Georgia, Tennessee, Community, and Baby #4 on my mind...

I have discussed community before, but as we continue in this nomadic lifestyle I am continually blown away by how that need is met over and over. God truly did make us for relationship. I just did not expect relationships to be developed so quickly and the need for relationship to be satisfied so abundantly on the road. This lifestyle continues to amaze me. The travels are exciting, the environments are new and awesome to research and explore, the campgrounds are all different and fun to experience, but the people....the people are what make it.

I never know how people really feel about their pictures, especially of their kiddos being put on the social media, so I try to not to post too many photos of others on here. However, the South has been no let down in Southern Hospitality, social gatherings, and genuine kindness and helpfulness. We have been so very blessed, and by blessed I do not just mean that God has been good to us. I mean he has been good to us in a way that also puts a tremendous weight on our human shoulders as well as quite a bit of responsibility.  This dream of living nomadically, traveling to different jobs and unknown environments, having a large family (by today's standards) in a small space, and raising our kids differently,(as well as having a marriage built on miracles and obvious touches of God's hand)...has all been a blessing, but with much faith, strength, and responsibility required. I am so grateful that God, through relying on Him, has trusted us with all of this.

We have also been given people along the way that have been a huge part of blessing us as well as lightening the load. We are sharing stories, breaking bread, working alongside, praying with and for, truly loving and being loved in ways I never thought possible, and the fun so much fun with others, not to mention the social life of our kids is off the charts! I don't think I know kids with more friends, and they remember everyone's name that they have met and encountered over the last year or so. I am always hearing "remember when, insert name, did"....with such a fondness in their voice.

As the girls and I gear up for travel to Tennessee, I have to reflect on the community that has been quickly established in Georgia and the anticipation of a reentering community that I grew up with in Tennessee.  People continue to be the heartbeat of our experience in the midst of this most interesting of situations...having a baby on the road. The best solution for us has been for me to finish out my pregnancy at my parents house. I am at a point in my pregnancy that extra rest and help with the kids will be a huge weight lifted. Scott could also use some rest from his very long work days without having to be "on" as soon as he walks in the door. I am praying that we are restored and renewed during this time away. Then, when baby girl arrives we will be able to greet her and adjust to our expanded family life together in a good place surrounded by family, and a few weeks away from the RV and the job.

We have remained in our current campground (approximately 1hr 15 min) from Scott's job site. And it's the people that have kept us here. The community here has been so welcoming and they are aware of all the craziness that is our life right now. Shiloh and Jocelyn have friends their same age, that are being homeschooled basically on our same schedule, and they spend much of their free time with them. It has been such a joy to watch them run around bare foot, climbing trees, gathering eggs, getting drenched and covered in mud in a downpour, exploring, imagining, making a game or a toy out of the most random things, and just experiencing life differently. No play dates or activities scheduled, just spontaneous fun. The campground makes a point to try to bring everyone together through group activities, potlucks, and a bible study. We have met a wide range of people in different stages of life, and we regularly have someone stop by just to say hello or chat. I have to admit the first few weeks here, anytime someone stopped by on a golf cart, I thought I was about to be asked to pick up some of the kids' toys or told one of us is breaking some rule that I wasn't aware of. 

Everyone is aware of our family's temporary separation, and they have been very sympathetic and thoughtful these last few days. Everyone is prepared to keep Scott fed and included in all social aspects of the campground. We really could not be placed in a better area during this travel season of our lives. There is much anxiety as we separate for a time period, try to get Scott to Tennessee at the right timing, and pray for a safe arrival of a healthy baby girl. But we are surrounded in both places in so many ways, and it will be such a joy to have our baby arrive in our hometown as well as return to a place that feels so much like home already. The other campers, the church we have been attending, and encounters with other patrons of our favorite beach spot has also added to our Southern experience. We know we will be moving on from Georgia eventually, but we have been so touched at such a special time in our lives, that I know we will have some lasting friendships come from our little spot in  the sticks of Georgia.

Side Note: The bugs are still completely out of control and driving us to insanity on a daily basis, and the humidity has its unrelenting moments. But we have been assured that upon our return near the end of September that we will be much more comfortable. And the mild Winter will be well worth the Summer intensities.

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Georgia: The Empire State of the South

boiled peanuts, southern food buffets, churches, history, heat index, pregnancy, welding, bugs, potty training regression, beaches, sand, poison ivy, splash pads, lush state parks, gators, hospitality, serenades of nature at night...

 

For every life change that has upset the rhythm of life as we have known it, there has been a perk that I am not sure how we ever lived without.

While Scott was finishing up the last job in Salt Lake City, we began investigating the options for travel based -jobs available across the country. Michigan popped up, Minnesota, Wisconsin...North for the Summer sounded ideal. However, as we looked at the best timeline and prospect based on our needs, Georgia was the logical choice. Oh, how I did not want to go to Georgia with a heat index of 109! I was already frying in the dry heat of Utah.

 

However, the lifestyle that we have chosen, does not leave much room or time for contemplation of the next stop. It was time to go and everything seemed to be falling into place. The travel began the evening of the 29th, and the first stop in Wyoming had us parking at WalMart at 3:30am.  The next day was the longest, hardest day of travel. Three girls and a pregnant mom results in a lot of stops, we were lucky if we were able to get 2 hours straight of drive time in. Once we woke up in Nebraska and headed to St. Louis the girls were already in a rhythm of get up and drive to the next destination. It was a grueling schedule, but the anticipation and adrenaline seemed to keep us going. It's a little weird to be staying still right now. We were able to visit with my sister and my brother without veering off course. One of the highlights for Shiloh, Jocelyn, and Selah was enjoying a bubble bath at Aunt Jacki's. Once we hit Tennessee we were able to slow down a bit with 4 and 6 hours drive days versus 10 hours. I think my favorite spot was Chattanooga. Although, the Southern heat was nearly unbearable at that point. It is amazing the stamina and pace that I have been able to keep while traveling pregnant. I have never pushed myself so much during a pregnancy. I am grateful for all the answered prayers.

 

What the hell have we done? The momentum of go, go, go came to a screeching halt when we arrived in our little campground out in the sticks of Georgia. We loved that we were finally out of a city rv park and resort living was not really our style, but we were not prepared for our new environment. The first adjustment was the steam bath that we were constantly walking around in. I literally braced myself for opening the door each time to the heat wave outside. Not to mention the swarm of flies that would enter our home upon each door opening...and the aggravating, agitating, annoying, pesky, pesky gnats. Then, when Scott went to find his job site, he was not prepared for the amount of country road driving and the length of time that would be spent on the commute. Selah surprised us with her forehead covered in poison ivy within hours of arrival and total potty training regression. The first 3 days, especially with the pressure of the welding tests and uncertainty about a start date, were a difficult adjustment. However, whenever we have questioned our decision to embrace this lifestyle or started to feel like we are out of our minds, God usually sends a stranger to talk us of the ledge. And we found that in a neighbor who is traveling for pipeline work.

We are now past the welding tests, we have a start date for work, we are reviewing options for a closer campground, the humidity while still not fun can be bearable, we have been told about a few tricks to relieve ourselves of the constant bug attack, and in the event we really find ourselves in the midst of self pity...Southern Food.  Scott has been asked to share his testimony with a new friend's struggling family member, we are attending a local church tomorrow...Southern Church y'all, and God is using all these development opportunities to grow our family spiritually, and mentally, and physically.

I am not sure what is in store for our future as we embark on our journey. But I do believe our family needed this.  It was hugely necessary to work our way into this lifestyle a little at a time while being surrounded my our supportive fRamily for a year. The rug being pulled out from under us as we found out about our first out of state job location and having to get there quickly was probably the only way to get a good dose of courage and just go for it. And we needed to be in a place that brought us so far out of our element to see what our marriage and family were made of, where we as individuals could expand and grow outside of our comfort zone, and to test our faith just enough to know that we truly are held.

I must also point out that our kids have been amazing! They have taught us so much about perseverance, having a positive attitude in the midst of change, and being content regardless of circumstances. Although, if they let one more fly inside, they may be getting a one way ticket back to Utah. :)

 

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1200 Miles and Counting

Scott and I joke all the time that we moved into our fifth wheel to travel the country and we have gone 44 miles. Our one year anniversary of becoming a full-time RV family is coming up in June. It has been a long year of learning and waiting for the best timing for our Big Bon Voyage. We believe it will be a bright, sunny day in July after a final project at the University for Scott.

This last weekend we took a little test run. Well, it was a little trip as far as the amount of time we were away, but we traveled over 1200 miles. And, I can assure you, if we were ever doubtful about our decision to travel, that no longer exists. We have the travel bug! I was almost disappointed to come to a "home" location. I wanted to go to the next adventure. When I explained to our 4 year old that we were headed back home from Lake Tahoe, she was very confused. She pointed to the truck with our house on wheels attached to it, and said our home is with us.

Top 12 Things We Learned as We Traveled Across Nevada.

1. There is a huge adrenaline rush the night before departure for the whole family.
2. Although sitting is the main activity when traveling a long distance, it is also quite exhausting.
3. Not only do we have the awesome experience of meeting a lot of new people along the way, we also get the opportunity to travel to see friends we have not seen in years.
4. Enjoying the sights and adventures is so much more fun with others, especially other kids.
5. Pregnancy is causing a bit more of a set back than I expected while traveling.
6. My husband actually trusts me to drive!
7. Spending a lot of quality time together, although exhaustion can lead to some short tempers, really does wonders for a relationship.
8. Carrying our whole home with everything we need is incredible! And the kids sleep better being in their familiar surroundings and in a familiar bed.
9. I feel so much safer in a lake environment with my kids than going to a swimming pool.
10. My husband rocks! He killed it on the road, during set up, and tear down. I will miss traveling beside him when I have to go behind in the minivan.
11. Although there is a lot of fuel involved, it is still so much better and cheaper to be on the road than flying.
12. When we travel a long distance, we should stay at least a week or so to recover from the drive and explore slowly and thoroughly.

Scott learned a lot about the truck and traveling through a variety of terrain as well as pulling into tight spaces. And I could tell he was right in his element, taking his family and home on a long journey. We are a lucky group of gals to have a husband and daddy willing to take us out of our comfort zone, away from the security of a stable location, and on a grand adventure. I feel like I need to pinch myself every now and then to believe after so much talking, dreaming, and researching, we are finally inches away from this being our reality.

Winter Wonderland

Month Seven of our RV adventure and the seasonal change has had a huge impact. Summer and Fall are a blur as we tackle the realities of RV life inside the RV more than ever. It is a drastic change in living. I would say more so than the actual change from house to house on wheels.

However, the beauty of the snow and the new outdoor activities offered to us is amazing. Our owner's manual does not tell us how to troubleshoot through issues caused from below freezing temps (although it boasts of its polar package!). It only tells us how to winterize the RV assuming it will be stored when we go below 50 degrees. Ha! The trial and error is invaluable, though, should we not be able to chase the seasons in our future travel. Winter in the mountains has been a love/hate relationship with the Lunsfords. We are learning lessons and creating lasting memories as a family. That was the main goal of this lifestyle choice, so I wouldn't change our decision.

One thing that has come to my attention is that our family of 5 is under-utilizing the clubhouse at our RV resort. We can come over and spread out whenever we need to. I am typing this post from the comfort of a large leather couch next to a roaring fire. We can use the oven when our dinner is too big for the RV stove, and the dishwasher when our pipes freeze in the kitchen sink. Sometimes the girls just need to get their wiggles out in a larger space. I also need to take advantage of the gym equipment, now that we are spending more time indoors.

The RV itself seemed to hold up pretty well when we are hovering between 20 and 30 degrees. We took all the necessary steps that we were told about to prevent any problems with our underbelly, pipes, hoses, and tanks. Then, we started dipping into single digits, and one problem after another began to occur. Condensation has become the enemy. We have to wipe down the windows each morning, and open the vents in the bathroom and bedroom after a steaming shower. Cooking, breathing, showering, etc result in the pouring out of water. Scott discovered the clothes in our closet were beginning to freeze. We had to pull out the clothes, then warm up the space, and dry out the wet spots.The kitchen pipes began to freeze, and as the temps went into the negative, it became harder and harder to unfreeze. We put a small space heater on the lowest setting underneath, and rarely have an issue now. Propane is going quicker and quicker. We are now filling it up once a week. We stayed away one night, and the propane ran out. We came home to any liquid in our home being frozen solid, including an icicle coming from our kitchen faucet.  Not too long after that, a strange smell, like hot plastic filled up our living area. Googling lead us to believe there was a problem with our hot water heater. Scott spent some time investigating, and came across wires that were basically charred. A fire would have been very likely had we waited to dig into the issue.

Our family is having to get creative with the use of our space. Our wall space is covered in hooks for snow suits, jackets, coats, hats, etc. Our winter gear is spread from one end to the other. Getting ready for an outdoor activity is already exhausting when layering three children with their winter gear. However, coming in afterwards and having wet boots, and clothing thrown everywhere has been a much bigger challenge. My wheels have been turning to figure out a makeshift mudroom.

Just spending many more hours tucked into 400 square feet has us truly in each others' faces. It makes for a lot of conversations and problem solving as we try to navigate through this new way of living, and issues truly have to get resolved right away. There is no room for festering and pouting. No time like the present for real life learning for our kiddos. Resolution to those marital squabbles that could go on for hours, when hiding in the corners of a home, come much quicker. Our children literally wore themselves out making a game of chasing each other around the island in our kitchen/living area last night. I have discovered that their imaginations are not limited by space. They will take up the whole space in a large environment, and they will use the parameters of their small environment as well. There are no complaints from them.

We were not prepared for what Winter in Heber Valley would hold for us. But the beauty of the mountains, the community activities, the snow sports, and conflicts that force resoultion have created experiences that we would not have encountered any other way. We may begin the day cursing the issue at hand and wondering what on Earth have we done, but the end of the day leaves us breathing in the mountain air and sighing with satisfaction at what the day offered us. We are not sure what the Spring will hold for us. It is going to be tough to move on from this captivating area, but we are also chomping at the bit to begin our exploration of this great country.