HoppoTabi2022

 (a copy of the newsletter we sent out) Jonnie and Marlise Smurthwaite – Christmas 2022   This last year, we traveled all around the country in our RV!   During our “HoppoTabi” full-time RV journey we will have traveled over 23,000 miles from California to Maine and from Washington State to southern Florida, and so much more in between!   We’ve visited 42 States, 30 national parks, countless Church History Sites from Vermont to Salt Lake City, and many US History Sites from Plymouth to Jamestown to DC to Gettysburg to Memphis.   We attended 2 family reunions and visited many family and friends along the way. We have had our fair share of challenges and surprises, along with wonderful gifts, tender mercies, and life lessons.  We’ve learned to rely on each other, to roll with all the ups and downs, and to enjoy the journey.   A unique, once-in-a-lifetime, cherished experience...

Christmas Eve arrived! That super cold weather came--the coldest Christmas in Florida in 20 years, as we are told!  The whole country seems to be experiencing extreme cold weather. So, though this is not quite the "warm, beach Christmas" we thought we would have....we realize it was much more bearable than for others--with ice and blizzards and power-outages.  However, being in an RV had it's challenges.  The two days before Christmas had 'freeze warnings'. In the night, it got down to the 20's ("feel like" the teens). We didn't have winter/snow clothes, so I guess we are fortunate that our kids tend to be pretty warm blooded (more so than us!). We managed with sweatshirts.  At the RV park, everyone was asked to either winterize the RVs or keep the faucets dripping all night, to prevent pipes freezing. So, we had the dripping going on. We had a scare that our water pump froze (which could damage it permanently)--but it turned out to be okay. Anot...