Day 7: Unpleasant Frozen Surprises and Alex’s Seventh Birthday!
Seven years ago today, we welcomed a tiny, 6 lb 3 oz bundle of screaming, blonde-haired girl into the world on a cold, icy day in Kansas. She’s grown into a vibrant, smart, funny, and sassy little lady. Miss Alex celebrated her seventh birthday today!
Quite fittingly, it was also a cold and icy day in North Georgia. Quite unfortunately, our fresh and gray water pipes had frozen. What does this mean? We could neither empty our sewer or dirty water (sink and bath) tanks, nor get fresh water in. This is not good. Not only is it highly inconvenient and rather smelly, but it adds a ton of weight to the vehicle and we needed to check-out of Stone Mountain Campground. The RV started smelling like an outhouse and the sink was full of dishes I couldn’t wash. Outside, the frigid air registered at around 22 degrees. Brrr! Alex and I hurried to the campground showers for some cleanup time. A plus was that the hot water there actually lasted longer than it does in the RV! When we were fresh and dressed, we secured everything we could inside the RV for travel and hoped for the best.
We got on the road shortly after 9 am, hauling an extra 600+ pounds of frozen water and sewage. The poor truck was really grumbling climbing those hills! It sucked but we didn’t have a choice. We hoped that the warming temperatures would help everything thaw as we drove. The roads weren’t too bad at all and we didn’t encounter any ice.
Hubby wanted to stop at Bass Pro Shops in Macon, Georgia, for a break about 1 1/2 hours into the trip. We pulled into the back of the parking lot where there was a ton of space, shopped for a while, then made a picnic lunch in the RV. After a bit of air freshener, it wasn’t too bad. I opened the windows for air and made everyone sandwiches, yogurt, and milk. One awesome thing about traveling with an RV is that it’s so easy to stop and have a picnic! All the food and supplies we needed were readily available, as well as a table and chairs to sit and a contained area for Bella to wobble around in like a crazy lady. Once everyone was full and ready for a rest, we loaded back into the Armada and hit the freeway once more.
All 4 kids napped a bit on the drive to Metter, after Bella came to the sad realization that she wouldn’t be let out of her car seat no matter how many times she yelled, “Out!!! Mama, Dada, Out!!!!!” Poor baby. We got into Beaver Run Campground a little after 3 pm and were very happy to find that the nasty, frozen mess waiting for us had thawed! We quickly hooked up to the sewer line and drained everything. Then we ran through lots and lots of hot water to make sure those pipes were cleared of ice. Tonight we’re running a bit of water through constantly to try and avoid the same problem. Live and learn, right? Live and learn.
The kids played outside the rest of the afternoon. Alex’s big birthday bash was yesterday even though today is technically her birthday. She played with her Rebecca doll all day long. The highlight of her afternoon today was helping wash the loads and loads of laundry at the campground laundromat and building houses and castles out of pinecones. Yes, we are terribly exciting people. Hubby made a yummy chicken dinner, we all washed in a working shower, and turned the heat on high. It’s amazing how one takes the small things like running water and a working bathroom for granted… until they’re gone. I am very, very thankful for running water and not having to run through 22-degree-morning-air to use a shower! 
Alex’s seventh birthday was full of traveling. I think she’s really enjoying a week’s worth of celebrating. It’s a coincidence that Hubby’s Christmas leave period fell on the week of her birthday, but it has worked out well. She’s already asking to spend next year’s birthday in the RV as well. We’ll see. I don’t think I’m overly fond of camping in sub-freezing weather. I guess it largely depends on where we are in the country next January. Regardless, it has been a birthday to remember… for all of us!
Related articles
- Day 2: Stone Mountain, Georgia! The RV Adventure Continues! (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
- Day 6: A Very American Girl Birthday (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
- Day 1: Beaver Run Campground in Metter, Georgia! (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
- Day 4: A Gorgeous Antebellum Plantation, Long Hikes in the Wilderness, an Awesome New Playground, and Smores in Stone Mountain, Georgia! (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
- Day 3: Sledding and Snowball Fights, Perching on a Mountain Top, Exploring Winter Village, and Late-Evening Fireworks! Happy New Year from Stone Mountain! (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
