Life with the Johnsons

If there’s one thing I’ve learned this summer it is that plans can drastically change…and not due to us willingly changing them!   That’s OK with me now.  I won’t go into the boring details…but I can say that Bill & I both feel that sometimes things just happen for a reason!!  So…take 2 of our 2012 summer vacation plans commenced this last Friday, and the blessings that came with it.

The location was not of our choosing, as we had to travel to pick up our broken down motor home that was now all fixed up. The trip, however, will always bring sweet memories to mind.  Why?  Well…it was my mom’s very first camping trip!

We spent a couple of days at The Fountain of Youth Hot Springs in Thermopolis, Wyoming.  We all enjoyed soaking in the waters.

“Located in the South End of the Big Horn Basin just north of Thermopolis,
Wyoming the Fountain of Youth Recreational Vehicle Park boasts the third largest
hot mineral pool in the World. The pool is fed by the Sacajawea “hot springs”,
well named for the Indian Squaw who led Lewis and Clark to the Pacific. At an
elevation of 3,947 feet, our bone warming 100 degree Fahrenheit pool will make
you forget about your daily worries.”

~ The Fountain of Youth Website

The sleeping arrangements worked out great in the motorhome.  Mom had her half of the regular bed in the front…along with her Bandit!

Bill did a fantastic job of building a bunk bed for Cole:

Taylor found that one of the front cabinets made a great hiding place AND Internet connection actually worked!  🙂

We found a neat little fishing access on the Big Horn River.  One of those little drives that you say to each other, “Wow…such a pretty drive….so glad we tried to find a place to fish!”

Cole & Taylor both caught a trout…Bill & I…not so lucky.  However, maybe I will share the story about the one that got away someday!  LOL!

Yes…plans do change.  A door closes.  But hey…other doors open!  Opportunities for family time abound no matter what!  God’s gifts to us…nature, wildlife, sons & daughters, and someone’s very first camping trip…true blessings!

While we weren’t where we planned to be for the Fourth of July, we still enjoyed a few fireworks, some of Bill’s yummy smoked ribs & fatties, and a spectacular show from our volunteer firefighters.  They always do a great job. I love where I live!  Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday!

We spent months planning our trip to the east coast.  We purchased our used motor home, hoping the low miles of 70 some thousand would give us several years of traveling.  We planned in detail the route we would drive.  We contacted family and friends and arranged specific days to visit them.  We had budgeted, prepared, shopped and loaded our vacation camper home.  We were all so excited!  However, the trip just wasn’t meant to be.

On the first jog of our journey (last Friday), we got settled in.  The dogs were nervous, but soon relaxed.  Hershey totally loves my mom, as you can see:

We were driving along great, when all of a sudden the engine died…while driving 60 mph.  I am so thankful I have a quick thinking…work great under pressure…and strong husband.  When the engine died, the power steering also died.  He coasted as far as he could until he found just the right turnout.  There we were…30 miles west of Casper, Wyoming.  We hadn’t even gotten out of the state!

It was about 1:00, and thankfully we had roadside assistance.  However, it was a nightmare getting towed 30 miles east.  Seriously…I don’t understand why they would send a tow truck from Laramie WY which is like 160 miles away, insted of one from Casper.  Of course, we didn’t know this until around 10 PM when the tow truck driver called to say he was just leaving Casper.  :{

Thankfully, we have friends who live in Casper, and we were able to spend time with them.  So thankful that Jerod was able to come and get us, instead of having to wait for the tow truck.  We spent the afternoon and evening with them, and for the first time I tried a piece of white cake with bacon sprinkles!  I was surprised at how yummy it was!

We checked in to two motel rooms and was hopeful all will be simple to fix and we’d be on our way Monday.  We were all a little stressed by this time, but made the best of our mini vacation.  The motel had an outdoor pool, so we took advantage of playing in the water & sun.  We played find the quarter and water volleyball!  Several times we had the pool to ourselves, which was really nice!

Nearby was an amusepart park that had an indoor rock climbing wall, and plenty of archade games.  Cole & Taylor climbed the wall, Bill & I played air hockey, I danced with Taylor and shot terminaters with Cole.  I don’t think I’ve had such a fun time in a long time!

We stayed through Sunday night, eating full continental breakfasts, lunch once at a close by restaurant, and what we picked up from Walmart.

When Monday morning came, we were hit with the news that our engine either had a cracked block or blown head gasket.  We decided to put a new engine in so to avoid futue problems.  The new Jasper engine won’t be put in until the 18th.   So, we rented a car and came home.

While we were sad to end our vacation so soon, we took with us the best part of our mini vacation.  We’re sad that we won’t be able to see our family in North Carolina and West Virgina this year.  The dream of taking my mom back home is not gone…only delayed.  We’re already planning for next June.  Seeing my brother and his wfe after 3 years, and my wonderful friend & family, along with the dream of taking my mom camping and seeing the ocean for the first time will happen this year…God willing! 🙂  We’re planning a Thermopolis Hot Springs trip for a couple of days when we come back from Casper with the motor home.  Then we’re heading by van to Missouri for a short visit in August, followed by a short trip to Oregon in the motor home.

So, the moral of my lesson is:

Planning and preparing is good…but sometimes God has a different plan.  Good will come from it.  Like eating popcorn and watching a funny movie with my two favorite gals, my mom & my daughter, in a motel room, while the guys watch their movie in the room across the hall.  The simple things are sometimes the most precious!

Other than the privacy issue, which I haven’t had time to research, I’m starting to really like WordPress. I’m typing this from the “QuickPress” in my Dashboard. I also like the ‘Dashboard”! 🙂 I loaded many photos this evening and the processing time was wonderful! Slowly getting more of my vox friends added to my blogroll.   Oh…I also like the ability to add a friend whose using another blog site to my blogroll…so I can easily see their posts also!

After almost 3 years of blogging on Vox, I am sad to see them closing their doors.   I really enjoyed creating my on-line scrapbook, writing about my interests, and meeting so many wonderful people there.  However, with this door closed, another one is opened.  I am really excited to start this new WordPress blog!  I spent several hours this morning looking at all the bells & whistles, creating my blog design, and telling myself that I will not be too busy to keep this one up to date!  After all, my last post to Vox was on Father’s Day!  I’ve missed posting our whole summer.  So, my next post will be a summer update…full of scrapbook material!   Those of you who were my Vox friends…I’ll be looking for you!!  Happy blogging.  =)