Ok, we're officially on the road! We're in a rhythm with this Airstream life now, and I have to admit...it's pretty wonderful. I realize how fortunate we are to have this opportunity, and I am not taking one minute for granted. We get to choose where we want to be every day, and so far we've really gotten to experience some beautiful places, meet some interesting people and our family has gotten to slow down and really listen to each other. I tend to multi-task a little too much in my normal life...and this experience has forced me to do one thing at a time, and it feels healthy and I can tell my kids are more content. Kipper and I are in this together, and it's really felt like a team effort. The five of us on the open road...sometimes it's a beautiful thing and most of the time it's pretty peaceful. But...I am not one of those people who tries to only paint a picture of the perfect moments. The truth is sometimes Bodhi is whining too much, Sawyer has pooped his pants again...in the same moment Owen is asking me where babies come from...but for the most part, it's pretty slow-paced, and we are more present in our moments...so we are grateful!
So, I waited too long to write the blog again...and I say it every single time...but I will try harder to be more frequent with updates...I promise!
Road Trip
On Labor Day, we headed west from Denton, TX, and had no idea where we were sleeping...it was exciting! Unfortunately, we ended up at the Amarillo KOA (not very exciting)...which was basically a cow pasture with hook-ups...but the kids were sick of the car and we needed to unload for a bit. It was clean and we had all we needed...but packed up first thing in the morning and headed to New Mexico. We were undecided about whether to spend our first week in Santa Fe or Taos. Ultimately, we decided Taos because of the mountain scene and because none of us had ever been there.
The boys and I visited several local treasures. First, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, a beautiful steel bridge that sits 575 feet above the Rio Grande and connects the two sides of the gorge. We hiked around it to see the side view, the boys insisted we walk across the bridge in an effort to scare me to death, and then we had a picnic next to it while Owen and Bodhi did pencil drawings of the whole scene. It was beautiful. Along the bridge, a few locals were selling their handmade crafts, and Bodhi was enamored with a man who carved his own wood figurines. We sat and watched him for a bit, and Bodhi bought a tomahawk from him before we left.
Next, we drove around the corner and visited a community called Earthship. I had never heard of this, but an RV neighbor recommended it, so we tried it out. Earthship is a community of people living entirely off the grid...collecting only snow melt and rain water and powering their homes with solar panels. The materials used to build their homes, which resembled space ships built into the ground are mud and recycled trash materials (tires, glass bottles, etc). We got to take a tour and although I totally appreciated the concept, I didn't decide to move there. ;) Regardless, the boys got a good "social studies" education and Owen actually learned a lot about how to power a home without electricity, which he has been thinking about a lot since we left.
We also visited the Taos Pueblo. The tour was quick, since only 23 people actually reside there today...but it was memorable. Stories about how Native Americans have lost their people were devastating for all of us. An old church was half-standing in the cemetery where women and children were killed; adobe homes stood in despair because the residents are all aging too much to do the maintenance themselves. The most impressionable part of the tour for me was the church they still have services in every Sunday. Catholicism was forced upon the Native Americans originally, so their native religion, which they are very private about, worships Mother Mary (Mother Nature). She stands tall in the center of the church with crops around her. Native Americans believe that the earth is a gift, and that humans were meant to honor what it gives us by taking care of it, worshiping it and never taking it for granted...there's something really beautiful about that to me.
At the Pueblo, we met a man named Richard Aspenwind, and bought two children's bow & arrows from him, which he was very proud of. He took a picture with the boys, and showed them how to use them. We left feeling appreciative of the experience but Owen and I both noticed on the drive back to camp...we felt sad. None of us will forget that place.
Our campsite in Taos Valley RV Park
Bodhi using his tomahawk
This is Sawyer carrying his green bag of trains. He LOVES trains and insists on taking them everywhere...even on hiking trails.
Perhaps the best treat was getting to see the Richardson family...especially to congratulate the new Mr & Mrs Richardson!
We left Taos on Friday, and grabbed lunch at the Farmhouse Cafe on the way out of town (yum!)...aiming straight for Mesa Verde National Park. But...on the way, we saw these beautiful river-side campsites and made a U-turn immediately. We pulled into Ponderosa Campground (I honestly don't even know what town it was) and they were the friendliest group of people ever! There was one river spot left (fate!) and we snagged it without hesitation...started a fire and made some s'mores. This, by far, has been my favorite camp site. The river was peaceful, beautiful, and the backdrop was steep gorgeous mountain peaks. The boys ran up and down the river bank, chasing chipmunks and finding the best sticks and rocks for their collections, and we had no cell signal. It was...in the words of Bodhi...epic!
The next day, we got back on the road to Mesa Verde. We found our campsite, plugged in, jumped in the pool, played some mini-golf and went to bed. We spent the next day touring the dwellings of the Ancient Pueblo people. It's amazing to see all that they built and learn what archeologists have studied and discovered about this community of people. Another great education for all of us.
We stopped in Pagosa Springs on the way for lunch and a little ice cream Really cute little town!
The Cliff Palace Tour...
Owen is loving being the family photographer on this trip...
Then we headed to Ouray, Colorado. We found a great river-side campsite 1/2 mile down the street from Main Street. It's along the bike trail and Kipper just walked into town to work. Again, the views here are breathtaking and the weather is typical fall Colorado weather...mostly great but sometimes a little cold!
If you have been to Ouray, you've probably visited the Box Canyon Falls...but if you haven't...you should! We wandered up the hill at the end of town and turned when we saw the sign, looking for an evening hike or something to explore. We happened upon one of the most massive waterfalls within one of the biggest canyons I've ever seen! It's huge! Water is rushing, there are huge, steep drops down the canyon, and it is one of those places that reminds you how powerful nature really is...and your legs start wobbling from the adrenaline rush. There was a steel bridge (aka the "high bridge) at the top where you can see below you, and we were literally terrified...but had to walk across it! Bodhi literally dragged me out on it. Ouray is so pretty everywhere you look...the locals are very lucky to have these views all year long. Here are pics from our week there...
The boys are learning how to do laundry...this is working for me ;)
by the campsite in town
Bodhi loved to run the track at the park in town, and this is right after her finished four laps...one mile! Go Bodhi!
Ouray park in town...
Box Canyon Falls...it's so hard to see how magnificent this really is in pictures...you must go there!
On our drive into town...
Evening hike off the north side of town...
twins...
On top of the High Bridge...we were so nervous!
Lunch break hike to Lower Cascade Falls
We ended up leaving Ouray on Thursday instead of Friday because the RV park we stayed at had a huge group of enormous RV's come in (and then a Schwan's truck drove through the park...it was like an old person ice cream truck)...and it got a little crowded for our taste. So, we headed to Telluride for one night/day. There are really no words or pictures to describe how awesome Telluride is...the scenery, the mountain village, the downtown...all of it! We found a campsite outside of Telluride called Woods Lake Campground, and it was beautiful. SO quiet and so pretty...I wanted to stay there forever!
view from Mountain Village
Woods Lake
We spent the next day in Ridgway so Kipper could work. It's an adorable little small town between Telluride & Ouray, and we were there for their Friday Farmer's Market in the park. SUPER cute, quaint, and exactly what a farmer's market is supposed to be. I think I could live in Ridgway too...add it to the list!
We stopped to see Black Canyon outside of Gunnison...
So, that brings us to this weekend. We drove to Almont (right outside of Crested Butte) yesterday, and found an RV site with a laundry room so we can freshen up and rest for the weekend. We will acutally be in Arvada this week (Sunday night - Friday morning) and would love to catch up with friends! We are staying at a neighbor's house in our home cul de sac...so swing by the Airstream and say hi if you're around! Next Friday, we head to the Oregon coast...and I'll keep updates coming here.
I completely realize our plan to uproot our family for this temporary adventure has been sort of confusing...so here are my most frequently asked questions for those wondering.
FAQ's
Did Kipper quit his job?
No, Kipper is still employed full time as a contractor for NREL and he works from anywhere he can find wifi. He was approved to do so for one year. July 1, 2015 - July 1, 2016. He works Monday - Friday 830am-5pm...and he's actually WAY more productive working remotely. He takes it really seriously, and it seems to be working really well.
Did you sell your house?
No, we rented it out for one year.
Are you moving to Texas?
No, that is not the plan. We bought a little rental property as an investment in Denton...in an effort to get home more to see friends and family. We love our family, and we cherish our time with them...So, we plan to be there more often...in the spring and fall. ;)
What about school?
They boys are homeschooled by...well, me! I've been reading and reading and reading about curriculum options and I'm finally at peace that they are learning plenty with what I've come up with. We spend about three hours in the morning working on Math, Language, Reading/Spelling/Vocabulary, History and Social Studies. Some of it is in the books...and some of it is standing in a local history museum. But, we squeeze it in...and I'm seeing Owen and Bodhi light up when they make connections and read about something they get to see in person. My favorite part is getting to be so in-tune with where they are academically, and to come up with fun ways to teach them things, completely tailored to their individual style of learning. Also...I've discovered that if you make references to boogers, farting, aliens, sword fighting or Minecraft...you have Bodhi's full attention! Winning! Sawyer just hangs out and plays with trains in the background...he gives us a lot of comic relief.
working on vocabulary words...
brain break..
working in our PJ's
A family of five in a camper?
Yes...this part is interesting. I genuinely thought I was going to be more uncomfortable with this than I am. It's actually WAY more relaxing to live with only the things we need, and nothing we don't, than it was to juggle a five-bedroom house, three extra-curricular schedules, yard work and PTSA! Now, I am shifting gears way less...and for me, staying focused on just this is peaceful. I feel at ease consistently for the first time in a long time. I have time to breathe and be present with my kids. It's the way to go people!
The set up is working...bunk beds along the hallway for Owen & Bodhi, a pack & play for Sawyer next to our bed (which is the couch during the day). We have AC, hot water, a shower/bathroom, full kitchen set up with stove-top and frig. I can almost cook anything...but I can't "bake" anything. There are closets and built-in dressers for all of our clothes and plenty of storage otherwise. We each have about 4 outfits, and we park it near a laundry room about once a week. All kids end up in our bed for morning snuggles (somehow we all fit!), which is my favorite part of the day. My only complaint is sharing a bathroom with four boys...they seriously have no aim and one of them is potty training...I'm not sure which is worse.
How are the boys handling the trip?
We've had good and bad moments with this. Owen is kind of a home-body, so I was worried for him the most. Now that we're on the road, and we moved our stuff into the Panhandle house, he kind of gets it...and seems more at ease. He's been trying to picture what we're telling him for months...so he's in the groove now. He LOVES the freedom of home school. He's pretty self-directed with most of his school work, and he seems like such a big kid to me right now. Bodhi lives in the moment...and seems to barely notice that we are living in a camper. He misses his friends sometimes, but he's doing great. He wakes up in the morning and asks, "Are we at the beach yet?!" Sawyer is totally fine as long as he gets to see his Daddy at least three times a day...so he doesn't care where we are. I was worried he wouldn't sleep well, but he actually loves all being together and goes right to bed. So...it's been a fun journey for them with a lot of new experiences.
How is the Denton remodel coming along?
The little Panhandle house, as we call it, has turned out so cute. All surfaces have been given new life. The floors were sanded, and sanded and sanded...whitewashed and then sealed. The walls were uncovered and the shiplap has been set free from that old wood paneling! The bathroom and kitchen were both completely gutted, and now have new tile, paint and fixtures. Greg, our step-father-in-law generously offered to build a new set of cabinets around our "must-have" farm sink in the kitchen...and he has done a fabulous job. He could probably have his own cabinet business...he's a handy guy. We've added central air & heat, completely re-wired all electrical and are still in the process of fixing a few plumbing leaks. We need to replace the exterior siding and work on the landscaping but overall, it's on the road to being an adorable little beach cottage right in the middle of Denton, Texas. We also have full hook-ups at the house for the Airstream, so we consider that an additional bedroom and bathroom. Overall, it's turned out really cute, and we're loving living so close to the Denton Square...it's such hip little small town. I'll post more pics of this next time.
Where is Macy?
Our sweet Macy girl is staying at Doggy Disneyland...aka with my mom on the ranch. She spends her days running the ranch and riding on the lake with Mom & Trey for their evening cruise on the boat. She won't want to come home, I am sure (and they may not want to give her back!).
How is the Landcruiser doing pulling the Airstream? [Guest authored by Kipper]
It's not. The cruiser pulled great brining the 27' 1972 Airstream Overlander home, but got a dismal 6.5 to 7 mpg doing it. With thousands of miles planned this year pulling the trailer, that just wasn't going to cut it. I did a bunch of research and learned that the 2006 to early 2007 LBZ engine code Duramax + Allison transmission is the most fuel efficient, powerful, and reliable modern diesel drive train you can get. Before or after and you might have problems. I found one that had been very well maintained and was in great shape my last week in Denver, bought it and drove it back to Denton, just a week before we took off. It pulls the Airstream with no problem!
OK y'all! That's what I know for now...I PROMISE to try and get back to the blog more frequently so it's not so long. Thanks for following this journey with us...we love and miss you...you know who you are!
xoxo
Kipper, Cary, Owen, Bodhi and Sawyer (aka Sawzzy)
