warmest wishes.

For 3 days we have been in a winter wonderland. We already have 5-6 inches and there might be another storm this weekend. It 22 degrees outside right now but a cozy 70 in the camper. burr!

I braved the cold today to take some pictures. My toes are still numb.

I had the day off so the day was spent doing chores and a little holiday decorating. Marcus will even be lighting up one of the pines by the road this week!

We hope you are keeping warm!

xo Stephanie

p.s. Pictures from our day at Valley Falls coming soon.

excursion 11.14.10

First of all, Happy late Thanksgiving everyone! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday and that you were able to spend time with friends and family. We had dinner here in Fairmont with grandma Doris, uncle Larry and my friend Tasha from VA who came up to visit for a few days.

On 11.14.10 my mom came up to visit and we took a day trip to the former West Virginia Penitentiary for a tour. This place is smack dab in the middle of the town of Moundsville. There are many paranormal stories about this place that we couldn't help but to question both our guide and the lady at the front...who btw was on one of the ghost hunter shows and an ex-guard. They told us of many experiences that they have had during their time there.

We did have 3...first off Marcus' video camera's battery drained almost dead within the first few minutes. It went back up to full charge in the car on the way home. 2nd, mom was taking pictures when we entered the cell area and she felt something hit her hand and her camera turned off. 3rd, we were in the yard with the tour guide and I happened to wander around the side of a little storage building and heard a deep breath over my shoulder. Crazy right?

Although we didn't catch any hard evidence, here are a few pictures that I took. Unfortunately I forgot my digital camera but they had one disposable film camera left for sale...I figured why not, film is fun and has a neat look.

The pen from the top of the mound.

Artwork to the side of the visiting area. I really liked the 70s look to it. There was alot of artwork there by inmates...some better than others. There seemed to be a couple of fans of the Ninja Turtles. haha

The paint was peeling everywhere. It made me wonder how much lead was there.

And Marcus walking up the stairs of the mound. Beautiful view from up there.



It was great to get out and do something. Lately it seems that I am always working and Marcus is always busy fixing something or hunting! Oh and I'm not sure that I shared but I am working at the bakery in Kroger now decorating and such! It's the largest Kroger in WV and one of the busiest in the area and surrounding states. I have been learning SO much since I started only a few weeks ago.

Another post to come soon. promise. xo Stephanie

Family photo day!

We had our friend Matt come over and take some pictures of the Swaim family before we moved from VA. While he was there we had him take a couple of us and the kitties in our new home.  We just got them and wanted to share.

M and S with the girls; from left to right: Ozzie, Linx and Elsie. ♥

We had to keep rounding up the kitties to get them in the picture. It was really funny! 

xo Stephanie

p.s. We had snow last week! Not enough to stick but it snowed all day long. crazy.

And....we're under!

This morning we strapped everything down, brought the slide-outs in and Stephanie took a wild ride 30 or so feet to the RVs permanent spot. I have to say it was a little terrifying riding inside with them kitties while the misters moved us under the pavilion. Sounded much like an old train or the Titanic sinking! But here we are, finally sheltered. Next step? Finishing up the blocking, insulating and skirting. Then we'll be ready for this fast coming winter ahead of us.

I'm off to get those tupperware containers back to what little organized they were.

xo

Stephanie

the pavilion

hello friends and family, im sorry for the delay with my posts, but i have been trying to get as much done as possible outside while the weather is good. before long the weather will be cold and i will have more time to do indoor activities, but lately the weather can be explained best as "almost heaven".

the pavilion has been a hefty project, but im proud to say it is 98 percent finished. it has been a great learning experience. we thank all the people who helped make this project possible. our family and friends have been a huge help and we couldn't have done it without them. of course it helps to have an excellent carpenter to lead the project as i had with mike. lets just say when it comes to carpentry, mike has some skills.

here are some pictures from along the way.

as of yesterday the electricity has been ran, the gravel has been spread and we plan on moving the rv under this coming week. we are really looking forward to it.

marcus

Creepy Crawlies

Our friends Melinda and Michael's little boy Mikey turned 8 this past week. They had a party for him down at our neighbors place with games, food and hayrides! The best part? I got to make the cake and cupcakes!


I went with a Creepy Crawlie theme because 1. what little boy doesn't like monsters and worms? and 2. they were going with halloween decorations and games, including slime! Plus I got to be super creative and have fun with it! ;)

Along with the kids, we also had a really good time. We got to meet some other neighbors and made new friends. =) You can view a close-up and details on the cupcakes at my personal blog HERE!

xo Stephanie

Raptors!

Today we had an awesome experience! One of my new coworkers from the hotel volunteers at the WV Raptor Rehabilition Center and he offered to take us to see the birds they are currently caring for. We jumped at the chance, of course! Right now they have several including red-tailed hawks, a turkey vulture and a few different species of owls; including horned and screech.

This is Annie, the red-tailed hawk. She helps them with educational programs and events. She was truly breathtaking.

She opens her wings on command!

Much has been done since my last blog. We have almost completed the pavilion, I got a job at a hotel in Morgantown working banquets, had a 2nd interview at the hospital for a full-time position, and we have been scouting out plants in the area to photograph (those to come). Marcus has photos and blogging to share about the pavilion, once he actually takes a break! He's outside from dawn til dusk always working on something. You'll hear from him soon.

Hope everyone is enjoying this crisp fall weather!

xo Stephanie

p.s. At the camp or on the way a racoon, groundhog and red-tailed hawk have all been seen. Those are so common that it almost seems silly to share but oh well.