Utah-mazing Part II

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So we sadly left Moab, Utah and headed toward Zion Canyon National Park. We arrived in the Zion area on Wednesday, set up, and really truly set up camp since we are here for a whole week. After spending the first two and half months of our journey spending longer time place, we realized we aren’t going to see much else unless we spend shorter times at campgrounds and actively see things and move on. So, to be here for a whole week is long as of lately.

Our first night my romantic husband and I sat outside, cuddling, and watching the stars in the darkest state. I can not even explain the beauty you can see when you look up at the sky in Utah. I thought the sky in Eagle Lake, PA when I was growing up, hanging out on Leach Field was breathtaking but nothing compares to this Utah sky. Mainly we set up camp so we could chill, be comfortable and enjoy our time when our visitors get here…MUSHY AND POPPY! AKA my mom and Ronnie (step-dad but way more important and awesome).

Let me just quickly explain how much they wanted to be here, Ronnie is supposed to give 45 days notice before taking time off but they arranged to be here within two weeks. That’s love! And don’t be confused, it’s not love for me and Shaun but totally for the girls lol. In preparation I put together a very detailed and active agenda. They arrived Thursday, came straight to us, and we sat by the fire staring at the amazing stars and enjoying our time together.

Friday morning we picked them up and went to Bryce Canyon National Park. Again, and I’m sure you’re sick of hearing this, but the park blew me away. I expected a canyon smaller than The Grand Canyon and it was but totally different. This park has Hoodoos, which are amazing and crazy different from anything else we had ever seen. We hiked the Queens Garden with the Navajo Trail Loop and getting deep into the park and climbing back up gave us a real look at everything from top to bottom. The elevation change was more than I had expected but everyone hiked it like champs and we all really appreciated the drastic scenery. It was a total of 4 miles with a 1.5 mile 600 foot elevation gain. My amazing parents rocked this hike in their late 50’s/early 60’s like champs!

Saturday we surprised them with an off-roading 6-seater vehicle. We arrived at their hotel after they ate breakfast with the girls who slept over. Originally we just rented them for Ronnie and Shaun but my mom seemed disappointed so we changed it to a 6-seater. They were so surprised, excited and thankful! We arrived at the Coral Pink Sands State Park with the OTV in tow and hopped on. We ba-ha’d for hours and had the greatest time! After we headed into the town in Zion, Springdale and got Thai for lunch.

Then my mom took the girls for ice cream and a party in her hotel room while Shaun, Ronnie and I hit Hurricane for more OTV’ing. They had so much fun and we had even more fun, in my opinion. Ronnie, Shaun and I drove through the desert trails and really enjoyed every moment! Eventually dark clouds started penetrating our blue skies but we kept going. Eventually we stopped to talk to a dirt biker regarding the weather and they were unsure whether to go back or keep riding but told us to do if lightning strikes and that was enough for me to make the guys go back. I told them they could leave me at the safe, grounded car and they could risk their lives but we all headed back to safety and as we did hail started, lightning bolts struck and we followed dirt bikers doing the same. We arrived safely back to the truck loaded up and bailed out of there. We hit our favorite new coffee shop that brewed their own coffee and added it to an amazing stout beer and went to see mom and the girls. On the way home the sky cleared and the sunset was totally stop worthy and awe-some!

Sunday the rents and kids met us at the campground, we headed into Zion and hiked a bit. After we had a surprise planned and headed toward Antelope Canyon (if you’ve never heard of it, Google it). We arrived we checked in and got an earlier slot…winning! I was a little hesitant to be stuck in a slot canyon without the ability to get out (as I posted earlier about my agoraphobia). The guy working their eased my issues because it is only ¼ mile from start to finish and you can see the sky at all times. It was easy to get through and was one of the most beautiful, unique places any of us had ever been. We used the Navajo Tours company and our tour guide, Abraham, was AMAZING!!!! We could not stop talking about how we would have missed out had we not gone. GO!!!!

The girls slept over my parents again but had an early flight so they swung by early with them to say goodbye. My mother almost forgot to drop them back off…;)  We were sad to see them leave! It was one of the best, fun, and memorable parts of our trip and we were so thankful they came to see us, my mom for the second time. After they left we hiked Zion for the next two day and did some recouping from all of the fun with them.

One week since we arrived, we will be heading out of Zion but be in Utah until Sunday. I am so sad to leave Utah but excited for our next stop here and for the resort we’ll be in after we depart Utah. Zion was good to us!

We arrived in Torrey, Utah ready to hike Capitol Reef and maybe some surrounding areas. The day after we arrived the weather turned colder and windier, then we received high wind warnings so we hunkered in for a rest/cleaning/chill/movie day to prep for hiking the next day. However, the winds were worse and it was colder the next day. Disregarding the weather and determined to see the park, we set off. Hitting the visitor center to get our Jr Ranger books we were informed that there were some fun kids activities happening. We arrived at the Nature Center and quickly made friends with another family there full-timing. We spent an hour there with them, went to the Gifford house for amazing, fresh, homemade pie, and proceeded to sit outside with them while the kids played, had handstand competitions, and played in the river.

Capitol Reef was also awesome because I got to see some more amazing Petroglyphs which I am slightly obsessed with. Like the cactus, tumble weed, and sunsets, petroglyphs are an amazing God preserved part of the past and I can not get enough.

 

As much as I enjoy just being in my happy bubble with my family, it was refreshing to my soul to touch base with our people and have a fun convo. We parted ways, returned home to pack up for the next morning, and get to bed early. Next morning, we depart early and depart from our beloved Utah. More of the US of A to see!!!

This is my new favorite pic that I found that I want to post and am deeply in love with! My next post is going to be one of those real, raw posts about how I feel after living in the RV, traveling with my family full-time for the past 3 1/2 month and only having about 4 months left.

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Arizona to Utah-mazingest!!!!

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Although we had great fun in Phoenix chillin’ like villains, we had even more fun in the coming days. Still in Arizona, we hit the Grand Canyon. I feel like this was a big milestone in our trip because it is one of the most iconic, most visited, and one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Honestly, Shaun and I expected to get there, look out at the canyon, be in awe of it’s largness, and that be that. Once again, to our surprise there was so much more to it than that. It was sooo much larger than we’d ever imagined, so much more beautiful, and had so many different facets to it. It literally moved me to tears the beauty and overall momentous experience of our being there.

Day 1 we arrived early at the park, hit the Visitor Center for our Jr Ranger books, and decided to conquer the whole red trail of the South Rim, approximately 5 miles. It was a little brisk as we started the day but figured we have NJ blood and can handle it! Two miles in the wind picked up a lot and it became unfun. We, along with everyone else at the park, rushed to the shuttle bus lines to get the heck out to there. What we had seen and experienced already had left us pumped for Day 2.

Day 2, we got there a bit late, waited to get through the ranger check-in for an hour, it took us another hour to get the shuttle to pick up our hike where we’d left off, and by the time we arrived to our start point it had taken us three hours. So we have learned to get to the parks earlllllly!!! We finished our hike and felt great about it! We also saw a lot of elk which was killer!

img_0498Day 3 we woke to watch the sunrise. Running a little bit late, we rushed leading to a speeding ticket in the Grand Canyon by a Park Ranger. Buuuuut we made it for the sunrise and it was spectacular! After attending a fossil trek, the girls earned their Jr Ranger badges. MOM TIP: If I haven’t mentioned it before, the girls love earning their Jr Ranger badges at the National Parks/Monuments/etc…  Not only do they learn so much while we are in the parks, Shaun and I learn a lot too. It’s a great way for the whole family to learn about the place you’re in, be engaged, and collect something memorable.

We loved watching the sunrise so much that we went to watch it again Day 4. Thankfully we did so sans a speeding ticket and, again, it was totally worth the early alarm. Two early mornings led us to a nice down day. Hanging at the campground, going to watch the IMAX Grand Canyon movie (TIP: the movie is dated, like from the 80’s, and a waste of money), and some family fun card games rounded out the rest of the day.

A little insider info…we have really learned to love playing card games together and do it a lot in our evenings. Finding card games that keep Shaun entertained (yes, that’s my husband), while making sure the girls (ages 10 and 7) can grasp the concept and abilities is a bit challenging but doable. We have a few favorites, Quixx, Dutch Blitz, and Phase 10 are our favorites right now. I am also working on teaching them how to play Rummy to get to 500 Rummy which is my favorite card game and Shaun and I play that a lot.

img_0592After the Grand Canyon we ventured out of Arizona to Utah. What did we know of Utah…NADA! No expectations, real bucket list items or high hopes. With that said we headed toward the MOAB area to check out Canyonlands and Arches. I’d seen lots of pictures of Arches and knew that our pictures would be epic but other that than that’s that.

Day 1 we headed to the Canyonlands…WOW! It blew us away! We took the Grand View Point trail and the views, terrain, and overall greatness of this park surprised us in a most pleasant way. We drove through and stopped at some of the view points which were more and more breathtaking each time. Lastly, we hiked the Mesa Arch trail to see one of the most famous arches, the Mesa Arch, our first arch of the trip, and it was a definite highlight of this day. Then the girls earned their Jr Ranger badges, I bought our magnet and our post card, and we got our signature pic in front of the park sign to end the day.

Day 2 makes it to one of my top days on our journey and made me well up multiple times. We woke up our girls at 4:30am but they weren’t complaining because the Easter bunny had come. After finding Easter eggs and checking out their baskets we all dressed in hiking clothes to head to the Arches. We arrived at La Sal Mountain Overlook at 6:15am to attend an Easter Sunrise Church Service. God was most present on this Holy morning with his astounding creation surrounding us while the sun rose, singing beautiful worship songs, and being able to start the day remembering how good God is.

After the service, we drove to, ironically, a 4 mile trail called the Devil’s Garden. This trail was marked, and not mis-marked in anyyyy way, difficult. The hike itself was amazing, maneuvering up boulders, fancy footwork, and sandy slickrock was required, and we were super impressed how well the girls did. Along the path were a few arches, but most magnificent was Double O Arch. Determined to see the most iconic arch of all, Delicate Arch, we made our way to the next trailhead. Thinking it was 2 miles out and back only to arrive and find out it was 3 miles out and back, we were still going forward. Unknowing we started the 1.5 miles to get to Delicate Arch  which was a 600 foot elevation increase and there was no shade at all as it was almost all slickrock. Wiped from the first hike, now hotter out, and having gotten up at 4:30am..it kicked out butts As we rounded the narrow trail along a mountain with a very far drop down, the view of the arch made the hard work totally worth it. The hike back was a dream and I finnnnnallllly got to see some petroglyphs en route. We arrived home, yes to our home on wheels, to enjoy some much deserved Easter bunny treats and libations/lemonade and enjoy our glorious God given day. Thankful for our abilities to do what we did, free to celebrate our King of Kings, and blessed to rest together as a family living life to the fullest on this journey.

Day 3 in MOAB, aka Shaun’s favorite day, we rented an ATV and headed out to the trails. We saw some real dinosaur bones off of Dinosaur Trail, the gorgeous Uranium Arch, and had a BLAST!!! Uranium Arch was one of my highlights of the day because in the National Parks you are forbidden to climb on the arches but being out in the desert without anyone around, the girls and I climbed onto the arch and got the coveted arch picture that I will definitely treasure forever. Bahaing through the lands just the four of us, barely seeing anyone, surrounded by some of the most beautiful views, we couldn’t be happier. A lot of whooping, hands in the air, and screaming fun was had.

Day 4 we were beat! We brought the Arches Jr Ranger books to the Visitor Center, the girls received their badges, we putzed the shops in MOAB and got a yummy lunch. Unsure of one of our stops I asked the ranger for advice and he was so knowledgeable and patient. The rangers are usually a wealth of knowledge but this ranger was super. Thankfully I asked him, got his advice and went home to cancel one our reservations, made another one and did a bunch of research for our new stop en route.

This morning we are setting off to another local in Utah, which has quickly become one of our top states. However, before our departure we had a HUGE RV life fail. Our toilet overflowed in our master bathroom penetrating other parts of the RV and there was a lot of overflow! This required a Walmart stop before arriving at the next campground since I used all of our bath towels, beach towels, throw blankets, door mat, paper towels and kitchen towels to clean up the mess and a lot of extra time out of our day. Our second mishap of the day occurred when we were about 10 miles from our campground, ready to settle in and chill out. A sign stating “small tunnel ahead” appeared. After asking a ranger he said you needed a permit to go through annnnnnd it already closed for the day. Long story short we had to drive a big loop around Zion to get to our campground that took another 1 1/2 hours. I always check the campground websites because sometime they give you tips for driving a big, heavy, long vehicle but this campground failed me. We did arrive to the best site they had, the clearest, starriest night we’ve ever seen, and just peace. You live and learn and recover from the hiccups in life!

Here’s some fun normal life pix of our life this week!

Q&A and Arizonahh

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There is not much to post this week because we have been straight chillin’. Shaun left for a work thingy (yup I have no idea but it was work related lol) the day after we arrived in Arizona. We hit the pool after he left and every afternoon he’s been gone.

One day we went shopping for things we needed because we are in the shopping mecca. We had enough food and all other necessities so we’ve hunkered in and gotten a great tan. So I figured I would take time to answer some questions regarding our trip…

  1. How did Shaun get blessed enough work wise to take this journey? His company, eLend, has dubbed him as the Road Show and even has a cartoon caricature of him. Click the link and you can read all about it! Shaun is a partner in his company and feels a strong bond to it. He is excited to share the greatness of eLend throughout the country and we get more Shaun to ourselves, everybody wins.
  2. How long are we on this journey? 7 months; ETA arrival back to NJ is summer (vague, yes!)
  3. What type, make, model RV are we traveling in? We have a travel trailer. This means we tow it behind the truck but it is not attached to the bed of the truck, those are fifth wheels. Our specific make and modes is Open Range Roamer RT310BHS. My requirements for living in our RV were that we had a residential refrigerator, 1 1/2 baths, the girls bedroom and our bedroom are on opposite sides (some privacy would be nice), and that we didn’t just have the typical dinette and small sofa, so our’s has a full U-shaped sofa so we can all fit and snuggle. My biggest words of wisdom when buying a travel trailer or fifth wheel, make sure your tow vehicle can acurately tow the weight of your rig.
  4. Do I home school? YES! and I’m, and the girls, are loving it! After we moved in early November and were preparing for our journey to start mid-January, I didn’t think it was fair to start the girls in a new school for a little over a month and then leave. It was a great transition to homeschool them at home, still meet up with their friends from our old town, acclimate to their new home and neighborhood a little and thennnnn hit the road. Not everyone thought this was the best plan, but I am their mom and make every decision all day every day for their better good and thought, still think, this was for the best.
  5. Which home school program do I use? We do not use any specific program. We have workbooks, check in with friends who tell us what their doing in school, and learn so much while traveling. They are learning more about our great country, present and past, and I am definitely making sure that when they go back to public school they won’t be behind.
  6. Are the girls getting enough social normalcy? This question makes me giggle every time because I worried about this too. However, my kids have made more friends in the little time we’ve been on the road then the combined friends they have ever had in their whole lives. It has also taught them that it’s ok to make friends with kids who are different (race, age, etc…). It has also taught them to be confident approaching others. Another bonus, if there isn’t anyone they want to play with, which is also ok, they have learned to play so much better together. I have also had more time to stop what I’m doing and play, read, bike, craft, etc.. with them. At home, it was always I need to do this or that or whatever. On the road I just stop to be with them, have a full conversation with Shaun, read a book, write, go for a walk, enjoy God’s beautiful world, and so much more!
  7. How are we possibly living in only 356 sq ft every day? Shaun and I have come to the same realization in this short time…we don’t need so much stuff! I love that the four of us are so happy with all that we have in this “small” space and feel so little need for more than we have. The girls do wish they had more of their American Girl/Doll stuff which they do play with daily, but that’s it. We have actually gotten rid of A LOT of stuff that we originally packed and learned was superfluous.
  8. Where are we going? So far we have until the end of April planned but finalizing the rest is in the works. I do know California is going to take up the better, if not all, of May. So much on the want-to-see list but maybe a second trip will need to be in the works for it all to get covered (wink, wink).
  9. Do you feel safe staying in RV parks? I would say for 98% of the time where we have chosen to stay I totally feel safe. There’s never a time when I let the girls go off on their own but that’s just me being me. I put a significant amount of research into each place we stay to be sure it’s not sketchy.
  10. What is our plan on returning and thereafter? This is the million dollar question. I’m a planner and at home I had three calendars going simultaneously. However, as of right now, I don’t have an answer and it doesn’t make me nervous. It actually makes me really excited!

I say it all the time at the end of my posts but I mean it…you’ll have to wait and see what is happening, going to happen, and happens in the end because I don’t know and will stick around to find out too!

New Mexico Literally Rocks

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Tuesday we arrived in New Mexico and boy were we surprised with the flatness and nothingness. At first it concerned me but as we went over a small hill in the road and saw the only thing in sight, our campground, it excited me a bit. It is serene, the sunsets are breathtaking, and so amazingly different from NJ.

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Ok so I know my last post mentioned that going to Magnolia was what I was most looking forward to and the best part of this journey for me so far. However, Wednesday’s adventure kicked Magnolia’s bum. On Wednesday we went to our very first National Park, Carlsbad Caverns. I can say that Shaun, the girls and I were excited, especially the girls to earn their first Jr Ranger badge, but we had little expectations for it.

After getting our portable radios (you punch the #s on the informational signs in as you go and it gives you detailed information on that location, sight, etc.), getting on line for the elevator, me hesitantly getting on the glass elevator, we plummeted over 750 feet into the caverns.

Most people don’t know this about me but as of late, I have been developing a fear of being in places that I can not get out of when I want to. Not claustrophobia but a form of agoraphobia. Totally laughable example, but I had an episode on The Mine Train in Disney World and my BFF Danielle had to talk me out of climbing off and exiting via the staff ladders (dead serious). Being in the small space of the elevator at Carlsbad Cavern did not bother me but the fact that I couldn’t get out of it when/if I wanted after it started. Then when we got into the cave and were told that the elevator wait was over an hour and half back up or you could make the hike out, I had to do more deep breathing because there was no quick escape option.

A few times during the experience I had to take a moment to breathe and remember how amazing it all is. And AMAZING it was! This place blew our minds, crushed our expectations and kept our mouths agape almost the whole time. The cavern was so massive, breathtaking, intricately detailed, filled with various makeups, and brimming with God’s beauty. Shaun and I took so many pictures and we all learned so much.

As I mentioned, we took the elevator down into the cavern but the line was so extensive to get up and we wanted to hike out and see more along the way. Little did we really process that you have to hike up out of 750+ feet over only one and a quarter miles…wow workout! This is how happy were when we finished climbing out, the girls earning their FIRST Jr Ranger badge, and the view from the exit.

I can’t say enough how I feel that every person that can, visits Carlsbad Caverns!

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Wednesday, we ventured to the Friends of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Carlsbad. Probably the friendliest staff I have ever met anywhere. We got our map and off we went. Taking the mile plus hike we visited a lot of local animal life. Some were rehabilitating and some lived there. We saw a road runner, lots of desert snakes (I’d rather not see those in real life!), a cute prairie dog village, succulents of the world greenhouse, and so much more. The weather was perfect, we were outdoors in the fresh air, there was lots of learning happening and we all enjoyed our time there.

That night we met some great friends at the campground, had a huge fire, the kids and thier new friend had s’mores, and everyone enjoyed a great desert night! Thursday we ventured on out of the Carlsbad area but are stayed in New Mexico a bit longer.

***Here I was supposed to post but we were having too much fun so one big bout it is***

A quick, 4 hour, which is quick in our books these days, trip to the White Sands National Monument. So my full-timers will probably laugh at this but I thought there was actually a monument at the White Sands since it is a national monument. The learning curve is great! In case you’re wondering, there is not a monument, the place itself is considered a monument. Not quite sure the difference between National Parks, National Monuments, etc…

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The girls were so looking forward to this stop. We stayed at the Algamordo/White Sands KOA whom lent out sleds for free to their campers which was great and on Friday hit the sands. We drove into it more excited for the kids than anything. We peaked over a small hill in the road and saw the bright white dunes at the bottom of a beautiful mountain range, just lovely. We had so much fun playing, sledding, and exhausting ourselves climbing those giant sand dunes over and over again!

After we wiped ourselves out sledding (the sand is like climbing a landslide of quicksand, but totally worth it) we had a picnic lunch at the main building. Shaun then had to take a call in the truck. The girls and I went to work on their Jr Ranger badge workbooks. We watched a movie about the White Sands, toured the outdoor garden area, read all of the signage in the museum, perused the gift shop and more. All I can say here is that I learned more than I ever learned in school about any one place and it was exhilarating watching the girls sponge in the information also! They earned their badges, we purchased our magnet, and back to the campground for some dinner and needed R&R.

Saturday we visited McGins Pistachio Ranch. They have the world’s largest pistachio (love a good fun photo op!), we took a tour of the fields and the driver/tour guide taught us so much about pistachio farming that was way more interesting than you’d think, and we tasted over 20 different flavored pistachios. Early evening we returned to the White Sands for some more super fun sledding. Around 6pm we met with a ranger for a sunset hike. She taught us a lot of what we learned from the video and museum but it was beautiful to see it all in nature and with the gorgeous views.

The sunsets in Texas and New Mexico have astonished me every single night we have been in these states. I try to take pictures but they just don’t do the colors and majesty justice. We are in Phoenix now and road schooled on the way. En route I saw my first Border Patrol and Shaun laughed at how cool I thought it was (picture below). It’s warm, quiet, and there’s a great pool so we are happy! We are hoping to get to a national monument while we are here and are SUPER excited for our next stop…stay tuned!

Never A-Lone Star

Note: This post was supposed to be posted yesterday but bad connection prohibited it.

The title was a pun on last week’s real life talk about never getting “me” time and if you didn’t laugh, you need a nap!

After I posted last week, I told the girls to “go take a hike”. Just kidding, the girls and I went on a hike at the Sam Houston National Forest. After visiting the very helpful Ranger Office, we picked a place to go. We were the only ones at that specific trail head and the girls weren’t sure about that since we are usually hiking where there are some other people at least. Off we went anyway and it was beautiful. However, the whole time I kept thinking about the Cottonmouth snakes that the guide from the Laura Plantation warned us about and said were also in Texas. I pulled up my big girl pants and we enjoyed a great hike! It’s weird hiking in flat land for this NJ girl. I have to say that one of my fav parts of the South are the sunsets. They fill me with awe every night.

Then we went to check out the downtown Conroe area where I read you shouldn’t miss it. Well, we drove around it twice and went home. Besides a few restaurants and some county buildings, there was sadly nothing for us to stop for. We got home, showered our bug spray off because I was not letting anyone contract Zika which is of concern after flooding/hurricanes, and enjoyed a gorgeous walk/play/dinner filled evening. So happy for Shaun’s safe return home, I slept well!

On Saturday we started the day with some fishing, lunch at a crawfish boil place (yum!) and then we met some awesome peeps who are also another first full-time family (that isn’t stationary). It was a pleasure to meet such a nice family with built-in friends for the girls. We were sad to leave our new friends so soon but on Sunday we headed out to the Dallas/Arlington area. The campground was great because we were in the center of a town and surrounded by anything you could ever want very close by.

This week was the top of my non-parks places to go list. We went to Waco to go to MAGNOLIA!!!!!!! We started our day with cupcakes at Silos Bakery Co, then into the Market for some retail therapy, next the Seed & Supply for bookmarks and to check out the garden, after we went out to the food trucks for fresh juice and smoothies, next we walked off site to the Spice Market, also strolled past the Dr Pepper Museum, and then drove to their new restaurant, Magnolia Table. I’m going to sum this up as short and sweet as I can…It did NOT disappoint in any way, was definitely worth the trip, the food lived up to the hype and we all had a GREAT day! (more pics below because of quantity)

We wrapped up Thursday and Friday of homeschooling on Thursday so that we could get to the first IMAX showing of A Wrinkle in Time on Friday morning. I read the book and now, after seeing the movie, we are going to read it as a family. The movie was pretty spectacular and definitely portrayed the importance of all of the main lessons/themes.

Lastly in our Texan fun, we went to the Fort Worth Stockyards. We enjoyed a show of cowboy skills, putzed the shops, watched the live herd down the street, got up close and personal with some bulls, and are some yummy ribs. The pictures show what a fun day it was and if you’re ever in the area, it’s a great place to visit.

img_9720We are in the car now headed to New Mexico!

We literally roadschooled today and are excited for the week ahead and a new state 🌵

 

Everything is Bigger and Better

Continuing on with the real life of full-time RVing as a family. One realization this week is, although my children are really great together and get along very well, their close quarters and togetherness 24/7 has caught up. We have had beautiful weather and have been outside a lot but all of the time side by side in all things has led to a bit more of the petty arguments. Shaun and I have decided to take more one on one time with the girls to A. separate them a bit and B. get some one-on-one quality time with them. Lesson learned!

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The second realization of this life we’ve enveloped is that I hate “packing up” when it’s time to relocate. Actual hate! Now that we have learned to stay in one place for more than a few days, it’s a bit better. However, it still sucks packing the counter items into safe places, putting the bars in the refrigerator so food doesn’t go flying, emptying the “tanks” from the bathrooms, undoing the fresh water hoses and cable lines, cleaning the floors where the slides go in, putting the bikes up on the racks, securing the chairs, taking down the tent and lights, removing the tables in the living room, and all around making sure every…single…thing is stored and stowed away safely.

One of the biggest, and unexpected, highlights of the trip so far happened on Friday. Shaun was working from the RV, it was raining, and it gets teeny tiny feeling on days like that. So, the girls and I jumped in the truck, drove about an hour, and landed ourselves on a real Southern plantation. I decided to pick the Laura Plantation because they still had slaves quarters as part of their tour. I was also told that they informed and educated about slavery but wouldn’t scare the crud out of the girls. Just for informational purposes, Laura, who the plantation was named after, wrote her memoir around the age of 70 called Memories of the Old Plantation Home: A Creole Family Album by Laura Locoul Gore.

While driving not far from the plantation I was really hoping that this mamma and her two little girls didn’t break down in this section of Louisiana. During the tour we were informed that there were projects built outside of the plantation for the emancipated, uneducated, non-English speaking families to go to. Therefor, a generation or two of these families still live there since they had to move off the grounds in 1977 and the area was still not flourishing economically.

img_9130On a lighter note, we parked and the grounds were just breathtaking. To our delight we arrived just as a tour was about to start so there wasn’t too much waiting around in the gift shop for these love-to-shop ladies. We met our amazing tour guide, Camille, and off we went. Camille was so informative, quippy, energetic, historical, and passionate about the history. As soon as she started talking, we were all enveloped in the history and lifestyles of those that lived there. After, we hit the gift shop and bought a book so we could better remember what we learned, learn some more, and relive the tour. The girls couldn’t wait to tell Shaun everything we learned and saw.

 

Our trip from Baton Rouge, LA to the Houston, TX area on Sunday was an anticipated 4 hours 45 minutes, without stops. I downloaded an app called Roadtrippers so we could find cool things along the way. With the apps assistance we made a stop at the World’s Largest (former) Fire Hydrant! In Beaumont, TX right off the highway we saw what is now the second largest fire hydrant in the world.   img_9173

 

About three hours into our house move and we drove right into heavy rains. Now, in New Jersey we get some heavy rains but this was completely different because everything is so flat and therefor was scarier. As I started following the weather and subscribing to the local alerts, my phone started blowing up. Stream flooding, heavy rains, and thunderstorm alerts started flashing red. My heart started beating hard. Shaun drove slow and steady and eventually we arrived to a beautiful and mostly dry campground. To our great surprise, and this doesn’t happen often but when it does it’s a treat, we got to pick our campsite. We found a fairly dry, close to the showers, and quiet spot. It was now dark, pouring, and muddy. We were tired, excited to watch the Celebrity Big Brother finale, and hungry but we still had to do the obligatory set up process. After about an hour we sat down to our show, ate dinner, and were ready for a rest.

As we drove through the Houston area we were surprised by how many people had RVs in their driveways, almost every house. Then it dawned on Shaun and I that these weren’t RVs to vacation in but this is where the disastrous floods happened and most of these people were living in these RVs because they couldn’t live in their sticks and bricks. It was really heart wrenching to see such devastation and for a long distance of our drive. We all said a prayer that these people get their lives, homes, and normalcy back soon.

Monday we recouped from Sunday’s moving fun and Tuesday we had a normal day of Shaun working and us schooling and exploring. Then Tuesday night we went to the first day of the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the rodeo itself because the tickets were combined rodeo and concert tickets and that night Garth Brooks was performing. Not being a country music fan, there was no way I was paying concert prices to see a rodeo and there’s another one to see on our next stop anyway. We did see a lot of livestock and a huuuuuuuge bull! We checked out some cowboy gear, watched a cow/livestock award ceremony, collected cards to learn about the different stations/animals, went to the petting zoo where the animals roamed freely around us, rode some rides, and more. It was a lot to take in and a lot of fun!

Shaun is traveling and will be home today. It makes me uncomfortable when he travels and we aren’t home, actually when we are home too. However, we have the nicest neighbors here which made me feel a lot better. We are excited for him to come home today and looking forward to exploring the Houston are some more! Yeehaw!

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One Month In

Last Thursday when I posted I hadn’t realized it but it was exactly one month since we left and started this journey. Time flies when you’re having fun! I think one of the biggest challenges, personally, is getting “me” time. In our sticks and bricks (that what full-timers call grounded homes) the girls would occasionally go off and do their thing, Shaun would go to the office or make a mess in the garage, and I would get some time to myself. Even if I was running errands, just being in the car by myself was time to gather my own thoughts.

Don’t get me wrong, I would not change a thing right now. It’s just a big adjustment. We are so used to in our daily suburban/Pleasantville like life having some time to do you. Shaun tells at me to get sleep but when I wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes I’m wide awake and I’ll read, Pinterest, look for a condo in Florida, etc… It’s kind of like when you have a newborn and don’t know whether to nap, eat, shower, or watch tv. Eventually the not sleeping through the night thing will catch up on me but for now it’s slightly rejuvenating to my soul.

This weekend we spent Sunday and Monday in New Orleans. A lot of people tried to poo-poo on the fact that we were bringing the kids there but people also did the same when we took them to Las Vegas and that was a stellar vacation for all four of us. Neither Shaun or myself had ever been to New Orleans and didn’t really know what to expect but we figured if it’s not appropriate or really for the kids we’ll just get in the car and head back to the campground easy peasy.

After extensive research I learned that Jackson Square in the French Quarter during late morning was the place for a family. All I can say is WOW! We had such a freaking blast! All of Saturday was well spent in Jackson Square and we never left. The cheesy chochkey shops, talented street performers, musicians, magicians, and live artists kept us busy and engaged all day, well until early evening. Both girls were part of live performances too.

Don’t get me wrong, it helped that you could get adult drinks to-go along the streets, fresh pralines, fresh beignets and hot chicory coffee everywhere also. One of the best parts was checking out some historic statues and reading up on them since people are actively trying to have these bits of history taken down and I wanted us and the girls to soak it up in case the naysayers get their way. Then we walked into a historic church, strolled along the waterway, and bought some mementos, including our commemorative magnet. As an executive family decision we decided to collect magnets from each place and/or memorable stop along the trip. Our refrigerator is starting to look lovely and makes us smile. When it gets a little more festive I’ll take a pic and share.

Monday was President’s Day so Shaun had off from work and we went back to New Orleans to see some more of what we missed and just enjoy another day in the city. We parked by Lafayette Cemetary #1 because I really wanted to check out a cemetery since they’re so famous. A tour had just started when we arrived so we had to wait for the next one in an hour and half because you are now only allowed to tour that specific cemetary with a certified guide. We decided since it was 10am to see a bit of Bourbon Street if it was appropriate.

Bourbon Street was a complete fail, let down and disappointment. I do realize that going at night without kids would have a totally different feel but when we were there it was just delivery trucks up and down the street and there was nothing special about it at all. One block up towards Jackson Square was Royal Street and the shops, galleries, and restaurants were amazing and so much more fun. We shopped a bit, yes again, and then headed toward Cafe De Monde to savor some more beignets and chicory coffee. After a family powdered sugar fight (it legit happend and the boring people next to us were not amused which made us laugh harder) we putzed the Flea Market along the river and bought some killer hot sauces and spices. Then we headed back to the car too tired to see a cemetery. I’m hoping we have time to see one of the plantations, dual purposing a road schooling lesson and see a few things a bit closer to our campground before we leave. New Orleans is about an hour and twenty minutes away so I think I’ll save anything we missed for another trip.

As our country knows and is heartbroken by, there was a tragedy this past week. While we are really enjoying our time together as a family and gathering these priceless moments it is so sad that other parents won’t have any more moments with their children or family member in the wake of a mentally unstable teen who really needed someone to hear his cries. My prayers have been plentiful this week with thanks that my babies are with me and safe. After Sandy Hook I remember dropping Natalie off to her preschool and telling her aide through tears how hard it was to leave my baby in hands that weren’t mine. I knew the women in that room would do anything for my daughter but still no one protects a child their momma.

img_9083This time homeschooling my girls is even more of a blessing right now because although I know anything can happen at any time and it’s all in God’s hands and I don’t doubt that one bit, I know that they’re safe from being at risk for a school shooting situation. I’m in no way saying that homeschooling is the answer or that it is right for everyone or that we should all jump on this bandwagon but without a doubt it puts some of my crazy mom brain to a bit of ease. Who would have thought that when these beautiful babies of mine were born that a level of crazy worry and insanity would come with their birth?!

So, on full-timing notes, my awesome husband made us a bike rack out of PVC pipe so it can be taken down and put together easily. I concocted window darkening covers out of a 6 ft roll of thick drawer liners from Target and double-sided velcro (pray Natalie will sleep in a bit please). We figured out how to use the shower in the RV. Don’t think we stank like hippies or anything but have only stayed at legit campgrounds that have clean shower facilities. Also, they have laundry facilities in case you were wondering if we are wearing dirty clothes. We are using our stove more and getting a grip on our eating out habits.

In our defense of eating out a lot, everywhere we’ve gone has had amazing food. Tennessee had down home Southern food, Tampa had fresh seafood, Crystal River had Grouper on every single menu which is my favorite fish in the world, and now here in New Orleans is crawfish and more seafood. It’s hard when you’re surrounded by food that you can’t get at home and is amazing to control yourself. Tuesday I vowed to get back on my game…so far so good!

We are here in Louisiana for a few more days and then taking the trek to Texas. I have so much on my list of things to see and do in Texas that I can’t even contain myself. We are hitting all of the major cities because Texas is a huge hub of manufactured housing and Shaun will be representing eLend all over the place. He is so committed and such a great speaker that I think Texas won’t know what hit them lol.

Giddy up for the next stop!

 

Week Three into Week Four (and 1/2)

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So yes I realize it’s been two weeks but it’sall kind of melded into one. Anyway, I wrote this to you from a new campground which was still in Florida. Why were we still in Florida you ask? It’s warm, sunny, and happy here and Shaun has a lot of places to visit which equals to everyone winning! We have been staying in Crystal River. It’s in western Florida, part of Kings Bay connected to the Gulf of Mexico. 

Two weekends ago we spent Saturday in Epcot and Sunday in Magic Kingdom and had a blast! Monday was the best day of all, as far as I’m concerned. Dani and I spent her 40th birthday at the spa all day. We had massages, was served lunch outside by a fire in our spa robes, had facials, changed into bathing suits and read by the pool, splashed our feet around a bit, then went and met the guys and kids and enjoyed a delicious dinner together. Dinner was at the historic and scrumptious Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, Ybor City Historic District. It was a spectacular day celebrating my BFF!

Tuesday we spent recouping from all of the fun at the pool. Wednesday we packed up and relocated about 1 ½ hours away. After settling we hit the pool again because it was 84 degrees out and glorious. We were pleasantly surprised to find a heated pool and stayed until it was almost dark. Thursday I homeschooled the girls on their floor and went out on a Valentine’s Day supplies trip. Then sat under our canopy while the girls made theirValentines. 

Friday we enjoyed the pool some more…thankful for the gorgeous weather! Saturday we got out and explored a bit. We found a larrrrrge flea market which was fun, good people watching and interesting as always. Shaun got a Marine Corps flag for the RV, I got some cactus plants for my new suction cup window shelves, the girls got iceys, and we hit the jackpot with some homemade essential oil rollers. After that we went to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. There we saw manatees, a wild gator, a hippo named Lu, my favorite otters, and more. We also enjoyed a beautiful boat ferry to get to and fro (also where we saw the wild gator, turtles and lots of various birds). A little pricey in my opinion especially because the wild manatees weren’t around since the water warmed too much and they moved on. A nice walk, great ferry, and pleasant trip though. After, yup you guessed it, we hit the pool! Last, but not least, we went out for a completely perfect seafood dinner. Seafood Seller and Cafe was spot on with their grouper, clams, flounder, hush puppies, and every single other thing we ordered. On top of that we were able to buy fresh grouper and scallops to bring home and cook ourselves. 

Monday was the surprise day for the girls. Oh they were super duper surprised too! We left early in the morning to go to the airport and pick up one of Shaun’s co-workers…or so the girls thought. As the girls stood politely waiting to greet Shaun’s co-worker, who walks out, but their Mushy (aka my mom)!!!! These pictures don’t do it justice but there was screaming, crying, and lots of love happening. People around us were even clapping at the sight. It was beyond heart-warming and such a great moment too.

After we finally left the airport, we did some shopping, hung a bit at the RV then met Dani and the kids mid-way at a restaurant on the water. It was a great view of the water, varied menu and tasty food. The area we drove through was not beach like but the restaurant, Sam’s Beach Bar in Hudson, was a chill and fun place.

Tuesday after snuggling, bike riding, the park and a walk, me, Mom and the girls drove to Ocala to meet my mom’s friend for lunch. The Mediterranean restaurant I randomly picked wound up being a winner, Feta Mediterranean Cuisine in Ocala. Although the town on the outskirts made you lock your doors, I got the feeling that the inner part was definitely up and coming. I’m guessing if we go back in year or so there’ll be a hard time choosing where to go first there.

Wednesday finally showed the sun for the first time since my mom came and what’d we do, yup again, spent it by the pool. Ok in my defense we also checked out the little beach four miles down the road. It was a great last full day of her visit.

Yesterday we sadly said au revoir to my mom in the morning. It was also our last full day at the campground. We made a lot of great friends, shared a lot of laughs and hope to see them again soon! Today we are moving on. Lots to do and see!

All in all I can say is that we are thoroughly enjoying the warm weather, enjoying soaking up the Vitamin D, and taking a few days here and there to chillax. The trip so far has been a whirlwind and we are really focusing on taking some time to unwind and slow down. Next week we’ll be out of Florida but hoping to still have some warmth and check out a lot of new, local things.

Until then!

Week 3…Living the Dream

I can’t believe, and I mean this is the best way possible, that it’s only week 3 of our journey. Honestly, it feels like it should be more like month 2. All three weeks have been so different that I feel like I can’t compare them. Week 1 sucked and sucked some more. Week 2 was chill, some adjusting occurred, and we got outside a bit. Week 3 can be summed up in one word…FUN!

Last Friday we moved to the Orlando area so we could spend the weekend in Universal Studios. We, and out BFFs/family, the Pieklos, have never been. To give an honest review of it from two families that have done Disney a bunch, it was wayyyy better than we expected! Especially now that we have an “adult” ticket holder among the kids and they’re getting older. We spent two whole days there and still didn’t get to see everything. Both families got yearly passes since we were going for at least two days and would probably go back again. It also permitted us to go back and forth between parks via the Hogwarts Express freely.

Day One

Day Two – Shaun’s 40th Birthday

Monday we moved from Orlando to the Tampa area. I couldn’t be happier to move because for lack of a better word the Orlando campground we were in was, ghetto. We relocated to an amazing campground with indoor pool, every service you could imagine for your RV, two on-site restaurants, and so much more. I will disclose the name next week or send me a message to find out where.

Tuesday, Dani and the kids came to see our new mobile abode. The kids went for a swim and had a blast. After we grabbed some yummy Cracker Barrel dinner. Wednesday I took the girls to the American Girl Doll Store in Orlando. Natalie’s request for this adventure was to see every American Girl Doll store in the US but she happily settled for every store near where we visit. This was our first one and they each bought an outfit for their dolls with their own money. After I surprised them with an afternoon back at Universal. Being a lower crowd weekday, we went on things we didn’t and went back on things we loved. We closed the place down again and had so much fun!

Today, we went to see the Pieklos new abode, an actual brick and mortar lol. Then we took the kids to play and collect seashells on Honeymoon Island. It was beautiful and they had a blast. After we went to dinner in Dunedin and the husbands met up with us. Last, we walked for some amazing ice cream at Ice & Cream Creamery and if you ever go, stop here because it is yummy.

Not only did we finally get warm, have some amusement park fun, enjoy Florida, but we got to do it with our besties, cousins, loves! However, they aren’t rid of us yet…. There is more fun yet to come! This weekend is the whipped cream, hot fudge, and cherry on top of the already eaten two scoop ice cream cone of the past week.

Stay tuned to see what these crazies do next!!

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Full-timing & Fuller Hearted

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We are officially in our second week of full-timing, as it’s called in our new awesome lifestyle. The change from living in our old town, the girls going to public school and all of us being very immersed in it, to moving to a new town and homeschooling, and now to living full-time in our RV, roadschooling and with some days of just us, has been a big transition. However, I have to say that my children really go with the flow, embrace life and it has been a welcomed slowing of pace to the chaos of the past few months. img_8142

If anyone is concerned about my mental well-being after the first week from Hell, do not fret. Since I have had my multiple panic attacks, made my husband invest a small fortune in upgrading his truck, and froze in states where it’s normally warm, we have found a happy rhythm. It has still been unseasonally cold this week in Tennessee but we hiked, ate some good southern food, explored the beautiful KOA of Sweetwater, and learned a lot this week. While Shaun was working the girls and I bundled up and got outside a lot. Fresh air did us a lot of good!

Now we are trying to make the most of our space, personalize it a bit (which we’ve yet to do) and learn to make the most of everyday. One tip I’m learning quick is that if we are traveling or want to do a full day of something, we need to, and absolutely can, modify our schooling schedule (even doing some reading while still in bed because why get up). Part of this journey is to make the most of our days, and yes they need to learn and grow mentally, but exploring, wandering, and being free is also a big part of it. This is the part that we can not take advantage of when we are home, they’re in public school and there are rules to everything. I’m saying rules-schmules…LIFE is what my kids need!

This week coming up is going to be a GREAT part of our journey! We are headed to Florida to see the Pieklos, our BFFs/Family/Loves! It’ll be the first time we all bring the kids to Universal Studios where we will celebrate Shaun’s 40th. During the week we’ll get some quality time in. Then the following weekend we’ll hit Magic Kingdom and Epcot and the following day celebrate Dani’s 40th. That will be the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae because her and I are hitting the spa and we NEED it! It’s been quite the past 6 months for us both and these mammas deserve a 40th birthday celebratory BFF spa day!!!

I must admit that since Dani and the fam moved, it’s been sad for me (and all of us). I totally get why they moved and knew it was their dream so I support their dreams but am sad without them close by. The best part of our friendship is that we always get each other, think too much alike, support each other in our hair brain ideas, and back each up in our crazy, and sometimes illegal, whims. Other great parts are that our kids love each other and fight like siblings, which is pure love in the kid world. This week is going to be the best, warmest and funnest (yup a word!)!!!!

So, what happened this week past, I did our first load of laundry thus far. Let me tell you, doing your laundry once a week with three machines simultaneously is awesome! It would be less if Shaun’s clothes weren’t so God forsakingly big but he’s a giant so that is life. Then they had big dryers so all of it went into one big drier and was put away in no time. Mom win! Southern food is delicious, albeit not healthy but yummy. Long division and money were conquered in our roadschooling! Mom tackle, goal and field goal!

We went to the Cherohala Skyway and saw the breathtaking Bald River Falls. There were frozen sections and it was truly a display of God’s handiwork.

Cherohala Skyway

Tomorrow we start the two-day travel to Florida and we are all excited for the journey because the end of the road is going to be great! See y’all next week…might post after we depart on Tuesday 2/6 so I can give you the full download of our time but you never know, I might be too excited to share the fun also.

Til then… img_8104