The cooking channel mapped out the best food for each of the 50 states. Did I mention that I enjoy food? We will be referring to this map, maybe more often than we refer to an actual atlas. Check it out here.
Month: June 2015
Go For It!
We are going for our dreams, what are your dreams that you are hopping to “go for”?
Sharing them starts to give us courage and work through the possibility of it actually happening.
~marisa
Lola is Gone
Yes, she is really gone. Tears. But we are grateful that a cute family, which was surprisingly so similar to ours in so many ways, bought her.
~marisa
Vacation?
Scaredy Cat
Today I have let the fears of this trip overcome me. It is all starting to become a reality and I can’t help but doubt if we are doing the right thing.
~marisa
Lola Mae
It is time to sell Lola Ma
e. It’s a sad day because we have so many memories in Lola and she is the motorhome that gave us the courage to start this journey of living on the road full time.
We thought that we would be able to take her on our trip, but after a “test run” asking, will this really work? We realize that it won’t. 6 humans and 2 dogs is just too much. We love that she has quad-bunks in the back so that each of the kids have a dedicated space that they can retreat to.
We are excited for the next family to love her and to make memories in her!
Conflict in a Story
Every good story has conflict, it does! Just think about your favorite story. Without conflict, the story is pretty flat and boring, you don’t even need a “villain” (think of Joker in Batman, the evil step-mother in Cinderella, or Swiper in Dora) in order to create conflict. A lot of times conflict can arise from positive values that conflict. Take the Bennet girls from Pride and Prejudice, they value marriage, love, and wealth. These are all good values that can conflict if they fall in love with and marry someone without wealth, or marry someone with wealth they don’t love. There are many other types of conflict, but in any story, the conflict causes the protagonist to grow, learn, and become a better person in the end. Here are our 2 different story lines, which one would make for a better story? Which one will cause greater growth in the protagonists?
Story Line A:
We continue on the path that we are on, a comfortable house, comfortable jobs, comfortable neighborhood, drifting through a life of comfort, ease, and predictability. We have the ability to serve the limited number of people we come in contact with. We rarely step out of our comfort zone and fulfill our potential.
VS.
Story Line B:
We leave the comfort zone by selling and donating all that is comfortable to us. Instead of finding stability in drifting through familiarity day-to-day, we find stability in ourselves, who we are and what we stand for. We interact with countless people with the potential to make a bigger difference in the world. We rely on God to direct us where to go and who to serve.
Story A is a MUCH more comfortable story line, but it doesn’t create much conflict or opportunity for the protagonist to grow and change. It isn’t an interesting story.
Story B is scary! YIKES! Sometimes I can’t believe we are choosing to throw ourselves into this conflict. But, by the end of the story, there is potential for a greater reward, and more growth in our family.
~marisa
Water Snob
I’m not a snob when it comes to most things, or really anything. EXCEPT when it comes to my water. I’m pretty particular about the 
taste, smell, temperature, container, and look of the water that I drink. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to turn up my nose if someone offers me a drink of water in a container that I don’t like, or water that is at an undesirable temperature for me, but I may not drink much of it.
I didn’t realize what a water snob I was until we moved to a home with terrible water, and I just about completely stopped drinking water. This kind of caused some issues since I don’t drink juice, milk, soda, coffee, tea etc. I’m a water drinker.
You may be asking, “How does she like her water?” Well, I like it to not have a taste or a smell for starters, unless of course I’ve added essential oils to it. As for the temperature, I like it tepid. It’s the only way I can drink it fast and without getting a brain freeze. You really can’t guzzle cold water. I like it to be in glass, because I think it tastes better (I already admitted I’m a snob on this, so yes I’m aware that I’m picky) And how should it look? No color to it and NO floaties!
Since we will be drinking all sorts of funky water on our trip, I wanted to make sure I didn’t die of self-induced dehydration. The first purchase for the motorhome that we do not have YET is a Berkey Water Filter. Isn’t she a beauty?
How do you like your water?
~marisa
Our New Good Story
We have a lived a good and blessed life. Our story has been one with ups and downs, and highs and lows. We have had many joys, private heartache, and we are grateful for all the good and bad. The last few years, we have been happy and comfortable but we have felt that we are missing something. We have accepted that Michael will work full time for someone else and while work is honorable, we have been missing out on some of the greatest years of our kids lives. Our story has become stagnant, and rather than writing and creating our story with God, we have let a comfortable life write our story. We have been tossed about by the prevailing winds.
Would you want to read a story about a character that is comfortable and doesn’t change? We have felt inspired that God wants us to write a better story. A better story doesn’t mean a story full of peace and joy. It means better. It means there will be great and wonderful moments, but also trials and sorrow. A great story is full of conflict. The characters learn, grow, and become better. A great story is full of surprises, and doesn’t always end wrapped up with a nice little bow. A great story can be unpredictable, heartbreaking, funny, and inspiring. We want a better story.
We don’t think you need to sell everything you own and live on the road to live a worthwhile story. That’s our story, for now. We hope that you can find your story or know the story you are living. Your story might be to remain resolute and strong through debilitating pain and physical and mental suffering. Your story may be to help a wayward child. Maybe your story is overcoming loneliness and finding peace. What can you do to grow, to develop, to live your dreams and reach your potential. What can you do to improve your world? How will you overcome the pain and heartache placed in your life to make you better? How will you write your story?
We hope that as we write our story with God, that we will develop and grow. We hope that our family will become closer through the blessings and trials to come. We hope that our faith will grow as we rely more on our Heavenly Father. We hope that you might be a part of our story as we travel. We hope that we can live a story that is worth reading.
~Michael & Marisa
The love of my life
Living a Good Story 