September 2016

Important events for the month of September 2016

Living in a “state-in-play” made for a cheap and entertaining date night 

in downtown Miami.  I am married to a political junkie.  Lane was in his 

element.  We both felt like we were back in Manhattan as R. Giuliani 

(“America’s mayor" and former mayor of NYC) stepped out to speak and 

later when DJT made his stage appearance during a blaring anthem of 

“Do You Hear the People Sing?” from our days taking in Broadway musicals 

like Les Miserables.  

We ended the week sitting on a sandbar in the Keys joined by photographer Uncle Mac.

This family tree poster 'made the cut' and hangs on one 

of our 2 window-free walls of our 5th wheel.

We experienced a few days of Autumn in Cleveland.  

(Well, I was there 4 days, Lane 1)

The Robison Family invited us to see their city and surrounding area.

Precious and sweet moments with this cherished daughter and granddaughter.

It was a fun and amazing week. Thank you Robison’s for taking time out for us.

Jami, I will always come and find you. 

Stay adventurous! 

Cartagena

August 29th - September 3rd, 2016

Cartagena, Colombia

My past week - Flights, sites, delights, bites, insights, highlights, ALRIGHT!

Our “Labor Day” trip to Cartagena, Colombia was incredible.  Exploring fortress tunnels, experiencing “old town” by carriage, sipping piña colada’s on a white sand beach, jet skiing in the Caribbean Sea, a crazy private salsa dance class, OH! and that mud massage in a mythical volcano turned tourist attraction.  We entered the thick slate gray murky pool, floated around or bobbed upright, never able to touch the bottom and came out as true ‘muddy buddies’.  Haha.  We recommend it!

Ironically our Labor Day trip ended before Labor Day.  So this morning as we woke up in Florida and drove to church Lane asked me…so, what do you want to do for Labor Day?  I think we’ll have lunch in Key Largo and have a swim.  What are your plans?

There is no better pattern of life anywhere, no surer way to find peace and the path forward, than by following Jesus Christ.  He alone has the power to make our lives more heavenly.  

August 2016

Final days in the big house.

8 more ‘sleeps’ and we are outta here.

  Here is the way I want to remember it...

Our 60 day renovation of Harvey continues.  We bought a Wagner Power Paint Sprayer and made a huge mess with it both here and inside Harvey.  

In the middle of the renovation we are also forced to downsize.

The first thing sold was my hammock.  Then little by little stuff kept walking out the door.

Until finally we had a yard sale.  Sold everything but the yard ;o}

    We had enough profits to pay for the sodas we handed out for free.  

And maybe buy paint and curtains for “Harvey”.

Meanwhile back inside it's getting harder to find a place to sit.

Here is one of our first meals in Harvey.  

Cornflakes in a bag.  My husband is a good sport.

One of these books did not make 'the cut'.  But neither did our treasured Manhattan Temple Door Table, the German Porcelain Eagle, or the 3'x6' family wall portrait.  

Time out!  

Mormon Night at the Marlin’s Game

There’s always time for baseball…or a nap ;o}

I had a terrific birthday (after my stop to see the oral surgeon).  

Lunch and dinner NOT prepared by me.  

A pedicure.  

A shopping spree. 

Phone calls, emails, texts and cards.  

A cake.  Oh, that chocolate cake!  

I am so spoiled.

I had one last walk and breakfast with Nicole before she left for LDS Business College.

Is it really possible to have a happy marriage?

     "Let me declare unequivocally, absolutely, and adamantly that not only is there such a thing as a happy marriage, but happy marriages are the rule, not the exception.

     Sis Holland and I are living proof that you cannot just be happy but that you an be ecstatically happy.  You can be just movingly happy in all the right ways, for all the right reasons.  So I want everybody to dismiss the idea that somehow this is a mountain that can’t be climbed, it’s a river that can’t be crossed, that there are too many difficulties to address marriage in this day or any day.  

That is simply not true.

     You have to work at a marriage.  

Every good thing that I know of in this world you have to work at.

     God will help you.  Of all the things in this world that He will help you with, He will help you with your marriages and your families, because it matters to Him at least as much as it matters to you."

—Elder JRH

HARVEY

The Howell RV

Harvey

----- A pictorial -----

60 day renovation

Would you believe that Harvey has 56 cabinet / drawer fronts!? 

We are grateful we had a garage for our paint booth.

Each door was reattached with 16 screws.  
It was like putting together a giant jig-saw puzzle.  

It was time consuming but oh so satisfying!

I finally caved and ordered this overpriced, peel’n'stick paper, 

imported from South Korea.  I even had extra to stick behind 

the bathroom sink.  Peel and stick backsplashes are all the 

rage in the RV world.  Just ask our neighbors.

This is the last major project of my life.  

We love the results.

But never again!