Thankful List: 9 Months of Full-timing

Every Saturday morning, I write 10 things I’m thankful for in my journal. I started doing this shortly after losing Mason. In the midst of suffocating grief, it really helped me be intentional with gratitude and praise. There were plenty of things to weigh me down. Hard things that rushed to the forefront of my mind when my eyes opened in the morning. Choosing thankfulness helped me think of all the things God brings my way over the week. All the ways he says, “Hey, I love you. And I care.” 

It has helped my perspective. So I keep doing it.

Today marks 9 months since setting out on this full-time RVing journey so my list today is a reflection on some of the things about this experience that have made me thankful.

1. Rich Experiences

From the places we have seen to the people we have spent time with, our life continues to grow in richness. In ways we never could have imagined. I had no idea I would appreciate New Orleans as much as I did or enjoy Cajun food and jazz music (which I normally strongly dislike) in the beauty of the French Quarter. Seeing Canada from the northern shore of Minnesota, watching rocket launches from the beach in Florida, and wading in the small creek that begins the mighty Mississippi River are all moments I experienced with my family that I will treasure forever.

Some experiences are fun and carefree. Some are unplanned and slightly scary. Like unexpected freezing temperatures for way too many days, all while propane and water are running out. But all of them are full of God’s provision and favor and full of memories that will last a lifetime.

2. Moments of Home 

While the adventure is grand, it can sometimes feel lonely. Family visits and time with special friends around the country sure help. Relationships with dear people make just about anywhere feel more like home.

This week, I spent the day in Dallas with Ella and we visited our first In and Out since last spring. While I do think it’s the most amazing cheeseburger out there, it’s also about the the memories greeting me when I walk into that So Cal vibe. I’m instantly reminded of our moments there enjoying dinner as a family after a day at the beach, feeding teenagers on the way to youth group, late night “snacks” of way too many calories, and field trips with my kids, including this moment with Mason:

So it’s more than just amazing food. In and Out is a little taste of home to me. And every little taste of home helps soften the loneliness a bit.

3. The Generosity of Others 

The kindness of friends and strangers has brought me to tears many times. The woman who didn’t know me but set me up with (and paid for!) a desperately needed hair appointment. Dental work graciously provided by a dear friend (because providentially, I had a terrible tooth incident when visiting a friend who just so happens to be a dentist). The gift of a home for a week. Random Venmoed gifts arriving on days we are considering doing something like taking an airboat tour through the Everglades. People taking the time to feed us, love us, and offer to ship us packages of necessities in the midst of the craziest Texas winter. 

Living on one income, and that being a ministry income, doesn’t bring in great riches. But it sure does bring in some major blessings. And it’s humbling every time. 

4. Campfires

A lot of connecting happens over a campfire. The quiet, the stillness, the warmth. And sometimes the toasted marshmallows and the gooey chocolate and sticky fingers.

We had a backyard fire pit back at home we’d use on occasion. But I often felt torn. It was hard to sit and relax in my own backyard. There was always so much going on. Things pulling me in other directions. Or so it felt. Dishes to wash or laundry to fold or floors to sweep. Responsibilities. Distractions. 

And those things still exist here, but there is something about this life that makes it easier to push that aside for another day and be in the moment. 

Kids tend to talk more around the fire. Time seems to freeze a bit. There’s more laughter. More thought in our conversations. More comfortable silence. And more contentment. It’s definitely not to be missed.

5. Clarity

Much of what is nonessential has been stripped away since we started this full time RVing journey. So many fewer distractions on the road. We go on more walks. We listen to each other more. (And yes we still fight and still get overwhelmed with the unnecessary and we don’t always live intentionally but hey, this is a thankful post…)

When your campground is far from town, and the cell service is nonexistent, there isn’t much else to do but go for a bike ride or fish at the lake or build a fort in the woods. My kids don’t have a problem with this on a normal day, but I do. It’s nice to not always feel like I should be doing something else. It’s easier to explore with them. Visit the playground. Sit by the lake while they fish. This is the stuff I really want to be doing and it took selling everything, moving into a small house on wheels and heading out into the unknown to make it happen. 

6. Technology: 

The ability to FaceTime and Zoom and still see the faces we love helps us stay connected. Also the value of having someone else teach my kids things like Algebra and Chemistry is pretty much immeasurable. Homeschooling teenagers is made so much easier through technology. And it means Anthony can work from just about anywhere. 

(Sidenote: I also really hate technology because of things like video games and the constant pull to phones and social media and the addictions it creates. But this is a thankful post so today I’m just going to be grateful for technology. But don’t tell my kids otherwise they’ll be asking me for more screen time.) 

7. Nature

We’ve seen sunsets over the Pacific and the Atlantic, the Great Lakes and many mountains in between. We’ve hiked areas where it feels like no one else has ever stepped foot. We’ve seen birds of all colors and massive iguanas sunning themselves outside our window. We’ve fed deer from our hands and watched alligators swim under our feet from the dock. We’ve seen bear and elk and wild turkeys. My front yard is sometimes a dense forest, a calm lake, a mountain stream, or a wide open prairie.

I have heard new bird sounds in the stillness of morning and the lapping sound of the Chesapeake Bay. I’ve watched snow fall in the high desert and the vibrant fall leaves change in the Appalachians. The diversity of nature simply makes us want more of it. There’s a lot of world out there to see.

8. Raising children on the road: 

The Revolutionary War becomes a little more interesting when walking the battlefield where the British surrendered than reading about it all in a textbook. Geography becomes a little more relevant when driving those long road trips, watching the states pass by out our window.

But the benefits stretch far beyond the realm of education.

I don’t know if you’ve seen much of what the culture has to offer these days, but I’m not super impressed. And I’m so grateful for the opportunity to shed much of those pressures and influences. Have less distraction and more purpose. My role has shifted from having to say no to many things that are shallow and destructive to getting to say yes to things that are deep and profitable.

I’m thankful my teenagers were actually excited about leaving behind everything they knew and venturing out into the unknown. And I’m thankful for the moments they have been able to see the richness of this life. It certainly comes with sacrifice, more so for the older ones than the younger ones, but I think if you asked them, they’d all say they see the benefits far outweighing anything else.

9. Wisdom I get from others

I always leave our time with others filled up. As we’ve traveled around this great country, I’ve learned hospitality and generosity. I’ve been inspired to bless my children more. I’ve been challenged by watching others parent teenagers. I’ve been around people who make me want to pray more. Encourage others more. Love my husband better. The Lord has used every person we have spent time with on the road to pour wisdom over me. 

Now, I have become more expectant in my time with others. Knowing that every person has unique gifts, special truths to share. So I go with my heart open, knowing there is something to learn from everyone I meet.  

10. Our Home

I’m thankful our 5th wheel feels so much like home. I’m thankful my husband was willing to do the work in that one crazy month we had before we left so our trailer could feel open and cheery. Somewhere we’d be (mostly) happy to cram into as a family of 6. Sure there are moments it feels small (like, really small) but overall, it’s been perfect and cozy and I really love it. 

The truth is, I could write an equally long blog post about all the things I’m not thankful for. The hard things. The annoying things. The things that bring me anxiety or frustration. But overall, full timing is truly a beautiful adventure. Not just in what we see and the people we meet, but in what the Lord is doing in our hearts as we lean in closer to him. The Lord gives good gifts. This adventure has been a great way to experience them.