Miss Abby is Getting So Close!

We are in a weekend right now, which is bringing us a MUCH needed time of rest. (You saw the DITL post yesterday. You get it.) I hunkered down with my scrapbook, which always brings my heart and creative mind so much joy. Ryan hunkered down with one of the last big Abby projects and had a blast working on it. 

With the completion of this project, the only thing we have left to do is get the couch! We saved and repurposed as many things as we could from the RV, but the couch was too far gone. We were going to try to slipcover it, but it had way too many cleaners and such soaked into it, and it was beyond saving. The overpowering smell of cleaners and fresheners left the RV when when we took it out. So our one big splurge for the RV will be a new couch to go where the floral one had been.

After that, she will be fully functional and we can begin to decorate her, which we can do over time as we have the ability to do so. 

We were so excited to get some blessings for her as Christmas gifts. Want to see some of the items ready to go in?

* We asked for and received these silicone trivets that double as pot holders. Space is at a premium in a rig like Abby, so if we can pull double duty with anything, we want to do just that. We can use these under hot dishes so we don't ruin our counter and table, but we can also use them to pull hot things out of the microwave or off the stove!

* We also received this knife set, which I'm super excited about, because all the knives came with covers, so they'll be protected wherever we decide to store them. We don't have room for a knife block on our limited counter space, and though I've seen some people hang knives on a magnet by the stove, I didn't really want to do that in our RV. So this was the perfect solution to all that. 

* We asked for a couple of throw blankets that we could use when hanging out on the couch (or outside by a fire on chilly nights) but could also add as a layer to our bed if necessary. My sister got one of them for us, and Ryan so fell in love with it that he uses it every single day. I fear it may never make it out TO Abby! (Just kidding. It will.) So if you're in the market for a super soft and delightful throw blanket, this one comes with all the thumbs up from us. 

* I wanted a very small silverware set to keep out in the RV. (By very small, I mean service for four. Not miniature silverware.) Mom and Dad got us this set, and it's just perfect! 

* This is one of the first fun pretties we got for Abby, and I'm so excited to hang it up! We got it to hold maps/brochures/other random paperwork, and then have a spot for masks/keys/etc. as needed. AND IT HAS A CHALKBOARD!!! Can't wait to add this in out there. 

* Our friend Shari gave us a kitchen towel for Abby, so we can at least dry dishes! :) Guess we will lick them clean first. (KIDDING!!!!)

* When we were on our anniversary trip, we were trying to support a local store and found a couple of small, affordable baskets that we can hang in our bed area to hold things like phones or the remote, since we don't have side tables back there. We can also pull them down to use in other ways as needed!

OH! And I almost forgot. You might remember that I gifted Ryan a electric water kettle and a French Press for our anniversary, so those will be for our Abby travels too! 

We have a few more things on our wish list...some dishes and food storage items, some bedding and curtains, and some practical things, both for upkeep/maintenance and for storage/organization. But we can't believe she is SO CLOSE to being ready!! It's so exciting. 

We were also excited this week to hear Rob say that he thinks the RV was a brilliant idea. We had our six month review with him, and he asked how things were going for us in learning to balance work and personal life. He used to live in our apartment, so he certainly understands those challenges firsthand. We talked about the ups and downs of how we are doing with it, and he said, "Just so you know, the minute I saw the RV, I went home and told my wife you guys made a great move. It's so important to be able to truly get away and enjoy your time off. I'm so glad you bought it." 

Nothing like your boss giving you double thumbs up on a recreational purchase! But we really are excited to see how it helps us rest more thoroughly on our down time as the weather warms up!