We made it to Maine!!!

After we left Massachusetts, we traveled north passing through New Hampshire on the way...

to MAINE!!! We made it all the way up!! YAY! 

It was amazing for us to think back and realize that just 6 months earlier, we were all the way down in Florida! Since February, we have made our way through all of the states on the east coast, and now we finally made it all the way up to the northernmost state!  We were all so excited! 

Maine was absolutely beautiful! While we were there in August the weather was mostly sunny and in the 70s. We spent 2 weeks in southern Maine, staying at the Thousand Trails Moody Beach RV Campground. This is a popular vacation spot and so it was pretty busy during our stay there.  The closest beach was Foot Bridge Beach, which was only a few minutes from our campground. 

We came to the beach a few times while we were here and although the water was pretty chilly, we all had so much fun!

The water was SO clear and beautiful! You could walk out far into the ocean and still see down to your feet...

The boys had a lot of fun goofing around with the sand. In the photo below, Alan sure looks shorter...or is it that Micah looks taller? Hmmm...

Uh oh! What happened to Micah!?? :)

The older boys enjoyed getting buried in the sand...

Alan put a bucket over Nate's head for a few seconds...

If you were just walking by, you could not even see there was a boy buried here!!!

Time to get up!

Lots of time was spent building forts and sandcastles of course...

The boys enjoyed running back and forth to the ocean to fill their bucket with water for the moat...

I just never know what kind of pose Caleb will make for the camera! HA!

Sometimes the beach was pretty crowded, but there was still plenty of room to play and dig in the sand.  Can you find all of the Haigood boys in the photos below??

Although the water was cold, I did finally decide that I just had to get in and play in the waves with the boys:)

Boy, that was REALLY cold! YIKES! :)

 We also enjoyed seeing people flying their kites in the beautiful blue sky...

During our first trip to this beach, we saw many people there surfing or using body boards to ride the waves.  We decided to purchase a body board for the boys to share during our next visit to the beach. Although the waves were not very high that day, the boys (including Alan) had fun "riding the waves" anyway!

At the end of the day one of the boys' favorite things to do is wreck the sandcastles! Sometimes they just bury them up with their hands, or kick some sand over the top of the castles. Other times, they just like to run and take a flying jump on top!

I'm not sure that was such a soft landing for Micah!

The last part of our time in Maine was cut a little short when I made an emergency trip back to Texas to help my Mom after she had to have an unexpected surgery.  (I am so thankful to report that she is doing great now and has recovered very well! A big thank you to all of you who have prayed for her!!!)  While I was in Texas for a week, Alan packed up the boys and spent some time back in CT with my family. (More on that in my next blog post) However, before they left Maine, Alan did remember to get a very important photo of the boys...

HIGHWAY 1 in Maine!!!!

Highway 1 starts in Maine and ends down all the way in Key West, Florida.  Here is our photo from February in Key West...

It was so neat to be able to say that we did it - We made it from one end of the highway to the other! And...what a fun, amazing and challenging adventure it has been along the way! We have met so many wonderful people through our parenting ministry and other churches we have attended.  At the various RV campgrounds, we have met so many interesting people from all over the United States, Canada and even Europe!  We have learned and experienced so much more history then we ever could have just from reading a textbook.  We have also grown closer in our relationship with God, in our marriage, and with our boys.  Alan and I are so glad that we have had the opportunity to grow in so many ways, and God isn't finished with us yet! :)

I am truly grateful for this time we have had to spend together as a family on the road.  We continually see how God has grown our faith in so many big and little ways.  I am looking forward to seeing where God leads us next! As always, we appreciate your prayers for us throughout our journey. Thank you!

Blessings to you and yours,

Jill and the boys:)

RV Q & A - How long does it take to pack up and then set up the RV every time you travel?

The answer to this question is kind of complicated:) When we first started out last November, I think it took us anywhere around 1 1/2 to 2 hours to set up camp or pack up to move to our next location. After lots of practice, (and getting a little wiser - ha ha!), we now can leave in as quick as 20 minutes, but the average time for us now is close to 45 - 60 minutes to pack up & leave, and about 30 minutes to set up after we arrive.

So- what are all the steps we take? We actually have made up a checklist to help us remember everything and make sure we don't forget anything either!

To load up and leave, some of the duties include straightening up things in the RV, putting away items in cabinets, locking/securing cabinets & doors, emptying tanks, disconnecting the water hose, unplugging the electricity, bringing in the awning & slide outs, putting 2 car seats in the RV from the van, setting up seat belts, loading up bicycles in the van, hooking up the dolly to the RV, and loading up the van securely onto the dolly.

The boys love it when we move the slide outs:) Alan (or one of the older boys) pushes a button to bring in the sides.  The largest slide out can scratch the floor just a little bit sometimes, so we try to "help" it by lifting up the top section.

Micah helps lift up the other side and makes sure nothing gets caught while it is moving...

In the back of the RV, there are two slide outs that come in. One is the wardrobe, and the other side has 2 bunk beds.  It is kind of hard to see from the photos below, but this is what the back room looks like when everything is in.

After everything is done inside, then Alan lifts up the jacks before we drive to a level spot to load up the van.  It takes around 20 or so minutes for us to set up the van securely onto the dolly. Most of the time I drive the van up the dolly while Alan helps guide me to make sure it gets on straight.  After 8 months and a couple of mishaps, I pretty much decided I was done with that job! Alan now drives the van onto the dolly while I guide him from the outside.

Once the front of the van is loaded, Alan secures it with chains and straps...

While on the road to our next destination, we do make a few stops to check on the dolly just to be sure the straps are on securely.  It gives us peace of mind just in case!

Once we reach our destination, we unload the van, unhook the dolly and make sure the RV is level.  There are times that we have to use levelers under some of the RV wheels because the site is uneven...

Sharon Ave. Baptist Church Parking Lot

Once the RV is level, Alan puts the jacks down with a push of a button.  Sometimes it requires a little more leveling by moving the individual jacks. 

Then, while Alan hooks up the water, sewer, and electric on the outside, the boys and I set up things on the inside.  After we put the slides outs back out, its funny how it always makes us remember how much more space we have!! Though it is still a small area, the slide outs seem to add so much more room and we are sure grateful for that! 

The front area is a multi-purpose room. The dinette is our dining room/homeschool area. Next to the dinette is our living area/master bedroom. Every night, Alan unfolds the sofa bed for us to sleep on. Then, in the morning we fold it back up to be a couch. This job only takes a few minutes each time. 

The back room is the boys' bedroom and with the slide outs, it has enough floor space for a play area.  We have a few tubs of various toys and games that are stored under their beds.

When we first purchased our RV, the back bedroom was the master bedroom with one queen sized bed, a desk and a vanity.  Alan remodeled the room by taking out the furniture and then making four custom bunk beds. This way the boys had their own room and each boy would have their own "space" in the room. I am sure grateful Alan is so good at "do-it-yourself" projects!! This set up has worked very well for our family!

I asked Micah to get in his bed so I could take his picture and this is the pose he gave me:)

Micah LOVES to read!

The RV has curtains for the front dashboard to add some privacy...

Home Sweet RV Home:)

Well, I guess I also gave a detailed tour of our home along with answering another RV question!  BONUS! HA! :)

Blessings to you and yours,

Jill and the boys:)