RV Q & A - What is it like camping at the RV Parks?

We have been very pleased with almost every RV park that we have camped at.  We often stay at Thousand Trail/Encore parks because of our membership. (It is only $3 a night with our TT membership!) Most of their parks have security gates and other amenities such as a pool, activity center, laundry facilities, and playgrounds.  All of the staff at the parks have been very friendly and helpful too. Many times the parks will have free, fun activities such as potluck nights, bingo, dances, and concerts.  

There are some times when we travel where the area does not have a TT/Encore park, so we decided to join other camping clubs for their discounts as well. (Since we have started traveling full-time, we have joined FIVE different camping clubs! HA! But believe me, we have saved SO much money it has been worth it!) We have also stayed at a few state parks which usually do not have many amenities, but they are inexpensive and you really get to enjoy the beauty of more natural surroundings.  A few times, we have had the blessing of camping our RV on the church properties where we held seminars. Staying at the churches is very convenient and its FREE! Free is good:)  

While in Charleston, SC, we stayed at Lake Aire Campground, which was very nice.  The staff was friendly, and the park had two nice playgrounds.  The boys also enjoyed watching the ducks swim in the nearby pond.  They called them "turkey ducks" because they looked like a cross between a turkey and a duck!

 We found this mama duck sitting on her nest with eggs!

We explored the park and found several turtles in the lake too.

The boys made several new friends at this park, especially one boy from the Northwest who was vacationing with his family. (Hello Noah!)

During our stay in Myrtle Beach, there were no TT/Encore parks close by, so we found Briarcliffe RV Park that gave a discount for Passport America members. It was a very nice park and the boys loved riding their bikes around the paved roads.

Joshua enjoyed learning how to "ride" a scooter...

I can always count on Caleb for a cute pose for the camera:)

We really enjoyed the activity center here. One of our neighbors was camping with his granddaughter and her friend, so we met up a couple of times for bicycle riding, ping pong and putt putt. Very sweet people!

Unfortunately, the pool wasn't open yet for the season, but we probably would not have gone much since it was cold, and the beach is only 5 minutes away.  

Feel free to ask any questions about our RV lifestyle in the comments section! I will try my best to answer them:)

Blessings to you and yours,

Jill and the boys:)

A Tree That You Must See and Fort Moultrie! (If You Say That Out Loud, it Rhymes!)

Ok - I don't mean to be too cheesy with the title of this post, but I thought it might bring you a little smile, right?:)

During our stay in Charleston, we visited The Angel Oak Tree.  This magnificent tree is estimated to be somewhere around 400-500 years old!  It is absolutely amazing! 

 The Angel Oak Tree measures over 66 feet tall and 28 feet in circumference! It produces a shade of 17,200 square feet! WOW!

 The longest branch on the tree measures 187 FEET from tip to tip! Amazing!!!!

One other part of Charleston that we visited was Fort Moultrie.  We had originally planned to visit Ft. Sumter as well, but the cost of the ferry to get there is very expensive.  We decided we could see Fort Sumter from a distance (for free) and the boys could still learn a lot just visiting Fort Moultrie instead. The history of Fort Moultrie goes all the way back to 1776 during the beginning of the Revolutionary War.  The commander, William Moultrie, and his four hundred men defended the fort during a day long battle with British warships.  The fort was originally constructed out of soft palmetto logs. The structure ended up absorbing the shots from the cannon balls and sometimes they even bounced off!  Hence, South Carolina is known as the Palmetto State! 

First, we stopped by the visitor center to watch a short film and to pick up the Junior Ranger books. 

Of course the boys had to climb all over the cool cannons! And- there were A LOT of cannons!

You can see Fort Sumter in the background of the next two pictures below.

It was a tight squeeze, but the 6 of us made it through all of the tunnels at once! When our family is on a field trip, our motto is always: "No man left behind!"

We ended up staying here almost four hours!!! After watching the required video, touring the fort, and filling out their books, the boys earned their Junior Ranger Badges.  Their names were displayed along with the other Junior Rangers on the "wall of fame" at the visitor center.  Good job boys! :)

Historic Charleston, SC

We had a wonderful visit in Charleston, SC last month.  It is a beautiful city full of history! Alan's parents drove out from Texas to visit us for a few days while we were staying there. We all enjoyed walking the streets and seeing various historical homes and landmarks.  One very well known area was the Rainbow Row.  The homes on this street are very bright and colorful!

Battery Park is an historic landmark on the lower shores of the Charleston peninsula.  The boys enjoyed walking around the park and exploring the cannons.

Cannonballs!!!

Caleb was in full serious soldier mode in this picture!!

Charleston also has a city market with all kinds of handmade crafts, decorations and speciality shops.

Several tables had handmade straw baskets that were so beautiful! We all enjoyed watching this gentleman in the process of weaving a cross.

The streets are lined with all kinds of beautiful churches, buildings and homes.

On one of Charleston's few remaining cobblestone streets, there is The Old Slave Mart. It is hard to even fathom what occurred here so many years ago.  It is such a sad part of our country's history. Charleston once served as a center of commercial activity for the South's plantation economy which relied mostly on slave labor. Slave auctions were held at this site until the defeat of the South in the Civil War led to the end of slavery.  The building now is a museum of African American history, arts and crafts.

We also walked by the First Baptist Church - The Oldest Baptist Church in the South.  It was the week before Easter so as we were walking through the church, two ladies were rehearsing singing hymns for the service. It was beautiful!

We even passed a Bubba Gump Restaurant! :)

We were so excited that Charleston has a free trolley service throughout the city!  After a full day of sight-seeing, these boys were tired! They all decided to sit on the curb while waiting for the trolley to pick us up!

It was a fun, full day in Charleston!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jill and the boys:)

So- How are you REALLY doing??

Being a full time family on the road, I get asked a lot of questions!!  I think this question is the one most of my family and friends want to know. How are you doing...really?? I may have worried a few of you with my post about the struggles I had in February. So- to put your minds at ease... I can honestly say, that I am doing really well now! Of course this lifestyle was a huge adjustment, but, honestly, it has been an amazing journey! I feel so blessed! We are having a great time on the road and we are all learning a lot! God has been so faithful to encourage me in little and big ways.  I love that we have wonderful quality time together, and that we can serve Him together as a family on the road with our ministry to parents and churches. As a homeschooling family, we feel this trip is an amazing educational opportunity for our boys as well. I love that we can see so many parts of our great country and met people from all over the United States, Canada, and overseas! We have also met so many wonderful people through the churches and seminars the past few months. The boys have made several new friends in every state we have visited.  We hope to reconnect with them again somewhere down the road!

Last month, I also had the chance to see some good friends in St. Louis.  For various reasons, it was a very last minute trip but I am so glad I had the opportunity to go! I did get some much needed girl time with friends, which was a huge blessing! Thank you ladies...for the laughs, good food, and encouragement!  While I was there in St. Louis, a huge snowstorm hit so I didn't get to see everyone I had hoped. Big bummer! :(  So to our dear St. Louis friends - I look forward to visiting you sometime soon - we miss and love you so much!

Alan and the boys are doing really well too. The boys love seeing all kinds of new places, but most of all they LOVE having more quality time with Daddy:) I know this may sound funny, but we have grown so much closer as a family. I don't just mean being in tight living quarters! The boys have become better friends with each other.  We are all learning how to serve, love, laugh, grow and encourage each other better.  I have to say...that is the best reward of all!

Thank you for your prayers, love and support for our family!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jill and the boys:)

Having some down time in Yemassee, SC

Daddy spinning Caleb around:)

After we left Columbia, we traveled down south to The Oaks at Point South RV campground for some down time and to do some catching up on school with the boys.  This park is one of the Thousand Trail RV parks.  It was a nice, small little park that was great for the boys to ride their bikes around.  When they finished up school for the day, we played around the park or just relaxed in the RV.  The boys also made some new friends here. (Hello to Henry, Paul, Brody and their little sister too!)

Putt-Putt golf is always a favorite past time!:)

Sometimes the boys just entertained themselves with good ol' nerf guns and lightsabers!

The park in Yemassee had a nature trail with a lake nearby. One day, the boys and I walked around the lake and then we passed through the woods to see this...

From a distance, it looked like a huge meadow of green grass. Then, we got closer and realized it was water, covered with green algae!!! EWWWWW! The boys thought it was pretty cool though!

The boys also enjoy playing with their army men. They set up camp with us at each RV site.  After we leave each park, I glance over our site very carefully to make sure no man gets left behind!!! HA!

One afternoon, we drove to Hunting State Park and played at the beach.  It was VERY chilly that day, so we did not stay long.

There were all kinds of trees uprooted on the beach.  I am guessing from several severe storms that came through the area.  

There was a beautiful lighthouse there as well.

The beach had some very muddy parts. It actually felt and looked like clay.

From a distance, the sandy clay parts looked like dark boulders or rocks.  Nathanael struck this pose and said, "Mom! Doesn't it look like I am Superman breaking the rock?!?!"

Micah and Caleb enjoyed building sand castles...

Now with four (actually FIVE) boys in the family, and with all of this mud, clay and sand, it was bound to get messy, right?!?!? Yep! A huge mud fight broke out! Thankfully, I had the camera so I was safe!!!!

At first I thought "Oh Boy!! What a mess to clean up!!!!" But then I realized..who cares?!?!? Honestly, it is worth it all when I know my boys will remember this fun day full of laughs, chilly waters, muddy sand, and a Daddy who was right there with them having fun in the mud:) I am grateful for these memories and blessings on the road...even the messy ones!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jill and the boys:)