This was the third time we’ve stayed at Sandy Lake RV and Tiny Home Park in Carrollton, TX (population 139,248). Not the best campground really, but we hadn’t found a suitable alternative that met our needs: reasonable cost; close to interstate highways; and convenient to Jon’s family in Richardson, the condo in Arlington, and our storage units. We did have a good relationship with the management staff, and they were kind enough to give us a significant rate reduction for our stay. The daily rate was only $21.75 for the 4 months we were there. This was our second lowest full hook-up rate since starting five years ago.
Our winter stop was the opportunity to focus on our health needs. Fortunately, this one required neither of us to have surgery. Yay! MFI finally found a helpful therapy clinic for her left hand (remember she broke it in late May hiking in Glacier National Park). Her break healed; however, she had related hand injuries, which were never properly addressed during our travels until this clinic. She has continued to use the techniques they showed her and improved the movement and strength of her hand and fingers. I had an annual physical workup with my PCP, and all blood results were in normal ranges. We both had significant dental work well beyond our standard annual prophy, and dropped a substantial amount of coin as a result. It’s those moments when our lack of supplemental insurance coverage for dental and hearing care hurts.
The winter stop also was the chance to see friends, family, and grandkids, as well as, participate in many of their events. The second day we arrived, niece Vanessa invited us to watch her daughter Del play in a youth volleyball tournament. Vanessa coaches the team, and we were pleased to attend and root for the Wolves. Jay, Del’s dad, cheered from the stands (and did a little coaching). The kids played well for being so young, and the Wolves took second place. Del was very competitive and not at all happy with second.
Vanessa did MFI’s hair two days later, and since this took several hours, Del and I spent quality time together. I put on my great-uncle hat and catered to her every whim, which included playing in the rain. Because she of course was soaking wet, her mom made her strip for the ride home. Vanessa shared with us later that from the back seat she heard, “That was the best day ever.” Great-uncle killed it!
On Veteran’s Day, we attended the celebration at Logan’s school, Parish Elementary (he’s a Panther). Katherine arranged front row seats in the schools gymnasium, so we could better enjoy the kid’s singing program and patriotic presentation by a Vietnam veteran. Logan was extremely excited about having us all there, or can’t you tell?
We carved out a week and flew to Florida because several exciting events were happening in Hollywood. First, Sammy turned 7, and it’s always good to be present for birthdays when possible. Second, Sammy was starring in her studio’s annual presentation of the Nutcracker. In this year’s production, Sam’s second, she played the roles of Fritz, a Sugar Plum, an Angel, and a Pom Pom. No photography was allowed during performances, but MFI got to watch the dress rehearsal and took a few pictures. MFI, an experienced dance-mom-grandmom, got Sam a unicorn vase and floral arrangement. Additionally, Sarah and I hiked along the ocean Boardwalk, we played with Happy at Young Circle’s upgraded playground (he’s all boy), and Michael managed once again to be unphotographed.
Here were some pictures that captured our Florida visit.
Sammy worked hard all year improving her ballet skills and techniques. Her mom, a terrific dancer in her own right, claimed Sam’s much better than her at the same age. We thoroughly enjoyed this year’s Nutcracker.
A week with the Florida crowd wasn’t enough, but it was what fit into the overall winter schedule. We had quite a few obligations with family and friends back in the Dallas area. We said our sad goodbyes and promised a much longer stay during the coming summer.
Happy was just as glad to have us go to the park and play with him. I watched with trepidation as he climbed this incredibly tall rope tower…multiple times. Frankly, I only climbed to where I felt comfortable and let him go. On the ground, he wasn’t as adept and didn’t care. He was having too much fun chasing me or being chased.
Back in Carrollton, the first order of fun was to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Bunner family at their place. MFI cooked most of the meal, while others pitched in as needed. We ate ourselves silly and tried to watch football between playing with the boys and attempting to have adult conversation with Jon and Katherine.
We had been wanting to take Logan on the DART train, so we boarded at the CityLine station, rode into downtown Dallas with he and Katherine, and walked to Thanks-Giving Plaza and Klyde Warren Park. We all had a good time, and I enjoyed taking pictures. Thanks-Giving Hall was a uniquely designed building with an incredible spiral stained-glass window inside. The park was unique in that it was built atop the freeway. What boy doesn’t love a rainbow icee?
Michael and Sarah have for some time been committed to only buying us gifts referred to as “consumables.” The idea being that a consumable subsequently requires no storage. So for Christmas, they bought us tickets to a wine and cheese tasting at Scardello in Dallas’ Uptown (their old stomping grounds when dating). We attended the tasting twelve days before Christmas. The two owners hosted and presented interesting and enjoyable cheese pairings with both red and white wines across a palate that ranged from strong and robust to light and crispy. What a great gift!
Logan’s Christmas show at Parish Elementary was next on our agenda. The program was great, but come on, the real reason for these events was to allow us to share our pride for Logan, and for Logan to see us in the audience and know how much he’s loved. Katherine again arranged for front-row seats.
The same day of Logan’s show, Max had a Christmas celebration in his classroom at Primrose. Of course we attended that too. There was story time, snacks, and a rousing rendition of Jingle Bells. I took a long video of the performance and had several observations. First, Max was the spitting image of his father at that age, so we took a trip back in time. Second, the kids were suppposed to put the bells on their wrists like a bracelet. Max did, didn’t like the feel, removed it, and finished the song shaking them with his hands. Last, his sweet expressions were precious.
Three days before Christmas, we joined the Bunner’s at a holiday celebration in nearby Cityline Plaza. We don’t know who was responsible for putting it together, but it sure felt like winter and had plenty to keep us busy. The ice rink and snow were certainly novel, and the train was a huge hit with the boys, not to mention the adults.
The boys awakened early Christmas day, verified Santa had finished his cookies and milk and the reindeer had eaten their carrots, pulled down their stockings and opened the presents on the fireplace, and kindly waited for us to get their for opening our presents and those we brought for the family. The energy level was over the moon most of the day, and in all the excitement of playing with new toys, I failed to take pictures except for Santa and these two provided courtesy of Katherine.
This blog was already too long, so I thought it best to end it here. After all, we still had a little over two more months before departing Carrollton and starting our 2025 adventures.
