Category: Pictures

We got a camper!!!!

Well we did it… after much deliberation, research, and saving, we found a camper! We have purchased a 2012 Coachmen Clipper 1285sst. It was in amazing condition, garage kept, had all the features we wanted and was priced out the door for what we wanted to pay.

It was an adventurous journey to find and pick up our camper in Green Cove Springs, FL. After signing the deal, the dealer found that there was something wrong with our Jeep’s 7 way connector, and that we essentially had nothing but running lights when we were ready to leave. That meant if we were going to get home with it, I would either have to take the Jeep to a dealer and get them to fix it in Green Cove, go home and get it fixed and then come back for the camper, or mount up with no brake lights, turn signals or electric brake. This bad boy weighs about 2800lbs dry…. so needless to say, I was biting my nails. After talking to Marci we agreed… lets just get it home!

This meant that a guy who had not towed anything in 10+ years would be towing a 2800lb trailer that is 19ish feet long with running lights only. Let me tell you folks… it was a white knuckle experience! To simulate brake lights, every time I would touch the brake peddle with my foot, I would also actuate the Jeep’s headlights with my left hand, thus turning on the running lights on the trailer, simulating a “brake light.” Have you ever chewed gum, rubbed your stomach, scratched your head, and oh by the way… crapped your pants all at the same time???? Well that was our trip home!

Needless to say, we made it. We took the long way home through the Ocala forest which kept me off of the highway until we got to i4 in Deland. It gave me enough time to get a feel for how long it takes to slow/ stop, accelerate, etc. My parents met us at the house when we arrived and my dad helped guide me in to the garage in reverse for the first time. It was tight, but I was able to do it!

Our first camping trip was to Silver Springs State Park. Right as we got ready to leave, I found the Jeep’s battery was dead. I figured the camper had been plugged in too long and had sucked all of the Jeep’s battery dry trickle charging the Deep Cycle battery on the camper. I jumped the Jeep with the Mazda and we set out on our way. About 45 minutes in to our trip, I noticed my brake controller stopped functioning and that the running lights were also off. We pulled over to take a look but because it was drizzling and getting close to dark, we decided to just barrel through and get to the camp site. We arrived at Silver Springs about an hour and a half later and I quickly got the camper detached from the Jeep and leveled. I then went to hit the electric winch up button to lift the popup and found the deep cycle battery was dead. Crap!

I plugged in to shore power and found that the winch would not operate off of AC. Of course it was getting close to dark, Evelyn was getting a bit nudgy, and while I knew there was a manual crank backup to lift the popup if the electric winch died, I knew it would require some panel dismantling to get to. I quickly remembered I had jumper cables, disconnected from AC, turned the Jeep around and jumped the camper’s battery to lift the popup. A morning evaluation found that the fridge was running on DC power since we brought it home from the dealer. Whoops!

We took Evelyn for a glass bottom boat ride which she loved, played around the campground, lit a fire, and did all those things that make camping fun. While our maiden voyage was far from perfect, I learned a lot and we enjoyed the experience. We figure it will get easier each time… and I am sure it will! 🙂

Here are some pictures!

 

 

Captiva Island Vacation – Birthday Week of Fun!

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Yes, it has been a while. I know, as Evelyn gets older, we will post less often….. so everyone says… 🙂

Last week, we took an amazing family vacation to Captiva Island. My birthday is the 20th, Chad’s is the 21st and Evelyn happened to be 15 months on the 19th – let’s celebrate! We had the extra treat of having the grandparents vacation with us too. Evelyn was in heaven, 5 people at her constant attention, doting, loving, kissing, and clapping at her every move! I loved that we had this opportunity to rent a condo with 3 bedrooms – it was a perfect set up for us. Everyone got their own room, we had a big kitchen and living area, but the best part was the view – we were oceanfront to the beautiful Gulf of Mexico – white sand beach and the beautiful water received a gorgeous sunset – each night, the sun would slowly dunk itself into the blue water, the white beach and soft waves would become enchanting, and sunset on Captiva was a memory to hold forever. On the nights when the enchantment of sunset was perfect, we ventured out to the beach and enjoyed ourselves, feeling the sweet presence of each other and the realization each of us was relaxed, content, and happy to be together.

Evelyn loved the sand on the beach. She would reach down and grab handfuls – either throwing it or occasionally trying a bite. At the pool, she learned to jump from the side. She would sit at the side of the pool with her adorable legs dangling in the water, and we would count off, “1…2…3!” – and she would jump into our arms and squeal with delight. Gran Gran brought a bubble machine – it created this really fun effect on the water with the half-moon bubbles – Evelyn would pop them and laugh! She learned to say, “Shell!” – and would proudly pronounce it over and over. Her vocabulary is growing each day – it is fun to see what she will say next!

Gran Gran, Gigi, and Papa were perfect companions – they got to spend time reading, biking, and relaxing, but they also got Evelyn time. Chad and I see our parents now more than ever, but it is always in the context of caring for Evelyn. At Captiva, we all got to be parents AND kids! The stocked bar (courtesy of Papa) and the special Tervis tumblers (courtesy of me!) made for fun afternoons. One day, we spent quite a few hours bobbing along in the waves and talking. Chad got out a few times and went back to the condo to get us drinks – well after hours of drifting out at sea, we had to get out – and recovering from sea legs after a few drinks was pretty funny for us all! Giggling and teetering back, we all decided that was a super fun afternoon at the beach!

Each night after sunset, we congregated in the kitchen. As you know, cooking is an art form in this family. We had arroz con pollo, mushroom risotto, sausage biscuits and gravy, mojitos, gnocchi, Mark’s famous hoagies, ribeyes grilled to perfection, penne a la vodka – we had so much fun preparing and eating dinner as a family each night – I loved the experience – the art of sit down dinner has been lost to so many families, it is something I believe is very special. It may not happen every night, but when you make the time and make it relaxing and fun – dinner with family is a beautiful thing.

Chad and I got to sneak away a few mornings and paddle on our kayaks in the Ding Darling Preserve. The paddle was gorgeous – heron, manatees, sharks, trout, redfish, mangrove snapper, mullet, cormorants, dolphins – the preserve was brimming with life each morning as we paddled through the clean waters. While Chad fly fished, I spent quiet time reading and relaxing – it is amazing how much I crave silent, outdoor noise! The occasional manatee would pop up for air, or a bird may call – the peace and contentment I feel on that kayak in the water is rejuvenating.

As Evelyn gets older and starts to form her own personality, it is fun to spend time with family and understand how much she is like each of us. Her laugh, her smile, her disposition, her expressiveness – each trait is a small part of us. I love to know Evelyn is surrounded by family that loves her – the confidence and security she feels will help her blossom into one amazing little lady.

Vacation is a time to reflect and enjoy – Captiva definitely fit that bill.

HERE are more pictures.