So not only can Frank build ...today he took care of a sickie wife. What I thought was just a head cold turned into almost an ear infection. So today I worked on the jamberry business that is going to help us in our on the road endeavors AND he made dinner. Pork sandwiches that needed bbq sauce and of course we had none. SO. He made it from scratch. Awesome yummy bbq sauce. And my headcold is on the mend so it will be business as usual tomorrow.
So. We are still in Joshua Tree CA. Still staying at our friends ranch. Definitely not what I had planned. ..there I go again, planning stuff... not really. We are waiting on Dr appointments for my mom and sitting in the desert heat. And we are adding yet another to the mix...our eldest girlie ...that is, once we get the walking orders from the Dr for my mom. So. Since we are adding to our already tight space we thought we could do a makeover inside for what we usally spend on gas... and we are pretty close.
I bought those beastly orange chairs (they double as beds) last year. We bought 3 ended up taking only one and dropping it off at a thrift shop in Utah last year. The other 2 I tried to sell but after spending $160 each forthem I couldn't bring myself to take the"best offer" of $50 for all 3. So 2 went into our tiny storage facility. God knew we would need them this year though. And 3 would have been too many.
So we revamped the bunks we made for the oldest 2 boys last November then built in 2 more on the other side... a bit shorter though. And then we worked the big orange chairs into a couch/ bed. The girls share the top bunk ....which is a queen... then there was the space where the boys bunk were placed last year... an open canvas. So we built a narrow bench for canned goods and my sewing items and used the cute orange table that I left at my moms last year and voila. A living room was born. A separate space even.
Definitely not an easy task in a 300 sq ft home with 9 people. And yet Frank saw potential to make our kitchen that much better so shelves and storage were added. I stained the living room wood blue...because what else goes well with orange?
As we ran out of supplies and budgeted funds...we recycled some of the old even. And it works. We now have a boys bedroom that sleeps 4. And a girls bedroom that sleeps 2. And Judahbug, yeah..he still sleeps in our bed. Revamping a camper to comfortably fit 9 is a daunting task but I think Frank built one of his masterly crafted "pianos" once again. And the girlie....well she seems to be fitting quite nicely into this lifestyle....at least her very own picture suggest she is:) welcome to the crazy and amazing adventure of a lifetime Arianna ... but without you coming we may have made do with what we had in the camper and I am SO grateful because it feels almost like a house ...ok...moreclike a micro apartment... but for this girl who has been dreaming of a bigger rig without a budget this is a huge blessing!
We hear that alot. People seem to feel entitled to tell us exactly how they feel about our choice of lifestyle. Honestly, often they love it and are very supportive or they hate it and are not afraid to tell us exactly how we are ruining our life, crazy, messing up our childrens childhood, etc. The list is often quite extensive.
I suppose we should be used to people feeling entitled to their opinion of our large family, or the fact that we homeschool but it does get old. I mean try telling someone with 2 kids that they ought to have a bigger family sometime....and just see how that goes.
Why can't we simply be happy for life choices even if they fall outside the realm of what we deem as normal. Things that create more happiness. For us. Being in the same town with the same rhythm ...whether that would be playing sports or local clubs....just wasn't the right fit for us. For other people...it is.
The month of May really stunk. My mom spent 3 weeks in the hospital but is still very much here & recovering quite well. and if that wasn't hard enough a very special relationship in our life took a complete nosedive. So prayers of reconciliation would be deeply appreciated.
We started a major overhaul on the camper on a shoestring budget. What else should we do in the desert in May. And June. In the heat of the summer in the desert. We are thankful for dear friends that have let us stay at their ranch
Our eldest girlie is home. At least for now.
I have wicked writers block (which is why this is a list)
I am having a really hard time not wishing we were traveling. Trying to stay thanful especially on days I don'tfeel thankful at all. We miss the adventure & the new people we constantly meet.
What a whirlwind the past few weeks have been. Mom in ICU... then on a floor... then sent home & the very next day back in the ER with congestive heart failure, complete with a ventilator and a dismal prognonsis... but she is a fighter. Back to ICU again... and yesterday a new room on a new floor of the hospital. We are waiting on test results. We moved our camper from Palm Desert to a friends house in Joshua Tree.
My mom asked me to tKe the day off and not vo tothe hospital.
I have gone every day since the 2nd.
It felt weird. But ok.
We went to church then swung by my moms to get a few more things in working order. Justyn installed her cable box in her bedroom so she will have it in her bedroom once again once she finally gets back home.
I am finding I am just so tired. Life is a little bit in a holding pattern again til she gets home.
We brought her dogs here with us yesterday. Normally they are little couch potatoes but currently they are rediscovering their inner ranch dog. we simply do not have the ability to let them watch animal planet.
Frank & the kids went with friends on Saturday serving in the local community at a park serving the homelessan afternoon meal. Justyn evenbrought his guitar. I am not sure what this week holds.
Oh & starting a jamberry nails business in the middle of all this makes for an interesting dynamic. Frank has offered to wear a set of Jamberry nails once weget 250 likes on the narrowroadschoolersjamz facebook page. Nothing like a little support from my retired USMC hubby toofferto wear nail wraps :) so help us out & see just a few of the cool combos that jamberry offers
https://www.facebook.com/narrowroadschoolersjamz
Right now I don't have the right words.
Last week my mom got a helicopter ride from the hi-desert to the low desert.
She has been in ICU cardiac for 5 days.
Tomorrow she will have surgery to clear the possible blood clot & plaque in her veins.
We arrived in CA very early Friday morning. ..
Thankful to be only 7 hours away.
Tomorrow surgery is scheduled for 12:30 pst. Please keep her in prayer.
So we set out with no support. & it has been hard.
But recently. ..in the middle of traveling a few more hundred miles
I joined a nifty little nail wrap company called Jamberry nails. It is SO cool. These are super simple & very trendy nail wraps and the perfect alternative to nail polish. And we got to thinking ...what if we could support our own ministry with supplemental income from a fantastic business.
So we are going to attempt it... and we are praying God blesses this endeavor. MaryRachael is very excited about modeling this very adorable & unique nail wraps. This in not limited to in home parties. You can have an online party & still get all the great perks of being a hostess!
So if you have ever wanted to support our ministry but couldn't donate here it is!
