Cartersville, GA

1/27/08

We awoke to a sunny, bright and beautiful day. The excitement of finally going to a nice park was such a good feeling. Leaving Jones RV Park was like having a creamy on a hot day! Everything was going just as planned. As we were cruising down the highway the center visor detached on one side. There was no where to pull over to try to repair it. I held a broom on it so it wouldn’t completely detach. Then one of worse nightmares…the coach started loosing power, chugging and discharging white smoke from the tail pipe! Finally an exit appeared with a gas station that sold diesel fuel. We made it there okay but pulled around a corner with no outlet. We unhooked the car and turned the coach around. Dave drained the bottom of the fuel tank of the coach, added some cleaner thinking that we had purchased some watered-down diesel fuel the last time we filled up. Filled the tank in the coach and car and I just decided to follow behind the coach with the car as the campsite wasn’t far. This way if anything happened we wouldn’t have to unhook once again in the mist of all the traffic. The coach started running better but after getting off of the interstate and on country roads where you had to slow down the coach started acting up again. We pulled in the park and got set up. Dave will have to find a couple of fuel filters and change those praying that it will do the trick. He’s off to work in the morning but maybe he will be able to find the filters after work.

The park is very peaceful and it feels so much better here than at Jones RV Park. The drought here in GA is so drastic. The lake here is drying up. When I take pictures you will understand what I mean. Where has all of the water gone? Will it ever come back? We are going to call it a night really soon. The fantastic day turned into a very stressful nightmare. We are both exhausted. Tomorrow is another day.

Please God watch over my husband and all of our family.

1/28/08

Sleeping last night was just not in the cards. Too much going on at the moment I think. So many things unsettled.

When I went to the bathroom around nine I found that there was no water. I went outside to check things out and there didn’t seem to be any water at the outside faucet. I bent the hose and it didn’t feel like there were any frozen parts as it did get very cold last night. I came back in and opened all of the faucets a little and decided to leave it alone for a time. Within a few minutes the water came on. I then took a shower and everything was fine. After that I put the sheets in the washer and it filled up with water okay. A little while later I tried to wash the dishes and there wasn't any water once again. I looked at the washer and it had water and was still washing. I didn’t want to take a chance that the washer would go through the next cycle and not have any water so I shut it off. I once again opened the faucets and within five minutes the water was back…go figure. It was fine the rest of the day.

Dave just phoned and he is beat. Lots of walking up and down hills. I’m sure he will need a drink and some rest when he gets home!

I sent an e-mail to Corey and Kerry and received one back from Kerry. They haven’t received the baby monitor yet. The kids are both home with the flu. Corey is supposed to be in town all week so hopefully it will remain that way.

Sunny and then the clouds settled in this afternoon.

1/29/30

This morning I had the urge to do some baking. I made bread, cake and a pie. It’s been a long time since I have been in the mood for doing this kind of baking. Dave was happy. Not much else going on today…thank goodness.

Dave put in some miles again today. We had dinner and hit the sack early.

Larry called and he and Pat went up to check out the house. All looked well but someone locked the front screen door so they we not able to get in. I’m not sure who locked it but I do have to send them a back door key.

1/29/08

Nana wrote:

Hi Sadi, Faith & Tallon,

Nana just wants to say good morning to you. I was wondering how you all are doing. Faith are you feeling any better? I sure hope so. What are you all doing today? Have you gotten any more snow? Sadi how are your fish? How many do you have now? What have you decided to name the baby fish? There are many, many trains that go by here all day and all night. They go really, really fast and blow their whistles really loud. We have a lake here that is drying up. I will take some pictures soon and show you. It's so sad. There are launching areas to put boats in but no water. We see people fishing so there still are some fish. We hope it rains here soon so the lake can fill back up. Have fun today. Love and miss you,Nana

Their reply on 1/30/08:

Dear Nana,

Good afternoon. How are you? I am feeling better Nana. I played with play dough today. Mommy took Tallon to the doctor to follow up o his tummy stuff and everything is fine. I want to see the trains.

Hi Nana,

It was really windy here today. It went from 45 degrees down to 20 in a matter of minutes and it got really icy!!!! My fishy's are good. There are a lot of babies. One is named Dorothy. Another is Greg and another is Jeff, one is Anthony, and the other is Murray. (The Wiggle) Are any of the trains purple? That's my favorite color. I made funny faces today. We love you!!!! Write back soon.

Love,

Sadi and Faith

1/30/08

We had rain and high winds last night. Some gusts up to fifty mile an hour. There wasn’t as much damage, as what I thought there would be.

There were two accidents on the highway I75 that Dave takes to work and he sat in the backed-up traffic for some time. Finally arrived at work and his boss wasn’t there. Someone told him to go and pick up his equipment so off he went. The boss hadn’t authorized it so they wouldn’t give it to him. What a mess! After that he called the person that he was assigned to be with the past two days and went out in the field with him.

We had a quiet evening sitting and conversing about how our day was. All is well on the home front.

Sunny but the temperature never got out of the forties today. Tonight it’s supposed to go down below freezing tonight.

1/31/08

Strong east wind today with a little rain. We are parked under pine trees and with this wind the pine cones are bouncing off the top of the coach...reminds me of Chicken Little and the sky is falling...

Dave received most of his equipment today. He is just missing the PDA. He was happy about that. He fought the traffic this morning as I75 had a couple of accidents once again.

We had dinner and sat and chatted. The wind blew throughout the evening and it rained pretty hard all night...much more is drastically needed to bring up the lake level though.

2/01/08

The rain is continuing this morning. Dave has to hang out until he gets a phone call to tell him what they want him to do. The rain stopped and he was called to go in around eleven.

I shampooed the carpet and caught up on the laundry today. That’s all she wrote!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day…in the sixties! Yeah!!

2/2/08

The rain is continuing this morning. Dave has to hang out here until he gets a phone call to tell him what they want him to do. The rain stopped and he was called to go in around eleven.

I shampooed the carpet and caught up on the laundry today. That’s all she wrote!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day…in the sixties! Yeah!!

2/3/08

We headed north to the Chickamauga Battlefield National Military Park to get a Golden Access Pass. We succeeded and were going to go through the park but the rain started coming down in buckets. We decided to head home and take in the Super Bowl Game instead. On the way we stopped and picked up pizza and wings at Chi-Chi’s in Cartersville, GA. The pizza was great. And yes they had a white one!

2/4/08

Dave went into work this morning and was sent home because he didn’t have his certification back yet. It was being held up due to his background check. His supervisor told him that there wasn’t any work until that come through. Needless to say Dave was a LITTLE upset.

2/5/08

We were almost ready to sit down to breakfast when one of the guys from Dave's main office phoned about ten thirty. They said that he could go into work and do what he has been doing up until this point. They told him that he and Cullen were very pleased with his work. Also, that he could pair up with Ali so he could get a paycheck...quite the change from yesterday. We must keep smiling!

We received a phone call at 12:30 am this morning. Kerry is in labor and the pains are every two to three minutes apart. Dave and I never slept all night waiting for the phone to ring...

CHRISTOPHER DAVID HOYT came into this world at 4:51 am! He weighted seven pounds and one forth pounds and twenty and a half inches long. He has ten fingers, ten toes and they say he looks like Corey. We sure wish that we could see him. Thanks you God for this special gift. Kerry was doing fine and from what I understand Corey was too!

2/6/08

We have a tornado watch this morning. Dave checked and they want him to go into work. Shortly after he left it started raining. He called at ten and he is on his way home.

Spoke with Aunt Bonnie today. The weatherman there hasn't been listening to them very well. I guess I will have to send them some sunshine! Hang in there Unc...we all love you.

Last night the side of my face ached so badly that I didn’t know if it was a tooth or a sinus infection. I had lost a filling awhile back so I thought I had better go to the dentist so I looked one up and off we went to Fady Ebid DMD, 3950 Parkway NW, Suite 402, Acworth, GA 30101. He said I needed a root canal done on one of my molars…the one I had lost the filling in. After cleaning my teeth he then referred me to a professional that just does root canals in Marietta the next morning. Lovely…just what I wanted to hear.

We had an early night. Love to all ...we are so blessed.

2/7/08

Dave called work to tell them that he had to take me in for an emergency root canal and that he wouldn’t be into work. We were at the Dr. Joseph Armand Hotard, DDS, 1642 Powers Ferry Road, Bld.12 Suite 100, Marietta, GA by eight thirty. I meant Angela the nurse who was really nice. She took x-rays of the tooth and then discussed it with the dentist. Then he came up behind me and when I first got a glimpse of him my heart came up in my throat. What have I gotten myself into this time…he is ancient! I really felt sick to my stomach. I knew he had emphysema because of his breathing. I was also noticed that he was hard of hearing because the nurse kept repeating herself. My biggest worry was…are his hands going to shake? Thank goodness that they didn’t! He and the nurse worked on the tooth for hours…two and a half to be exact. In the mist of it all I finally my bladder was ready to explode so I had to tell them that I had to use the restroom. Go figure. What a trip! Here I was with my mouth tide up with this piece of green rubber. The nurse asked me if I scared myself by looking in the mirror. Hell I just felt so good after I had relieved myself that the face in the mirror was nothing compared to being able to go you know….

Dave said he kept checking in on me. He couldn’t believe how long it was taking.

He couldn’t believe how long it was taking. The Doc gave me some antibiotic and painkillers and off I was. On our drive home I got really sick to my stomach. Between the burning smell at the end of the procedure and the car ride…that’s all she wrote! Home at last. Off to bed and out like a light. I don’t know what they gave me but I slept, woke up took some meds and out like a light once again. Wow!

To top it all off I miss out on one gorgeous day. Low 70’s and sunny. My heart was shattered!

2/8/08

Pretty quiet on the home front today…Dave was off to work and I caught up on the wash. The rest of the day went by really fast before I knew it Dave was home. He finally received his clearance and is now working out of Marietta as of Monday. Yeah! This means that he will be on his own. He will closer to the park, our Home on Wheels and of course Me! Amen!

2/9/08

Dave and I went out to the Verizon Store today. We exchanged my bluetooth. All went well. You’ll never guess what happened to it…it went through the wash. I dried it out and charged it and it only worked part-time after that. When I returned it the Sales Associate told me it would be better if I purchased an LG like my phone and it might work better. Of course I never told him the story about being washed. I am anxious to try the new one. After that we went to Target to try to find a nice centerpiece for the table over the steering wheel. We couldn’t find anything we liked so we went over to Kroger’s to pick up some groceries and give it some more thought. Wha-la we found the perfect centerpiece…a Bonzi Tree! It’s so perfect! You only have to water it once a month and lightly spray it in between times. I can handle that!

Today was sunny and in the mid-sixties but still too chilly with the wind to try to sit out. We stayed only a few minutes and decided to take a bike ride instead. We rode up to the railroad crossing to take some pictures. The trains run twenty-four seven here and go extremely fast. We then took a ride down by the main Marina. The scenery is something to behold.

After our bike ride Dave threw some steaks on the grill…boy were they good!

2/10/08

Thanks guys…Yes!!! We finally received pictures of the new grandson Christopher David Hoyt! He’s so handsome and beautiful!! Of course, we aren’t prejudice or anything.

The rest of the day we hung around and caught up on a few projects. Later in the day we took a bike ride down to the main Marina here on the lake. This one is huge! Tons of pontoon boats…there must be a lot of party people here! We also found the pool, which is in no way ready to swim in…really green and yucky. There is a playground just outside the pool area. We are told that within the next few weeks this place will be wall to wall people. At present it is pretty deserted and quiet.

We are so thankful for having such a wonderful family.

2/11/08

Dave’s first day on the job by himself…found it a bit difficult carrying all the equipment by himself. They gave him all businesses and finding all the meters wasn’t an easy task. He was pretty beat when he got home. The PDA didn’t want to co-operate either…he’s still working at it and it is past seven. He’s only stopped long enough to eat. Such a perfectionist…always was and always will be.

I love you honey.

2/12/08

Today was a much better for Dave on the job. He’s getting to know the ropes. The pole he uses for test holes is much too long…I guess they aren’t made for short people! Hee! Hee!

Back to the dentist for me today...I am so not looking forward to this. Doc put a cap on the tooth that I had the root canal done on. I also gave him the go ahead to take care of the cavities on the both sides of the mouth, as I preferred not to have to go through this again.

I telephoned Tammy today to find out how they were doing. Jim is doing better but has to go to a neurologist to find out why his legs are so weak. Hopefully they will be able pinpoint why this is happening. They are also proceeding with all of the steps for adopting. You go Guys!

2/13/08

Windy and freezing today. When Dave left around six-thirty it was fifty-one and by the time he came home it was in the low thirties. Much colder with the wind chill factor figured in…bring the temperature down to the mid-twenties.

Dave hugged the heated when he got home…and no it wasn’t me!

We heard from Kerry today. Christopher is sleeping much of the night already. He only awoke once during the night last night. Wow…is she fortunate. She says he is growing like a weed already. I had told her that she best not feed him too much before I got to see him so he would stay tiny. They do grow so fast….

Joe called today. His family is doing pretty goud. Becky was coming home for the weekend. She has a boyfriend now…I can’t wait to meet him! That’s all I know he’d be better treating her well…or else! Yes he will have to answer to Uncle Dave! Hang in there Jay!

2/14/08

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!

It looks like it is going to start out cool at 23 and make it’s way up to 60 today. Just the opposite as yesterday. There is a blue sky with lots of sun right now so maybe the Weatherman has it right this time!

We decided to eat in this evening. We feasted on crab, stuffed yellow squash (stuffing is made of sausage, rice green and red pepper, tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and onions), oven baked diced potatoes and fresh cooked banana bread. It was all sooooo good!

This weekend we will do something to celebrate!

Boy were we surprised when we opened the e-mail later in the evening! Nicki sent us pictures of the Girls and Dad at the Valentine Father Daughter Dance. How beautiful they are! Thanks Nicki!

2/15/08

Nana wrote:

Hi Sadi and Faithi, Wow...How beautiful you looked for the Father-Daughter Valentine Dance! Did you have a nice time? Papa and I just loved the pictures. I am sending the pictures the of one of the many trains that go by our campground. You will have to go to the blog to take a look at more pictures. Is your ear feeling better Faithi? I sure hope so. How is school going? What are some of the things that you have been doing? Bye for now and write to Papa and Nana really soon. XXXXXOOOO's Love, Nana and Papa

I’m not sure who wrote this but it is something to behold…

Life is short!

Break the rules!

Forgive quickly!

Love truly,

Laugh uncontrollably,

Pray without ceasing,

And never regret anything that made you smile!

2/16/08—2/19/08

Not much happening the last few days. Just hanging out and getting ready for the trip to Vermont. It takes me forever to get packed…and I always take too much along. What can I say?

I pray that the weather stays nice for the trip. I also pray that Dave will be okay this week without me. I know I will miss him so very much. He the light of my life!

2/27/08

Talk about exhausted…that’s me! I just plan on hanging out today and try to regroup. Dave came home from work early due to it being so nasty cold and windy outside. He was frozen to the bone. Later in the day he attached the flat screen television to the table he had made for it. It came out really cool!

The water froze once again. This time it froze around four in the afternoon…that’s how terribly cold it was. We were able to get it back and kept the faucet open in all the sinks to keep it from freezing again.

2/28/08

No pics taken

There is loads of laundry to be done from the trip to Vermont…so I tackled some this morning. This afternoon I mixed up some homemade yogurt and am hoping that it will come out okay. After that I put together some manicotti for supper. I’m still trying to figure out this micro-convention oven…what a chore!

Dave received an e-mail from the office stating that he had to be in TN by Monday. That gives us a day to find a place to stay. It’s about 200 miles from here. We did try to locate a campsite but to no avail. We will try again tomorrow. Looks like we will be on the road once again!

2/29/08

Dave was off to work as always. He had to turn in his maps and go to the office in Norcross to turn in his PDA and some other things. Would you believe that they changed their minds and told him to go back to work in Marietta. I don’t have to say how Dave felt. He left and immediately phoned Cullen. They kept apologizing to him. He possibly has to stay here for another two weeks and then he will report to TN. Who knows what will happen in two weeks…from what we understand it is possible that maybe that position will be filled by then. Time will tell. We just have to say some prayers and hope for the best. Me…I’m just as happy staying here as it is warming up as each day passes.

3/1/08

Sleep was not in the cards last night. I’m not sure if it was due to all of the excitement about moving or what. Part of it was do to the excruciating pain, which has been really bad for awhile now.

Dave got up and made coffee. I arose and started making waffles and as I was whipping up the batter a knock came at the door. It was Carl from Dave’s work. He received orders for Illinois and wanted to turn some of his work things over to Dave so he wouldn’t have to drive to Norcross. He stayed for a bit and chatted. He seems like a really nice person. He and his wife are traveling like Dave and I. They seemed to like it a lot like us. Who knows maybe we will catch up with them again in the future. That’s what’s nice about traveling…all the new faces and friends we meet along the way.

This afternoon we went into Wal-Mart to order me some contacts and pick up some groceries. No matter where you go here it takes longer to get there then anything else. Traffic, traffic and more you know…traffic! We were successful in our endeavor though.

We heard on the news this morning that there was a shooting near the last park we were at in Norcross. One never knows…I just knew while we were there that it was best if I stay put. I guess my feelings were on the mark!

This park is really filling up fast. The weather has been colder than normal this year so everyone is bundled up around the campfires. Some people are out boating but for the most part I think that they have opted to stay inside and stay warm…that’s me!! Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful…yeah!

Adios for now and God Bless all our family and friends.

3/2/08

Happy Birthday Dave!!! He will have his favorite cake today…Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cake. This is the cake that Mr. Rabideau made us as a welcome when we moved into Champlain Park in Plattsburgh. It’s to kill for! I made him his breakfast in bed…homemade belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. His wish was to just hang out and play some of his computer games he received for his birthday. Later in the afternoon we took a bike ride around the park.

We had a wonderful day.

3/3/08

The park shut the water off without informing the tenants. Luckily I had enough water in the holding tank to take a shower and do the necessary things…like flushing the toilet! Other than that it was a quiet day in the neighbor hood.

3/4/08

Dave stayed at home today as we had heavy rain. We were much more fortunate than the surrounding counties though…some had tornadoes touch down. A few times though out the day we thought that we were in the middle of one. Allatoona Lake has risen but needs another seven feet to be at norm. It’s getting their bit by bit!

Love to all.

3/5/08-3/6/08

Not much is going on these days. I haven’t been feeling well the past few days. Dizzy with headaches. My right ear started hurting just before bedtime so maybe this has something to do with not feeling well! Hopefully with just taking it easy for a few days I’ll feel better.

Hope all is well with everyone.

3/7/08

Another call for tornadoes today. Dave hung out at home. This afternoon we went into town and did some shopping. We ate lunch at Shoney’s and while we were eating Dave received a call from the office saying that they needed him in TN on the twenty-first. We were cool with it and kind of been expecting it. Then the next minute the company from TN wanted him there by Monday. Dave was trying hard to figure out how to get his equipment back to the office. They finally decided to have Jason who was working in the next town over meet Dave and pick it up. We did manage to get things somewhat organized to be set to leave tomorrow. The weather wasn’t cooperating though. Snowy and with thirty-five mile an hour winds were in the forecast.though. Weatherman is forcasting snow with thirty-five mile an hour winds. Driving in snow or when it is windy is a nightmare in the coach.