact long before I took the test.    We did have confirmation a couple of days ago, however, and our thoughts were proved!  Yep, we're having another little person join our family!!!  We are really excited!!  The nausea does fight for my attention at this point, but I'm not going to let that take priority this time!  I'm thinking that by the symptoms I'm around 7 weeks at this point.  I can't go by the monthly visitor because I've only had two since Zekers was born.  Yep and not in a row either.  Its been about 3 months since the last one, so I'm probably gonna have to get a sonogram to tell for sure.  So far, I have been pretty nauseated, but PRAISE THE LORD!!!! I haven't thrown up!  Yay, yay, yay!!!  I'm still able to eat, though many foods still cause a lovely gagging reflex.  I've also had to be in bed quite a bit the last week.  Normally, I would be upset about having to change my normal routine, but I'm just so relieved that there is no throwing up that I don't really care!  I'm also believing that this won't last long and I'll be back up and around before I know it.  I have appealed to many people for prayer and support and I am sooooooo blessed!  I know God will honor His children's pleas!  What an awesome Father we have!!!  I've also been having the best experience of rejoicing and praising Him in the midst of trouble.  I truly have so much to be thankful for!  If anyone else would like to raise up a prayer on our behalf, we will gladly accept it with open arms.  There are a few things we could use prayer about.  The heat - Braden really can't be outside during the day cuz its really just that hot here. I certainly can't right now.  A solution to this problem would be nice.  A healthly baby.  A great pregnancy - I don't want to just squeak by this time.  I want to be a testament to what God can really do in someone when they have faith and trust Him completely!  Sam - he's working longer hours here.  I just don't want him to get exhausted.  Pray for renewal of his mind, body and spirit.  Our boys - I really want to be able to get them involved in a playgroup or something.

Well, that's really all for now.  I'm gonna go lay back down now.  I'll try to blog when I'm feeling up to it and have time.

Happy July 4th!!

A big THANK YOU to our veterans and troops who help us keep our independence!  We appreciate the sacrifices that you and your families make on a daily basis.  Thank you for staying the course.

I hope everyone has a fantastic July 4th!  Hopefully, we'll run into a good place to eat today!:;)  Have fun.......

Incommunicado

So, starting today, we will be out of range of our internet service until we arrive at the rv park in Arizona.  We'll have wi-fi there.  YAY!  Clearwire, however, hasn't made it out there, yet.  If all goes according to past history, then they should move in and set up internet service after we leave.  No joke, its happened several times already:  California, Hawaii, Longview, TX, Corpus Christi, TX!  They were here in Killeen before us, so I guess we were just blessed here with internet connection! :)  Anyway, we have some things planned for our trip and once we arrive and are settled, I'll tell all about it.