This week has been one big countdown! The kids were so excited to go to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney World this coming Sunday, and each day this week was another number to cross off. Sunday morning we attended church at The Pentecostals of Apopka and it was wonderful! The people were very friendly, the music was great and the preaching sincere. It is such a treat to visit all of these different churches, definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip. After the morning service Brytan asked to go to Popeye’s for lunch. He has really taken a liking to the place! Needless to say, Scott is thrilled! Sunday afternoon and evening was spent relaxing and letting the kids play.
Monday brought work, school and chores. It usually works out that I need to do laundry once a week. I am thankful that this RV Resort has two nice laundry facilities. I have found a new appreciation for people who do not have their own washer and dryer. Keeping up with the amount of quarters needed is a nightmare! I usually do four loads of wash and four loads of dry so at around $2.00 per machine that is $16.00. That is a lot of quarters! This place is awesome though because the laundry machines take credit cards!!!! I couldn’t believe it! You just swipe your card and pick the washers or dryers you want to start and voila! It’s awesome! Two months ago I would never have thought that credit card machines at the laundromat would make me so happy. I guess I am easily amused:)
Tuesday was more of the same, and Wednesday started of normal, but ended with a fun surprise. Usually, the day starts with school and by 1-2pm the kids and I are at the pool till 4:30-5pm, then dinner and family time. I happened to notice that Wednesday night is Bingo night at the campground! We had dinner and headed over to the club house. We were surprised to see almost 60 people inside playing the early bird games. We’ll be there early next time! We thought the kids would be able to play, but because you win money, they couldn’t. They were a little let down until the lady gave them each 40 free Bingo cards and I told them I would pay them $5 for each Bingo they got. Ha! When we sat down, they set us all up and gave us this massive sheet of ways to get Bingo! I thought there was only one! Well they play 20 games and each one is a different way to win. They book it too! Scott and I were scrambling to keep up with the guy calling numbers, and the other newbies were too. In the end, we had a ton of fun! At one point there was an intermission and all of the little old ladies got out bundt cakes and Jello salad and shared with everyone! A nice man gave me a soda and his wife gave the kids skittles! Everyone was very nice and welcoming. A bonus was that Scott and I both won a game! Our earnings paid for our games, daubers and we still had $5 to spare. Successful night if you ask me!
Little did we know that Thursday would be an even better day than Wednesday! We got a call that Darrell, Scott’s Dad, would be able to have dinner with us that very evening! He was about 4 hours from us for a conference, so we each drove 2 hours and met in Tampa at a restaurant called Columbia. It is the oldest Spanish restaurant in the country. It is a massive restaurant covered in beautiful tiles that boasts a nightly flamenco dancing show and was once frequented by many famous people including Babe Ruth, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. The food was amazing! Definitely a place to stop if you are in the Tampa area. We spent over 3 hours talking and catching up and then we headed back to camp. What a wonderful evening!
Friday we had school and swam. It was a lovely day. Friday night we tried a local pizza place called Pacino’s and it was so good. They have these little bits of heaven called Garlic Knots that are amazing! Cheese, garlic, butter, bread, homemade sauce, can’t go wrong!
Then on Saturday, we made gingerbread houses that Grandma sent the kids, and they turned out super cute! I also did a group painting activity at the campground and I didn’t have to go alone! I have made friends with a fellow Wisconsinite who is here with her husband from Steven’s Point. She is super nice and we laugh and joke “Wisconsin style” on a regular basis. I am very thankful to have a friend here at camp!
Every week seems to hold more fun and excitement than the last. The Christmas Season is upon us and we have so much to be thankful for. I am truly thankful for all of our family and friends who are so excited and supportive of our trip. Your calls, texts and comments mean so much! We miss you all.
