In The Swing Of Things

also known as trying to appear organized

Pyramid Lake, NV

It has been a long hot summer 
that has balanced into a lovely fall autumn. 

Waiting for Dad in Reno

park friends

We hit the road July 1st, leaving the mountains of NV and their majestic views far behind us.  Reno was a different world that gave us new views, experiences, and friends.  We miss our friends from our Park Play days in Sparks but hope to keep them as pen pals and prayer warriors for a life time.

Las Vegas Desert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hitting the road from a rest stop on the way to Las Vegas

Our new job brought us almost all the way home. 
We are living in Belton, TX and working nearby in Temple, TX.  Stephen really has enjoyed working here.
The hospital was eager to renew his contract til January.  This was a great blessing because Tyler, TX and home is just a few hours down the road.  We have spent good times in Athens with my in-laws. We have enjoyed family time in Tyler with my family. We have made it to birthday parties of dear friends and worshiped at our church home.  We saw Sarah and spent precious time with Elisabeth. 

New People and Experiences

Picking Figs with Papaw

The trailer is shaping up as we get used to living in tight quarters.  Our last blog had the electrical updated, the toilet replaced, and the floors covered in plywood.  The electrical has worked great. Stephen is pleased with his new Intelivolt converter. The floors have taken a beating from gravel, dust, dropped dishes, and spaghetti sauce but still look pretty good. The bathroom still needs work but the potty and sink work fine.  The shower makes handy storage and we are doing alright with RV park facilities. BLESSING in disguise : I don't need to scrub shower scum.  We have added a handy bookshelf where our new TV, the printer, and all our school books can reside.  Our bed has been enhanced with a futon mattress and memory foam.  The kids room has been completely updated with raised beds, more storage, new lights, new curtains, and soon personal desks.  The closet has wonderful shelves for clothes and everything is finding a spot. Stephen, the kids, and his dad spent many days scraping, cleaning, and resealing our sieve of a home. This happening of "raining on the inside" led to Rachel and Nate's new abode. Soon we will lay vinyl on the bathroom floor and revamp our pantry storage.  We are truly settling in to our new cubby home.  

before

Some people may wonder how four people could live in 31' of Airstream and stay sane.  The answer is simple.  Less stuff, softer voices, more cuddles, and playing outside in the world God provides.  Living here is a celebration of what we have and what we appreciate.  Sometimes, I miss our big kids, our family, our friends, and our church but this journey has given us all so much to enjoy. 

I'll try to stay more in touch with this blog as I get more organized every day.
Recheck this post for more photos later. 

Stage 1 comes to a close.

Stephen was very thankful for help and advice from Bryon and Diane Liepper from the Sierra Nevada Airstream group here in Reno. They were wonderful about letting us hook up and test everything at their house.  The kids ran around their yard and especially enjoyed looking at a group of chickens being studied by the state of NV. 

All in all things were very positive. Almost everything major worked fine.  The only mishaps were the electrical and battery which we expected and the bathroom has a few hiccups. 

The floors are done with four layers of Poly. They look wonderful and I am glad we did it despite my bruised knees. We have decided to not cover the floor in the bathroom just yet. It has a sometimes leak.  It not bad enough to stress us out because the shut off valve works well.  Stephen replaced the toilet and replaced some of the copper pipe with a blue plastic piping. ( I don't remember its name :} oops) It took him two days and many trips into town for fittings.  We will remodel more of the bath in a few month                                                   as we travel along.

 Stephen worked hard over Father's Day replacing some of the electrical system.  He and my father-in-law pulled out the stove. This allowed them to replace the old converter box, rewire the battery, and put in a new fuse box.  They also did some carpentry repairs to the kitchen.  The stove was hanging in by two screws and the counter top had fallen in two spots. We didn't do a complete redo but the repairs really improved the kitchen. In between project starts and stops, we journeyed to Lake Tahoe for a fun family drive and some pictures.

Now, I will start gleaning and packing. 

We hit the road officially living in trailer on July 1st.

Home Development 101

The past few weeks have been busy and exhausting.  We have parked our Airstream Sovereign nearby our apartment here in Reno, NV.  This has allowed us to pop over to the 'stream to do revamps, changes, and repairs.  Our beautiful began as a lounge set up in the main room with lovely blue carpet throughout the interior.

Even though we adored the comfort of the lounge it wasn't the perfect choice for us. As full timers with children we needed to consider floor space and table space.  I needed a table that would break down and go outside or into hiding.  The kids need a rainy day play area with a bit of room.  The first thing we did was pull out the carpet. Carpet is wonderful but fulltiming with the kids I wanted wood or cork which is easier to keep clean.  The lack of carpet is also easier on my asthma. After pulling out the hard fixtures, Stephen and the kids laid down 1/4" plywood. The 4x8 sheets were $13 a sheet and 5 sheets would do the whole trailer.

After the living area floor was stuck down with silicone caulk, we built a lovely shelf storage under the front window with a aluminum top.  I hope to have a small herb garden growing there soon. The original futon couch was then centered in front of the shelf.  We plan to build side cupboards later after living in the stream for a while.  We want to build it to our needs as we figure them out.  

 

As for a table we bought a small adjustable folding table from Sam's club. The kids have already done a few days of school sitting side by side while momma cleans and sets up our new home. 

As we complete the set up and test all our ideas I will post more. Until then, I recommend everyone think about the old adage
"LESS IS MORE"
We are loving it!

Introducing Our Home On the Road!

The cactus on hwy 95 are blurry; Stephen didn't wanna slow down.

Early Wednesday morning we decided to hit the road.  When we climbed in Midnight our chevy, we weren't sure where we would end up.  Stephen had seen a 1975 Airstream on Craigslist for sale in Prescott, AZ.  It had been on the market for almost a week at a very reasonable price.  We had the money so we headed that direction.  When the time was late enough, we called and discovered the trailer was still available. We drove all day to Prescott and stayed in a hotel for the night.  It was a 734 mile trip, oneway.  

 Here we are parked in Reno at the apartment complex.

Thursday morning we went to see the trailer in Kirkland AZ. This was 40 miles round trip. After looking the trailer over and visiting with a nice prospector nearby, we headed back to town. Ms. Doris, the owner, towed the trailer into town and parked it near her bank.  Then we ALL loaded up in our chevy and went to the auto parts store, the credit union, and back to the bank.  It was lunch time so we ate in the parking lot.  Stephen went to work reworking the electrical plug for the brakes. At 3:30 Stephen, Ms. Doris, the kids, and I were relieved to see the trailer, Texas Star, hooked to our black chevy. After a trip to the DOT, we headed back toward Reno.  We made it into NV before we had to stop and rest.  No hotel for us.
We slept our first night in an empty lot in Searchlight, NV.

Friday was more of the road.

We stopped briefly on Hwy 95 after Las Vegas at Big Dune in the Amargosa Valley. 

Can you see the dune in the background? It is nearly a mile away, BIG DUNE.

We got stuck in the sand and used tumble weeds to free ourselves.  Not funny but I laughed at our foolishness any way. The kids were obliviously playing in the sand.  I learned that tumble weeds have thorns. Stephen learned that I laugh during some types of crisis. He probably learned more but I'll leave it for him to share with friends.  

We hit the long hot road and reached Reno at 8 o'clock last night.  Stephen worked today and I explored the nooks and crannies of our trailer. I am so excited about our new home.  I don't know where I want to begin.  Today I started with exploring and measuring our storage. I also bought cleaner and new towels. It has been a productive day. I think I'll order take out and read airstream blogs online. Don't you wish you could hit the road?

 

A day at the park

I borrowed this image temporarily from home&abroad.com

I will change it later today to my own image.

Yesterday, Wednesday, May 19th was a beautiful breezy spring day in Reno.  We arose early and valiantly faced our day at a normal morning hour 6am.  This is a big deal for us.  Our normal family schedule is late nights and late mornings.  This works well for plenty of sleep and Stephen's work hours.  The early rising to take Stephen to work was not as bad as I expected.  We fussed a bit about the cool morning air but we soon warmed up in Midnight our intrepid Chevy SUV.  

On the way back to the apartment from the hospital, we stopped and did our grocery shopping. One hour in the store with no fussing, fighting, begging, or playing with the cart led to a reward of Sonic breakfast.  Mom earned a Dr Pepper. Rachel enjoyed fried cheese sticks. Nathaniel had corn dog and tots.  It was wonderful. We then completed, in record time, school for the day.  So, the park was our next stop right after lunch.  

The Park was crowded with school kids when we arrived.  I was a bit nervous but Rachel and Nathaniel waded into the fray without a hitch.  Soon, the school buses loaded up and headed back to the school.  We were left at a relatively empty park.  The only patrons remaining, other than us, were a couple of dads with toddlers. Then our new friends arrived.

Families on the Road is an online group that caters to families that work, live, and travel together in RVs.  We have met three different families.  Each of them is unique and fun.  Yesterday we met Ali Valentine, her husband, David, and four children.  They call themselves BritsOnTour http://www.touringbrits.blogspot.com

The kids and I had such a blast we had a 5 minute turns to 10 load up to go kinda farewell. The young boys were a great match that quickly asked if they could email each other.  Modern children of 5 and 6, they know they can stay connected.  The girls seemed to hit it off as well. 10, 8, and 7 our little ladies had complementary personalities. I had fun watching them play. David and Dave spent the time playing with the younger boys and flying our stunt kite.  The kite wouldn't stay in the air until Dave the younger invented a duct tape kite tail.  A brilliant young mind and duct tape can do almost anything. Ali and I talked about the kids, trailers, books, coops, and curriculum.  I probably talked too much in my excitement of meeting another mom. The day wrapped up easily with picking up Stephen, eating dinner, and falling into bed.  

We woke up early again today.  Stephen is off at work.  Rachel is done with school. Nate is dragging it out.  I hope to go to a park later today in Spanish Springs.  We will head out in time to hit happy hour at Sonic on our way. Today, I plan to take our yard quilt, a good book, and sun screen.  I like Reno in the Spring time.

I'll soon be seeing red.

The reason isn't what you might think. We purchased a wii balance board today. I am, according to wii, 38 lbs over weight and a wii age of 47. I was born in 1972, do the math, it isn't happy news. So, now we are playing wii.  Stephen has burned 2 calories already. Oh, what a riot.  I'll be seeing red shortly because it will be my turn.  The silly toy has already asked me if I trip over my own feet. 

 Sigh

Now it clearly states that I am unbalanced!

I'm am laughing so hard.

My blood pressure must be up.

Not my forte, but I wanna lose 22 lbs and go hiking with my kids through our beautiful National Parks.

Big Girl Pants

Rebekah and Sarah joined us in Reno on Saturday before Mother's Day. We were all so excited to be together.  Rachel and Nate have sat on Rebekah and Sarah almost constantly. Mother's Day was a lazy day that was so full it whizzed by at sonic speeds.  The girls fixed a full breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen with a little help from Nate.  We watched movies and talked constantly.  I miss that talk time with the girls.  The older two have grown and changed so very much.  It boggles my mind. 

So for this week most of us are all together running amok.   We have hung out doing the family nothing. 

We have traipsed south to the hot springs outside Bridgeport, CA.  After hiking and changing into swim suits, we soaked.  While soaking up the warm water we watched the snow fall in flurries all around the creek below Buckeye Rd.  It was so beautiful.  It was a lovely adventure finished off by quick changes, fun poses, and french fries.  

We then drove the mountain roads over to Placerville, CA.  That was an adventure.  A cold, snowy, nerve racking adventure.  Check out our visibility on the mountain roads.

Nate was unfazed.  

Rebekah was loving the views saying "I want to live here."  

Sarah says "I'd rather live at the beach." 

Rachel responds "I'm with you Sarah."

As for dear old cranky mom and dad, we were just trying to see the road and wondering if we should have used the snow chains.

 

We had breakfast at Mel's Diner in Placerville. It was really good.  The town was lovely.  We would have stopped to explore; but we wanted to get to Yosemite National Park and do our exploring. 

Between all of us we probably took 4 or 5 hundred photos in or near the park.  It was a great day.  I fully recommend visiting our National Parks.  Stephen and I have never been disappointed.  Our Park Pass has been very worth the money spent.  We found lodging and food in Sonora, CA and after a few pouts and grumps and scrapes we ended our day.  We ended with Nate, the youngest at 6, winning two hands of Quiddlers. 

 

 Yesterday we drove through the farms and fields of CA going north from Sonora through Stockton, Sacramento, and Truckee til we returned to Reno.  We stopped along the way for fresh strawberries out of a field on hwy 4 before Stockton.  The berries were so wonderful.  They disappeared quickly.  I spent the next few miles watching in vain for another fruit stand. 

In Sacramento, we continued a family tradition of sushi photos.  Rebekah found us a great sushi restaurant called Mikuni.  They had a gluten free menu and a children's menu.  

 

The next leg of our journey found me fast asleep.  I woke up 59 miles from Reno.  We stopped in Truckee and picked up a new CA map as well as other family luxuries.  The shops here were very boutique.  My mother would have loved, the Cooking Gallery, a kitchen store I browsed.  Then, we came back to the apartment in Reno.  Here we are are collapsed in various stages of exhaustion.  I think we are all happy we took the 760 mile drive.  All us big girls are all now on our computers blogging, organizing photos, or sorting mail and facebook.  

Stephen is searching for our dream airstream.  It is out there somewhere waiting for us.  The littles are playing the Wii.  We are ALL eagerly awaiting the pizza man.

Are you wondering about my title? 

Well it is mostly for me.  It is hard to gather under one roof children that are grown up.  I know they are smart and beautiful.  I know they make me and their father proud.  Yet, I sometimes forget they are grown.  I want everything to be perfect when we are together.  This strange urge will overcome my good sense and I will fuss for silly reasons over foolish things.  My feelings are important but we can't control our grown children.  I need to put on those big girl pants and let them be grown.  sniff sniff sigh I raised them to be strong, opinionated, controlling women.  I didn't figure they would sometimes try to control the world revolving around me. ARRGH I still have a lot to learn.  I know this: despite and perhaps even because of the the little spates of our mini vacation,  I love our girls.  I miss my Busy B.  and I am thankful for Stephen, Rachel, and Nate. I truly like living on the road. 

 

Let's go fly a kite.

     When I here this phrase my mind automatically sets it to music.The music reminds me of the image from Mary Poppins of  the family together at last.  The family despite a very hard previous day are skipping to the park to fly a kite. Mary Poppins says amidst her final scene "That's as it should be."  I firmly believe that great thoughts can be found in tiny places.  Today, this phrase is one of them. 

     Today, I hope to fly a kite at the park with my youngest children.  The success of the day will depend on many things.  Will the sun stay bright, warming the day and us?  Will the wind blow in that gentle way that carries the kite high without being to rough?  Will the trees on the edge of the park be easy to avoid?  Will our string get tangled?  Will the kids take turns nicely? Will? Will? Will? and What if?  There are so many variables, so many things outside my control.  I can not make the day perfect.  I am not in control.  Yet, I know who is in control and like Mary Poppins says "That's as it should be."

    My life is much like that kite that flies high and dips low.  I grip my string and pray but many times I can not avoid the trees.  One minute the wind will blow gently and I will dance on the breeze.  The next a gust will throw me up and then crash me into the ground.  I love to fly. I hate the crashes.  I do not control the winds of life.  The One in control says,  

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, 

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

     Today, I will grieve for a future I believed existed.  But tomorrow is a different future.  I could not stop the storm that has blown in to this world.  But ultimately, I know without understanding "That's as it should be." I do not like it and I never will. But God's promise holds true despite pain, loss, anger, failure, fear, and every other emotion and happening in this sinful world.  God bless us with a peace while we grow past the crashes in our lives. We have not forgotten that with you, we can still fly. 

The fine art of parenting.

In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything.  You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage.  ~Bill Cosby, Fatherhood, 1986

 

 Bill Cosby has one thing right in his quote, "child raising is a dark continent." At least sometimes it is.  Today was a dark day.

  If you have children you might recognize the signs.

Spring Fever

 Here is a wonderful thing about home schooling and living on the road. This was a day dedicated to family and exploring.
We went driving from Reno to a hot spring in CA. Stephen and the kids spent time flying a kite after our picnic lunch. This gave them plenty of time to dry out after playing in the hot spring. Many families never see places around them. We vacation by habit at the beach or visit Disney or some other man made local. Spring fever for us is no longer a trip just to a local park. It is a journey to see, experience, and to capture something and somewhere new. I am so glad to be living this life with my fun loving family.

The search for a perfect way to travel.

I have started the let us buy a trailer campaign. Please understand, I think Reno is beautiful and the Texas Hill country was divine. Yet, I think this apartment is yucky.  I know. I know. A trailer will be small. The kitchen might be chintzy.  But I don't like rental furniture and worse rental silverware.  I can't explain it except to say, I am a homemaker. I want my own nest to call home. If it isn't working, I wanna be able to fix it and not wait on busy maintenance people who act like I'm picky cause the drain has backed up for the 10th time.  It is OK and I am practical. So, I will  PAY for it wisely.  Does anybody have any advice about living full time in a rv with your kids.

Math Games and other things on a Snowy Spring School Day

Today, I am not stressing about school.  It is a cold snowy day in Reno.  We will drink cocoa, hang out in our PJ's, and cuddle.  We will dedicate school to exploring the web, reading together, and practicing our new math game.  We will start the Progeny Press study guide for  Uncle Jed's Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell.  All that involves today is exploring the web for information about sharecroppers and the Great Depression.  I don't know what we will read.  I'll leave that to the kids.  The snow will keep us home from the library, so we will read something on hand.  In fact, I may wait til tonight and let Daddy have that cuddle hour on the couch while reading The Hobbit by Tolkien.  As for the new math game, I am making that up.  I went into town on the bus Saturday and bought eight 10 sided dice, one 100 sided die, one 6 sided die that is colors not numbers, and a felt carrying bag.  I spent $20.  The 100 sided dice was not cheap but the rest of the dice were under $5. The 10 sided dice are in four different colors.  The different colors will represent place value.  The dice are numbered 0 - 9. 

• red dice ----- ones place
• blue dice ---- tens place
• purple dice ---- hundreds place
• white dice ---- thousands place

 Today, we will use the red and blue dice.  First the kids will gather notebook paper and pencils. Then, I will toss one red dice and one blue dice - red:2 blue:1 = 12.  Then, I throw the multicolored dice - black can represent addition.  Then, I throw the last two red and blue dice and get 95.  Then RACE 12 + 95 = ? .  First one with the correct answer wins.

I think the game will make quick response math facts more fun than the usual worksheet or recitation. I want a game board to travel around. I wonder if I could figure out a way to use our chess board without all the chess pieces.  I'll think about it.  Perhaps, you have an idea. I would love to read all about it.

The mystery of stuff.

      I was watching House Hunters on the little idiot box the other night when my 7 year old daughter commented "Why is the closet so important to that lady?" I chuckled because to us a large closet is a handy substitute for a playroom.  Living on the road, I have discovered that as a family we need less stuff and require very little square footage to be happy.  Why two people and 1 little dog need 4000 square ft to live happily is foreign to my babies.  Here are some tricks to packing, storing, and enjoying a big life in a small space:

1. Examine your laundry and closet.  

        I can wear only 1 pair of pants at a time. Why should I own 15 pair?  I own clothes in laundry loads; pants, dark t-shirt fabric, light t-shirt fabric, towels, and delicate. I don't like doing laundry but I REALLY don't like piles of dirty laundry. So, we own what we will really wear in a weeks time and give away the rest.  Also, thanks to a dear friend's recommendation ALL clothes for young children live in my room.  This stops the DIVA changes that bulk up laundry day with clothes I don't remember a child wearing.

2. Know what you use in the kitchen, bath, ect...

         I have a three bedroom house in Texas and love to cook. I like kitchen gadgets and cookbooks but that can't travel every 13 weeks to a new local without a U-Haul. What did I do? I took inventory.  I use the same three skillets at nearly every meal. One of those skillets will double as a casserole and a roaster. Corningware breaks... so, I use cheap microwave safe plastic ware.  I have four Tervis tumblers for my husband and I. They are insulated and can have travel lids. This makes them perfect for hot, cold and in the SUV. The kids have 1 stainless sipper seal water bottles for in the car, 2 cheap plastic cups, and 1 glass juice jar each. I packed silver ware for one meal and bought those new light weight silicone colander, measuring cups, and bakeware.  These things with a cookie sheet, hotpads, my Pampered Chef bamboo spoons, and some other small kitchen stuff (shearers, can opener, ect..) all fit nicely in some old zip coolers and a rubbermaid tub.  My cupboards may be bare of the gadgets but the food isn't hurting. Anything I find I need that doesn't travel, I find a Goodwill, Salvation Army, or some other noble thrift store.

     As for the bathroom, everything fits in 1 small old samsonite suitcase. Their are 4 of us but we don't need 12 lotions, 4 kinds of hairstuff, and 3 million hairbows. I will not share toothbrushes, deodorant, hairbrushes, and razors. Everything else is community property in my bath. 

3. The joys of toys and books.

     My children play together with a small pile of legos, a small box for manipulatives and crafts, and 3 old suitcases with misc dolls, dress up, action figures, cars, playmobile, and Vision Forum delights.  When we started packing we noticed Nathaniel owned 2 five gallon buckets full of matchbox cars.  He now has and cares for a more reasonable 10.   Rachel has 50 or more stuffed animals and dolls at home.  Here she is happy with her Vision Forum doll with outfits, a Bitty baby, and a few small stuffed animals.  The less they have at once the more they appreciate. It works. I promise.

     At home I have and hoard more books than some small town libraries. If you home educate, you probably have this addiction.  Books have weight and weight costs space and gas when living on the road.  So, school fits in 3 backpacks and two 12 x 14 canvas boxes.  This was soooo very hard. But Ben Franklin started public libraries for people like me who love to read. I now will support them all over the country. I also buy new readers from thrift stores and National Parks as we go down the road. We then sell them or give them away when the space is needed.
  

Today, we are here...

 The journey continues. After a couple weeks off work and in travel, we are now live, working, and learning in Reno, Nevada.  The weeks off found us being lazier than we should have been.  Yet, we enjoyed seeing our friends and especially our family that doesn't travel.  This leg of our journey has found us packed up with the usual stuff in our new to us SUV.  The van was tipping 180,000, which is a lot of miles for a Chrysler.  So, now we have "Midnight" a black chevy suv with all sorts of fancy parts.  The kids have enjoyed opening their own windows and the DVD player. Stephen and I appreciate the storage, the lumbar support, and heated leather seats. 

 

         On the way from Texas we took a quick drive through the Petrified Forest.  If you haven't done this National Park and your children six years or older, you should make it a family trip.  Disney would be great but REAL INDIAN PETROGLYPHS are too cool.  The kids earned the Junior Ranger Badges, loved the rock formations, and the petrified trees.

Keeping to the road, we traversed Death Valley. The kids enjoyed the cactus, the tumbleweeds, and the salt flats that we saw along our way. Then, we crossed Hoover Dam. I expected this to be boring.  Yet, it was so amazing. It is truly a wonder in American architecture and a inspiration of American hardwork.  That view and the climate and landscape changes up, then down, the up again was more than I expected.

Now, we are settled in an apartment on the hillside in Reno.  We have lots of room.  The kids are using the closet as a play room.  We have explored town by suv, by bus, and on foot.  Downhill is easy.  Uphill may kill me or I'll finally loose that baby weight from 6 years ago. Truly, we are settling well.  We have found a wonderful Bible church called Grace Church,  www.gracechurchreno.org , and a bible study nearby.  The church is a mile or so downhill.  The kids and I walked this past Sunday.  We took the bus back up and my thighs still ache.  I think we will do a lot of walking and hiking to the library and to Ranger programs on Saturdays. 

The Journey will continue each day.  I pray for strength and patience.  Our life is on the road and other lives stay nearer to one home.  Yet, we all journey and grow.  I'll share more words and photos later.  God Bless the Journey.