The Lodge Guys Life Update – October 2022
Hi all. We both hope you are doing well and life is going fine.
The clocks have gone backward, it’s dark early today and I’m (Leigh) currently sat all cosy in the lodge, candles, and lights on with the sound of the rain pitter-pattering on the skylights. I thought it was the perfect time to write a short blog post on what’s been going on with us over the last couple of weeks and some information for the future of the channel.
If you follow us on Social media you will be aware of what’s happened with Nick’s Mum since we arrived in Florida at the start of October. We won’t be sharing much about Nick’s Mum in this Blog post so please see our Facebook page or Instagram if you haven’t seen the original post regarding that.
We arrived in Florida after a very eventful few days in New Orleans (vlog coming soon on that). We enjoyed our time in other states but as always, we enjoyed the familiarity of Orlando. These days it really does feel like a home away from home. We managed to squeeze in all four Disney parks, Halloween horror nights at universal and a few meet up with friends.
Our original plan was to spend around six days in Orlando along with some time on Anna Maria Island with friends. As our Road trip brought us ever closer to Florida we decided to extend our time in the Sunshine state until early November so we could make the most of our time there and film a lot of videos we had planned for a long time.
As you may be aware, our plans didn’t go as expected and we had to cut the trip short and return home for family matters.
We do appreciate each and every one of you who has reached out to us with emails and messages of concern, love, and support. We share so much of our lives with you all that we felt it right to let you know what was going on in that original social media post. We know you will be concerned and we love you all for that. We will update you on things as and when we feel it’s appropriate to do so and will always get Gail’s blessing to do so.
We particularly want to thank the people that reached out with any tips and suggestions from going through the same situation with family members or a bad diagnosis that you have lived through. We have been contacted and helped by some lovely people and we are eternally grateful for your continuing help
As far as vlogs are concerned. They will continue. We have enough USA road trip vlogs to see us through until the first week or so in December. We hope you are enjoying those. Once they end we will go straight into Christmas vlogs. Life continues, and on our days away from visiting, so will the vlogs.
We adjusted our vlog schedule from four videos to three, this will be the ongoing schedule from now on. During Christmas, if we get the time to film any extra vlogs we will put them out when ready but our main schedule will continue to be Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday.
What else has been going on
In between spending time with Gail, we have been squeezing other things in as and when we can. We spent some time with the girls making ghosts and uncle Nick dressed up as a lovely-looking lady when we looked around an old hall
Theme park Bazza and the lovely Maxine have been in the UK for a time and we met up with them for a few hours for breakfast and a cuppa. We have all been dealing with family things so it’s been nice to have someone to sit with over a drink and just get things out and share what we have all been going through.
We have some plans to see friends in November and December. All being well these will still go ahead. We do have a flight to Florida booked for next year which has been in place for a few months but at the moment we can’t see that going ahead.
We also planned a few days in Disneyland Paris over the festive season which would have been part of Vlogmas. For now, this has also been cancelled.
We are taking each day and week as they come and shifting and altering plans where we need to. We thought going to Lapland and Santa Claus village would be amazing for the Christmas vlogs, we found flights and a beautiful log cabin Airbnb with its own Sauna but we just can’t risk booking anything at the moment. Vlogmas will probably be a mix of apartment and lodge vlogs. We will do our best to make it as festive as usual.
Nick has already brought the Christmas tree and all the decorations into the lodge ready for them to go up. We all go around with sayings such as “You only live once” and “every day is best” but it’s the times when someone’s health gets taken away that you really feel the meaning of those sayings. If Nick wants to start Christmas even earlier than usual this year then let’s go for it.
We always knew that filming every day on the USA road trip would mean we had some time away from vlogging when we arrived back in the UK. That time gap has allowed us to spend time with family. It has been the longest period in over five years where we haven’t picked up a camera. Its been quite nice to live life to ourselves for a time and it has meant we have been able to spend some extended time with friends without planning for a vlog. But don’t worry. There will be no break in the vlogs and we aren’t going anywhere permanently.
I like to include a link to one of our vlogs in a blog post so thought it would be appropriate to share this one of us trying Japanese food one Christmas with Nick’s Mum
We hope you are continuing to enjoy the vlogs and we will be here on our social media as much as we can
Thank you again for all your support and we will see you on the next Vlog / Blog or Social media post.
Love from
Leigh & Nick
Thank you for taking the time to update us, thoughts and prayers are with you all and praying for Gail.
You take as much time off as you need, we will all be here patiently waiting for when you’re ready.
Take care
Becky
Ahhh, my sweet boys (who my kids call my British kids). You both give so much of yourselves to all of us that depend on you to lighten our lives which sometimes are very dark. Now is the time for your non-relative relatives to lift y’all up and provide y’all with the support that is so needed at this time. Just know that anyone in this group of “family” would do anything to help y’all in anyway possible. Love to you both, Cindy
Thanks for the update; always look forward to vlog days . Glad to here you are taking time out for your selfs . Family and friends are really important especially at the moment. Love to you both and thinking of nicks mum . X
Such a lovely blog Leigh and Nick. Thank you for keeping us up to date with your lives. Family is everything so really important to be able to spend time with them when you can. My brother has recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 Oesophagus cancer so think this may be his last Christmas. One of those diseases that creeps up on you.
Love watching your vlogs as you two are so funny – really enjoyed the one at Area 51, talk about announcing your arrival π€£.
Take care both of you
Dear Leigh and Nick, your update was lovely to read and thank you for sharing this with us all at this time. Been loving the vlogs and it makes my day to watch them. Please take care of each other and Gail. You are a breath of fresh air and amazing people, who care and about all of us even when you are going through something so difficult in your own lives. God bless you all. Love to the family xx joules xx
Thank you for this lovely blog post and life uodate. So enjoying the US road trip vlogs. Grateful to read that you have been able to have private time to focus on family. Hang in there, stay positive and as always sending lots of β€οΈβ₯οΈβ€οΈβ₯οΈβ€οΈ
Absolutely loving the USA Roadtrip vlogs, it’s great to see what you guys got up to. It’s given me plenty of ideas for places I’d like to go and visit someday.
So glad to hear you are able to spend some valuable time with family without the pressure of vlogging. Like you say, you can’t get that time back so live in the moment and enjoy every second.
Sending you and the family lots of love x
Loving watching your USA road trip vlogs. Take as much time as you need away from vlogging to spend it with family. We’ll all still be here. Sending love to you all xx
Lovely to hear from you guys and really good that you’re finding time to spend with family and friends.
I’m really loving your road trip vlogs. The Vegas one’s are hilarious and I also loved the Bodie vlog, it was fascinating seeing all the abandoned buildings, I bet it was very eerie being there.Can’t wait to see the rest as and when.
We too are going through some very tough family times healthwise and your vlogs are a much needed escape from reality, so thankyou for keeping us entertained. After a tough day, there’s nothing better than settling down all cosy on these dark nights with the candles on, watching one of your vlogs.
Look after yourselves and the family.
Loving the USA roadtrip vlogs and your natural way of showing us the amazing adventures you are having. Sending love to you all and especially Gail. Enjoy all the family time you can, as you have said, you only live once. Looking forward to vlogmas but enjoy the time without a camera, editing and family time, sending love and support to you all x
I am praying for Nick’s mom during this difficult time. You guys are great! You helped me through Covid. When things were bleak I was always guaranteed a laugh or two by watching your vlogs. Thank you. Sending much love from Massachusetts, USA! β€οΈ
Lovley to hear from you guys you have been on my mind since your original social media post. So glad you have taken the time to spend it with family without vlogging. I just want to say thinking about you all and a thank you. I have watched your vlogs for some time now but my husband took ill while we were in florida in May this year. Upon return to the UK he was rushed to hospital and they unfortunately found he had a brain tumor. Four months in hospital and four operations later he is finally able to try and recover. Your volgs allowed us to escape the hospital setting and enjoy our happy place through yourselves. It really was an escape of the horrible time and the daily treatment he was having to endure. Seeing people in places you love make all the happy memories come flooding back. Totally understand how things can change so quickly and life turn upside down. Thinking of you all and sending well wishes to Gail xx
Glad to hear that you have been spending some much needed time to yourselves with your lovely families. This is a lovely blog post Leigh I really enjoy reading your blogs they are so well written.
Keeping you all in my thoughts
Love to you all.
Zoe x
Hi Leigh & nick
Just wanted to say thinking of you and I wish i could give you a cuddle π€ nick hope you’re doing ok do you cuddle strangers ? Loving all the vlogs when and if you post them ,drunken nites in vegas my favourite Leigh you are the greatest drunk may be one day we will meet you in America or here I’m from up north but live in the south next to Gatwick airport so you never know we are off to New York on Monday America πΊπΈ here we come xx
Leigh and Nick,
Thank you for your vlogs and for these updates.
I know how devastating diagnosis like these can throw you for a loop.
I lost a friend to pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately she got her diagnosis too late.
We are sending love to your family through this time.
Lisa
Lovely to hear from you and that you are spending family time together take care with lots of love β€οΈ
Morning Leigh,
Life certainly has a way of twisting off doesn’t it? So many of us are thinking of you all, I hope this brings comfort.
It certainly helped me a few years ago when we lost my brother unexpectedly. Old and new friends reached out, it gave me a light to cling to when all was dark.
We are just back from Orlando, we were there the same time as you but our plans were always a day behind.
It really is home from home isn’t it? With better weather π alert from the hurricane.
Love to you all x
Dear leigh&Nick,
Enjoying all your road trip vlogs thank you both very much. Looking forward to the Christmas vlogs. So glad that you have some time off to concentrate on family x. Wishing you all the best π. Take care ,
Anne-Marie.
So sorry to hear this news, I cannot imagine what you are all going through and feeling right now.
Nothing anyone can say can absorb the pain away but you have a great family, set of friends and an online community right behind you, a of which are there for you for whenever you need that extra support.
Send our love and thoughts to Gail, such a lovely smiling lady and always a joy to watch in your vlogs, as are all your family
Love and hugs …don’t worry about socials, we’re all here and hoping nowhere so take your time