It's here!

Big D flew to San Antonio early Thursday morning to buy the motorhome we had picked out online. When he got there he decided he didn't like it nearly as much in person and found another one he preferred. He called me and had me look at 3 others online and this is the one we decided on. It was really a blessing that he was there and able to walk around in them and inspect them upclose. (The one I had picked out originally was a money pit and smelled!) Anyway, here's our new RV.

Big D drove it home and arrived in the middle of the night Thursday. Friday morning was like Christmas at our house. All the kids were up early and in our bedroom begging for the keys to the RV. They couldn't wait to get in there and have a look around. We had a cleaning party first thing.

Well, some of us did more cleaning than others of us:).

The kids were up there playing as we were preparing to leave for a swim meet.

Here they are all ready to go. We had quite an adventure! I have to confess I missed my GMC Yukon XL and all of us being immobile, but the kids loved the RV. I think I'm going to have to lay down some ground rules for future trips, though. Let's just say I got my exercise going back and forth, back and forth between the kitchen and everyone else keeping their bowls and cups full. (Byproduct of driving a traveling pantry, I suppose.) I'd sit down next to Big D with his sandwhich and his bottle of water and he'd say, "That's it? I'm going to need more to drink than that." Then back I'd go again. There was also the up and down, up and down of putting things away in storage and getting them out again. I felt I had to take over this role after one of the girls dropped her suitcase that was being stowed in the overhead bin on Monk's head. I now know a bit of what it's like to be a flight attendant. I used to find trips relaxing! Ha!

Then there was Big D's annoyance with all the rattling noises. He made me go up and down the RV trying to resolve all the rattling, no easy task considering we had 60 mph winds the first day of driving. I'd collapse in my seat exhausted and defeated and say something like, "I got all the windows closed up and latched, but the screens don't seem to fit just right." And Big D unphased would say something along the lines of, "Well, then take the screens out" as he handed me a screwdriver. Really? Life before the RV was much simpler, and easier on me, but I guess everyone was suffering for my comfort. Now it's the other way around. Monk tried to make me feel better by reminding me how much money we were saving by not having to pay for two hotel rooms. I assured him that the RV would definitely pay for itself in another 15 years of going to swim meets! And it never occurred to me that Big D wouldn't be interested in going to Starbucks when he had his own coffee pot in the RV. The kids and I were a little disappointed about missing out on that swim meet tradition. But all in all we had a wonderful time together, I mean really together, as a family on our little trip. Hopefully there will be many more in our future!