There are lots of wonderful things about living up in the mountains. There are also a lot of challenges. Cold. Lots and lots of snow. Wind like you’ve never felt before. Mama was about to lose her mind being so isolated…so we prayed a lot and waited. And after finding a subleaser within just 1 day of listing it, we headed back to the low lands…with a new understanding that we can LOVE the mountains and enjoy them without actually living IN them. (A side note for those who are new here…we moved to Nederland for a “mountain trial run” with the intent to re-evaluate in July when our temporary lease was up…we just came back down a few months early!).

All packed up…a familiar feeling for us! It was a pretty easy move because we didn’t own any furniture except our bed.

Longmont welcomed us with open arms and a big ‘ol sunshiney day to move into our new house. Can you believe this temperature is just one day after the first photo up in Nederland?! Crazy.

Lucy (and Bella) are pretty smitten with our new place…and so are we. It’s a quirky little house built in the early 1900′s…but it was completely gutted and remodeled about 4 years ago. It’s got everything on our “list” and we are LOVING being closer to city life again. Oh, and see that little mailbox there? I love having a mailbox ON my house again! Send me a direct email if you would like my new address. (janssenfamily (at) gmail (dot) com)

An empty trailer. Yay! We are getting settled…although with me being 34 weeks pregnant and Matt working full-time, it seems slower than our normal pace. We moved in about 5 days ago and we have have found all the furniture we’ve needed on Craigslist, so we’re super happy about that! I’m in full nesting mode…creating a cozy space for my family and for a new little one. I’m very ready to embrace the final weeks of my pregnancy…enjoying the warmer weather and being closer to my community of friends and family.

With one change comes another. On Saturday we will move into this cozy and charming house just outside of Nederland, CO (affectionately referred to as “Ned”). The house is a seasonal furnished rental…with a lease just long enough to welcome a new little baby into our family, surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. After that lease is up, we will re-evaluate and decide what our next housing step will be. Can’t wait to share photos of the inside with you after we move in!

And that brings me to our last change…our fifth wheel is up for sale! This is one of most extensive remodels and truly one of my favorite spaces we’ve done. I’m sure whoever the lucky buyer is will love the lively colors and open floor plan. Jump over to our Happy Janssens blog for a complete description, photo tour, and contact info. We’ll eventually be looking for something a bit smaller for weekend travel.

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy;
for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.
Anatole France

This quote really resonates with me and  fits our lives perfectly. We have had so many experiences and lived so much life in these wandering nomad days of ours. We know that every season brings about a new adventure, and even more so in seasons of change.

It’s been a difficult time of decision-making, late night talks after the kids have gone to bed, and much prayer. We know and trust that in EVERY season, God has a plan for our lives and that He is keeping is hand of provision on our family. Even when it’s hard to leave behind a part of ourselves, we press on and know that the life God has planned for us is beyond what we could ever ask for or imagine.

I am so excited for this coming fall and winter…the preparations for a new baby and nesting in the mountains, hot soup and bread, family visiting, and exploring a new town. I hope you’ll stick around and come along on this new journey with me!

Rocky Mountain National Park :: Summer 2011

To all my amazing blog friends…
I’m back! Thank you for your patience during this long time of silence. We are just now coming out of our CRAZY busy time. After 2 months of long hours, adventures, and moves, I’m ready to get back to some sense of normalcy. And with normalcy comes more consistent blogging. As I’ve said before, I always blog more in the cooler months…when the light leaves earlier and there is more time for thoughtful reflection.

We just returned from the unschooling conference in San Diego and I will be sharing about that, as well as blogging about all the interesting people that came to visit us this summer. So much to tell.

I will see you soon!

All my love,
Sara

P.S. As always, if you aren’t seeing activity here, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Insta.gram.

On May 24, a sweet blog reader by the name of Jen emailed me and asked if our rig was still for sale. I almost didn’t write her back. After 6 months of going back and forth with “serious buyers” only to be disappointed in the end…I was starting to lose my enthusiasm about it all. But I DID WRITE HER back and the rest is history.

You are looking at the new owners of our Veggie Oil Powered Alpine Coach! We couldn’t be more thrilled about handing the keys over to Jen, Jared, and their adorable family. It will be well-loved and will go many exciting places!

We spent a couple of days together after they arrived in Longmont…talking, laughing, enjoying each other’s company…finding we all have so much in common. It was a sweet time of fellowship and play.

A clean slate…ready for it’s new family to move in!

Matt shares some final pointers on the veggie oil system.

Fire it up! The kids were ecstatic as they all piled into their new home. They have a long trip back to California, where they will live in the RV and prepare to hit the open road. We are so full of gratitude not only to have a buyer for our RV, but also for new friends that we will surely have for a lifetime.

And of course…it’s been 7 months since we moved into our little house in Longmont, so you know it’s about time to move out (TRY to act surprised!) No really. We are. This lovely Keystone Montana fifth wheel is going to show up at our house around noon today!

We will jump right into remodeling and will move in by the end of the month. We aren’t hitting the road though…just going to live in it and park ourselves around the front range while Matt continues to work in Boulder. We just really LOVE living small and changing up our view once in awhile! There are several nice long-term parks in the area with playground/pool/other kids.

And now you know why I haven’t been blogging too much lately! We’ve been in a sea of crazy and it’s going to be even more fast-paced as Matt goes into his busiest season of the year with his job. We would love your prayers and warm thoughts as we make this exciting transition.

Can’t wait to show you all the inside when it’s done…it’s the best fifth wheel layout I’ve seen in a long time! I picked out paint tonight. Flooring tomorrow. Weeeeeeee!! Thanks for coming along for the ride…

P.S. We still have room for guests! Come and visit us in Colorado!

We’ve had a delightful weekend. Saturday we cleaned, organized, and purged. More is needed, but we’re started to feel more “on top” of the mess now. It official that the RV has more storage space than our little house. They just really didn’t have much stuff to store in 1910!

I enjoyed a little time alone for the first time in a week. I realized it had been too long when I got in the car and felt the SILENCE deep in my bones and almost started crying I took myself out for a coffee and went thrifting. No one was touching me or asking me for another bowl of cereal and it was joyous. But even in that short amount of time, I missed my family

Saturday evening, we met up with our dear friends Scott and Betsy who were in town and took all the kids to Chipotle (love those margaritas!) and had good talks at Peet’s. Love them.

On Sunday, we got up and made pancakes, read the Sunday paper, and enjoyed some family time. We had house church at the cutest little coffee house in Longmont. The have mate, yummy foods (including coconut milk caramels…yum!), and handmade items. We are so enjoying connecting with our new church family here. Many of you have commented and asked questions about the house church…so I am planning a blog post in the next couple of weeks about that. Stay tuned!

The upcoming week is going to be BUSY…but oh so good. Things on our agenda: Library, Princess Night, Girls Night Out, Nature & Science Museum in Denver, Open Homeschool Gym, Tae Kwon Do (Bella’s first time!), and to top it all off, my friends Leah and Mia are driving from Iowa and we are all going to Hoop Path with Baxter and Beth Lavinder all weekend!

Oh, AND…my brother Dan and Jess are in Boulder all week so we get to see them too!

Life is good. We are so at peace with where we are right now. We are hopeful and excited about our future. I hope your week is wonderful too…I know mine will be!

*the photo of Bella and Lucy above is such a crack up…if you want to see my fashionistas up close, click here. No outfit is complete without a tiny (fake) dog.

Oh where to begin? There is much to tell and my heart is full. So without further ado, I give you…the big life update.

We moved into a rental house in Longmont, Colorado on December 31. This little house couldn’t be more perfect. I know, I know…how do we find these places, right? It was built in 1910, but it’s been remodeled nicely and has paint colors that jive with our style already. It’s in a perfectly wonderful part of town…close to parks, the library, and most importantly, the Thai restaurant. Oh, did I mention the adorable little backyard that is perfect for entertaining and hooping? See the tour here.

Matt is working in Boulder for my brother’s company, and it’s just a short drive away with mountain views the entire way.  It’s been different having him gone all day at work, but we are slowly adjusting and finding our new rhythm after 4 years of having him at home. I’ll be writing more about that soon.

I am looking forward to doing more photography…if you are in the area, I’d love to do your family/child/engagement photos. And please share my website with your friends!

Speaking of friends It’s not often that you can move to a completely new community and have an instant network of friends…but that’s exactly what we have here. Some of our dearest and oldest friends, Kris and Natalie, live here. Natalie knows me so completely. We’ve been through the highest highs and the lowest lows of life together. Oh how I love her!

Kris and Matt are like two peas in a pod. Both towering over the general population at 6’6″…they make quite the pair. We’ve been creating memories together since our college days…and we’re all looking forward to making many more!

They have been out here for about 5 years planting house churches…and we will be jumping right in alongside them. Matt led worship this last week and again this week. He has missed that so much. We’re excited to be plugged back into a home church community.

I also have a slew of blog friends that live in the Denver metro area…and I already have plans to meet up with many lovely ladies. My brother, Scotty, is now working in Boulder too…it’s been so great seeing him all the time. My brother Dan, and Jess are here often as well. AND…my aunt/uncle/cousins live in Denver…so we have no shortage of family here!

Longmont is just a fun place to be. And with a population of almost 90,000, there is a lot to do.  There is a wonderful rec center with an indoor water park, there are yoga studios, tons of parks, museums, great shops and restaurants. Denver is just 45 minutes away and Boulder is just 20 minutes away. Or, we can go north to Loveland or Ft. Collins!  Or all of beautiful Colorado for that matter.

The hooping community here is also amazing. I have many friends from Hoopcamp who live here and attend different jams all over the area. There is always something “hoopy” going on…including the upcoming Spin Summit! Woooo!

Longmont also has a strong network of homeschoolers and learning opportunities abound.

Need I go on? It’s pretty much the perfect place for us right now. Which leads me to the next thing…

We’re staying!

Our hearts are settled and we love it here. We never planned on traveling full-time forever…although we will always call ourselves “travelers”. It’s funny…we never thought we would end up in this area. But God has a way of changing things up when you least expect it. Some of you may wonder how we can “give it all up”. Especially when life on the road seems so perfect. But it’s time. It’s time to slow it down. Create community. Give our girls some roots. Make new traditions.

Will we miss our life on the road? Of course. Is this a HUGE change for us? Yes.

We will miss meeting up with so many amazing people…BUT, there are still new people to meet and new experiences to have right here at “home”. We have a new life, a new normal, and a new vision for our future. And someday when the time is right, we will travel again.

The RV will be up for sale shortly…if you’re in the market for a sweet, family-friendly 40-foot RV that runs on veggie oil, feel free to email us for details.

For the rest of you…flights into Denver are cheap! Come and visit! Oh, and there are 2 houses for rent on our street. Who wants to be my neighbor?

Today we signed a lease to rent an adorable little house in Longmont, Colorado! We’ve known for some time that we would be heading back to work for my brother’s real estate company in Boulder…but now that we have a house, it’s official. We leave Iowa tomorrow morning and move in on Friday.

We are not “getting off the road”…but rather, taking a break and settling in for a bit. It seems to be what we do…and it works for us. We can feel it in our souls when we are ready for a little more stability, and it’s time.

We are keeping the RV (we can actually park it at the house)…and still plan to travel this summer. We will be in Colorado at least through the fall and maybe longer. My brother, Scotty, is moving to Boulder too for a new job…and my brother Dan and his fiance, Jess, will be visiting often for business. Family fun!

We are SUPER excited about this opportunity to re-connect and find our rhythm again…while living in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. The hooping community in the Boulder area is vibrant and full of love…can’t wait to get plugged in there too.

During the first couple of months of the new year, I will be focusing on finishing our Modern Nomadic Living eCourse as well as some other exciting projects that I have in the works.

I know that there are MANY of you in this area and I’m super excited to have you all over to our house for supper/coffee/hooping/cookouts

Here’s to new adventures and a new canvas to decorate! Yay!

I’m obsessed with mate lattes.
Mate + honey + vanilla almond milk + cinnamon + my beloved Aerolatte. Pure bliss.

We are loving the West coast. The ocean is dreamy and Portland is by FAR one of my favorite cities in the country. California is beautiful and WARM! Just wish it wasn’t so spendy

I’m obsessed with feather earrings. Courtney is a Seahorse and Owlita are my faves.

I’m still blissed out from Hoopcamp. *sigh* Amazing.

**If you’re interested in getting more consistent updates on my life, as I’m obviously not a daily blogger …feel free to add me as a Facebook friend or follow me on Twitter. I also just uploaded 186 new photos to my Life Inspired set! Lots of “behind the scenes” action

Have a wonderful week!

I am ok…so no worries! I am more than ok…life is wonderful! But life is busy. Blogging is not my first priority when life gets busy…so sometimes this blog will be silent for longer periods of time. After we got home from Colorado, I flew to Scottsdale, AZ for a week on business. I am also busy planning an annual meeting for my work along with my other daily work for my parents (I work from home for them for those of you that don’t know), as well as a birthday party for a certain 5 year old princess (which took place today). Add 33 weeks of pregnancy to that, and I don’t have energy for much else.

But I can assure you that there are new posts coming! I have several fun giveaways planned and posts on topics that I know a lot of you are interested in. And just so you know that I am alive…I’ve included a “hot off the presses” photo for you. Taken today at Bella’s party!

Stay tuned…thanks for your patience and for hanging in here with me!

We are finally settled in Bozeman, and now we’re off traveling again for 6 weeks! We’ve been in Des Moines for the past 2 weeks doing some work for my parents and now we’re heading to Boulder, CO for Matt to work on a construction project with my brother. We’ll be back home around March 15 or a little after.  I’ve been to several playgroups and a knitting circle (see above photo….and no, I don’t knit…but had fun watching!)…and have had great conversation over Thai food with many friends (Bozeman has none…so I’m in heaven).

While we’ve been back, I’ve also been to a prenatal yoga class at The Family Tree (the “famous” Sandi Hoover was out of town, but Birdie did a great job filling in), had the most AMAZING massage by Maggie McGinnis…prenatal massage extraordinaire, and had an adjustment with the lovely Dr. Jen at Balanced Life Chiropractic (she offered to adjust us for free when we were on tour and I just now took her up on it…thanks Jen!!).

And now we’re looking forward to the next leg of our trip.  If you live in the Boulder area, let me know if there is fun stuff happening. We’ll be staying with some of our very best friends in Lafayette for the first 2 weeks (yay!), but will be in a rental in Boulder for the last 2 weeks.

Click here to see photos of our time in Des Moines.