Thursday, December 10, 2009

An Unexpected Turn!




We have been coasting right along on hwy 10. Made our way into Mississippi on Dec. 3rd. Everything is such a blur......


I have a personal journal and if it wasn't for that I wouldn't remember what happened and when.




My full bearded husband decided to take a different route than what we originally mapped out. (This time I didn't argue)

and I'm so happy I didn't!!!!!!
He took us down the coast and we stopped in Bay St. Louis (My new favorite spot!)




It was so beautiful....white sandy beaches! No one in sight! I kept telling my husband that maybe there was a storm about to hit and we don't know about it.haha! We haven't had tv for about 3weeks. We watch the weather on the Internet. It's been so nice not having t.v. and honestly we have been so busy just hanging out with "just us" that we don't miss it.

If it wasn't for facebook I wouldn't have any connection to the "real world." It's nice to be out of the whole rat race of life. God has opened my eyes to many things I wouldn't of even thought of before. It may seem like we are moving fast but really this is taking it slow for us! We are together all day long and I love it! We are spending so much quality time and making such amazing memories. I thank God for giving us this opportunity.

We are being still and knowing He is God!


We parked our new home on the side of the road and spent the day on a beach all to ourselves!



the kids and I ran silly.....


Maggie loved the beach


and ended up taking me for a run.......



The weather was beautiful and the kids enjoyed digging in the sand....

and collecting sea shells....


This spot had the most beautiful houses right across from the beach. It also must of been hit pretty bad by Katrina. (if you look close in this picture you can see the dock that was ruined)
We had the best day ever....not a worry in the world (just what Walmart would we lay our heads to rest that night!)ha!
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Many have asked how we afford to do this?
We have given up a lot. We don't live in a house. My kids don't have their own rooms. We all share a teeny tiny bathroom, and I don't get to shop (because my husband is with me ALL THE TIME) haha! (no sneaking in bags in this RV!) You ladies know what I mean?
We don't have rent or a mortgage. Our payment on this is less than half of what people pay for an apartment. My husband still runs his business from the road and we stay at Walmarts (a lot) We also have been given free passes to many museums and amusement parks along the way from Blog friends!
I know this lifestyle isn't for everyone. If you know me personally it's not for me either! I need my 20 min hot showers and space! I love having a house to live in and my kids having their own rooms with all their "stuff." But I am so thrilled to live this life for a season! I'm gonna miss this season when it's over! It was hard to take this step and it took a lot of preparation and risk. If we had to turn this rig around tomorrow, I would have already had the best time of our lives!
Thank you God!
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please keep us in prayer as we are headed to the east coast. Also, I am working on our visit to DC. Any tips or things I should know?
Thanks......see you in Alabama!

19 comments:

Braley Mama said...

Praying!

Anonymous said...

You and I know Bridget "Things happen for a reason"....we both have been blessed after our trial, be safe, you have loved ones praying for you...me inlcuded....

Love to the family,

Marie

Unknown said...

Hi Bridget. I have been following your wonderful blog for quit sometime now, have never left a comment.

How amazing to be able to do this with your family. Not very many people get this wonderful opportunity! God is sooo good! I will continue keeping you and your family in my prayers as you continue on this wonderful Journey.

It looks like so much fun!!!!

God Bless,

Jodi

Kristi said...

The Holocaust Museum is AMAZING!! There are also survivors who work there.

Too Many Kids In The Bathtub said...

Oh Bridget! I am so happy to hear this! It is also such a blessing for you to share your observations on what the Lord is showing you! It is SO true that we live in a rat race. And sadly, it is not until we are "pulled" out of our natural surroundings that we realize the true meaning of what life is. Serving the Lord and loving our families! I am so happy to hear this, and at a time when I am feeling like I am not "getting it all done". Because the truth is that is does not really matter! You are doing something that most would not. You give up comforts and normal and you say "Lord I am yours, take me where you will" That is when you experience that amazing! When you say things like that, the Lord looks down at you and says "alright, look at my child putting her faith in my provision" The Lord loves to do big things for us! I am so happy to be a part of this amazing journey! Plus you are really paving the way for us and our upcoming "road trip".
:)
PS. Did you get my message about "accidentally" calling your husband the wrong name?

SORRY! We were just so excited to see you all!
Blessings to you all!

Brianna said...

Looks like you guys are having fun. Can't wait to see more pics :)

Laurel said...

LOVE your updates!!!

We went to a beach in FL a few years ago, and thought it odd that we were the only ones on the beach. It was REALLY windy, but we didn't know what was typical for that area. We found out later that there was a hurricane warning ... that's why we were the only ones on the beach. :)

I could certainly do what you're doing for a year. But ... my husband can't really pastor or teach online, so we'd better stay put. We are, however, already planning a cross country road trip (our 4th) for next summer. I think the kids and I will just plan 4-6 weeks of every year to be "on the road".

Wa. DC is wonderful! We've driven their twice (from WA State). Take your time. Read the monuments. Visit all of the museums. (Only thing we were disappointed in ... and the only one that cost money ... the Aquarium. Not the best.)

Oh ... when you get up to Pennsylvania, you'll want to go to Gettysburg. Buy a $25 cd and take your own "guided" tour. Amazing! The cd tells you where to stop and then tells about the battle that took place right where you're at. Very cool!

Blessings!

mama of many :)

Unknown said...

HOW STINKIN FUN!!! LOVE THE BEACH!! If you get to Kansas-we have a LARGE HOME-plenty of room for your 5 plus our 7! HUGS!!!

The Gustafson Family said...

How beautiful!! Have I told you how jealous I am of this wonderful opportunity! hehe...I am so glad everything is going so well. I cant wait to see each new post. When will you be in DC? Greg's cousin is the press secretary for a Senator. I can see if you can get some extra special treatment! ;) Be safe!

The Gustafson Family said...

How beautiful!! Have I told you how jealous I am of this wonderful opportunity! hehe...I am so glad everything is going so well. I cant wait to see each new post. When will you be in DC? Greg's cousin is the press secretary for a Senator. I can see if you can get some extra special treatment! ;) Be safe!

Dana said...

LOL!!! I know EXACTLY what you mean about the no shopping!!! Even if you would sneak in a bag or two, WHERE WOULD YOU PUT THE STUFF!!! hehehe!!!
DH is always there for me too, saying 'what do you need that for???' ~but, I wouldn't change it for anything either!!!

I love to hear about your precious family, and your grand adventure! Keep keeping us posted! :)

Shannon said...

Arrggghhh! You're making me want to do it, too!!! Crazy, huh?!

About the coastal damage. What many people do not realize is that after Katrina hit there has continued to be a stream of hurricanes hitting the coast... especially, right after Katrina. Do some hurricane research with your kids, if you get a chance. Katrina was so devastating and got such massive media coverage that three weeks later when Rita hit it was just kind of overlooked in the media, but it was almost as devastaing. Last year Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf Coast and totally changed the coastal regions here. The pictures here are like the one you have of the destroyed dock. Ike had a storm search that rushed water up into Beaumont, TX which is very far inland if you check your map. When we drive to the beach here now it is like a totally different location than it was two years ago. I have some wonderful photos I could share. I keep meaning to post them on my blog, but it is so sad and depressing that I keep putting it off. I was just thinking earlier today that we really need to remember those people that have been so devastated by this storms in the past four years. Thanks also for reminding me off that.

So glad you are enjoying your trip. If you come back through TX again let me know. I would love to meet you and you are more than welcome to stay. I wish I had mentioned it sooner, but I thought my husband would think I was crazy to invite you all. I mentioned it the other day and said to tell you all to come on!! We have way to much room in our home for just us anyway!

Lauren said...

What an amazing time it sounds like you're having!! I'm sure your visit to Alabama will include a stop in Huntsville for the space camp/museum, but just in case you haven't yet planned it, do go there!! I'm sure your children would love seeing everything and learning about space.

I'm so enjoying seeing your pictures and hearing stories from the road! How is school on the road going for you guys?

Tonya @ The Traveling Praters said...

Looks like you are having a great time! Tips for D.C.? The attractions are mainly free, but you need to have tickets or passes to many of them and they run out EARLY in the day. Check online at nps.gov to see if you can order any ahead of time. You will pay a small handling fee but it will be worth it not to be disappointed. We contacted our representative and they made arrangements for us, but you probably won't have time for that now. Cherry Hill RV park outside of DC is awesome and runs a bus to the metro that you can take downtown. More expensive than Walmarts, but very nice. Take your toad out and drive past all the monuments/White House/etc. We loved the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Smithsonian Castle gives you a great overview of the musuems. The Air Museum would probably be a good fit for the age ranges and the museum of Natural History was awesome but very evolutionary- but our kids know God created everything. We love D.C. but it is very crowded, terrible traffic and parking is also bad that's why it was worth it for us to stay outside the city. Oh, one more thing...don't plan to do it all. It is a lot of walking (I think more than Disney) and the kids and my hubbie were tired after about 3 attractions. There is also a Jr. Ranger program, but I wouldn't plan on doing it unless you were going to be around for a few days. Hope this helps! Blessings, Tonya http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/livetheadventure2008/Washington+D.C.%20/

Aimie said...

I knew you would love it! So glad you are having a good time. Huggs to you all!!

Christy said...

We lived in DC and just outside of DC for over a year while our daughter was going through chemo and a bone marrow transplant at Walter Reed and Children's in DC. We loved our time there, it's a great city. The Mall of course is a must! My personal favorite is the FDR memorial, it's so peaceful and unique. The Zoo is great and it's FREE because it's owned by the Smithsonian and all the Smithsonian museums are free! I recommend driving (or walking) towards the Capitol building in the evening, it just gave me absolute CHILLS the first time I saw it in the evening (it's amazing during the day, but at night there's just something about it!). I would recommend going to the Ronald McDonald House too. Our family literally lived there several months when we first got there and during Jordyn's bone marrow transplant, they always can use people to volunteer for any amount of time! There's also a beautiful church at the end of the street from the RMH, it's the Franconian, beautiful gardens to walk through (for the kids to run around in). The Potomac River runs along DC, beautiful! Oh and Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria! There's so much history in this area, it'll probably be hard to narrow it down!

Anonymous said...

Hi Bridget,
I would suggest not bringing the kids to the Holocaust Museum. I went in 8th grade and it really affected me. I do not think it's age appropriate (at least certain parts), but if you and your husband get a chance to go, I think you would be so moved. There is so much to do and see in DC. Do you think you will make it up to CT? I would love to show you around!!!
Happy travels!
-Allison

heather@it'stwinsanity said...

I was born and raised in the DC area... I know this place inside and out! We should get together when you come here! Most of the good stuff here is free- the museums, the monuments, the historical sites, and the National Zoo. There is so much to see and do! I'd love to show you guys around!

Anonymous said...

The National Cathedral is a must see in DC! Also the library of Congress.

Lisa