Art on the Road

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We are packing up and wheeling out. Today we are disassembling the outdoor living space and securing loose items inside the "house." Tomorrow we will fire up the engine, say goodbye to Jekyll Island and watch the open road rolling beneath us with expectant eyes and hearts through our enormous "picture window" windshield, ready for the next adventure. We are following 75 degree weather as it works it's way up the U.S. East Coast.

Jekyll Island was the perfect location for our first month as rookie RVers. I am excited for the new environment of our next location, but I will miss the trees here. The entire campground is canopied by great, towering live oaks. Spanish moss drips off hundred year old giants who guard the campground like strong, welcoming angels. On a historic carriage ride, we learned there are several trees on the Island over 600 years old!

 Highlights of our first month RVing can be read here. Photos too!

My artistic inspiration is flowing. I've created two pieces of art to commemorate our time on Jekyll Island and I intend to do the same at each location we visit. Prints on Canvas are available in my shop.

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Stay tuned for our next location!

But first... catch up on what you've missed.

April at a Glance

April at a Glance

We told stories...

folded mountains of laundry...

(laundry doesn't let up no matter what campground you hide in. But laundry became almost pleasant when I did it outside on the picnic table.) 

Grilled as many food groups as possible...

Welcomed visitors...

  

Puzzled both inside and outside...

This purchase is dynamite for RVers who love a good puzzle. Space is an issue, but not with this handy tote board. It slides under our bed when we are taking a break on a 2000 piece puzzle. This might even be genius for life in any home. You can find it at: http://www.bitsandpieces.com/product/puzzle_store/puzzle_organizers

And we told more stories...

Telling stories, instead of reading books, has become a favorite pastime. It all started 6 months ago when I told Samantha the story of "Mommy and Daddy's wedding" for the first time. This is a tradition started by my Dad. When my sister and I were small, we often stalled bedtime by asking Dad to repeat the story of his wedding day. Hundreds of times, we never tired of it.

The first time I recounted the events of my wedding day to Samantha, I found myself laughing at unexpected moments. Certain traditions, like the cutting of the cake, take surprising creativity to explain to the mind of a three year old. For example, why did Mommy and Daddy "feed eachother" the cake like they feed baby Annabelle? We both nearly wet our pants laughing over this one. And then there was the end of the story where a huge crowd of adults stands outside to blow bubbles all over us as we hold hands and run to our car and hop in and drive away to live happily ever after. Adults blowing bubbles at us? It really becomes illogical and hysterical through the eyes of a child.

We did much more during the month of April. I will share more in a future post. In the meantime, if you want to see photos of Samantha's Cinderella Carriage Ride, click here

For the Men

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, this post is also for my girlfriends who love grilling and watching sports. Love you gals too.

In our home, grilling and watching sports is mainly my husband's cup of tea...or strong coffee (as he prefers). 

Yep. He's grillin' and watchin the Masters. 

Day 4 - At Home on the Road - Under the Trees

That's right. Just minutes ago, I was on my back, basking in this vision of trees, upside down, in my "living room." 

Seems like vacation, doesn't it. But my responsibilities are the same as they have been for the last 4 years as a Stay at Home Mom. Nothing has changed, other than the location. I'm learning to take these 5 minute, upside down, breaks.  At roughly 11:00, every morning, I start to feel like the urgent tasks and demands are becoming a runaway train. And the day is not half over. And I've completely lost steam. And...

... and that's when I go upside down. Five minutes like this and I'm ok again, ready for another round. I could have been doing this a long time ago, but it's just doesn't inspire me to stare at the ceiling of a typical living room.

This was yesterday around 11:00... same routine. Re-directing blood flow to my brain. Resting. Letting it all go for a moment. Doctors can explain the health benefits of this pose, but this five minute simple new habit is changing my life. At the end of the day, I feel like I'm living part work, part vacation, and I'm happier all the way around.

Chris and I knew we had to try this RV lifestyle, but we also knew we might try it and dislike it. It's day 4 and I'm here to tell you we are still in SET UP MODE. We are still shouldering the extra work of unpacking and organizing, on TOP of normal life with babies, and I'm still in love with this new life! If I'm going to have moments of sheer exhaustion and emotional freak out, I'd much rather do it out here under a canopy of trees in 73 degree weather, than in suburbia. 

I know RV life isn't for all of you. RV life is meant for some, but not all, so I hope my posts inspire ALL of you to pursue what makes you happy. I'm talking about deep down, soul healthy, type of happy. Make it realistic and attainable, then pursue it and DO IT. Be patient. My dream of living as a nomad started 7 years ago. (If truth be told, it really started 30 years ago, when I was reading the Boxcar Children series.) So be patient when it seems like your dream will never happen.

My three year old took this photo yesterday. Usually I praise her up and down for her camera learning skills and then quietly delete, but this one captures a joy that is not staged.

Images from Day 2, 3 & 4.....

Installing rain gutter extentions

(isn't he awesome??? He is a highly successful desk nerd with numbers and he is also an eager and skilled handy-man, tackling outdoor living and a huge diesel beast of a machine!)

It is GOOD to have a Mommy who likes to do face painting EVERY DAY!

I know. It looks staged for a Gander Mountain ad. But there was nothing staged here except the part where I told them to re-create the part where they looked at each other adoringly just moments before. 

Samantha's new favorite activity... Mommy and Daddy story telling. (Stay tuned for more details about this in a future post)

Coming soon: Specific practical solutions for doing RV life with babies...

Some of you have asked for inside pics. Stay tuned...