Sorry Colorado, you are not a state I ever had desire to spend time in. I am not a fan of cold. The older I get ( I am forever young but that’s another post ) the more I don’t want to spend time in the cold. And don’t get me started about making, it’s a big NO.  You are a beautiful state. Breathe taking. Not a place for me to call home.

I write this on my forth trip here in 8 months. Spent a good month here last year on two jobs. Started the current job I am working on with my Hubby in Dec. Discovered walls weren’t built and have waited just three weeks ago to start said job again. Site is a mess and still not fully ready for us.

My kids. Oh how I miss them. Having sold the fifth wheel and not wanting to rehire any of our employees, we decided to ask family to take turns with the kids, and I would work with David. 

It has been hard. Physically and emotionally.

We took a break from canopies for a couple of months. Did some remodeling work and lived off what we had from selling the two trucks. We knew change was coming. I wrote ‘change’  before a trip to FL we had planned since Nov. We had some hope of a new job/ministry and ask for a clear answer. And boy, it was a loud and clear “not Florida”. Alot happened in that trip and I am not ready to share most of it yet.

We had this one contract left and needed to honour it. Still praying for a direction as to what was to come after. And we still are. We have had several opportunities where we have submitted resumes and had interviews but had clear nos after from the Lord. We have one more in the works and oh, how our hearts hope and pray for a yes.

For the next couple days we are working hard. Finishing a part of the contract and praying. Praying and praising. Cause I have learned that though the first part of 2016 I can Trust in my God. He Never Fails. When mountains don’t move, I still trust.

Two story building with three rentals + commercial/business space. *Live in one and rent the other two! Will pay for alot of the cost to own by itself!

Want to have a great space for photography studio?! Here it is! Maybe do some work and make it a coffee shop! Great price to make your dreams come true in this wonderful community! Start a wine and painting party business? Why not!? It’s an affordable space to do so!!!

Have done a lot to update and improve in the three years we have been here. Including water lines, kitchens, and exposing original hardwood floors and tin ceiling. It’s a project worth looking at!
Please send requests for contact information/address/to request a tour to David.lntcontracting@gmail.com  include word “dream” in message. We won’t respond to solicitation or if you sound like a computer.

Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky

95% of Photos taken by Lilly

Really need to get my computer cord so I can post again.
And get these widgets set up that I have been researching.
Follow us on Instagram! It’s the easiest way to see what we are in the USA.

youngkansas

Really easy.

When it becomes cooler, aka fall, the rv parks and campgrounds in this part of the country decided to winterize. For those of us who can not boondock for more than two days, this isn’t a good thing. I need a shower. We need electric hookups. Our info for the Omaha job came on a monday and we left on a wednesday evening. I researched and found ONE park open.  A Casino outter parking lot. Water and Electric. A shower house with key code. Kids were super excited. I explained we would not be going near the actual casino but that didn’t matter. 😉 Another interesting story for sure, “one time we had to park at a casino and the lights were awesome.”

Anyway, Omaha. What do you do in Omaha that is educational and fun? The Zoo of course!

We spent a cold, long day there and loved it. The kids were super excited about the tiny mice. Funny what caught their attention.

Devils Head Trails.

What an experience. Driving farther/up into the mountains that have been a huge part of our view while in Colorado. I have gazed with wonder at the rain, the haze, the beauty of these rocks.

We started our Labor Day with donuts for the kids and a quick shopping trip for the Hubby and me to the outlet mall we have been passing for a week. ( BTW, we bought a few things at the Gap and further realized we are not name brand people, nor comfortable in Suburbia – but that is for another post.)

After lunch and half way up the road to the hiking trail, I had a panic attack. Yep, that happened. I was driving. “Honey, its no problem for me to drive, it is your day off. Go ahead and nap on the way.”

Off road, narrow road, busy road, UP HILL, in a mini van…

No cell signal. No sight of our friends, whom we were following, up these twists and turns.

I have had only one other big, while driving, panic attack before. Almost 9 years ago. In the middle of a blizzard, heading to a funeral, 8 months pregnant. Emotions were high.

Yesterday, I finally found a place to pull over, get out of the vehicle, walk to a fence post, and hang on for dear life. Bless my husband. He admitted later that he wasn’t the best help. He kept telling me that my actions weren’t helping and to get in the van. I made him hold me till I could breathe again.

5 min later, he was driving and I was shaking in the front seat, up the rest of the road to Devils Head.

I was super upset with myself. Been looking forward to hiking since we had arrived in Colorado. I wanted the challenge of different terrain, while enjoying the beauty of the mountains and forest. Why was I freaking out about a road/drive?!

But isn’t that life? We look forward to a challenge, a change, and when it comes, it usually comes with an ‘extra’ we didn’t foresee or plan for. Blah. No matter how strong we are, we all have our moments of weakness where we allow fear to overwhelm us.

The Bible tells us 365 times… DO NOT FEAR. It all works out. Time passes, pain lessens. But then fear doesn’t listen to reason. It attacks. Reminds us that we are human and can not do all things on our own. No matter how tough we think we are. We have to let ‘someone’ else take the wheel.

We had a great time. It was beautiful. The drive down was fine. We took a different road, one a little less traveled because of its twists and turns. Had way better views. Hubby drove. I took deep breathes. Glad we have this memory. Really.

FYI – click on a group of photos to enlarge 🙂

Tornado Damage. Crazy. Tornado on a mountain.

I need to make that photo into art… any thoughts?

Last photo in the last group – G is fine. She ask to be “carried like a baby”.

Turns out. I had “duh” moment on Sunday. (Thanks Sarah)
My cousin, whom for 10 years of my life lived two blocks from me, literally, not only lives in the Denver area, she is THE curator for the Denver Aquarium.
So, yes, we had to visit. No question.
I loved it. Really!
Those that know me well would know I love museums but am not an animal person. And tunnels…do not get me started. But this was awesome.

Highlights? Mermaids and then Tigers around the corner.

( please excuse the cellphone pics. I forgot my camera. For the love )

G found Nemo and was super excited for a picture with him.

L thought this flower in the corner was a must picture but didn’t want to go near it, even though it was plastic 🙂

A pingponged all over. I love that the two oldest can read.

Oh and this. This was nuts.
Piranahs. Huge. And not really swimming. Just a creepy float. I had to take two pics to show my real emotion. You’re welcome.

Lunch at the Cafe. Seated near the fish tanks. Brilliant entertainment for all.

( and yes, not just cell pics, but a snap chat as well. I am on a roll.)

I even spent some time on my phone booking a flight for my hubby (long story) and the kids didn’t got nuts with my lack of attention 🙂

Arriving back at the camper, we decided to conquer some math. We have stated slow, one subject a day so far. Getting a feel for the way it all works. I have learned what each kid needs to focus during a lesson and the work they do on their own. Aka, A by himself during math and L ,with me, sitting there answering her thirty questions with mostly a “what do you think the answer is?”, response.
We will get this figured out.

If only we could just visit places for all of their schooling. Maybe a field trip to an accountant or bank will help with math….

First issue with a neighbor today.

Same one with the honking truck.

http://instagram.com/p/6sb9BWyeY7/

Came back from lunch with the truck to take the laundry to a mat… Neighbor was parked a foot and half behind our camper. Not just over the line. A full truck and part of his camper over the line. It was all hooked up so I thought he must be leaving.
Nope. Still there when we got back a couple hours later. And the camper was now plugged in to our electrical box. Via a converter, cause you know there is only one 30amp and one regular outlet.
I couldn’t find him. So I went to the park management and explained the situation.
I was nervous about the closeness and the honking and the fact he almost clipped our camper yesterday in the afternoon….
So management came to talk to him. Many rules were being overlooked.
Well, while they were on the way over, he stopped by my place and explained the camper behind him needs to leave before 6 am and they wanted extra room to hookup their 5th wheel.
I understand. Sure. But not okay for him to be THAT CLOSE.
Anyway, I was nice and let management take care of it.
Well, not two min after management left, the neighbor and the one he moved for, are outside talking about how I am “mad at them” “a B” and “unreasonable” .
No.
I walked right over and said, “excuse me. I am not mad, just concerned for the safety and sleep of my children.”
To which they said, “it will all be moved back before 6 am.” “Just trying to be nice to the other neighbors who are 80″, ” but its all against the rules to be nice.”
Oh my. I just smiled and again stated I was looking out for my kids.
I didn’t want to cause problems.
I wouldn’t have brought it up had there not be other incidences with this neighbor.
😦

Today the school to which my children attended for the last three years starts classes for the new year.
Its bittersweet. My kids loved the time there and the friends they made. And though we are on the road, we will make stops back in to check on out building, pickup the mail, stop by the Library ( hi Mavet!), and see their friends.
This year for school we are #roadschooling.
The public school system of KS offers several options for nontraditional/virtual schooling. We are enrolled in (fancy words to follow) a Virtual Preparatory Academy.

I am nervous.

I have all the books, they were shipped to us, along with answer keys, etc. They will each have a provided computer and a teacher that will help us all out. Its just a lot to look at, all stacked in the containers I purchased for fitting in to camper and being accessible.

*before photo, on camper, trying to decide if it will all fit.

*after ish photo. This is just the third grade, one for my teacher manuals, and one for the pre-k/paper supplies….
I will be buying two more today for the other kid, aka 2nd grade ‘stuff’.

My kids are smart. I don’t say that to brag. But I will not have to do much explaining/helping besides the initial instructions before each lesson.
I am still nervous.
I want to be able give them structure with this learning experience and still be open to the spontaneous adventure of daily/weekly being on the road in a new location and what it has to bring.

I am not alone. I know there are hundreds of families who do this.
My husband is excited and totally supportive. He has expressed that this is not just on me, its for us to tackle together.
And we will.

That’s really what this adventure is about for us.
Being together.