Friday, May 8, 2026: Friday turned into a full day of family visiting, which was a nice way to begin Mother’s Day weekend. Beth spent part of the day with her mom. They went to Bingo together and then spent the afternoon hanging out and visiting at the nursing home. Later that afternoon, Olivia and Nate came by since it was Mother’s Day weekend, and we all spent some time together with Beth’s mom. After our visit, we headed out to do a little shopping. Olivia and Nate do not have an Aldi close to them, so they were ready to stock up while they had the chance. We picked up groceries and supplies and then started thinking about supper.
Then to Black Olive in Elizabethton, Tennessee, for Italian food! We may have mentioned before that we have had a hard time finding really good Italian food over the last couple of months, so this meal was a welcome change. Everything was excellent, and it definitely hit the spot.
Of course, a good meal like that needed to be followed up with ice cream. We found Covered Bridge Creamery just down the street, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. It is a neat little place tucked along the main street in downtown Elizabethton, serving fresh homemade ice cream. After getting our ice cream, we spent some time across the street at the park, enjoying the water flowing over the dam and walking across the covered bridge.
It was a simple evening but a great one! Family, good food, homemade ice cream, and a little time outside made for a pretty perfect ending to the day.
After ice cream, we all headed our separate ways again — at least for now.
One of the benefits of having family nearby while we travel is being able to have packages sent to their house. Olivia and Nate brought us two large bags full of items that we — or maybe mostly Beth — ordered. It was a pretty good load of new purchases to sort through once we got back.
Saturday, May 9, 2026: Saturday morning started with Little League baseball.
Wesley and Caitlyn’s boys, Emmitt and Braxton, both had games scheduled, with Braxton’s coach pitch game first at 9:00 a.m. Baseball at these ages is always entertaining, and the league has made it even more fun by adding “walk-up” songs for each batter. There is just something funny and fun about watching little kids step up to the plate with their own music playing. Braxton played well and was full of energy and excitement for the game. It was a great way to spend the morning and cheer him on.
Between games, we headed over to the house to start working on an old building that has been falling in on itself. Over the years, it had become a place to put old, unused items, and now it was time to start cleaning it out.
The floors were filled with things that had mostly been ruined from exposure, so we started sorting through what was there. We loaded a truckload of items to take to the dump and set aside a few things that looked like they might still be worth keeping and cleaning up. It was not glamorous work, but it needed to be done. Sometimes cleanup projects like that are a mix of memories, mess, and “why did we keep this?” moments. But little by little, we made progress.
Back to the ball field for the next game, which was Emmitt’s T-ball game.
T-ball is always another fun event to watch. At this age, the coach pitches a few balls first, and if they do not get a hit from the pitch, they still get a chance to hit off the tee. It keeps the game moving and gives everybody a chance to be part of the action.
Emmitt did a great job and had fun out there, which is really what it is all about at this age. There is always plenty of entertainment at a T-ball game — kids running the bases, figuring out where to throw the ball, and occasionally getting distracted by just about anything happening around them.
Their little sister, Hayley, was also at Emmitt’s game. Hayley usually shies away from Kevin a little bit, but today she was not shy at all. She warmed right up and was happy to visit, which made the morning even better.
Between Braxton’s coach pitch game, Emmitt’s T-ball game, and getting to spend time with the kids, it turned into a pretty full and fun baseball morning.
On our way back to work, we took a quick detour to Troyer’s. Time for some frozen lattes. They are the best, and each time, we take advantage of being close by.
Back at the house, we got back to work on the old building. We loaded up another haul, this time filling both Wesley’s truck and ours. By the time we finished, the bottom floor was almost completely cleaned out, which felt like a pretty big accomplishment, considering what it looked like when we started. It was another dusty, dirty load of old items, but progress is progress. Sometimes the best part of a cleanup project is simply being able to look back and see that something actually changed. Once the trucks were loaded, it was off to the dump. No time for photos because they were closing soon. And with that job mostly behind us for the day, we were on to another adventure.
Our next adventure was not exactly planned, but it had been on our minds for a while.
For the past year, we have been using a tow dolly to pull our Hyundai Santa Cruz behind the motorhome. It has worked for us, but when we came from Darien last week, we had two blowouts on the tow dolly. Thankfully, there was no damage to the truck — but it definitely got our attention.
We had been discussing the possibility of flat-towing a vehicle. There are only a few options out there that fit what we were looking for, including a Jeep, another truck, and a couple of Buick SUVs. Since we were leaning more toward the Buick option, we decided to stop by the local Buick dealership and take a look. Of course, if you know us, we do not usually just “stop to look.” The dealer confirmed that the car we had chosen was allowed to be flat-towed, and we ended up leaving with a Buick Encore GX ST. So now we have a new vehicle and a new project.
We ordered the equipment for the car Sunday afternoon, awaiting everything to arrive so we can make the final connection and get it ready to tow behind the motorhome. Hopefully, the installation and setup all go smoothly. After the tow dolly blowouts, we are definitely ready for a better towing solution and a little more peace of mind going down the road.
Sunday, May 10, 2026: Mother’s Day, so we spent part of the day with Beth’s mom and Aunt Beverly. Instead of going out somewhere, we took Japanese food to them and had lunch together there. Brian and Penny also met us, so it turned into a nice little Mother’s Day gathering. We spent time eating, visiting, and just hanging out for a while. It was one of those simple family meals that does not need a lot of planning to be special. Good food, good company, and time together made it a really nice way to celebrate Mother’s Day. By the time we finished eating, our stomachs were full, and everybody was about ready for a nap. After lunch and visiting, we headed back to camp for some rest and relaxation.
Monday, May 11, 2026: A work day, so it was a little more routine. We did make a trip to Sam’s Club for some necessities, which always seems to be part of life no matter where we are.
Later, we had dinner at The Shack BBQ & Grill. The food there was excellent, as usual. The bbq was great, the sides were good, and the service was friendly. This is one of those places that always seems to deliver a good meal, and it made for a nice ending to an otherwise ordinary work day.
It was a full few days of family, food, baseball, cleanup projects, car shopping, Mother’s Day visiting, and a little bit of normal life mixed in between.
That is one of the things we enjoy about this lifestyle. Some days are travel days, some adventure days, some work days, and some simply about being close enough to spend time with the people we love. This weekend had a little bit of all of that, and we were thankful for it.