Beth and I used our brand new camper this weekend! Marve's 60th birthday was this weekend, and the whole family was camping at Yankee Springs. It was a surprise that we showed up, Marve wasn't expecting us. I had started to think we were crazy to be camping so soon after getting the camper. I FINALLY got the lights to work just before we left, and grabbed the propane tank off our grill. Beth did as good a job as possible to pack us up, but we still didn't get moving until after 6:30 (shortly after I managed to slam my fingers in the van door) and got to the campground at maybe 10. Then, with tired and cold kids, tried to get everything set up quickly. Ric and John and Marve helped a lot. We even got the furnace running, which I wasn't sure we would, but then it quit during the night. And in the morning we were all freezing. We made our first run to town Saturday morning to go get a ceramic heater and king size conforter at Wal-Mart, and a few sweatshirts. Otherwise, the camping was good. The kids had a great time playing with all their cousins. The camper was much more pleasant Saturday night with the heater on. And Alex rode a bike without training wheels for the first time! We got back Sunday evening and put the camper back in the backyard. I wonder if we'll get a chance to camp again this year. It does have a seam split on the roof that I'm a bit concerned about, so maybe that'll be a winter project.

Beth spent most of her free time cleaning the camper today. It cleaned up very nicely. She's pretty excited to go camping this weekend. Got the oil changed in the van too, and they said it was pretty goopy, so it was a good thing to have it changed before towing again. I worked on the lights until the daylight was gone after work, and still had no luck getting things to work right. But I found a website, and made a bunch of sketches, and I think maybe I know how to wire it correctly now. I wish we had a couple more days to make the camper ready: still need a propane tank, figure out how to light the furnace, get the fridge running, wash the curtains, flush and sanitize the water tanks, get the lights right...

After church today I worked on getting the van ready to tow a popup camper. I enlisted Virgil's help and got myself a hitch and plug. No ball yet, since I don't know what size I need. It took quite some doing getting the hitch into the receiver: lots of WD-40, a t-shirt, hammer, screwdriver, chisel.... been a long time since that hitch was used I reckon, but it went in. I'm going to get it tomorrow. Hope the van can pull it ok...

Beth and I have bought a camper! We were watching listings on eBay for a few days for a 1996 Dutchmen popup in Michigan and a 1997 Palomino in Illinois. The Palomino was the one were were most interested in, but our max bid didn't meet the reserve and it went for $3000 this afternoon. We bid a max of $2500 on the Dutchmen and got it tonight for $1825. We were over at Churchill's, refreshing the eBay page every few minutes there near the end while we and they and the Wilhites played Apples to Apples. Everyone is about as excited as we are to get it. Earlier today, our church carried the cross to the new building. It had been taken down a few weeks ago to modify it to fit in the new sanctuary (one of the elders has a very well stocked wood shop), and now it was finished (shortened about 4 feet) and back at the church. The elders and deacons all had a seminar this morning, then at about 1:30 everyone came over and we carried the 300-lb cross the couple of miles through town and installed it on the wall at the new building. I had a shift carrying it for the first few blocks, then I pulled the kids in the wagon along the sidewalks until they got too hot and wanted in the van. Then I relieved the van driver and had a shift driving while he carried. Overall a very cool experience. A good day.

Beth and I almost bought a camper today. There was a listing on Craig's List for a nice looking camper in a wee town called Denver about a 45 minute drive from here. We called the guy, and even though there was another person interested in the thing, we drove down there to take a look. It was pouring rain, so the guy had it set up in his garage as far as it would go up. Anyway, we got there and the other people were already there. We kept waiting around and wishing they would go away, but they just kept hanging around and looking at it and eventually bought it. they had been there 10 minutes when we got there, and while we were there I heard them talking like 'do you want to go home and think about it?' so if we'd been there 10 minutes earlier or later we probably could have gotten it. They bought right then because we were there. And it was a nice camper. Very nice.

Beth and I took the kids to Fort Wayne today to do some shopping for kids clothes. We hit all the shops and spent some $450 between them, but I think we're all set for school for a while, anyway. We'll probably have to spend that much again when it starts getting cold. It was a Katie day, so we had dinner at Applebee's and saw "Tropic Thunder," which I'd say was good for a few chuckles but not much else. But, we wanted to see a movie this time instead of just hanging out, so we saw one more or less just to see one.

I have tonight gone wireless. Of sorts, anyway. I got a router from Staples a couple weekends ago (they were on sale) and it got here about a week ago (they were sold out and had to order mine) and tonight while Beth was quilting I got it set up. I'm typing this at the coffee table upstairs without a wire connecting me to the modem downstairs. Cool beans!

Finally things are getting back to normal. I drove the truck and camper in to work so Toni could drive them home and Beth picked me up at work. And Alicia has her RAV4 back.

We have had a very nice time camping over this weekend. It almost didn't happen. Alex started having diarrhea shortly after school on Friday. We were hoping it was just something he ate so we were still playing it by ear. I left work a couple hours early to go to Toni & John's house to pick up the camper...and while I was there Beth called me to tell me that he was now throwing up. So, we didn't go Friday like we'd planned. Just as well, we had to clean up the camper and pack it, and get the van from the shop for about $1400...ouch. Alex did fine overnight, but he had more in the morning after he ate breakfast, so we waited some more. He seemed fine by lunch so we decided to risk it, and he was fine the whole time we were away. BUT, by dinnertime Beth had it (or so we thought) so I started packing the campsite back up again. Alex saw me doing it and looked crushed ("Daddy? Do we have to leave already?"), but Beth then thought it was just dinner disagreeing with her so we did stay. And she was fine. We couldn't get the furnace to light, so we were hoping it stayed warm enough overnight (we actually ran the AC all night both nights) and John actually DID fill the water system with antifreeze last winter (Toni thought he didn't so they didn't flush the system). We went swimming Saturday and rented a canoe and swam on Sunday. Missy got the sore throat and runny nose on Sunday. But we stayed and she was fine. The kids got to play with Sammy and Nick and Lena and Luka and Carson while we were there. It's nice that we can camp now without having to watch them constantly. There were also the bike rides and the playgrounds. They seemed to have a really good time. We left Monday, by which time Beth was catching Missy's cold.