I'm sure you noticed the sudden end to postings on the blog...I was hatching a plot to surprise my daughter for her birthday....and it worked!!! We spent time with the Bemis couple in Charleviox and then made the quick run to Northport. Wednesday morning, August 12th, 8 AM our new friend Scot arrived with our new Thor Axis motor home and we headed to Elkhart, IN. Scot did mention that he thought this was the longest test drive he'd ever been involved with. ( 4 and 1/2 hours) Floyd signed papers. We got a few RV lessons. We bought necessities and headed for home on Thursday afternoon. We spent Thursday night in Joliet, Ill...on an RV campground that was once the Empress Casino complex (which a friend of mine built in 1992)...now Hollywood Casino complex. Then we toodles on to Grain Valley, MO (just east of KC). Arrived on Kelli's doorstep at noon on Saturday...she was more than a little shocked to see me standing there. In fact, I feared she'd be in such a panic that she'd go into labor right then. But she recovered quickly...and spent most of the rest of the day interrogating me about how I managed to pull off the surprise. Seems lots of folks were in on this...and she hadn't a clue.
It was a great birthday surprise....

We've spent time doing marathon laundry, getting hair cuts, manicures, pedicures, teeth cleaning...playing catch up...We are almost fit to be seen in public again. The rooms are still rocking a bit.

For now, the boating plan is that we will return to Lake Michigan around Father's Day and head south to complete our second loop. Then return to Lake Michigan...where we hope to continue to store the boat for several years and use it in the summers to play in North Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron...etc. We love the idea of escaping Kansas heat...and maybe we'll have company.

Love Love Love being home....and once we get things situated in the RV, I think we'll love it too. At 25 feet, things are much tighter than on the boat. Plus there are no little nooks to tuck things in to...its in a cabinet or outside storage. No hidey holes inside at all. That will take some getting use to. Dakota seemed to settle right in...though when we are underway, he thinks he's a lap dog.

I do think I need to blog about RV adventures...but haven't decided whether it needs its own blog or I should just continue posting on this one....but for now, I'm shopping for RV things and anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Boy Rappard #2...he-who-has-not-been-named is coming September 1...after 10 AM...