On the Road Again, But Not the Same

     We are accidental gypsies and it is turning out to be the best thing to ever happen to us. If you have been following along with our family tale then you already know why we are a traveling family.      

     If you have no clue then read all about it here.

     

    Great! Now that you are all caught up! Let’s move on.

    We have had so many amazing adventures the past two and half years. It has not always been easy and it has not always been fun, but it has been wonderful in so many ways. We have been able to go as a family to so many places in the USA. We have had so many amazing experiences. We have had the privilege to meet so many spectacular people. We have learned so much about ourselves and each other. We have grown so much spiritually and emotionally both as individuals and as a family.

     We have to admit that living in hotels it not that bad. Can you really complain about room service, maid service, and free breakfast? NO! But it is hard to not have a place that is really yours. It is hard to have to pack up “all” of your belongings every few months to “move”. It is hard to feel like you can’t make anything work for your needs.

     Now for another quick look into the past….to when we were about a year into our “new life” as a traveling family. We were at a cross roads and had to make a decision. What to do? Read this.

     Are you finished? Come back to present time. 

     WAIT! You need to read one more back post to know….. just to know, the “why”.

     Okay, done.

     You should now have a good idea of where this post is going. Right? If not let me say it more clearly…….

    WE BOUGHT OUR VERY OWN RV!  WE ARE OFFICIALLY A “FULLTIME FAMILY”!

    Now we are, what is known in the RV world as “fulltimers”. Our RV is now our HOME (well we are in the processes of making it our home).

     We bought in March and kept this info to ourselves until now. We wanted to wait and share our exciting news until we were ready to “move in”. (I am actually writing this from the passenger seat while Colt is driving us, somewhere between Niagara Falls, NY and Kirtland, Ohio.) It was hard to keep it in because we were so happy. We kept it in because we were not ready for all the questions yet. We aren’t even sure if we a ready for them now, but now is the time to share.

     In the name of honesty, we have no idea what we are doing. We are learning as we go. We have to be calm and patient. We have to be clear headed and quick to act when needed.

     So far we have had a water leak, dealt with stuff falling while we drive, tripped a fuse on the generator, learned how to empty and fill tanks, learned how to read a truckers map to check for low clearance roads, and realized we can no longer take long HOT showers.

    This is going to be an amazing adventure.

Nana came back to NYC to help out! Would have been so hard
without her here. Love ya momma.

P.S. When we find our camera cord we can post more pictures of our roaming home!

Until next time. Love you C,M,B,C,E, and Lindy

Rego Park 1st Ward

     I am going to miss this ward family so much!!! 

    

     In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormons) we don't pick where we go to church. We find the place where we want to live. Then hop on to LDS.ORG and go to the meeting house locator. We then enter our address and up comes a list with where and when to go to church. So easy right!! 

     Since we travel, a lot, this has become something we use often. It makes finding church easy. It is nice to know that we don't have to go searching for a new church every time we are in a new work location. 

    Here in NYC we were so blessed to be "zoned" for Rego Park 1st Ward. This amazing group of Latter day Saints welcomed us with open arms. They knew from the get go that our stay was only temporary but that did not stop them form getting to know us, from befriending us, and even giving us jobs to do. 

     This has been the most racially and culturally diverse ward we have ever been to. We LOVED it!! We loved meeting and getting to know people that were different from us in so many ways, but yet we were all the same in our faith and love of the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

    The kids have made some amazing friends, who just like their parents, welcomed them like they had grown up together and were just "reconnecting". They became instant bffs!! Children can teach us all how to accept and love others. 

     Emails, phone numbers, and Skype names have been exchanged. Hugs and good byes have been given. A few tears have been shed. But most importantly life long memories and friends have been made.

     We will look back and remember with happiness our time with the amazing people of Rego Park 1st Ward!! 

Last Ditch Effort

    Our time in New York is quickly coming to an end. So in an effort to do and see as much as we can we have been very busy. In my last post I shared some pictures of our adventures. Here are a few more from all the fun things we have been doing. I hope you enjoy getting a chance to see what our family has been up to.

    At The Museum of Modern Art, we were able to see many things. We saw things that made us, happy, things that made us sad, things that made us think and things that made us question what art is? At MoMA the kids were free and my ticket cost around 12 dollars. I took all the kids by myself. There were a few halls that we had to hurry and walk out of (not safe for young eyes, or any one's eyes), and a few that we spent way to much time in.

     We made a trip to FAO Schwarz. This was a highlight for the kids. It was most filled with over priced toys and candy. Yes, I did buy the over priced candy. You try taking 5 kids into a toy store and saying, "you can't have anything!". Let me know how that goes for you.

     Central Park is one of my favorite places in the city. It is like a little oasis in the crazy. I love just walking the trails with no real direction and just seeing where we end up.  The kids loved this little park we found. They had a great time until "those parents" showed up. You know the kind I am talking about. Anyways after a few more minutes at the play ground we headed out to explore other parts of the park. The kids love to climb the rocks and play in the grass. There is no grass around our apartment (that isn't a pet toilet) for them to run and tumble in. 

     On a weekday that Colt was able to join us we crammed in as much as we could do in one day. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This one was really nice. Like most of the museums I have been to in the city it is "pay what you want".  The kids had a good time here. They had a few giggles, and a few "oh I know what this is" moments. The kids surprised me by how much they knew about some of the art we saw. They do listen to our art lessons. The same day we went and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. We took the subway form Manhattan so we could walk the bridge from Brooklyn back to Manhattan. The view was amazing. The walk was not as long as I thought it would be. We then made our way to Time Square. Malayna really wanted to see it at night, We had to make that happen for our girl! She loved it!
   

We gave up trying to get a group photo.

   We have made so many wonderful memories here. We are so blessed to be able to travel as a family to experience, and enjoy so many places.

   Until next time. I love you C,M,B,C,E and L!