The Journey South

Mid-January we left St. George for Quartsite, Yuma and Phoenix.  We are traveling with Steve and Jackie who made lots of new travel buddies at the Heber Girls Camp (HVC), so we are tagging along with them and making new friends.  Well, low and behold, one of their friends is Richard and Wendy Poll.  Richard and I went to school together from kindergarten to graduating from high school.  I haven't seen him in almost 50 years (as 2018 will be our 50th reunion year).  What fun to get reacquainted and get to know him better - he was one of the best basketball and football players and I was, well, just a class member.  No, really he was a a very kind person then and is an even kinder now.

Our first stop was Lake Havasu City, Arizona.  The HVC group likes to dry camp so we find ourselves in some desert wilderness camp area where it's an ATV drive to everywhere.  We are now traveling with Brett and Lori Simonson and Mike and Kathryn Monfredi.  After a week in cold and rain; as the desert is getting blasted with a cold front and rainy weather, we travel further south to Quartzite.

I love the cactus!

Now this is the first time I've ever been to Quartzite - the old people camping site of the world.  I've heard stories from Grandpa Schaefermeyer and my parents, but now is the time for me to experience it.  I am not disappointed.  There are literally miles and miles of motorhomes, travel trailers, 5th wheels, campers and everything in between populated by "old" couples - you know the 70s and higher set, not us young people still in our 60s.  Even though it was further south, the weather did not change - cold and rain.  How far south do we have to go?

 The line of ATVs, note we are all in winter clothes still.

After a only 6 days of Quartzite, we have seen everything, done everything and frozen everything.  South young travelers, south!  On to Yuma.  We now find ourselves on the north side of Yuma, Arizona, again dry camping - Steve and Jackie had a family problem so they needed to go back to Utah; we gave up our RV park reservation and followed the HVC people to the desert for more dry camping.  Theron is in heaven; I'm okay as long as the water and potty hold out.

There is a hope of warmer weather and as of today, January 31, we have finally found it - 70 degrees.  Friends of our new friends have been taking us on ATV rides and the sites are really beautiful - not Samoa beautiful, but desert beautiful.

 This is a slot canyon we drove down; not much of a challenge but reminded us of Lake Powell slot canyons.

This was a great hike.

Tonight we just found out that we will not be going to Phoenix, we will stay in Yuma a few more days and go back to St. George.  We don't want to be alone in Phoenix; the new friends are excited to keep us.  Theron has been actively playing McGyver and fixing things.  Warmest thoughts of you all back in Utah.

The beginning of 2017

All the best years begin January 1.  The year of 2017 has now begun and we have entered it with our hearts and souls.  We left the snow in South Jordan (and there have been lots of it this year) and moved to St. George.  We started the new year with a dinner party with Woods, Christensens and Duerdens.  Going south was a good idea to get away from the snow, but not away from the cold and rain.  The grandkids celebrated with hats and noise, also

Well, that's the first week of January.  It's now the end of January when I finally get around to writing again and we are now as far as Yuma, Arizona, and it's still cold.  This has been the longest January and the coldest one in a long time.  Now, let's turn things around and I'm now going to be happier and more positive because traveling and enjoying our time right now is a fun time.

Back home, the snow is piling up.  It's a good water year.  Mason is so hungry that he's even eating the snowman's nose!  Todd and Taylor keep shoveling and will soon have to walk up hill to get to the front door.

The saga of the pickup truck:
We bought a new 2016 Chevy pickup because we knew we would be traveling a lot and wanted the comfort and dependability of a new truck.  Well, the park brake destroyed itself and that was a week in the shop.  Just before Christmas we had a steering problem and took the truck to Murdock.  After having the truck for a week, they told us it was a major steering part and they could not get another part very soon.  By January 11, we had, had enough and talked to the general manager and now are driving a new 2017 Chevy truck that was manufactured after the steering line problems.  Enough said about the pickup.

Curt is now 39:
Happy Birthday Curt.  What a great son, husband, and father he has really grown into his own and is making a great dad - the chocolate pudding tells it all.  It worked out great for us that it was the 11th that we had to travel up north.  It was a fun time to be there for Curt's birthday and his smoked pork.  Yup, he's smoking the meat with his new smoker!  Poor Mel, she has four kids!

We know this is going to be a bad winter so we have decided to join the ranks of the snowbirds!  We are going south.  Continue reading as we adventure our winter travels.  As we leave this blog, just a few pictures to preserve our memories.  The triplets bid us goodbye and then immediately strip down for some stair streaking.

 The new stairs leading to the playroom, Kacy is still being blocked.

 Kacy is shaking the grate telling us she wants to go with us.  Or, maybe she just wants to get Brittney's attention.

Here's our sign.

Wrapping Up 2016

We arrived home from Samoa, October 1; celebrated the birthdays of Kacy, Lauren, Brookelyn and Jesse; reacquainted ourselves with family and friends.  All the details can be found in our Samoa blog for October.

This is a wrap-up of the rest of 2016:
THE NEW PICKUP - Theron went for a haircut shortly after we had been home and came back and told me we were buying a new pickup.  Fair deal I guess.  We bought a new 2016, Chevy Silverado 3500.  It is loaded with all the gadgets and features he wanted.  We have now driven it about 5900 miles and were backing the trailer onto the finished concrete pad in St. George when what to our wondering ears should arouse, the brake system making odd sounds.

As you recall, our other pickup had the rear-end go out, this one had the park brake fly apart and after having it fixed, we were up north and the truck would quickly stop when turning into a driveway, kind of like the brakes ere on.  It's in the shop again and we are waiting to hear the verdict.  Umm, us or it - which is the cause of the same type of problems in both trucks?

THE RZR TURBO ATV - When staying in St. George finalizing the purchase of our little spot of the world, Steve invited us to go 4-wheeling with his friends from the Heber Valley Girl's Camp.  Well, we checked into renting an ATV for the trip and ended up buying a 2016 Razor turbo 1000.  Theron has wanted one anyway (I won't admit that I have too, got to keep up my image).  The trip was through the mountains out of Colorado City ending up in Zion's Park.  It was fun.  We now have this toy to add to our collection and hope we have lots of fun trips.

 This is a picture of us and Steve and Jackie - we are the front ATV.

This trip led to a Thanksgiving trip with Adrian, Todd, Cameron and Taylor.  We all stayed in our trailer and rode the ATV and motorcycles in St. George at Warner Valley and Sandhollow.

Then, Curt had to get his turn in so Adrian pulled our ATV home for Curt to take hunting.  After Curt and Justin learned to fasten their seatbelts they could go fast enough to get an Elk.  Yuck, now it's got elk blood all over it; I haven't seen it since he cleaned it, but I'm going to inspect closely.

ST. GEORGE LOT - CHEROKEE SPRINGS - Before we left for Samoa, Craig and Judy were living in their son's trailer in a trailer community called Cherokee Springs in Washington, Utah.  It was owned by President Webster and he was letting them live there for the cost of the electricity, water and HOA fees.  Steve had stayed there for most of the winter in a rented lot and then bought one in the park to fix up.  We approached President Webster about selling his lot and he agreed.  We couldn't get the transaction completed before we left for Samoa so he held it for us and he paid all the HOA fees while we were gone.  It was a true act of charity.

When we returned, we finalized the purchase and then started a remodel.  First, we found a Tongan handyman to do the concrete work.  One of Steve's friends drew up a shed design for him and we copied it for our shed.  The first part of December, we spent two weeks there building the shed and getting the lot cleaned up.  The shed turned out great, the concrete works for the new trailer pad and the driveway.  The only problem is that our back jacks are a little too low and scrapped the driveway as we were positioning the trailer.  It's going to require some modifications in backing our fifth wheel in, but Theron can do it.

Before our remodel

Before the remodel, the pad and parking were gravel.  There was a divider with the other property built from old railroad ties that were rotting.  There was no shed to store our washer/dryer and other things.

 First thing was to put a cement pad for the trailer.  Second thing was a concrete pad for parking.  Third thing was building a shed.  Here's our progress.

And, here is the finished product.  When we do down to live in January, we will do some landscaping and finish things up.  But, for now it's great to have a spot to go to, leave the trailer and call home.

CHRISTMAS 2016 - After coming back from St. George, we settled in at Adrian's and spent our days traveling to North Salt Lake to tend the triplets and over to Marc's to take the kids to see the movie Moana, and then to eat pizza while the parents went on a little date.  On December 21, Jesse had surgery to finish his circumcision and adjust his urethra track.  He did very well and is recovering nicely.  This same time, Ali got sick and threw-up; the triplets each took turns throwing up and having some diarrhea, then Melanee took sick, now, all the rest are down with whatever this is.  It was a Christmas that we all tried to avoid the sickness and yet, everyone was sick - Adrian excluded.  She has a real aversion to getting sick and has been trying everything to avoid it.

 On the night we tended Mason, Ali, Tyce and Kacy, Mason took grandpa and asked him to help him fix the train.  It was fun to see them work together and finally get the train going.

On the 24th, we traveled to Marc's and watched him open his birthday present.  Imagine our baby is now 37 years old.  When did that happen.  He's such a cute 37 year old!!!

On the night we tended Mason, Ali, Tyce and Kacy, I realized that Kacy just doesn't know us at all.  She did not want to go to bed and would only let Mason hold her.  It's going to be tough to gain her love as she just doesn't know why we just appeared on the scene.  I'm glad Tyce remembered us!

That was about all the celebrating we did for him.  We wanted to go up Christmas day but they received 15 inches of snow and I just didn't want to travel that day.  Curt, Melanee and the babies came to Adrian's home and wandered around trying to figure out what was happening.  I have noticed that Jesse is getting much faster at running from one thing to another; he is opening and pulling everything out of a cupboard faster than I can get there.  Oh my, how fun this will be to watch them grow.



 These kids have learned to climb the stairs and it was fun one day to watch Melanee call them and say go upstairs for your nap and obediently, they all climbed the stairs.

A family tradition is the Spendlove Christmas party.  We again held it at the Henefer Firestation and everyone played games and chatted.  At least we get together once a year to see the families.  These are a few of the pictures from that night.  It's like pulling teeth to get all my brothers and sisters together for a picture, but we did - even though we had to have props to hide some of our aging features.

 Jonathan is living with Rodney.  Dawain and Jana are in the background.

 Casey and Jennalynn.

 Wow, look how grown-up Josh and Matthew are!

 It is difficult to see our sister Janeil age so quickly as she suffers with osteoporosis. Seems Lisa if frequently missing (lives in Washington) and I don't know if we'll ever see Diane (lives in Oregon) again.

For our Christmas this year, Theron got a new electric bike - a Scott - compliments of Dawain and mine will arrive on the 2th.  I got my PJs that I wanted and we got a lot of family time together.  Memories are the best gifts!

It's been a great year!  To our family and friends - we pray for an even better year - 2017.  Love to all.