July-September 2013: WE ARE FAMILY - Part 2

               The family adventures continues ...                      

Bob and Donna take time out of their busy schedule
helping  fellow campers to have lunch at our campsite

Well McTraveler left Pam's Kentucky family to make a beeline to Jim's side in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. 

Jim's brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Donna, own the KOA there which makes it so easy to visit family. We so love coming here for family and the shear beauty of the Ozarks...so much to see and do.

Our niece and grand niece

While in Eureka Springs, Donna's daughter and grand baby from California came to visit which made our trip even more special.

But FAMILY isn't always about the people in you life who are blood relations. It's about the people in your life who want you to be in theirs. It's about the people in your life who accept you for who you are, support you in the things you choose to do and no matter what are there for you. It's the people in your life who love you, respect you and who you can depend on. Now That's FAMILY too. 

Ernie and family

With that said, we also had the pleasure to meet some of our RV family in Eureka Springs.  Ernie left Montana, his daughter, son-in-law and the grand kids came up from Texas; and all met in Eureka Springs.  

Yet another RV family, Kim and Don, came over from Harrison for the day to visit too. These fine folks went way out of their way to spend time with us and we so appreciate them and our time together.  The RV community is really a tight knit group who love and support each other just like kin-folk do.






So what do you do to entertain 12 people of all different ages? Well you go to Starkey Marina on Beaver Lake and rent a pontoon for the day for more family fun in the Ozarks!  Watch the video of our day on the lake here.

PerfectFamily Fun Perfection!

Family togetherness continues around the table; there's always lots of good food involved with get our togethers.  We had a scrumptious cookout, some swimming for the kids, and then S'MORES around the campfire...another perfect day.

Everyone else departed, so Jim and Bob went on a golf outing and Donna and I had our girls day too.  We toured the Eureka Springs Historical Museum which is housed in the 1889 Calif Building in the heart of the downtown Historic District. The museum tells the wonderful story of Eureka Springs start as a place of wondrous healing spring waters  ... Donna and I just love these history lessons. 

So we only had a couple of days alone with Bob and Donna before meeting up with Ernie on his Texas ranch; that will be addressed in a different blog post.  This hectic visit wasn't nearly enough quality time so as promised we were back by Labor Day. 

So we put on the KOA yellow shirts once again as workcampers for the long Labor Day holiday weekend.  The campground was a very busy sell-out!  Bob and Donna provided their campers with a watermelon cutting ... boy do campers love their watermelon! We had perfect weather and all the campers so enjoyed their stay.  

The above photos are from our countryside day trip drive to Fayettesville; our destination was the Northwest Arkansas Mall to shop for new glasses.  It was a very enjoyable, beautiful drive and had we a bite to eat while out.  Jim and I so cherish our time together.

The guys had another round of golf and the girls drove to Golden, Missouri to see the Golden Pioneer Museum.  In 1993, the Prier family of Golden, took over the Trail of Tears Museum Collection and combined it with their collection of Carnival Glass and American Pioneer artifacts to create the museum of today. They continue to add to their collections and don't see how they can cram anything else into the building. As you can see below, Donna and I had the perfect drive from Eureka Springs, across the one lane bridge in Beaver, AR to Golden, MO.

The museum collection was amazing and would take days to see it all.  We were stunned at the black light displays of Carnival glass and a gem/mineral rock collections that glowed in the dark.  It was a shame that my camera battery died right when I was going to take a photo of the glowing rocks.  We sistahs always have a great time together no matter what's on the agenda; and we thoroughly enjoyed our day at this museum ...

Maxx and Mollie get one last treat from Aunt Donna as we say our family farewells until next time.

We are so glad we made the trip back to Eureka Springs to spend extra time with family; and that the brothers got to share many meals together.

So we thank for you for making this family journey with us and hope to see you back soon for more McTraveler Adventures.

Until then, we wish you safe travels!
Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie

July - September 2013: WE ARE FAMILY - Part 1

¹fam·i·ly

 noun \ˈfam-lē, ˈfa-mə-\

: a group of people who are related to each other

: a person's children

: a group of related people including people who lived in the past

In human context, a family (from Latin: familia) is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity (by recognized birth), affinity (by marriage), or co-residence (household).

As the basic unit for raising children, Anthropologists most generally classify family organization as matrifocal (a mother and her children); conjugal (a husband, his wife, and children; also called nuclear family); avuncular (a brother, his sister, and her children); or extended family in which parents and children co-reside with other members of one parent's family.

Genealogy is a field which aims to trace family lineages through history.

To me, Family is so much more than the unemotional definitions. Webster's makes no mention of the love, bonding, support and encouragement, one's foundation to life and living, nurturing, the laughter, the tears, teasing and joking, the respect, knowing you can depend on each other, celebrating milestones or just for each day of being together ... all the essential components that bring bloodlines together as one whole family.

We're so blessed to have wonderful families on both sides.  This summer we were able to spend quality times with those we love ... OUR FAMILY. 

McTraveler ended our 2013 Spring RV trip by arriving in Pam's hometown of Louisville, KY just in time for the 4th of July and some family celebrating.  Jim and I had decided at the beginning of Spring that we had to buy water soaker guns for the little (and big) kids so we could have some major family Summer fun ... so let the fun begin ...

Besides celebrating the fact that we are together ... we love celebrating milestones and events. We start out with our grand daughter's 4th birthday party who came from Vermont with our daughter and son-in-law. What a fun time for all ... the birthday girl, parents, grand and great grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.

Our little princess is growing up too fast!

The next day, taking advantage of the kids being out of school, we head out to the Louisville Zoo. What a fun filled day for the kids and the grown ups too!

The Louisville Zoo was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

Sisters together again over the 
BIG CELEBRATION weekend

Spooning since 1954 ... we cherish the hearts that love us.

Even though we are now scattered, we make it home to share the love and catch up with each other.

We were so pleased and proud to celebrate Pam's parents 60th Anniversary.

Family arrived from all over the country to be part of this testimony of love and marriage. Mom and Dad are our shining examples of Love, Honor, Hope, Faith, and Encouragement.  Just couldn't ask for a better childhood or adulthood. Mom and Dad's 60 year legacy of love and hard work produced a wonderfully loving family.

Their legacy continues to grow.

My maternal grandfather started a family tradition back in 1974: The Collier Family Reunion. This gathering of family has been held the first Saturday every August since then. McTraveler picked up Mom and Dad from our Kentucky home and set our course for Sweet Home Alabama.

Mom became a pro at RV travel last summer when she went on adventures with us through out the northeast.  This was Dad's first trip; and even though he felt a little claustrophobic, I think he enjoyed the overall trip to my grandparents farm.  It's strange, this was my first trip back since they both passed late in their 90's; and just won't be the same but glad family tradition carries on.


As McTraveler pulled in to boondock next to the cornfield above the barn; and as the oldest grandchild of this clan, decades of good times of family, fun, and food memories flooded in and overwhelmed me.  I miss my grandparents.  Cousin Larry and his wife Phyllis purchased the Collier farm; and I'm so pleased it stayed in the family and they are lovingly bringing it back to life.  Many thanks to Larry and Phyllis for being gracious hosts and the hard work they put out to feed us and take us on Jim's first wagon mule team ride throughout the beautiful countryside. 




The family reunion was bitter sweet. I so enjoyed being with everyone; but with only a few great aunts remaining of grandpa's immediate family, I  left sad knowing I won't see some of the oldest generation again.  Mom is the oldest of her generation left. But seeing toddlers starting their first steps at the reunion, I know the circle of life continues.  

Collier Family Reunion August 2013

Circa 1894
Great Grandfather Collier as a child

Talking with and hearing the stories from the older generations, I found reunions are the perfect place to trace genealogy and had several fun days scanning hundreds of old photographs.

Early 1900's
Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother Collier

1944
Grandparents

My Grandparents attending the
1985 Collier Reunion

In mid-August we leave Kentucky to see Jim's family in Arkansas; see our WE ARE FAMILY - Part 2 blog. 

After Labor Day we head back to Kentucky; but stop in St. Louis, Missouri see see my sis and brother-in-law.  We were camped overnight at Wal-ee World and they drove up from DeSoto.  Mona and Paul introduced us to one of their favorite hang outs for good food and music ... Helen Fitzgerald's Irish Grill and Pub. We had a blast catching up, good food, music and dancing the night away.

Wish we could have spent more time with Mona and Paul; but Mona had to go back to work and we were headed to Louisville to see Mom and Dad one more time before reporting to Amazon in Campbellsville, KY. The Amazon CamperForce experience will be yet another blog post.



Mom is a fantastic cook and she put on the Southern spread for us; what a treat after a day on the road. Besides cooking, Mom is renown for her quilting ... an unbelievable fabric artist. I always try to do a project whenever I have her expertise at hand. This time I made McTraveler some new placemats and coasters. Earlier this summer, Mom made a cover for our printer out of the same fabric.




Dad is brilliant patent holder engineer; and we always have very deep discussions. The latest topic was the applications of nano technology. We live in such a fascinating world and times.

As we prepare to leave Mom and Dad's on our last night in Louisville; we are bade so long with a magnificent night sky beaming down on us.

We eagerly anticipate that you'll be back soon to read more of McTravelers RV Adventures ... and be sure to check out Part 2 of WE ARE FAMILY ... where Jim's side of our family are the shining stars!

Until then, wishing you safe travels,

Pam, Jim, Maxx and Mollie