Is it desert or dessert? It doesn't matter because there is only 9% humidity!



     Captains Log Stardate: Somewhere just before the 11th month! Hard to believe we are close to the one year mark...and since my husband is slacking and not updating our blog, I have taken over! (Just kidding, I told him I would do this one.)  Its has been a busy month since leaving our camp host position in Texas. We left behind an amazing group of people who were more like family than coworkers, as well as awesome people we met who came through the campground. So...until we meet again!

     People have often asked us what this journey is really like and the pros and cons to being a full time RV family. Well, let me fill you in: Grab your tissue, this could sappy! Lets start with the downside to traveling across country because this side of the list is very short: meeting people and then watching them drive away. Some of you may have noticed that we are slightly friendly...let me just say it...we love people! We love meeting people and hearing their stories and what brought them to whichever part of the U.S. we happen to be in. As you may have guessed, we are meeting and becoming buddy-buddy with many Social Security aged retirees; these people have lived! I could listen all day to stories of old war times, marriage, kids, grandkids, dogs, and places they have traveled. By the way, I certainly hope I age as gracefully as some of these wonderful people we have met. During a recent conversation with our new neighbors (they even gave us their address in Oregon and we definitely plan on dropping by!), Mr. R mentioned he is 68 years old and I think my mouth dropped open a bit...he couldn't be a day over 50 in my eyes. Talking with people who are close to our age is pretty funny as they cannot understand how Dave is "retired" and traveling in an RV. We love to share our family story and the amazing way God has worked in our lives and carried us to this point in the journey. Wait, wasn't I talking about the negative side of RV life? It would be talking and sharing life with people along the way and then leaving and not knowing if our paths will cross again. But this 'con' to full time RVing is also on my positive list because we are meeting soooooo many wonderful people and families. One couple mentioned they were a bit concerned that our children may be missing out on a 'community' aspect as we are never in one place to grow roots. But within the same evening and after listening to our stories from this journey, they decided we are giving them a chance to be a part of a community at each place, even if its for a short time. We volunteer, go to church, join libraries, and most importantly...invest our time in our family and others around us!

     The rest of the pros to traveling and living in an RV are no brainers: We get to see this beautiful country with our kids!  We are showing them the places they are learning about. We have traveled to the birthplace of the United States, walked in the footsteps of those fighting the American Revolution and Civil War, and been able to see how people lived as recently as 1000 years ago.  We get to see the vast difference in landscape just by traveling across Texas! And if you take your kids to NYC, they get to see women with bikini bottoms on and 'painted' tops! Ah, the great American culture! Another pro, simple living...I can vacuum in our house in 5 minutes! Sure we still have clutter, but its pretty quick to clean up. And lastly, yes we do get on each other's nerves and need alone time, but its the same if we had more space to spread out in. We actually enjoy spending time together!
     And now to get back on track...we will residing in Tucson, AZ until the middle of June. We are here to play baseball! Our kids love sports and Zachary is a great baseball player and we could not have him miss another season. We have been blessed with a great coach and look forward to this season. We are loving the sunshine (still trying to figure out if we like 9% humidity!), but also love when the clouds come because apparently there is such a  thing as too much sun! The beginning of March was crazy with getting settled in and then Zachary and I went home to IL for my beautiful friend's wedding. We have met more wonderful people, been to the Davis-Monthan Air Show, found a national Park (and earned another Jr Ranger badge!), visited with the kid's Canadian Grandparents and even extended our Canadian family.  We have rceived library cards, been stargazing, found a great base chapel, created a campground Easter Egg hunt with another full time RV family and still included another, and of course we are still getting some school time in as we get near the end of our third year of home school.  You guys thought people who camped full time would be relaxing!

Side trip to Rockhound State Park in New Mexico on the way to Tucson.

$.29 bowling leap year specials

A wonderful couple feeding Zachary's astronomy passion.  Mr Dick gave about 3 hours this night (and countless others) to teach! 

Snack time...and the ability for Caleb and daddy to make jelly for the neighbors. 

Making Kumquat jelly.

Relaxing with super cool puppies and their parents.

Bath time for Scooby!

Kamryn...aka...dog walker.  I tell you, the girl has a future!

"Big guns" Caleb

The new and old flying together...5 generations apart.

Pilots in training.

Photograph By Dave's Photography!



A showstopper for daddy...the F-35.

Al showing the kids how to get oranges and grapefruits from his tree.



Caleb and Kamryn working to get the loot!

Hanging in Mesa, AZ with our Canadian family.

Pickleball anyone? Z was a natural of course!

For all your telescope needs, visit Starizona, an amazing astronomy store!  We  had a great time meeting and speaking with Mr Dean.  He has patented machinery that is now on the International Space Station!  We were in this place forever! 

Living on a base means 5pm retreat...and Kamryn loves to run outside and listen with her little hand over her heart :)   (She even does it inside, at the dinner table, if we are eating and she can't get up.) 

New friends over for playtime.  This was another full-time family that we met. 

World's cutest pilot trainees!

 Giving it our best Top Gun stare at the Pima Air and Space Museum.  (Dave says the guy is a twit but it is Kelly's favorite movie!)

A wonderful day with wonderful people.  This was one of the day's favorites...so much history!

She may be camera shy...

Aviation education day thanks to Mr. Dennis.

She liked this one because it was pink...who's daughter is she??

Part of the boneyard.  There is a very cool history about this place and it can be seen on Google maps.  There is even a reason why some of them are dismantled and left to lie in pieces. 

Kamryn's playdate.

Caleb and his new friend during art time in our yard.

Waiting patiently for pizza night with our friends.

The traditional egg dying picture with a shirtless Kamryn.

Waiting patiently for the 1st annual (and only probably) Davis Monthan RV Easter Egg hunt!

Lets find those eggs!

Our new friends Mr. and Mrs. "Nanuk of the North" and sweet Molly (and they love kumquat jelly!)

The park ranger said to blow on the leaves for a potent smell of cresote...he was right!

The amazing Saguaro cactus. Seriously, these things are amazing and this one is at least 150 yrs old!

Another cactus...can't quite recall the actual name of this beauty but there were so many different colors in the desert.

Zachary learned that this tree does not have leaves so the green bark handles the process of photosynthesis.

Yep, this is one tall cactus!  These things are amazing! Dave claims to maybe have seen the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote here...

We found rocks and happen to have monkeys, so it was a win-win.

Mommy, Caleb and Kamryn hanging out at in the desert.

 We still love each other, even in the desert.

Another Junior Ranger badge in the bag.  We things think this is #41!  Kamryn got hers also but was too tired to get out of the truck.

So being in Tucson, Az hasn't been all that bad; we have met some great people.  Dave continually sees what he calls, "The best plane that the military has ever flown (the A-10, they are stationed here.)  We attended a sunrise service for Easter and then we were invited to a dinner that evening.  Dave and I are going to begin teaching the youth at church this week.  We have met a number of folks (it just seems that most of them are from Oregon!) that we hope to put on our agenda of travels.  We've also had the opportunity to allow Zachary to be a part of the base Youth Center.  He gets to be involved in everything from playing pool to being involved with the 4-H Club.  He also loves that the skies are so dark and so much can be seen in the night sky.  We are also loving the opportunities that the Lord is giving us here and pray that they next few months (baseball season!) will continue to be as great as the first month here!  If we could play baseball in South Mississippi when it is 100 degrees and 90% humidity...we can surely play baseball in 100 degrees with 9% humidity!

Watch for another post "very soon"...

Until next time...


We did five in five!

 

Kamryn found another four legged friend...and invited herself over.

This one is a bit different.  We know that some people are actually using our blog for educational purposes and pictures.  So, I have linked the National Parks or interesting items to the official links.  We will try and see how this goes. 

As you can see, things ended as camp hosts as well as they began.  Each person that we "checked in", were asked if they had pets.  Not just so we could pass on other rules or information, but for Kamryn's knowledge.  This meant that she had another job to do; to love on someone else's pets.  She was good at it too.  Each time someone came in, she would ask, "Can I go and see if they have "aminals"?  We would gather up our supplies and head over to introduce them to some part of our family.  Zachary was also always on the lookout for other kids.  Caleb was just happy to deliver firewood and talk with anyone.  More times that not, this proved to be another meeting and an opportunity to hear other people's life story, however short or long.  Many times, it also begged the question something like, "You are really the camp hosts"? "Did you win the lottery"?  Do you age well and these are your grandchildren"?  This left ample opportunity to tell a story of how God has given a journey to experience and share His love through many different adventures. 

Leo wasn't feeling well and we sat outside with him.  We went in for a minute and found Kamryn under the truck laying with him. 

Zachary is fixing Caleb's bike.  Big helper!

Zachary found a way to work out indoors!

Kamryn took some time by herself and when we found her, she figured out that she could swing herself in Zachary's hammock.

Our going away with the other camp hosts. 

Very nice!

Our "replacements" (as camp hosts).  Great folks that we had a chance to spend some time with. 

Saying "see ya later" to Mr. Zach the morning we drove out. 

Awesome team!

While we were at Cagle Recreation Area, north of Houston, we experienced so many new things and met so many wonderful people.  I know each time we write this we talk about the amazing meetings that God gives us but it's true.  There is no end to the blessings that we have received through these relationships; some short and some longer.  Not only did we continue to have people pop in and out of our lives for a day or two, but there was also the opportunity to spend weeks with some people and get to know them better.  I can't explain how amazing the experience was as camp hosts and what it did for our family.  It blows our mind that we heard continually how our family was such a motivation for others and how inspiring our family was for others.  Also, how much we spawned ideas of volunteering, serving, Christ-centered families, giving, blessings, the importance of family, the "retiring" age, and so much more.  Each time, this gave an opportunity to share Love with folks and point it back to Him who allowed us to do this. 

We were also greatly blessed with some marvelous relationships with our fellow camp hosts.  We said "see ya" to a handful of great people and hope to see them again somewhere along this journey.  We already have plans to see our teammates, (the folks we shared our loop with) in Wyoming and open plans to see others.  We can't wait to share stories again with these eat people.  One of the most amazing things that we found out is that each of the four camp hosts (us and the other three) all started full timing within 1 month of each other.  We came from all over the country and converged to work together 40 miles north of Houston, Texas for this short time.  With so many full-timers being very retired, we had these four couples (one in their 30's, one in their 40's, one in their 50's and one in their 60's) and they all came together to work together and become so close.  We are very thankful and can't wait to see them again. 

After leaving Cagle, we headed out but not without a small agenda.  We had to stop and wash a set of sheets before we headed into the mountains for a few days for some dry camping.  This led to an unforgettable lunch in a laundromat somewhere in Texas with a gourmet lunch that involved Little Ceasers pizza.  After we left there, we headed across Texas for a long drive.  Did I say long?

Had to make an unexpected stop at a laundromat...and had lunch while we were there.

This is our typical time in the truck when we are having a "moving day".

We drove across Texas and when we were more than half way from east to west, we still had a long ways to go.  Not only did our radio display "none found" when searching for stations, but we saw a mileage sign that showed 358 miles to El Paso.  Again, we were more than half way across Texas already.  It was beautiful country though.  We didn't know that there were mountains in Texas and marveled in the beauty and enormity as we drove.  We took a small detour at Lyndon B Johnson National Park and learned so much.  We knew that he moved into the Presidency when JFK was assassinated but didn't know that he put into place so much of the history that shaped America.  Everything from the creation of the Public Broadcasting Station, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and NPR to regulations saving the environment.  From a huge launch to the National Park system (in which we are greatly enjoying!) to enacting many civil rights bills which banned racial discrimination in society.  Lyndon B Johnson National Park was a true educational experience about our country. 



Earning a badge at Lyndon B. Johnson National Park.

We left LBJ National Park and headed to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Guadalupe Mountains.  This is where we were going to stop for a few days and see what we could see.  We learned about the foliage, the wildlife, and the local people.  We also learned about the Butterfield Overland Stage Field Line.  Such an interesting story!  A contract was written to allow this stagecoach to make a run from St Louis, MO to San Francisco, CA to deliver mail and people along the route in 25 days. They were greatly doubted but completed this feat!  What is so amazing that some of the trail that was used then by a stagecoach and horses now only allow foul wheel drive vehicles!  Small stations were set up along the way for drop offs but although the contract was written for a number of years, the route only lasted a short time.  Remnants were left which we were able to see and this became the forerunner to the Pony Express.  It was an awesome history lesson!

One of the stops for the forerunner of the Pony Express.

Out on a hike in the Guadalupe Mountains.



Earned another badge!  Two in two days!

  

A good ol' game of Go Fish.  A favorite around here. (This is obviously not the cold morning game I told you about.) 

The boys on a hike in the Guadalupe Mountains.

One of the mornings in the mountains, we headed out to Carlsbad National Caverns; this was one of the reasons for staying in the mountains.  We showed up and started on our badges.  We knew it before we got there but the elevators, which went 450 feet down through the  middle of the mountain, were inoperable.  This meant that we got to hike down (and up) grades that ranged from 0% to 20%.  So back and forth and back and forth we went, down into the caverns.  We didn't know how any of us would do but knew that as a team, we'd make it.  About four miles later we went down, through, and out again.  The kids did great (the adults did also) and after taking off and putting on a few layers of clothes throughout, we had a great time and saw some beautiful Creation.  On the way out of the Park, we saw a huge hole in the side of a mountain, the boys and I took a hike to it and worked up to going inside...until...Zachary saw a mountain goat right above it and he didn't feel like leaving.  So, we left him alone and took off back to the truck. 


We found out that Carlsbad Cavers was another World Heritage site.  I think this is the seventh for us.

Entering the mouth of the cave.

This was cool.  This ladder is an original used by National Geographic in the 30's for exploration.

We found these two lovely ladies after taking an extra loop around the cave.

These were the steps used by visitors until the 50's.  This was about 2+ miles into the cave.

Crazy hills!

Jr Ranger badge three in three days.  

We were going to explore a trail to this cave...until we saw the mountain goat on top of the hole.  We went a little further but left when he didn't want to move. 

There was another reason that this stop was such an interesting experience.  Previously, when we dry camped, our batteries have lasted us up to about 5-7 days.  This time they were less than half by the second morning. Long story short, we had to "ration" our batteries during the day and night to make sure that we didn't fall to the outside temperature of about 24 degrees.  We pulled the slides in (to heat less space and they are insulated differently) and bundled up to go to sleep.  When we woke up the second morning we had succeeded on keeping it warmer that the outside temperature.  It was about 32 degrees inside!  We bundled a bit more, played some "Go Fish", had breakfast and headed out.

This is what our fifth wheel looks like when you try to conserve batteries for heat while dry camping.  1) Pull/Leave slides in 2) Bundle up 3) Freak out when you find out that it is nearly 30 degrees inside and the batteries are almost dead. 

Dry camping and loving it!

We left the mountains and continued to drive through Texas, but only for a few miles.  Then, we took a detour, and stopped at another National Park.  This time we visited Chamizal National Memorial.    This one, which interestingly enough involved LBJ also, was on the border of Mexico.  The land that we stood on was actually in Mexico years ago until the land was given to the United States by Mexico.  We learned about the war that we were involved in with Mexico, why there were such boundary disputes, and other history of the cultures that merged here.  There was also a French tourist group here that loved our Jr Ranger vest and badges and it turned into a photo shoot for Caleb, the wearer that day. 


Earning a badge and seeing the border of Mexico...our second border to a different country on this trip. 

Fourth badge in four days. We are on a roll. 

We left Chamizal National Memorial and headed for White Sands Missile Range.  This proved to be a long and lonely road but left time for some good conversation.  We also had some laughs when we saw a few signs.  One sign displayed wildlife crossings and then a few feet further we saw one for tank crossings.  We continued to watch for both but never saw either one.  We got set up on the Army base and met some neighbors.  We had a dinner to get to that night with some friends from South Mississippi that I used to work with.  We headed to Las Cruces for that dinner and ended up having a great night sharing stories, catching up, and eating a delightful dinner.  The kids hung out with their daughter (she tolerated them well :)  ) and Zachary had a treat...electronic time and time with the adults. We even left with leftovers!

Driving through White Sands Missile Range and we saw this sign.  Then we saw...

...this sign about 50 feet later!  Hilarious!

Our yard for a few days!

Tumbleweeds are always better than toys!

Hanging out for dinner at a friend's house, that we knew from Mississippi, in Las Cruces, NM.

We were going to stay here for two days but have loved it; we are probably going to be here for four days instead.  On day two we headed to White Sands National Monument and learned so much about the creation of this amazing place.  We started our Jr Ranger badges and the kids asked if they could do extra work for an extra "special" badge.  The ranger obliged and we had an extra educational experience for an extra reward.  Then ,we went out to find some big hills to sled down on our borrowed sleds from our friends.  This was nice because it saved us $15 a piece!  We spent hours there, taking pictures, sledding, digging in the gypsum sand and laughing. This sand was neat for so many different reasons.  The way that it is created is fascinating.  It is of the same substance that drywall is made of and isn't as "scratchy" as beach sand.  If it gets in your eyes, it melts.  It is so easy to dig in and is so cool  as you get deeper.  It was a great time for us to get out and enjoy some new laughs. 

Sledding down the gypsum sand at White Sands National Monument.  Thanks to friends that let us borrow sleds for the day (instead of paying $15 a piece!).

Beautiful landscape. 

Lovebirds!

I think I see a Christmas card in the making. 

Jr Ranger badge five in five days!  We thought this was really cool because we chose this sign instead of the new one.  This sign is the one that was the original when they built the building well over 50 years ago. 

Yummy!  When we went to the Polanco's house (our friends in Las Cruces) they sent us home with a big doggy bag.  Here we are devouring it the next day!

This is close to where we are parked on the Missile Range.  Zachary is showing the kids how to work out. 

We made a trip to the museum on the base and learned about the history of missiles and so much more.  There was an example of an old fallout shelter, tons of history on command/control centers through the years, and so much information on this land itself.  There was also JFK history, Batton Death March history, and information on NASA and the Space Race. 

At the museum at White Sands Missile Range.   This was an exhibit that contained items from an old fallout shelter. 

Playing on the control center equipment. 

We thought it was random at first also but is an original.  This was donated to White Sands Missile Range because some of the sounds for the original movie  (would that be #4???) were recorded here. 

Checking out some cool history. 

Just cool!  This was pivotal in the beginning of the Space Race!

We have spent tons of time outside here.  The weather here is amazing, there aren't any bugs, and we have met a few great people; one of those people was Mr. Joe.  The kids saw someone doing something in the fields next to us and went over to investigate.  They introduced themselves and ending up helping him set and pull traps for moles.  Yes, this ended up being a homeschool lesson and it was also a good experience for kids and Mr. Joe  alike.  The kids ran through the fields from trap to trap until they had a mole in one.  Then they would signal and hoot n' holler when the trap about the full trap.  Mr. Joe would make his way over and finish his work with the animals. They ran around and checked the 40'ish traps and pulled them if they had sprung.  They kept Mr. Joe rather busy and pulled him every way possible...at the same time.  There was more to it than that but I will spare the "icky" details. 

The kids helping Mr Joe pull mole traps.  The were excited...especially when the traps were full!

All in a hard days work. 

After sitting and doing the camp host position, it was nice to get moving and travel.  It was nice to see the country again and be in different places day after day.  We will now be heading to Arizona to allow the kids to play baseball for a few months and visit with some friends that winter there from Victoria, British Columbia.  Kelly and Zachary are also flying out to a wedding in St. Louis which will leave some time for daddy to spend with the other kiddos.  We look forward to the sitting still,  but will have to figure out how to maintain a "nomadic" lifestyle while doing so.  We are trying to figure out how to maintain the blog while we are sitting still for so long but will have to see.  I am sure we will be busy enough and meet enough people to have something to share.  We have also considered doing a post on the things that we have purchased for this journey, how we made this transition, and/or tips and tricks on our lifestyle.  These are things that people continue to ask us about and ask us to share.  For now, we are praying about opportunities to serve, the people we will meet, and the time in Arizona to connect with people. 

Until next time...