Well, things are getting real.  Really real!  If you watched our Thanksgiving update, you learned that Ian and I took our first excursion in the RV and spent a few days NOT in our own driveway.  It was nice to have a change of scenery!  We only spent five nights away, but it was a great for learning more about our new home!  We dealt with dead house batteries (replaced UNDER WARRANTY at Wal-Mart, saving us over $200), discovered two leaks (two holes patched so far, hopefully that got everything), and learned a bit about our generator.  We spent one evening in a bowling alley parking lot, which is where were woke up to discover many of these problems!  We invited my co-worker and his wife to see Odessa after a Turkey Bowl 2016 (my team won, sorry Ian!), and when I turned on the furnace to warm us up, the house lights started to dim… that’s when Patrick and Sue decided to bail (probably thinking “what have these crazy kids gotten themselves into?”), so Ian and I turned off the furnace and jumped into bed, realizing it was nearly 1am and the next day we wanted to get an early start as we were heading to Vashon Island for Thanksgiving.  One good thing is that once you get the bed warmed up it stays nice and cozy warm… until you get up!  It rained quite heavily through the early morning and we woke up to the interior at 55 degrees and dead house batteries.  Alright, no time for coffee, we needed to go get these batteries replaced, but as we are preparing to depart Ian asks me “is that curtain wet?” referring to the front curtain that covers our front windshield.  Not only was the curtain wet (soaked), but water was cascading down above the first mate’s side window.  The floor was soaked.  Leaks in an RV, not good!  We weren’t in a spot to deal with the leak, and the rain was still coming down heavily, so we decided it was best to schlep off to Wal-Mart to get new house batteries and a tarp.

Luckily Ian’s brain told him to go to the Poulsbo Wal-Mart, as we did not have the proper tools for removing the batteries on us (Poulsbo has an automotive center, E. Bremerton does not).  The outstanding associates working on Thanksgiving took care of the batteries while we walked over to Starbucks to grab coffee (much needed at this point) and a quick bite for breakfast.  I was surprised to chat with a few people who had travelled over from Seattle to run the Turkey Trot, they were soaking wet, but in great spirits.  And surprisingly, I was in a pretty good mood as well, despite the morning’s events that could have turned my mood as grey as the weather.  We returned to Wal-Mart, where we learned out batteries were under warranty (huge relief!), purchased a tarp, then finally hit the road  just after eleven, giving us just enough time to make the 12:25 sailing from Southworth to Vashon.  Again, we experienced great service, this time from the ferry personnel, getting us set-up to back onto the ferry without complication.  This is where I was most impressed with Ian’s driving abilities; he had to turn us around, and back now next to a row of cars waiting to get onto the ferry, with   cars exiting the arriving ferry on the other side.  Talk above nerve-wracking, and I was not even driving, I just had to keep Brewer out of the way of the mirrors, which of course was exactly where he wanted to be!  Soon we were backed onto the ferry, and, ten minute ride across the Puget Sound we were landing on Vashon, off to Steve and Penny’s for Thanksgiving dinner.

Spending quality time with family before we depart on our journey was the highlight of my Thanksgiving.  I quickly realized that many of Ian’s family members we had not seen since our wedding over a year ago, and others even longer!  It was so comforting to be surrounded by these people, full of encouragement and questions as Ian and I follow our dreams and endeavor on this Coddiwomple.  We had a great time on Vashon, and for once we were not in a rush to make a ferry off the island.   We had quite the eventful Friday, as we woke up to ponies in the yard, repaired holes in the roof, and spent time with family.  If you haven’t seen our Post Bowlthanksbreakie video about it all, watch it HERE.

We departed Vashon Friday evening and headed to Tacoma to meet up with my family for Mexican, as my sister Hannah and her husband Austin arrived in town from South Carolina.  Heidi and Josh, with Matthias and Josiah, as well as Johanna and her beau Hyrum were also able to join us.  It was nice to have everyone together, however brief it was!  Ian and I chatted with a worker at the grocery store down the street from my mom’s house, and he informed us that since his manager was out until Monday that we would be finding staying in their parking lot for two days.  He took our number in case someone insisted we needed to move, but that didn’t happen and we happily boondocked in a grocery store parking lot 2 blocks from my mom’s house for two nights.  Ian and I enjoyed our second Thanksgiving with my side of the family, only missing Josh, who had to work.  We missed you Josh!

After Hannah’s baby shower at Point Defiance we headed to Kenny & Cait’s for one more night out before I returned to work.  We had a great time, teaching Ian to play cribbage (he caught on quick), eating delicious venison spaghetti (venison is my favorite!) and enjoying time with friends.  I am quite aware that the days we have with some of our favorite people are dwindling down, and we may not see some of them for a while after we depart for our Coddiwomple, so I am trying to spend as much time with them as I can.  We knew we needed to get back to Hansville though, to finish up work on the house and get it on the market.  It looks like that will be happening soon too; the carpet cleaners came yesterday, Ian replaced the old, broken microwave with Charlie’s old one that she gave us when she replaced it with a shiny new one.  We’ve gotten sold or gotten rid of almost everything; although there are still some big ticket items that need to go… know anyone who wants to buy a 1969 Ford F250 Camper Special?! We’ll be on the road soon, but in the meantime I hope to spend as much time with you beautiful people as possible before we leave!