Georgia And Florida (Part 2)

Jan 26th was the Crossfit Teen Gauntlet at Crossfit Canton in GA .  The kids did well. Tim and Luke won their divisions and Caleb took 4th place.

2 days later we arrive at Macdill AFB and got a campsite walking distance from the beach ...We BBQ 'd, made some vitamin D and thawed out in 75 degree weather ...good thing because the next day brought cold weather and rain.  The kids caught up on school work and hung out with our friends the Chin family.

Down to Georgia And On to Florida, Chasing The Sun

We stayed with mom and dad (also known as Grandma and Papa ) for a few days before heading south to Georgia for the kid's crossfit competition.  We had a great time with them.

We spent a chilly day and night in Acworth Georgia.  our friends Mike and Heather Smith and kids drove out to see us.  We had a good time but cold ...

Jan 26th was the Crossfit Teen Gauntlet at Crossfit Canton in GA .  The kids did well. Tim and Luke won their divisions and Caleb took 4th place.

Arrival in VA!

Making sauerkraut 

Good times with the family...hiking at Peaks of Otter...Sharp Top mountain.

Odd horn magnifying glass I found at TJ Maxx

Jasmine with cousins

Dec. 24th...on the road again...again

We pulled out of Los Baños on Dec. 24th.  Christmas with the family in VA is not going to happen...especially after stopping at another Ford dealer 100 miles south of Los Baños with more car probs...(which turned out to be minor, but still used up the day).

We are getting good practice moderating negative emotions and thanking God for all He does for us every day. Besides, the kids are watching our responses and we are teaching them every second with our actions and responses.  So, I stifle my first inclination to roll the car off a cliff and give thanks in all things.  It really is good practice.

Incidentally, for all that believe in Santa Claus...

As of December 24th, he was stuck at Auto Zone in CA with a dead battery...

So,we spent Christmas with my grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncle in sunny Indio, CA...It was great! 

We got up, walked to Starbucks then went for a swim at the campground pool.  We then spent a wonderful day with the family.  All the kids said it was the best Christmas ever...John

Stuck in Los Baños CA

While stuck in Los Baños ...

 Cheri helping our friends with a little winter garden spot...we'd forgotten you can do that in CA!  It was so warm and sunny!

still stuck in Los Baños ...

We had a great time with old friends from Dillingham, Mark and Jen Romo and children at Mark's mom and dad's house.  Mr. And Mrs. Romo were very gracious to have us all over. It was a huge blessing and encouragement to us.

Still stuck in Los Baños ...

We had a great workout with the nice people at Crossfit Valleyview... It was a smoker...once again, warm and sunny.

Being stuck in Los Baños was a blessing ...we enjoyed the sun, fellowshipped with old friends, met nice people at two different Ford dealerships.  We thank God for his mercy!  

More to come soon.-John

On The Road Again!!

The truck is fixed and speeding towards VA as we speak! Hurrah!  The Family was able to visit some good friends, the Romos, from  Dillingham  AK during the time they were delayed. It's always wonderful to catch up with them.
   
     I spent Christmas  eve at my Aunt's house for a delicious brunch and junk-food gift exchange.  I ate so many peanut butter cookies and slices of quiche, I'm still full.

Later that afternoon some of us cousins went to see The Hobbit in 3D. When asked what I thought of the movie, this is how I responded:

Some of us thought the 3D glasses looked pretty cool....

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Chapter 1: "And ......We're Off!"

Hello everyone!  It's been a couple of weeks but I'll try to bring you all up to speed on the Pearson Family travels.

  The trip started in Seattle, where we visited Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from my Mom's side of the family.  During that time, we purchased a travel trailer and vehicle for our road trip. 

  On the 15th, all of the kids from Holly on up, competed in the 2013 Gorilla Games crossfit competition.They all worked hard, had a lot of fun and Luke placed second in his division.

  Here are some photos of them competing in an event called a "squat ladder" where the participants complete reppititions with increasingly heavy weights.

Nathan won this shirt for doing 100 burpees in under 6 minutes. 

That night, after the award ceremony, the family (minus me) loaded up the camper and high-tailed it for Virginia, hoping to arrive by Christmas.  They made it through Orgen and over the California border in good time, but in the town of Los Baños, the excursion blew two gaskets and the trip came to a grinding halt. They called a tow-truck and everyone, including the two portly drivers, crammed into the cab. The trailer is now parked in an RV park, and the car is at a dealership 40 miles away awaiting a part that should arrive tomorrow. 

(Towing the car)

They rented a car and decided to make the most of their time being stuck in "The Bathtubs". 

Here is a picture of them hiking at San Luis national wildlife refuge.

Notice I'm not in this picture. That's because I flew to Virginia early, to house sit for my aunt and uncle. Although the rest of my family is not here. In spite of that, I've been having a blast spending time with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins here in Virginia. I'm going with a bunch of my cousins to see "The Hobbit" in 3D on Tuesday. The anticipation is killing me. It's also a good segway into this quote, 

• "I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone."

"I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien "The Hobbit"

This makes me laugh because I think it really sums up what adventures are all about. Sometimes, you end up late for dinner, sometimes you meet with unexpected circumstances........But if everything went according to plan, it wouldn't really be an adventure, would it? 

Prayer requests:

1. Please pray for continued safety for the people stuck in Los Baños.

2. Please pray that they get the car repaired in a timely manner.

Thank you all for praying!