Archive for the 'The 12 Project' Category

Happenings in Month 7:

• This is the first month that we’ve actually been in the same location as last month! We are going on 8 weeks in Colorado…and have loved every minute! Four of those weeks have been spent in Golden…and we will really miss this community when we leave. It kind of feels like we live here. We know we’ve been in one place for awhile when the locals know who we are, when we can’t go downtown without running into someone we know, and when we already have “weekend traditions”. We have plans to head to Bozeman next week after Matt’s job here is done, and we are really looking forward to that!
• My mom and dad just couldn’t stay away, and within 10 days of leaving us the first time, they were back out here for another week. We had TONS of fun…again We rented bikes and biked all over Golden…it was so awesome to not worry about packing us into 2 cars to go downtown. Instead we just pedaled our way there! I’m in love with bikes.
• My brother, Daniel, also flies out from Minneapolis quite a bit for business, and we’ve loved seeing him!
• Bella has made so many friends here…she has been to a birthday party, and regularly goes to the park or the creek with friends and their families. She is growing up before our very eyes…and yet, there are moments when I look into her eyes and see that sweet little 2 year old looking back at me. She loves fashion and dressing up. Makeup and nail polish and such are beloved items. Although, she is very much a “tomboy”, so it’s a nice mixture   Sometimes I will ask her to hold my hand while crossing the street. Sometimes she will, but most of the time she wants to do it all on her own. My heart only breaks a little bit. Luckily, I have another little girl who is just starting to want to hold my hand.
• Lucy is changing daily and becomes more and more adventurous all the time. I can’t turn my back for a SECOND in the RV because: she likes to make “art” on the leather couch with pen, she stands on top of the table/counter/dash, she plays in the toilet, she unloads drawers and then sits in them, and she throws things out the window. Oh, and she likes to take her diaper off. She is at the age where she KNOWS what she wants, but doesn’t have the words for it. She knows some sign language, but it is still hard sometimes. It’s like an all day game of charades…but she totally amazes us at what she understands.

It’s been a great month…and we are looking forward to an amazing fall as we head West to Oregon and California. Weeeeeeee!

Happenings in Month 6:

• We spent the first couple of weeks of June in Brainerd, MN with Grandma and Grandpa. We ate together, laughed together, froze together. Yes…it was COOOOOLD in northern Minnesota. It was a big change from Texas. We hooped a lot while we were there…and took advantage of their beautiful lakefront property and the big green yard! We even had a hoop party! Leaving was really hard on Bella this time…she made so many special memories and had such a great time. Lots of photos here.
• We trekked across the Midwest to Colorado…stopping to see old friends and doing a photo shoot along the way.
• Life changed a bit for us as Matt started to work full time for my brother in Boulder (overseeing his real estate projects). Daddy was no longer home (and still isn’t) home all day, so we had some adjusting to do! It’s been 4 years since he worked a “regular schedule”…so it’s strange to say goodbye in the morning.
• My mom flew out and stayed for 11 days and my dad drove out and stayed 6. We had TONS of fun…lots of coffee, campfires (when we weren’t blowing away) and sweet memories. We all cried when they left.
• Lucy is now RUNNING around…it’s hard to keep up with her! She has found her independence and it’s all very exciting. A whole new world has been opened up for her. She loves taking rides in the bike trailer (but not for too long!). She says “hi”, “daddy”, “mama”, “doggy”…and she likes to shrug her shoulders. If you interrupt her during something that she is really interested in, she will head butt you and smack you in the face. She’s a sweet girly girl. Her favorite places to hang out: on the dash of the RV, in the shower (even when there is no water running), and inside drawers.
• Bella is losing teeth right and left…she has now lost 5 teeth. Four on the bottom, and one on the top. She’s adorable. Whenever we arrive at a new campground, she is immediately on the prowl for new friends. It’s like she can SMELL kids her own age…she knows they are there before we even see them. She loves to sing and dance…and when she gets a song in her head, watch out. You’re going to hear it for DAYS on end. Her favorite thing right now is to “play store”, “play hotel”, “play coffeeshop”, etc. She unloads the pantry onto the dash so she can go shopping. I love seeing the world through her eyes.

We’re still in Colorado and will be for another couple of weeks. We are thoroughly enjoying the beauty of the mountains and being with friends and family!

Photo taken at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market

Happenings in Month 5:

• The NuRVers Rally went on and on and on…many of the attendees stayed weeks after the rally was over, so we enjoyed continued potlucks and fun. Matt kept busy with an RV remodel job and he fixed our generator and other mechanical issues that we were having. Bella continued to play and play and play with all the kids.
• We left Hillshade after teary goodbyes and headed north New Braunfels to spend more time with friends there. And then we went on to Austin to spend several days at Pecan Grove, one of our favorite RV parks in the heart of the city. We hung out with old friends and new, and I got to have a hooping lesson!
• It was finally time to head “home”. We pointed the RV north and started toward Iowa.
• We stopped in Dallas for 3 days and had a BLAST with friends there…eating, hooping, and laughing.
• Finally arrived in Des Moines where we did our usual favorite things: coffee, farmer’s market, friends, fun, hooping, Thai food…good times. My parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary while we were there. Amazing!
• Lucy is almost walking…she has taken 2 steps so far and is changing every day. Her 1st birthday is on Saturday!
• Bella cut her bangs. By herself. She’s an adorable little pixie now I actually think they look pretty cute. I tried not to *gasp* too loud when she showed me. She also has another loose tooth.
• We are now in the Minneapolis area for Memorial Day weekend with my family…so wonderful to be together again. On Monday we will head north to be with Matt’s family.

Whew! It’s been a whirlwind of a month. Looking forward to a little down time around the lake for the next couple of weeks.

Taken outside Austin Java | Austin, TX

Happenings in Month 4:

• My parents came to visit us in Texas and even extended it by a few days. We loved having them here. Yes, I am still editing the photos. Hope to have them posted soon!
• We were at Hill Shade for the entire month with friends coming and going.
• The NuRVers rally was at the end of the month and it was truly amazing. If you haven’t read my recaps over at Happy Janssens (days 1-5), go check them out. It’s pretty rare to have that many “young” RVers in one place. We were inspired and changed forever.
• The wildflowers showed up in Texas.
• We had Bella’s 6th birthday…with friends and family under the awning in the rain. We made organic cupcakes with pink frosting (colored with fresh beet juice). She got a new bike from Nana and Papa and Grandma and Grandpa. She loved to ride down the hill at the RV park…it made her feel so grown up!
• Lucy now has 8 teeth and is just a hoot. Her toothy little grin brings us intense joy every day. She is now tall enough to see out the windows and it drives her crazy to watch the older girls outside. She wants to be a part of the action!

That’s all folks!

Photo credit: Mike Hedge / Jumping Book

Happenings in Month 3:

We are happily settled at Hill Shade RV Park in Texas…and enjoying every minute. Just tonight I was thinking how much I will miss the peacefulness of the countryside when we leave here. I love watching the cows graze just a few feet away from the RV as I read in my hammock chair. It’s quite lovely.

We are far away from things we used to take for granted…coffee shops, Thai food, and kale. The nearest big city is Austin (or San Antonio)..we’re about an hour from each.  We are getting more accustomed to the drive..although sometimes I do wish we were a BIT closer.

We have been hanging out with some amazing families here. Read about them in detail over at Happy Janssens. I haven’t blogged about Mike Hedge yet, but will soon. He is the fabulous photographer (and just a super fun person in general) who took the “Jump Shot” above. He is on a cross-country tour right now taking photos for his “Jumping Book“. Be sure to check it out! We met Mike through Tiffani….I love the intermingling of friendships on the road.

I blogged about starting to run again…and that has been a blast. I’m having such run gallivanting around the countryside. I feel more energized already and I’m sleeping better. I’m LOVING the FiveFingers too. I never want to put on normal shoes anymore…they are quite addicting.  I’m reading Born To Run right now and it’s just starting to get good…I love it.

Matt has been keeping busy finding RV’s for people, doing some projects at the RV park, taking care of the girls when I’m working, and just being an amazing husband and daddy in general.

Bella has had a great month and is loving playing with the kids here at Hill Shade. Her birthday is in 2 days, so we are gearing up for that.

Lucy is working on her 6th tooth now! She has 3 on the top and 2 on the bottom. She changes EVERY day. It’s such a blessing to watch her interact with Bella…they actually “play” with each other now and it’s a hoot. Her little personality is so vibrant.

My parents are here right now and that has been super fun. I love my family. Lots of photos coming soon.

We are getting excited to head back to the midwest for the summer…so much to love there.

This photo was taken a few days ago at The Tree of Life in Patagonia, AZ.

Happenings in Month 2:
This past month has been one of inspiration, learning, healing, and laughter.

We were in Las Vegas for over 3 weeks, completing the veggie system for Tara + family from The Organic Sister. We LOVED our time there, and drew so much inspiration from the fellow unschoolers that we met. I’m planning a post about unschooling soon!

We visited so many different places and learned many new things. Check out our Happy Janssens blog for details.

I’ve been trying to heal my body after working too many late nights. It’s been a crazy month for me…getting the new blog launched, working my “real jobs”, and being a mama/wife. I’ve had a lot on my plate and it’s catching up with me. I’ve been drinking and eating more and more greens and I’m starting to feel like I’m on the mend. Although, as I look at the clock right now, it says 1:45 a.m. Ack! In the coming month, I need more sleep, more Jesus, more yoga, more vitamins!

Matt had his 32nd birthday on February 21! We enjoyed celebrating with a pancake breakfast and a surprise delivery of Starbucks. He is an amazing father…so patient and loving with Bella and Lucy (and me too!). Love love love him.

The girls keep us laughing ALL DAY. Bella is so animated and loves to make up silly songs while we’re driving. At bedtime, we review our favorite 2 things of the day and then talk about what we are going to do tomorrow. Lately, she has been wanting to sleep on the floor in the living room or on the couch. She and Daddy usually fall asleep while I keep working into the night. She loves writing letters and making art. She rarely plays with the toys in her toy box…she much prefers to play outside in the rocks/dirt. She loves to build cities and rivers. She is growing up to be such a smart and funny young lady…with a tender heart and fiery attitude.

Lucy’s 3rd tooth just popped through a few days ago…she has 2 on the bottom and one on the top. It looks like the other one on the top is about to come in as well. She can pull herself up to standing now and is quite the little explorer. EVERYTHING goes in her mouth…including a few tastes of “real” food. She has tried avocado, banana, broccoli, sweet potato, apple, and mango. She thinks it’s quite exciting, but never keeps much in her mouth. She says “Da-da” and “Ma-ma” and according to Bella, she says “Bella” too. Oh, and I can’t forget “Na Na Na Na”…which translates as “I’m hungry / thirsty / tired / happy / sad / scared / hurt … and you should nurse me now”. We are all head over heels in love with her.

Tomorrow we head to Austin, TX to be with my sister and her hubby who are flying in from Minneapolis. We’re super excited to spend time with them…and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate! After that, we are looking forward to staying in one place for awhile as we camp with friends southeast of Austin.

Bring on the sunshine!

We did it! Our first installment of The 12 Project. We’ve been enjoying our time in Vegas…every time we’ve been here before, we have flown in for business and taken taxis everywhere. This time, we have our own car, so we are exploring the “real” side of Vegas and not just the strip.

The mountains are beautiful and the weather is warm. We are living downtown and there is a Thai restaurant 4 blocks away with such huge portions that we only need 2 orders of pad thai to feed everyone. I’ve also heard there there is a Thai restaurant here that is the “best in North America”. You KNOW I’ll be checking that one out!

Bella can’t get over all of the twinkling lights downtown and on the strip. She loves it…and always wants to drive around at night. Luckily, we can see many of them from our front window!

Our neighbors are the cutest couple from Canada…Lois and David and their dog Barney. The family we are working with here are also unschoolers and we’ve enjoyed hanging out with them. We love life on the road.

Post a link to YOUR month 1 family photo in the comment section! I’d love to see everyone.