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Seeing our cousins! Cape May, NJ

Hello from Cape May, NJ! Not far from my birthplace of Atlantic City. This morning was the last morning that I will wake up in the RV, for this trip anyway. Later this morning we will begin our trek back to Richmond. What a WONDERFUL last few days we have had.

Our trip from Bedford, PA to Lancaster was easy, despite the fact that we had to pay $55 in tolls. For 4 hours of driving. On one of the worst roads I have ever been on in my life. It literally sounded like our RV was going to fall apart. It was shaking and rattling as we drove over holes and bumps, all while Shawn was having to avoid hitting the cement median on one side and cones and/or a guardrail on the other. There was construction the whole way. We were just aghast at the cost of the tolls. What in the world are they doing with that money? Those roads should be made of freaking platinum.

We made it to Lancaster in one piece and got set up in an awesome little campground. It was right across from the Tanger Outlets (I didn’t go, which was slightly painful. They even had a Pottery Barn outlet!) and our spot was right across from the playground, so it was perfect. We hooked up in probably the fastest amount of time to date in order to get over to the Amish Farmers Market before they closed. Shawn’s parents had told us about this place, which was just 3 miles away. They used to go to Lancaster all the time before they moved to Florida and always brought us back this amazing sage breakfast sausage, along with some other goodies, so we were excited to see this place. It was such an awesome place, I wish I had a picture to share. I think my senses were in such complete overload that I wasn’t thinking straight and didn’t think to snap a picture! And going at 5pm was probably a huge mistake (as Macy pointed out) because we bought everything in sight since we were hungry! We scored all kinds of goodies from fresh fruits and veggies to that yummy sausage and bacon to chia seeds and some of the freshest oatmeal I have ever tasted. We grilled out, the kids had a blast riding bikes again (it had been a while) and they made a new friend who they played with up until the last minute when we pulled out the next day. We would definitely go back to that spot.

Cape May was only 120 miles but it took just over 3 hours because you are driving through small towns and lights the whole way. When leaving Delaware and entering NJ, we crossed over the Delaware Memorial Bridge. This bridge has such special meaning to me. My immediate family was the only family I had in VA growing up. Every single relative (to which there are a LOT – my parents have 7 siblings) lived in NJ, so naturally when my parents had vacation time, we went to NJ. This bridge marked the end of our long drive as our family was right over that bridge. My dad would tell Rene’ and I, and later Josh, when we could start looking for the bridge and our annual game of “I Spy” would begin. I would have butterflies looking for that bridge, knowing I was close to my grandparents and cousins. It was special. So when I crossed this bridge a few days ago with my own family, a mass amount of unexpected nostalgic tears came streaming down my face. Time has passed so quickly. My grandparents are gone. Even their house is not there anymore. Naturally Macy was concerned with my tears and I tried to explain to her how special these memories were and that I hoped she would have special memories like these as she grows up.

These last few days have been filled with making special memories with their cousins. We are here at a massive campground in Cape May, where many people actually own 2nd homes right here in the campground. It’s a mix of RV sites and tent sites, but mostly homes that people own. We are here to see my Aunt Chris, who has a place here. She has been battling cancer for the past 3 years like the trooper that she is. She is an OR nurse, who was also in the Navy, and had 4 tours in Iraq/Afghanistan. She is a tough cookie. Her daughter is here, along with her two daughters, and we have all just had a great time being together. Making memories. If there is anything that we have learned on this trip, it is the importance of family. Of being together. Of making memories. I come from a very close family. It is now up to this next generation, mine, to keep that special tradition going. This trip was just what I needed to be reminded of that and make sure that happens. I just found a new goal.

We leave in a few hours and overall we are excited. Shawn and I both have some sadness though. It has been special and fun and the most amazing summer of our lives. We are blessed beyond measure. God has revealed much to us on this trip. The most powerful of which is just how much more simply we could live. We don’t need much. We don’t need a big house. We don’t need a lot of “things”. We just need time. And we need to make that time count. Our perspective has shifted so drastically in the last 12 months. We are now in the mode where we want to work to live. For 15 years, we lived to work. Work was, and still is, very important to us, but it is just one small aspect of our lives. When we get home, I plan to explore every nook and cranny that Richmond has to offer. We have never once gone to eat brunch in our own city with our kids. We have never looked for a hiking trail. We haven’t visited the farmers market. Why not treat our everyday lives like we are on a great adventure? As my mom always says, this life is not a dress rehearsal. Our next adventure is just about to begin.

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