TOMORROW, WE RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're getting ready.  We're making progress on packing.  Laundry piles are starting to dwindle (as much as they can when you have 2 little girls that change outfits 34u2879572389-7 times a day.  Yes I realize there are letters in that number.)  We've been to the bank.  We've been to Target.  We've been back to Target.  We're so close to ready.

The most popular question I get asked is: HOW DO YOU DO IT?

Patience:  I am not a naturally patient person.  In fact, I'm rather impatient.  As a critical care nurse, I like excitement, and I like to see results. Right.  NOW.  Being patient with gas station clerks (I use all cash, so I see a LOT of these people), state park rangers, other campers, TRAFFIC, my very own CHILDREN....the Lord really pushes me to grow in patience over these times. Essential.

Cash: I pay for the trip in cash. We have a set budget that Gordon and I work out months in advance, then I work my TAIL off to be able to play hard.  I have people tell me all the time, "don't work so hard that you forget to live!"  Um, yah.  I'd say taking a month of work totally off to show my kids HALF the country is living.  We follow the teachings of Dave Ramsey and live like no one else, so we can live like no one else.  I drive a $900 car to and from work, we live in a home where our mortgage payment (which will be paid off early) is only a quarter of one of our incomes, we don't eat out.  But by golly, if we want to eat a lobster in Maine, we eat lobster in Maine!

Trust: My husband is a very understanding and trusting man.  He has NO problem "allowing" me to take our kids for a month because, one, he trusts me, and two, he trusts the benefit of our kids getting to travel and experience.  THANK YOU, Gordon for trusting me with our precious little people :)

Flexibility: Yes, I plan.  Yes, there is an itinerary, but wow, it is fluid.  We know the places we want to stop, but if a local tells us to do something different, we go.  If somewhere we go sucks, we leave.  If we want to spend an extra day somewhere because it is amazing, we do.  This works in with my section on "patience."  A. Lot.

Stupidity/Bravery: Honestly, I haven't' figured out where camping with 4 kids over a month falls on the stupid/brave spectrum.  It's probably right in the middle, which is about right for me.  But the pay off is so so so so so so so so so worth it!

Jesus:  We try to keep Jesus as the center of our home.  And our van.  That makes everything I listed above possible.  Without a heart of Love, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the fruit of the spirit, and finances that honor God first, this whole thing goes up in smoke.  If I have to pull off the side of the road  because Gannon just won't stop kicking the seat because he's mad that Siri got to pick the last movie and Annika can't fall asleep for her nap because Gannon is kicking and Siri is crying and I'm yelling and Kayleigh is wondering WHAT in the world is going on, we pull over.  And we pray.  And we ask for forgiveness from each other, from our Lord, and we ask Jesus to remind us that HE created all the things we have set out to see, and HE created our beautiful little family that I love SO much, and HE is the one we praise for eternity.

That's about it.  Everything else is a fly by the seat of our pants adventure which is the fun part!  Hope you enjoy following The Jolly Camper over the next month.  Read, Comment, Share, SUBSCRIBE, and Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

TOMORROW, WE RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!