A Weekend Away

The weekend is almost over.  I am so sad.  It has been so relaxing. Just to make dinner and play games and go on walks. I know when this is full time we will have other reaponsibilities,  but so much time together has been amazing. I love these kids and how they play together when we are on the road together. I see our family coming together even though they are still fighting with each other. They are becoming nicer and better people and we are just practicing. 
We live in such a beautiful area right now. I am going to miss it.
I have one more week of work. 

Trial Run

So when we say we practice we mean it. On our way to the campsite yesterday with a full car our dog fell out of his leash and subsequently the car.  After a trip to the pet ER and a visit to the vet and a little over $4000 later his broken femur is on the mend.  After securing all the necessary supplies I said to my husband so when you pick him up tomorrow are you going home with him or out to the camp site?  He said in another month this would be our home so he had better come back here and figure it out.   So our practice run depleted our savings and put some on our credit card.  We won't be starting the journey out of Montana or in as good of a financial place. But we are prepared, blessed, and thankful to God for his abundant blessings.  So the journey begins slowly and blissfully.

A Joiner

I spent the evening joining things
I joined a museum, I joined a family place, a work place.  We are prepared to be on the road.  I decided against joining a zoo because the kids are older and there are several free zoo's across this country.  We have another long weekend in the RV for practice.  We are going to try and get a first come first serve campsite at a state park.....we are trying to get there Thursday instead of friday and see if that is enough advance notice. We could end up back at home, this time.  This is our last trial run before the big day.  Six weeks.....I am not sure it has completely sunk in.  In six weeks we will just have to find a place to park because there is no home to go back to if we don't get it right.  I have a feeling that holidays are not going to be my favorite. I am not much for crowds. 
On the bright side I now have four pages of things I want to do.  Some specific like Yellowstone and old faithful, others more generic like every free museum in Washington DC.  I find myself less scared and more excited.  As we tell more people I am absolutely sure I have lost my mind, but totally exited that this is my reality.

The End of the beginning

So I gave my two weeks at work.  It may seem easy and simple in the post, but how do you tell you bosses that you are selling all you own and living in an RV.....with style and grace I hope. But it is done. The moment I have been secretly dreading and longing for all in one breath. So we have six more weeks until our house of sticks is no more. With deadlines looming closer I realize that this is all going to be a reality. That in six short weeks my family will be exploring the largest backyard we have ever had. We have a plan for the first two weeks after that we feel a tad bit stuck with our college freshmans sudden change in situation. I keep trying to include the kids but they are snuggled tight in the land of denial and they are not ready to give up their sticks and bricks house yet. So babysteps. Six more weeks....

The Date

I don't think that we are cleaning out fast enough.  It seems like no matter how much we post on craigslist, there seems to be a houseful.  The big garage sale happens at the end of the month, with a charity truck coming to load up afterwards.
My sixteen year old announced yesterday that he was coming with us.  Best mothers day present ever.  So just the seven of us and two dogs once we drop one off at college. 
I can't tell you how many times I still flip flop around.  I am happier in the RV.  I am happier with my children all around me, I love traveling and yet the unknowns still drive me crazy.
I don't even know how much we really spend each month on food.  What if gas prices shoot up dramatically?  What if my children really won't like each other when they have to be best friends? 
Then something amazing happens like I walk upstairs and they are draped over furniture playing minecraft together and I realize that they are going to love me for this someday.  I don't know how long it will take but someday our adventures on the road will be the envy of all who know them.  At least that is how our first trip went.
I told a good friend at church today and you know what she said to me?  That I do all the things others dream about.  Some people talk and never do, but I decide on some crazy adventure and then I do it.
So in a way I have been preparing for this for a long time.  I am so excited to see the world, to meet great people, and try yummy food, but most of all I am excited to see my family come back together.  To love being together more than anything in the world.