Our First Experience Boondocking

For our 7th Anniversary, Todd and I decided to lay low and take our first camping trip in the RV without water or electric hookups.  We found a place southwest of where we live that was FREE and was supposed to be gorgeous.

We were supposed to leave Thursday, May 1st after Todd got off of work - but we were not even close to being ready to leave.  So we pushed it back to Friday.  After a rough start to Friday and pure exhaustion, we decided to push the trip off until Saturday.  I wasnt happy about it, but it was the best thing for both of us as we werent rushed to get everything into the RV and to get on the road.  We didnt know how the RV would drive towing a vehicle, so I took the puppies and we drove in another vehicle behind the RV the whole way.  I'm glad we did!

Not a mile down the road, I noticed one of the compartments of the RV flapping in the wind.  I honked my horn and motioned for Todd to pull over.  He secured the compartment.  Phew.  We stopped to get gas and to stretch our legs about an hour and a half into our drive.  We got into our vehicles and I noticed another compartment door was open!  So, there I go beeping my horn and motioning to Todd.  We got it secured.  After some very large hills, twists and turns, we finally made it to the first campsite we felt safe parking the RV.  It was out in the open, and it was easy to set up camp for the evening.

Home Sweet Home (for a few days) 

Kids at the next campsite loved playing with Lana and Buddy.
I love this action shot.

Just so you can see how much fridge and freezer space we've
 got in the RV - it's quite a bit!

The pups insisted on following Todd to the bathroom.

After a loud night on Saturday with the campers next to us, we decided to go looking for another campsite to stay at for the remainder of our stay.  On Sunday, we took our toad (a vehicle you tow with your RV) and drove all around the campgrounds until we found a beautiful site that would be easy to pull into.  The gentleman on the site was packing up and getting ready to head out.  He had stayed for 2 1/2 weeks.  Todd and I learned quite a bit from this gentleman.  For the past 3 weeks, it was mushroom season here in Ohio!  Many of the campers have been set up hunting for morel mushrooms which sell for up to $50/lb!  We were wondering why everyone seemed to be talking about mushrooms since we arrived!  We asked the gentleman how you know where to find them and he said to look for the sycamores.  Todd and I looked at each other and asked, "What do sycamore trees look like?"  The gentleman pointed out into the distance across the lake we were overlooking and said, "The white trees!"  We learned two new things on Sunday!!

After helping the gentleman pack his stuff up to hit the road (he was elderly and had a hard time walking), we brought over the RV to park it on our home for the next several days.  The pups just LOVED having access to water all.the.time!

The new spot we chose to camp at for several evenings.

Puppies loved having access to the lake whenever they pleased.

We decided to go into town and we could see our RV spot!
Do you see the RV in between the trees?

Adorable gingerbread house for sale in McConnellsville, OH

I cant help put enjoy these old painted barns in the country!

We stopped at the Miner's Memorial: this is big Muskie - it was used to dig
coal out of the lands we are staying on.  It was enormous!

Miner's Memorial 

Todd and I decided to go try to find some morels of our own!
(with no luck whatsoever)

Resting back at the campsite.

Monday was cold and rainy.  My mom came to visit and we wanted to do some things in town only to find out the historical sites were only open on Saturdays between 10-2!  So, we drove around and enjoyed the scenery, and then came back to the campsite to enjoy lunch before mom headed home.   Later that evening, things started to get a little weird with the RV. The generator wouldnt start no matter how hard Todd tried. Our batteries were dead all of a sudden for no apparent reason.  We had a decent charge throughout our entire stay without having to run the generator.  Then, we lost all power in the RV and the generator refused to start.  Todd stayed up most of the night reading a repair manual by flashlight trying to fix the battery issue so we could have some heat (I know, we really were "roughing it" on this trip, werent we?) and for anything to work in the camper.  He finally got it fixed at who knows what time and then the carbon monoxide detector kept going off.  Talk about scary.  Todd swears it was because the batteries were so low.  So...first thing Tuesday morning, Todd got the generator up and running somehow and we did this while the batteries charged:

Todd eating breakfast while watching The Hobbit on DVD while the generator was running.

Todd mentioned wanting to go home a day early because he wanted to get the lawn mowed (which means he had to fix the lawnmower that has been out of commission for nearly 6 months!).  I agreed, and we decided to try to make the most of Tuesday after the batteries were back up and running!

We hiked a part of the Buckeye Trail.

As the puppies enjoyed running through the creeks!

When we got back to the site, the puppies dashed out to the lake for another dip in the water!
While they were there, Todd was fixing a vent fan that broke while we were camping.
The guy never gets to have a vacation! :-)

Two wet, happy pups!

I feel like I did dishes the entire trip, but when you can only fit 2 plates and 2 bowls in the dryer,
it takes a few loads to get each meal's dishes washed!

We had a great time relaxing outside watching the pups enjoy the water and had a huge bonfire for our last night camping.

By Wednesday, we realized that we slept great while camping!  We both went to bed around 10 each night and woke up around 8 each morning.  Todd NEVER sleeps in until 8!  I made breakfast while Todd started to tear down the site.  We both got our showers (again, it's such a rough life camping) and got ready to leave.  Going home was a lot less stressful, but after we stopped to fill up again (because gas was super-cheap), we left another compartment open in the RV and had to stop to close it!  You would have thunk that we'd learn our lesson the first two times...

Buddy was pretty pooped on the drive back home!
I think he needs a vacation from his vacation!
(Me too!)

We made it home safely and were talking over lunch about if we can see ourselves doing this full time.
We both agreed that we had our doubts at times on this trip, but we both agreed that we can do this and we still WANT to do this.  The RV needs some things done to it to make it handle better on the road (brakes, possibly shocks, etc.), extra batteries added to the generator and we would like to replace the carpet with waterproof flooring, but we could so live in the RV.  We both had a great time.  As Todd mentioned, this trip was more of an adventure and learning experience than any other trip we have gone on.

I know this is long winded, but that was our 5 day trip dry camping for the first time.  We are looking for places to stay in the next couple of weeks to try it again, but hopefully in Pennsylvania this time!

Lucky Number 7

It is hard to believe that as of tomorrow, Todd and I will have been married 7 years.  I wish I knew where the photos from our wedding day are (we got a disc only – no prints), but I don’t.  It is very possible that I may have thrown the disc away. Oops.

They say the first year of marriage is the hardest.  This was not the case in our marriage.  The first 6 ½ years were difficult!  There has been yelling, tears, anger, frustration, and nights slept in separate bedrooms.  There were (many many) meetings with a counselor, slammed doors, denial, blame games, flying objects, appointments to view other living arrangements, threats and ultimatums.  Our marriage has not been a picture perfect marriage by a long shot. 

But we stuck it out.  It has not been ALL bad.  There were really great times thrown into those bad times.  I think it took us 6 ½ years to figure out each other’s (odd) personality traits.  We have learned that when we start to lead separate lives (he does his thing, I do my thing – only coming together to kiss each other good night and fall asleep), explosions in our marriage start to take place.  When we spend time doing things such as taking a walk with the dogs, watching a movie together, doing yard-work and planning for the future – things are a lot smoother in our marriage. 

We have the dream of full time RVing in the next year and a half, but I will admit, I am afraid that Todd will drive me absolutely bonkers!  We both have a tendency to be goofy at times.  Sometimes he is the corn-ball, and sometimes, I am beyond punny (funny puns)!  But we are committed to making this work.  Sometimes I don’t want to work any more on our marriage, but we do it anyways.  We forgive even though we don’t necessarily forget.   We have had too many good times to throw it all away over the bad ones.

As is tradition, we are going away for our anniversary this year.  This year will be our first camping trip in the RV – boondocking!  We are trying to determine if we are really cut out for a life on the road without electricity and running water.  It can barely be called “roughing it” because the RV is just gorgeous on the inside with a kitchen, bathroom, lights and two television sets!  Heck, it’s nicer than our home!

In years past, we have done the following for our anniversary trips:

Honeymoon: Alaskan Cruise (in-credible!) & Seattle, WA

1^st Anniversary: Gatlinburg, TN
2^nd Anniversary: Lancaster, PA 
3^rd Anniversary:  Washington, DC  and Chesapeake Beach, MD
4^th Anniversary: Beverly, WV 
5th Anniversary: Las Vegas and The Grand Canyon

6^th Anniversary: Columbus, OH

I have fond memories of each of these trips as I'm sure I will have fond memories of this one.  As a counselor once told us: "Plan for tomorrow, you havent screwed that up yet!"  I love this quote, because that is all we can do.  No matter what today may  bring - we always have tomorrow to look forward to.

2013 Year in Review

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone.
I decided to take a look back to see what all we have been up to here on the homestead.

January:
At the end of 2012, Todd and I decided to attempt to pay off half of our mortgage balance in 2013.  As of October, we succeeded!  After reading through this post of what our game plan was for the year, I am happy to report that we were able to live on half of our income without really cutting back our lifestyle.  We still completed a home-improvement project (updating the kitchen counters for $125) and we have another one in process as I type (new floor in the living room).

February:
In February, I made my own laundry detergent and to this day, we are still using the product!  We have another 2 1/2 gallons to go until it will be time to make another 5 gallon batch of concentrated detergent.  This recipe is a keeper, and we have all of the supplies needed to whip up another batch in the next few months.

March:
In March, I started to feel like we have way too much "stuff" and that our house is much more than what we need/want.  

April:
The first week of April, we had a family trip to Aruba with my mom and her husband to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary.  I could use a trip like this every year.

May:
May is always a special month for us because it is the month we married.  This year, for our 6th year of marriage, we took a short 3-day trip to Columbus, OH and had a blast.

June:
Every year around June, I wonder if I want to keep the blog going or to just let it sit.  This month, there was only one post about my internal battle to decide whether we should hire a housekeeper or if I should just do the housekeeping myself!

July:
July of this year was a busy one!  A yellow lab adopted us, my car turned 7 years old, and we started talking about downsizing our home.

August:
I gave up on gardening in August.  I realized that as much as I love to plan the garden every year and plant the seeds, my priority is not to see the garden through and make it all it could be.

September:
I documented some of the fun things Todd and I did over the summer for very little (or no) money at all.

October:
A new member of the family came to join us in October and I started a new cleaning routine that has been easy for me to keep up with!

November:
The only post in November included pictures of a covered bridge tour we did throughout October.

December:
In December, I now notice that we have come full circle realizing that we are not happy with the big house, all the possessions and all of the consumerism that takes place around us.  In December, we let out a big secret that Todd and I want to purchase an RV and travel the US.  Since deciding to do this back in early October, our plans have been evolving.  It went from selling it all and living on the road full-time to downsizing our home and possibly making it a duplex so that we can be with our families and have a home-base for a few months a year.  I am sure there will be a few posts on this in 2014.

So, there you have the entire year on Sparing-Change.  It has been a fun yet challenging year this year, as every year seems to be.  This year, we are learning that it doesn't take a lot of money (or any at all!) to have fun.  We have enjoyed going on many hikes with the puppies, and we really enjoy being out in nature.

We look forward to taking on whatever 2014 has to offer.

The Only Constant Thing in Life is Change

My aunt once told me that the only constant thing in life is change.  How true that statement is!  Though I try to avoid change as much as possible, Todd and I have been talking a lot lately about what is important to us.  We feel weighed down by our home and possessions and we have come to realize that home ownership is not that important to us. 

While we were traveling one weekend talking about our dreams and what we enjoy doing together, I thought that everything I need in life is in the vehicle with me: my husband and our two dogs.  We were traveling all over northeast Ohio to view the 18 covered bridges that are scattered throughout Ashtabula County.  We were doing what we loved: traveling and exploring with our fur-babies.  I mentioned to Todd how great it would be to do this more often: enjoying great views of landscapes around us as well as great conversation with one another.  It dawned on me: we could do this all the time if we weren’t tied to our home and jobs! 

I told Todd that we should purchase an RV and travel the United States.  Go to one location and see all there is to see in that location for several months until we get sick of it and decide to move on, boondock, use solar panels for electricity, and camp out wherever we choose.  Mind you, I have crazy ideas all the time, and Todd thought this was just another passing crazy idea.  As the day went on and we kept discussing it (Todd was discussing it just to pacify me) he said, “You now have me wanting to do this!”  As soon as we got home, we started looking at our options for RV’s

This may all seem far-fetched, and I will admit, it is!  We decided a few years back that we want to live life now instead of wait until the typical retirement age to explore our surroundings.  These plans to travel will not happen overnight.  It may actually take 12-18 months to accomplish, but this is what we are working toward right now.  

The Game-Plan:

• Pay off the mortgage by October 2014
• Fix up the house to prepare to sell spring 2015
• Save up money to purchase a used Class A (a motor home that looks like a big bus)
• Sell all of our belongings
• Start our journey

If all else fails, we will have a paid off house that we can live in and continue to do what we have been doing for the past 7 years (working and trying to keep up). 

What is a far-fetched “dream” you would like to make reality?

Are you taking any steps to make your dream a reality?

Fall Fun on a Dime

Early in October, Todd and I took the Covered Bridge Tour a county north of us.  There are 18 covered bridges in the county, and we had a blast taking the pups to go explore them on two different days.  The first day, we were only able to get bridges 1-13 complete, but two weeks later, we were able to see the rest of them.  There are only 18 true covered bridges, but one of them that we saw was on flat land (#6) which is why we have pictures of 19 covered bridges.

Of all the bridges, this one was my favorite...the last one of the bunch:

We have lived in this area for nearly 7 years now and we had no idea at the beauty that was surrounding us.  I enjoy finding these jems and experiencing them together.  We had a blast over two days of touring these covered bridges and it only cost us the price of gas.  We had great conversation, many laughs and made a lot of memories.  Really, that's what life is all about, isn't it?

Celebrating a Make Believe Holiday

When my family moved to Ohio from Buffalo, NY back in 1996, there were two things that were foreign to us: JoJo’s and Sweetest Day.

Here in northeast Ohio, where Hallmark’s headquarters are located and some of the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted (Harry London’s in Canton, OH), we have a make believe holiday called Sweetest Day the 3^rd Saturday of every October. 

The origin of Sweetest Day has always been suspect. Most believe it to be a "made up" holiday strictly for big business to reap profits at the expense of perpetrating romance. Of the twelve Cleveland committeemen who planned Cleveland's Sweetest Day (pictured above) eleven directly profited from the sale of greeting cards or candy. Three were on the Board of Directors for Hallmark, four on the boards of various candy companies and four owned card and candy shops in the Cleveland area.  (Source)

It truly is a dumb holiday that I don’t always remember until my husband comes home with a box of chocolates or when I see signs the week before to pick up carnations for your loved one.  Instead of being a fuddy-duddy, I decided to take this day and make it special for me and my love.  We do not like crowds and we are frugal, so battling to get a table at a restaurant was out of the picture.  Instead, we spent the day with one another relaxing, exploring, did some shopping in Amish country and ate a nice meal (at home)!

An old abandoned house we went through.

A second old house we went through.

The loot from Amish Salvage Store: $40.35
That includes a large jug of EVOO ($16.99), 13 boxes of cous cous ($0.49/bx), grits, coconut milk, french onion soup (2), and several other items.  We go twice a year and I am always amazed at the deals we find.

We don’t eat steak very often, but I decided I wanted to have a nice meal with Todd for Sweetest Day.  Steaks, scallops, sweet potato fries and broccoli was the main course and pumpkin pie ice cream was for dessert.  It was delicious!!

Even though it was a make believe holiday, it is nice to splurge once in a while for one another, and truly enjoy each other’s company.

What did you do this past Saturday?

Did you know it was Sweetest Day?

Compassion International

Over the past two years, my husband and I have sponsored a child named Anabel from Bolivia through Compassion International.  Interacting with Anabel has put many things into perspective for me over the years and I have come to enjoy our correspondences back and forth.  The donation is $38/month to help Anabel with her schooling, food (and clean drinking water), medical care, teaching her about Jesus and anything else she may be in need of.  Do you remember when you had a pen pal back in Elementary School and would get excited to see a letter in the mail from them?  That’s me when I get a letter from Compassion International with the words, “Message From Your Sponsored Child” on the front of the envelope.  My spirits are instantly lifted, and I look forward to what Anabel has written, drawn and/or colored for me.  I receive letters from Anabel’s tutor at school as well as from her mother.  I get great encouragement from these women! 

A Letter I Received 10/12/13

  

Anabel has a baby brother who was born almost a year ago.  I recently learned that when he is registered into the Compassion International system, Todd and I will have the opportunity to sponsor him as well.  I did not know this until recently, but we are able to purchase gifts through Compassion's Gift Catalog and they will be given to Anabel and her family.  We are having a hard time deciding what they may need so we may just give the family a monetary gift.  The best part is that when we give money as a gift to Anabel and her family, 100% of the money goes to them - no administrative fees are taken out.  

The reason I am writing this post is because the cutoff for a child to be guaranteed to receive a Christmas gift through Compassion is October 31^st.  What greater gift for these children than to learn that they are prayed for, thought of and loved!  When I think about $38/month, I can’t help but think about how many children we could sponsor with the money we waste each month on going out to eat, gasoline for vehicles for unnecessary driving, not to mention “stuff” we don’t need.  $38 will make a huge impact on a child living in poverty.  I ask that you consider sponsoring one (or more!) of these amazing children, help a family become sufficient enough to grow their own food by donating seed packs or donating livestock so that a family can eat, breed and barter the animals. 

I cannot tell you how humbling it is to learn about and love one of these children.  Todd and I look forward to sponsoring Anabel’s brother (Juan Daniel) and more children in the very near future.  

I Can Do It Myself

 I am the first to admit that I am selfish.  Always have been - Always will be. 

The problem is that I have used the last 7+ years with my husband to become more selfish and lazy at his expense.  I always thought: “He gets 15 days off a month – he can do this.”

This thought process is not fair.  My poor husband does have 15 days off each month because of his rotating schedule; however, the days he works, he works 12 hour days!  I cannot imagine leaving for work at 4AM and getting home at 6:45 in the evenings.  No wonder he is always so tired.  He needs those “extra” days to re-coop: not for me to create a never-ending honey-do list!

Even though I feel loved most when getting help from my husband (my love language is acts of service), I have been requiring too much from him.  Every week, there was a list on the white-board of things for him to accomplish.  One day, I erased them all.  Clean shower?  I guess I better get to it. (I hate cleaning the shower – I will do toilets, counter-tops and wipe down the walls every day if I have to, just don’t ask me to do the shower!)  Clip puppy nails?  I just started taking over this task about a month ago.  Come to find out, it isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be (Lana’s nails are jet black and there is no telling where the quick is so I cut her nails a little every week to keep them under control.)  Clean upthe house a little every night?  I’m on it!  The dog’s water dish needs refilled?  I’ll take care of it!  Call cell phone company for credit – I got it! (I have more patience with customer service reps than hubby does.) 

It was the menial little tasks I did not feel like doing that I put Todd in charge of.  It never occurred to me he did not enjoy doing them either!

As of late, I have been trying to take over as much of these silly little tasks as possible in an effort to keep Todd’s stress down so he can focus on chores that really need completed (and I prefer not to do) such as: mow the lawn, clean up the garage, install new flooring in the living room and cut wood for winter.

I always told myself that I didn’t need a man – I could do everything I wanted to do by myself.  That is not necessarily true.  It’s nice to have a husband who can do home improvements, cook and even clean! However, it is liberating knowing that I can do many tasks myself without his help.  The problem was that I was just too lazy and selfish to do them myself!

Celebrating Hubby's Birthday

We don’t do much for birthdays around here, but birthdays have always been a big deal for me.  This is probably because my mother spoiled us rotten on our birthdays with breakfast in bed, a gift with breakfast (I always had a flower in a vase and a piece of jewelry) and anything we wanted for dinner.  Mom took special requests for our birthday dinners and I vaguely remember french onion soup and crab legs for dinner for one of my birthdays and everyone had to suffer through it.  We also went out that weekend for a birthday meal as a family to our favorite restaurant where we could order whatever we wanted.  My brother and I both always chose Red Lobster.  So yes, my mother made birthdays extremely special in our home.  As a teenager, my mother had balloons and flowers sent to high school, and even as an adult, she had them sent to work and she always made me feel special on my birthday.  For my 31^st birthday, mom took me to get my first (and only, thankyouverymuch) tattoo.  The best part – she got one too.  We have them in the same inconspicuous location and the same design.  (Side note: Mom wanted to do this for my 30^th birthday; however, I was on blood thinners due to some medical issues I had 6 months before my 30^th birthday.)

Todd’s family is quite the opposite.  Birthdays are just another day to them.  When my birthday rolled around a few months after we started dating and nothing was planned, I was upset.  It took only that first birthday for Todd to realize how important they are to me.  Todd wishes we (my mom and I) would forget his birthday altogether.  He doesn’t want to get any older and doesn’t want to have to feel any more aches and pains.  I should probably honor his wishes, but I don’t.  For his 40^th birthday, Todd got to fly a plane!  He will never forgive me for that gift, but I will tell you, it was a lot of fun. J

On the in-between birthdays, I try to make his day as simple, carefree and special as possible.

This year, I made him a nice dinner with foods that we don’t generally buy.  Unfortunately, he had to work on his birthday this year, but this was his menu.

Breakfast: Glazed doughnuts (his favorite)

Lunch: He ate whatever he took to work for lunch

Dinner: Steak with mushrooms and onions, shrimp, pasta salad, corn on the cob and a baked potato

Drink with dinner: Sparkling Apple Cider

Yes, I went all out for his dinner.

I am suffering from the worst case of poison ivy I’ve ever had and Todd mentioned that we should just go out to a local restaurant for a burger on his birthday to make it easier on me.  Though I appreciate his concern, I enjoy preparing for birthdays as much as I enjoy celebrating my own!

This is what dinner looked like on his actual birthday yesterday, May 30th.  Yes, it was a feast.  After all, we like our food!

We ate like a king and queen on Todd’s birthday and enjoyed every minute of it.  This meal cost a total of $18.38 (including his breakfast), which is steep, but well worth the splurge.  We wouldn’t have been able to order two burgers from the local restaurant for any less than this large meal.  The best part is that there were leftovers to enjoy!

How do you celebrate birthdays in your home?

Celebrating 6 Years of Marriage

 Each year of marriage, Todd and I try to get away to experience new places and focus on one another.  We have had some pretty awesome trips over the past 6 years of marriage (including our honeymoon to Seattle & Alaska!).  They include:

Honeymoon: Alaskan Cruise (in-credible!)

1^st Anniversary: Gatlinburg, TN
2^nd Anniversary: Lancaster, PA 
3^rd Anniversary:  Washington, DC  and Chesapeake Beach, MD
4^th Anniversary: Beverly, WV 
5th Anniversary: Las Vegas and The Grand Canyon

This year, our big trip was to Aruba with family so we didn’t want to take another week off for our anniversary (nor did we want a big price-tag for the trip).  Instead, we chose to go to Columbus, OH to visit family friends (my friend from high school and her mom: both who were integral parts of my life during my parent’s divorce) on the opening weekend of their new Bed and Breakfast.  Not only did I want to support them in their new business, but I wanted to spend some time with them before they got too busy because I am confident that the Bed and Breakfast is going to be a huge success.

As with all of our trips, we try to do things as frugal as possible but also make the most of the time we have together.  I am lucky to have a father who likes dogs and especially adores our dog. When I asked if he would want to take our precious pup for the long-weekend, he quickly accepted.  This alone saved us $99 in the cost of taking Lana to the pet resort she enjoys going to.  (We took dad and the family out to dinner as a thank you when we got back.)

On our actual anniversary (Friday, May 3^rd), we were up bright and early packing our bags and preparing the animals for their weekend without us.  We dropped off the pup to my dads and made the 2 ½ hour trek to Columbus.  Before we got to Columbus, we stopped off and got some lunch at one of Todd’s new-found favorite restaurants: Red Robin. After that, we headed to the Columbus Zoo.  Oh how I enjoy animals; however, it saddens me that they are caged up and kept captive. Side Note: If you are ever in the Columbus area and would like to find an animal reservation, please go to The Wilds.  They don’t have all of the exotic animals and monkeys, but the animals are given thousands of acres to roam and live naturally.

After walking around the zoo for nearly 5 hours, we were exhausted.  It was time to check into the Bed and Breakfast and grab something to eat.  We ended up eating at a really nice restaurant for half the price thanks to a Restaurant.com coupon that we bought for 30% off (a $50 certificate cost us $14!). The food was delicious, but we were pooped.  When we got back to the B&B, we went straight to bed with our throbbing muscles and passed out.

The next morning, we were up bright and early to have tea and sweet rolls for breakfast before we had to head out to our Segway Tour around Columbus.  Oh my goodness…this was so much fun!  Naturally, after we rode around on Segways for two hours, we both wanted one of our own!  We saw so many beautiful homes and historic places around Columbus, it was great!

After the Segway tour, we went to a topiary park which was so beautiful.  It was one of the few things to do that was free in the area.

After the park, we decided we were exhausted.  We headed back to the B&B and took a 2 ½ hour nap!  For me, this isn’t a big deal because I can do that anytime, but my husband is not a big napper nor does he require much sleep, so for him to get 2 ½ hours of sleep means he was beyond exhausted.  When we woke up, we got ready and headed out to dinner with my friend and her husband.  It was so great to just sit and talk with them for hours. 

Sunday morning, we woke up, had breakfast and went to church with my friend and her husband.  After that, she surprised us with a mini photo-shoot (she is an awesome photographer) for our 6^th anniversary. 

I say this every year and I will say it again: marriage is not easy.

My marriage with Todd is less than perfect with highs and lows.  

We have gone through a lot together, and through it all, we still choose to work on what we have.

As a marriage counselor has told us in the past, “Plan for tomorrow…you haven’t screwed that up yet.”

When those days and weeks are really bad, we plan for tomorrow.  We try to live for today but sometimes, planning for tomorrow is all that keeps us going.

I listen to the following podcasts that help me keep my marriage moving in the right direction.  I highly suggest listening to them if you ever feel like you could grow in your marriage.

• Focus on the Family
• ONE Extraordinary Marriage
• Beyond Your Wedding Day

We had an incredible weekend that was precious in so many ways.  Not only did the time with Todd strengthen our marriage, but I got to spend time with two (very) strong women who inspire me with the way they live their lives (in faith) as well as how they handle struggles in their marriages.  

Battling Sickness

It feels like Todd has been sick for most of 2013.  Every time he gets better, within two weeks, it’s something else.  To say that he has been miserable is an understatement.  I am not used to being sick (I rarely get the flu or a cold; however, when I get sick, it usually ends up with me in the hospital.) or dealing with someone who is sick for what seems to be all the time.  Admittedly, I am not very empathetic when someone is sick more than twice a year, which is not a good attitude to have especially toward my husband!

This past illness (a trifecta of flu, sinus infection AND spring pollen allergies), I started to think about what I could do to help Todd avoid getting sick so frequently. This is what I am going to be implementing in our family to {hopefully} cut down on the amount of times we get sick each year.**

Food

I honestly believe that we are what we eat.  That being said, I am a big glob of sugar and Todd is a big vat of grease.  Can you tell what foods we enjoy most?  We were doing awesome last year on a Paleo-type diet.  We felt great, didn’t feel deprived, and had more energy than we'd had in a long time.  I think it is time to get back on the Paleo-type eating plan with more vegetables, less meat and fewer cheat days.  I would also like to incorporate more juicing into our diets.  To me, raw fruits and veggies are imperative to health and fighting illness. 

Even though we always have fruits and vegetables in our home, I need to make them more accessible to eat when we are hungry or in a rush.  For instance, right now, I have 3 head of cauliflower (Todd’s favorite vegetable to eat raw) and 2 cantaloupe.  I need to prepare these items to keep in the fridge ready for those evenings when we get hungry or just need a snack.  This way, we can avoid going to get ice cream (my favorite food of all time) or picking up something that we should not be eating.

Exercise

Please note that I am awful when it comes to moving my body.  I need to make a habit of trying to get Todd out of the house before work or after work in the evenings, even if it’s for a short walk around the block with our precious pup.  We have a basketball hoop that has yet to have a single basketball go through its net, we have two bikes, a canoe, and a lot of sticks out in the yard that need to be gathered and burned.  We have plenty of opportunity to exercise…we just need to get off our butts and do it!

Side Note: We have recently decided to take a 485 mile pilgrimage between St. Jean Pied de Port (France) through Santiago de Compostela (Spain) this time next year.  You can read about our journey of preparing for this trip at a new blog I've created here.

Cleanliness

I am not the best housekeeper.  I need to keep up with the dusting and sweeping better than I have been.  I like to see results but I feel so discouraged two days later when I see the dust starting to accumulate again.  This may help with Todd’s allergies and to keep the pet dander at bay.

Essential Oils / Natural Remedies

I have been reading a lot of great information about essential oils and natural remedies.  I am looking into diffusers and what the best brand of essential oils would be for our home to keep sickness away.  If you have any information on essential oils or the diffuser you use, please forward it my way!

A Reliable Family Physician

With the referral from a neighbor, Todd tried a new doctor this past bought of illness and he really liked the doctor.  This doctor takes the time to talk with his patients to get the full background and is not about pushing pills.  Instead, he is all about natural alternatives to those medications!  The older (and more educated) I become about healthcare, medicine, and how prescriptions affect us, the more I am interested in natural ways of healing and staying healthy, so this sounds like the perfect family physician for us.  Todd and I have two different medical plans because we never combined our medical insurance when we married; however, this particular doctor is on both of our plans.

How do you help fight illness in your home?

**DISCLOSURE: I am by no means a doctor.  If you are ill, please seek the assistance of a trained medical professional.  Also, please note that Todd and I have a long way to go to being healthy.  We are both overweight and though I am striving to feed my family healthier foods, getting out more to exercise and doing what we can to stay healthy, we are by no standards even close to perfecting this area in our life.   

Priorities

The Friday before last, on my way into work, I was pondering the happenings of my morning before I left for work and felt a huge sense of guilt for most of the day.

It was a Friday that Todd had off of work and I had to go into work.  We woke up at the same time to an adorable dog giving us love and affection and making us laugh.  We got up and got to work de-cluttering our kitchen cabinets that have been accumulating stuff for the past 6 years we’ve owned the house (yes, we are morning people: if it didn’t get done in the morning, it wasn’t getting done!).  I got online for about 10 minutes and then rushed into the shower while Todd made breakfast.  We ate breakfast together, I cleaned kitty litter boxes, checked on mealworms, dried my hair, got dressed and was running around like a mad woman because I had to get out the door to “beat the bus.”  (Side note: If I don’t get out the door at a certain time, it lengthens my commute by 10 minutes because apparently middle-school kids in our town are not able to walk 2 driveways down to get on the bus. *snide remark*) As I was running around, hubby started to get playful.  As he pushed me onto the bed and was giving me kisses, I made the remark, “I don’t have time right now.”  He let me go, I got up and ran around for another minute, gave him a kiss, told him I loved him and ran out the door. 

As I was sitting behind the school bus this particular morning (damn karma), I began to realize how out of whack my priorities were are.  I made time for everything else that morning except my husband!

I began to think about what my priorities really are and I came up with this list (in order of importance).

 

God

I don’t write a lot about my faith on this site, but I have faith and I believe that it should be the top priority.  If you were to see what day I am on in my reading of The One Year Bible, you would be able to see that God has not been placed first and foremost in my daily life. This is no one’s fault but my own.

Husband

The next priority in my life should be my husband.  It is no secret that my husband and I have had our ups and downs over the past 7 ½ years we’ve been together and this very well may be because I have not put him high enough on my priority list.

Family

Our families are very important to us and I feel like we have done a pretty good job of prioritizing our families in our lives.  Yes, I would like to spend more time with my mom, my father and my nieces, but again, this is my fault for not making time on those weekends that Todd works to go and visit them.

Animals

I would be lying if I said  I put Todd over our animals in the past.  It has been a sore topic in our relationship from the very beginning.  When our pot bellied pig, Squiggy, was alive, I would tend to spend more time with him than I did with my own husband.  It sounds awful, and it really was, but that pig was not just an animal to me: He was my baby boy.  I realize now how unhealthy the relationship I had with our pot bellied pig was.  Even now, 2 years after his passing, I miss him so much.

Everything Else

Everything else includes everything that I consider as “me time” and cleanup around the house.  Really, are they are priority?  No.  Nothing is pressing enough that it cant wait.

Lesson to be Learned

I need to keep this list in my mind at all times.  So much of the scenario above could have been avoided by giving up that 10 minutes of computer time and allowing the animals to walk by without me having to pick them up, give them a kiss, and tell them how adorable they are.  I’m not sure if you noticed, but after writing out the whole scene, I realized how truly selfish I am.  I would like to turn that around to become more selfless.

I will be the first to admit that many times, my priorities are all out of order.  But the only one who can fix that is me.

A Day in the Life Of...(a Date with the Hubby!)

I just love reading about how other people's days look like.  I did a Day in the Life Of... back in late January, but decided to do one showing what a day on the weekend looks like with Todd.

This past Saturday, Todd and I had no other plans than to spend time with one another.  This is how our Saturday, February 23rd looked like.

I would like to preface this post with the fact that Todd and I both ate 1/2 a cantaloupe (or more) each before going to bed.  Needless to say, I was up at 1:30, 3:45 and 5:45 going to the bathroom!  Note to self: If you are going to eat nearly a whole cantaloupe, do it before 5PM!

That being said, this is what our day looked like:

This is the last picture I took for the day because as we were finishing the movie around 8:30, I had my eyes closed and my ears plugged with my fingers so the movie wouldnt scare me, but I ended up falling asleep!  Oops.  Todd told me the end the next morning.

The reason I listed the amounts we spent is to document how much we spend when we go out on a "date" every month or every other month.  We take pride in how little our "dates" cost.  This date cost us $24.91 total for lunch, movie and ice cream!

So, there you have it.  A day in the life of us when hubby doesnt have to work on a weekend, we go on a date, and we relax the rest of the time.