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Spending Time with your Spouse is Not Optional

I’ll be the first to admit that I am sometimes so exhausted by the end of the day that my husband and I will finish dinner, veg in front of tv for an hour and then head to bed before I realize we haven’t really spoken. Whether it’s because we are too tired, too wrapped up in taking care of the kids and pets, or because we have ran out of things to discuss, I don’t know. But what I do know is that marriage takes work… a lot of it. And oldsweetheartsone of the best ways to cultivate a healthy and happy marriage is taking time for just the two of you. A time to reconnect, talk about your days/weeks, make plans for the future, and laugh.

I’ve always found that being at home this doesn’t tend to happen for us. There is always something that needs done around the house, or a certain little boy wants tucked in for the third time that evening, or “your show” is on that night. For my husband and I to really and fully connect we need to disconnect. We have found that taking our RV to a campground (even if just for one night) allows us to completely communicate with one another uninterrupted I wouldn’t go as far as to say that buying an RV saved our marriage but the time we have spent together relaxing and enjoying one another’s company in it has only made married life that much better.

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The Backbone of Society

I think from the title alone most people would have guessed that this post is about family. I truly believe that family is indeed the backbone of society and the motivation for nearly everything that I do. All too often we get wrapped up in our day to day lives that we simply breeze past one another at the front door as if we were strangers on a city street. And the rare times that families get together for dinnertime it’s as if we could eat by the glow of our family-campingcell phones, tablets, hand held video games, or the blaring TV that we all have planted firmly in front of our face. It is certainly a sign of the times but one that I admittedly don’t much care for. Did you know that according to A.C. Nielsen Co. the average parent spends 38.5 minute a week in meaningful conversation with their child. A WEEK!!! I have committed to not becoming part of that statistic and I believe that I have found the perfect way to integrate fun, family time, conversation, and adventure all in one. Want to know my secret?

I take my family RV camping as often as our busy schedules allow! It’s like a little switch flips once we hit the wide open road. The kids seem more relaxed, my wife seems happier, and I am on cloud nine. It can be a short little 2 day trip or a week long vacation but with little to pack, no reservations to make, and all the comforts of home our travel trailer is the answer to a stress free get-away. It is during this time that I am able to re-connect with my kids, to find out what is going on in their lives, and if they are in a really good mood, offer them a bit of fatherly advice. While I know I can’t change society or eliminate technology I feel that for those few days we are back in “the good ole days” laughing by the campfire, playing board games, and taking in the beauty that nature has to offer. (Oh and a place with no cell phone service helps a lot too!)

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When You Look Back, Do You Like What You See? Carpe Diem!

Death is a part of life… albeit a less than pleasant part. At the end of one’s life is when they start to reminisce about the things that they did and the things that they didn’t do. All too often the conclusion is usually, “I wish I hadn’t worked so much” or “I wish I road with logowould have spent more time with my loved ones.” But I don’t think the words “I wish I hadn’t traveled and seen the country” have ever once been uttered. The opportunity to see, appreciate, experience, immerse, and enjoy different parts of the country are what people dream about.

Well the time and opportunity are now. The best way to truly see even the small things is to drive across the country, staying in different locations, taking your home with you in the form of your RV. Not only will you be able to try something new each and every single day but you will also have the comforts of home with you. Even as I sit here at my desk writing this I have an uncontrollable urge to jump in my SUV, hitch up the RV and set out on a once in a lifetime adventure.

So don’t let this become another missed opportunity and yet another regret. As Danny Kaye once said, “Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.”

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That Really Gets my Goat….

I’ll be the first to admit that there are many sayings out there that I just simply don’t understand. First of all I am always hearing, “well it was raining cats and dogs so we stayed inside.” Cats and dogs eh? If this were the case we have much bigger issues than not being able to go outdoors! And then there’s “the little girl is cute as a button.” I guess as far as buttons go I have seen some rather attractive ones but can you imagine using that the other confusedway and saying, “hey Laura love your blouse, the buttons are as cute as a little girl.” And then there’s the ever popular “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Now this one seems rather inhumane and fruitless all at the same time. One of my mom’s favorite things to say was, “the whole ball of wax.” What wax, and dare I ask from where? And more importantly why are we keeping it? And last but not least people will tell me they went the whole nine yards. As an avid football fan I always imagine that they are some sort of underachiever…. I mean come on… they haven’t even got a first down with their measly 9 yards.

But this brings me to one old saying that has stuck around for decades that I can fully and completely understand and that is, “I’m a happy camper.” There are conflicting stories as to where this originated but it’s commonly believed that kids especially were at their utmost happiest when they were camping. To me this old saying seems pretty spot on. I would struggle to think of anything other place I’d be happier and more content than sitting outside by the campfire and only feet away from my travel trailer with all it’s luxuries. So while I usually find sayings silly and outdated this is one that I foresee hanging around for years to come.