Palm Desert

January 1st- January 28th

After a busy holiday season at home, it was time to hit the road again! While we had plans to visit Malibu and Carmel this trip, we ended up staying in Palm Desert for the entire month of January.

We stayed at Emerald RV Resort. The place was great! Great views of the snow-topped mountains with Palm Trees all around. We had some nice, warm days with crisp cold nights. The best part about these adventures is simply being together. Time slows down while we are away with a very simple living space. Meghan and I were able to get some good 1 to 1 time with the boys as well. Whether that was playing pickle ball, riding bikes or practicing golf on the putting greens that were on the property. Often it’s during these times where we have meaningful conversations with the boys. While life is more “simple” on the road, we actually were quite busy for the month. January is a busy month for me with work so I was on the phone a lot. Meghan, doing an amazing job of homeschooling, remained busy during the day as well. But, that didn’t stop us from exploring the area and we were fortunate to have some family and friends visit!

Joshua Tree! What a place. Immediately the boys took to bouldering as we navigated through the rock. As we sat for lunch, Ryder said to me: “Dad, I feel close to God right now”. It’s a joy as parents continuing to watch the boys grow in their relationship with Jesus.

In addition to Joshua Tree, we did a few hikes in La Quinta, Palm Springs and Coachella Valley. Beautiful terrain! Meghan and I did lots of running this trip and enjoyed the landscape taking in the views. Meghan has turned into quite the runner!

One of the things we love to do is go around for our “nightly walk” around campgrounds. The RV lifestyle is great. People are outside, waiving as you walk by, kind and interested in one another. We enjoy looking at the different rigs and at this point, we’ve all got our “dream RV”.

We played lots of football and smashball at recess and got quite a few games of pickle ball in as well. The pool was also open so lots of time swimming with the boys! We also did daily bike rides around the property and out in the community. We also took a field trip to the Palm Desert Zoo. It was great!

A few friends came out from Carlsbad who also have an RV. We spent a few days riding a bike trail in La Quinta, having some nice meals together and of course, playing Catan! What a great game. We also had some friends who rented a house in La Quinta where we had a great time of swimming and watching the Super Bowl together. Grateful for times of fellowship during these times.

My Mom also came out for a visit and stayed in one of the casitas they had on property. We had a nice few days with her hiking, enjoying meals together and just being together. This last year has been precious spending quality time with family. It was great having her out for a few days.

Our final visitors were my sister and husband. I was fortunate to sneak out and play a round of golf with my brother in-law and get some competitive pickle ball going. Meghan and my sister got some quality time together as well. The boys always enjoy being with their Aunts & Uncles. We love how they love them.

It was a great month in the Desert. Continuing on with the responsibilities of life but making the most of this opportunity. The boys brought joy to the neighbors around us as they mentioned they didn’t want to see us go and how much they enjoyed watching the boys play each day. We will be back to the Desert no doubt!