New addition to the family

Well we have been pretty busy the last 4-5 days. Our older daughter and her husband had their first baby. This is our fifth grandchild. Our younger daughter has four children and our son hasn't gotten married yet(but has a girlfriend). We went to Northern Illinois to help with the two dogs while they were at the hospital and to witness the birth. Wednesday night they went to the hospital because they were going to induce her early the next day. We got to the hospital Thursday morning and she was beginning to feel the labor pains increase from the medication to induce labor. Once they did the epidural on her though things went smoother.

By early afternoon she was really beginning to feel some back pressure and the feeling of needing to push. The doctor came in about 3 pm and gave her the go ahead to start pushing. Well about three pushes later Aiden Seth Ulmer was born. He had a little trouble getting his first breath and we were asked to leave the room but fortunately the Neonatal specialist came right in and intubated him and he started breathing on his own. Whew......That was scary. We were all able to see him before they took him to Neonatal ICU to be sure everything was alright.

We were taken to the NNICU a while later and he had really started to perk up and his color was good too.

Then they took Heather and Paul to her room on the Mother/Baby floor at Central DuPage Hospital. The funny thing is Heather was born at the same hospital when we were living in the Chicago area while I went to college. Glenda and I went to their home to tend to the dogs and get some rest.

The next day we  went back to see our new addition to the family. It's been about 6 years since the last grandchild was born and only the second grandson. That makes five grandchildren. I don't think we are done yet but time will tell. Glenda couldn't get enough of holding Aiden.

But I had to have my turn too.

Heather, Paul and Aiden came home on Saturday afternoon and we had so much fun watching him make faces and cooing. He really enjoys being swaddled in his blanket and looks so good too.

Here is a great picture of the happy parents.

 

 

And one of the other children. The hairy kind. :-)

 

 

Mom and Dad had a bit of a rough night on Saturday since this was the first night at home and there was the time change and since Heather is breastfeeding it is taking a little time for the milk to come in. However I did talk to Heather this afternoon and they had just come back from the pediatrician's office. Aiden had not lost any more weight and was in excellent condition. He had only lost 4 oz. from the time he was born to when he left the hospital 3 days later. I guess he is getting what he needs nutritionally. We are so happy to have another addition to our family. In two more weeks we go see the other grandchildren and enjoy some one on one with them. Looking forward to our next opportunity to see Aiden. How great it will be when we retire and can spend more quality time with them all. The countdown continues.



Chicago RV Show, Now We Know

Well, I have been talking about going to the Chicago RV Show in the last couple of posts and we did that on Saturday. We looked only at 5th wheels since that is what we plan to purchase when we get ready to retire in early to mid 2015. We saw high end, mid range and low end rigs. After reviewing the prices, floorplans, options and the specifications of all those we saw we have determined that the Sanibel 3500 is the one within our price range, has the specifications for full timing, the quality in construction and the floorplan we like the best. Now I'm not saying that this decision might not change in the future before we pull the trigger but I have been to the Chicago RV show for the third year in a row and the Grand Rapids RV show this year and we just have not seen another 5th wheel IN OUR PRICE RANGE that really meets our wants and needs like this one. Are there better rigs out there? I'm sure there might be but we feel like we have seen just about every manufacturer out there right now and for our money we like the Sanibel. I've searched a number of forums and the general consensus I have seen is "the best rig for you is the one that fits your wants and needs". This one does that for us. Going to Chicago and seeing the Sanibel again after our first impression in Grand Rapids confirms our sense of knowing. Working toward retirement and it won't be long.  

Side trip to Holland. MI

As I mentioned in my last post we had a great time at the Grand Rapids RV show last month and on the way home we decided to make a side trip to Holland. MI. About 3 years ago we rented a condo just down the street from the Holland State Park on Ottawa Beach Rd and were joined by our daughters, their spouses, our son and the grandchildren. All together that is 11 of us. The condo was three stories with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths and we needed them all. The state park beach is large with plenty of room to spread out a blanket and get some sun and enjoy Lake Michigan. Of course we did this in June when the temperatures were warm and sunning and swimming are expected. The condo had a nice pool right in front of our 3 story condo. Unfortunately, I can't find those pictures but the pictures I got last month are a stark contrast to the weather we had in the summer. On the way home we ran into some intermittent snow showers and the wind was really blowing. We saw the exit to the state park and found our way back to Ottawa Beach Rd and parked in the parking lot.

This is the view of Lake Michigan looking out our windshield. I think the wind was blowing about 35- 40 mph. I stayed in the car to take pictures but there were a few brave souls that ventured out by the pier.

Here is a closer view of the waves rolling down the pier

 

Sitting in the car the snow would come and go and with the wind blowing so hard it was difficult to see very far forward at times. Not only was the snow blowing but the sand was really whipping too.

This is a view of the canal that connects Lake Macatawa to Lake Michigan. Not much of a view with the snow, sand and wind. As long as we stayed in the car it was actually sort of pretty.

 

This is the view looking back toward Lake Macatawa

 

 

There's a campground(Holland-Lake Macatawa) back about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the beach area with electric service only and some sites have 50 amp but it is pretty close quarters and would be difficult to get large rig into a site.

 

We really enjoyed our stroll down memory lane and thinking about all the different things we did with the family. Boy what a difference the weather makes. Fortunately the roads were not bad(mostly just blowing snow) and by the time we got to the IN border and into IL the snow had stopped and it was smooth sailing. Looking forward to spring and getting the camper out.

 

Oh yeah... We're planning on going to the Chicago RV show next weekend. Got to keep looking for that perfect rig to go full time in. We invited our younger daughter in IN and her husband to meet us so she is trying to get the weekend off from work. I know we'll have a good time and I think they will too. We'll have some lunch together while we are there. So many great restaurants to choose from. Well wish us luck on narrowing down the search. Ready to retire and it won't be long.

 

Grand Rapids RV show and Anniversary

Well, everyone we had a great weekend in Grand Rapids, MI at the RVshow. My head is still spinning from looking at so many 5th wheels. I can see that it is going to cost us some bucks to get the rig that would provide the most features for full time living. The Sanibel 3500 was one of my favorites but I have a feeling that it might be out of our price range. We still like the Montana 3750FL but the storage space is a little lacking. This is going to be a tough decision someday to make. I guess we will just have to keep looking...which is not a bad thing. Glad we still have a couple of years to look and think about what we need. We also were able to attend two of Howard and Linda Payne's (RV-Dreams ) seminars on Saturday afternoon. They are a wealth of information. We will definitely need to attend one of their rallies before we go full time. In celebration of our 41st anniversary we had dinner at the local Olive Garden and then a nice relaxing evening watching TV. Saturday was a nice day weather wise but it really turned cold over night with a few snow flurries. It was only 10 degrees Sunday morning when we got up and left after breakfast. We had some snow flurries continue until we got into Indiana near Michigan City. We made a short side trip into Holland MI to go by the condo that we rented about 3 years ago with the kid and grandkids. The wind was howling at Holland State Park Beach so we stayed in the car and watch other crazy people walk around near the pier. The roads were still fine and we had no problem getting around. We stopped in Portage, IN and ate lunch at a Longhorn Steakhouse. It was a good meal but the service was a little slow. Once we got home we unpacked and I watched the Ravens and Patriots game. What a surprise with a Ravens win. Well today is our official anniversary day and Glenda is making Chili for supper.(I love you Glenda) As you can tell we are simple people. That will go well with our new lifestyle when we get there. Making preparations for that day and it won't be long. Until next time...

Christmas 2012 and The New Year 2013

Well, the camper is in storage so there isn't much to do right now. However at this time of year I look forward to getting together with family to celebrate Christmas. Having 4 grandchildren and another on the way(Heather, the oldest daughter, is having her first child) it's great to plan some time together. Since our younger daughter, Sommer, who lives in Indiana, works retail at a jewelry store  and isn't able to get away easily this time of year  we had to go to her house Christmas eve. Heather and her husband, Paul, who live in the Chicago area traveled over to Osceola, IN too. Unfortunately our son, Chris, had to work in Maryland for State Farm Catastrophe Services and was not able to come. We still had fun but it would have been nice to have everyone there. The grandchildren got way too many presents. They range in age from 15 down to 6 years old so there is quite a variety of presents. Clothes for Jasmyne(15), clothes and jewelry for Brooklyne(12), video games for Caden(10) and Barbie everything for Ryleigh(6). Sommer and family moved into a new house last spring so it was great to be in her house and enjoying something they worked so hard to get. The weather was good until the day after Christmas when it started to snow just when we planned to leave. The good part was the further west we traveled the weather got better. By the time we got out of IN into IL the snow was gone and the roads cleared. Back to work on Thursday and Friday. Then over the weekend I felt a bug coming on.

On Sunday, I started with chills and body aches. It appears that Todd's (Sommer's husband) son who was home from college had been sick before we got there for Christmas. Well I got what he had. I ended up missing work on Monday(New Years Eve Day) and didn't feel too much like ringing in the New Year. We watched the ball drop in New York and then went to bed. I got to feeling better on New Years Day and was able to return to work on Wednesday. Then wouldn't you know it, Glenda started feeling ill on Thursday and ended up sick for the rest of the weekend. She got to feeling better just in time to go back to work after her Christmas break from school. So the New Year didn't start so good for us but the good side is the year has to get better from here.

We are headed up to Chicago this weekend and meet up with Sommer and her family so Glenda and Sommer can attend the baby shower for Heather that her friends are hosting for her. The guys will plan to go to a Sports Bar and watch the NFL playoffs continue. We got reservations at a Marriott in Schaumburg so the kids can swim in the pool and enjoy the free breakfast.

The following weekend Glenda and I will celebrate our 41st anniversary(it's actually in Jan 21st) and guess where we are going? We are going to the Grand Rapids RV show. I am told it is the largest RV show in Michigan. Grand Rapids, MI ? you asked. That's right. I have been wanting to attend one of the RV rallies that Howard and Linda Payne from RV-Dreams host each spring and fall but with our work schedules and the destinations so far we have not been able to do that. So that brings me to Grand Rapids, MI and the RV show. They are presenting a few classes from their rally at the show. I emailed them a while back and got their schedule so we are going to travel up from Central IL to Grand Rapids on the 18th and attend the RV show and 2-3 classes on Saturday then drive home Sunday. As you know we are planning the fulltime RV life once we retire. (31 months 23 days) But who's counting. :-) Anyway, we have decided on getting a truck and a 5th wheel so seeing as many rigs as possible in one place is so handy. We have been to the Chicago RV and Camping Show the last couple of year but we are now looking more seriously at a new home for the future. I really want to get as much information from as many sources as possible. I love reading all the blogs that other fulltimers publish about their experiences. I thank them for taking the time to share their lives. Hope to make a few more decisions after we get back from Grand Rapids. Stay tuned....

Winterized and put to bed

Well, Last week I hitched up the camper and towed it over to the dealer and had them winterize the water system. I know I could do it myself but I just felt better having them do it this time. I watched closely as the service guy pumped antifreeze through the system. It was easier than I thought it would be. I will definitely try it myself next year.

On the way back to town(I had to go to East Peoria to the dealer) as I go to the east side of Bloomington I decided to check out a local truck wash facility. I heard they washed RV's and motor homes in addition the the big rigs that frequent the truck stop near by. I pulled into the driveway and waited until a guy came out and asked me what type of service I needed. I told him I just needed the camper washed on the outside. He, of course wanted to sell me some extra services(rain-x, wax/polish) but I didn't think I would need those things since we bought a cover to put over the camper. It worked well last winter so that is what we are doing again.

They used some high pressure sprayers that really did a good job on the bugs on the front of the camper. After they rinsed it off I paid and drove over to the storage facility and backed into our space. I actually did it all by myself since Glenda usually is with me to guide me in but she was working. It went better than I thought. After Glenda got off work we went back to the storage area and got most of our clothes and food stuffs out and made sure everything was secure. I got up on the roof and laid out the cover and fitted it around the camper. We secured it with straps that are connected to the bottom.

It fits well and I remembered to put the tennis balls on the gutter extensions so they wouldn't poke holes in the cover. In case you are wondering it is an Adco Travel Trailer Cover and I got it from Camping World. So we are looking forward to next season and making plans. Can't wait until we can do this full time and we don't have to think about things like winterizing or for that matter winter at all. Now it's time to get through the holidays. Until next time.

Busy Summer...Fall is on the way

Well I haven't done any posts since our trip to Marion, IL and the Benton KOA but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. We have gotten out a few times with the camper but the trips are just weekends fairly close to home. We have been back to Bo Wood at Lake Shelbyville, Rock Island KOA near the Quad Cities and we went to our local county campground at Lake Evergreen called Comlara Park. But the big event for me this summer was my motorcycle trip to Sturgis, SD for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. My friend Darrell and two of his friends from Iowa headed out on Aug. 3rd and rode to O'Neill, NE the first day. The next day we headed out and traveled to the Badlands National Park.

The landscape there is incredible

 

As the sign indicates it is best to stay on the trail.

 

Of course after a while it starts to look the same.

 

 

We stayed in Rapid City with some folks that my friends knew from previous trips to Sturgis. This was my first time there. The Sturgis Rally draws around 400,000 motorcycle enthusiasts each year and this was the 72nd year of the event. Everywhere we rode there were motorcycles.

 

The first full day there we went into Sturgis the town and went to the Full Throttle Saloon.

 

 

This is a famous bar in the area that people go to for the evening and night time activity.

 

As you can tell the scenery is easy on the eyes.

 

After we left Full Throttle we went down town to do some more people watching.

 

Well there is alot more to see than people so we decided the next day we would ride over to Wyoming a see Devil's Tower. This is a large rock formation that is said to be made from left over magma from a unerupted volcano.

We didn't go into the park area around Devil's Tower because I would like to come back someday with Glenda and our camper so we can explore the area together.

We rode through Custer Sate Park and rode on the Needles Hwy.

The road is very narrow and there are even a couple of tunnels cut through the rock as you travel through the area.

There are so many roads to ride on and the sights and sounds are the best. Especially if you are a motorcycle enthusiast.

 



We rode over to see Mount Rushmore one day.

 

Then we had to ride through Spearfish Canyon near(of course) Spearfish, SD

 

As you can see the landscape is just breathtaking. It seemed like the sky was blue-er than what we see in IL.

 

We were there at the rally for about 4-5 days and then we had to head back home. I rode a total of 2700 miles in one week.

I look forward to going back again some day. I would like to do the rally again in a couple of years.

I will definitely return one day with Glenda to spend some real time with the camper in this part of God's country.

 

Working toward retirement. And it won't be long. :-)