Thankful & Grateful - Happy Thanksgiving

NOVEMBER - -  Life is good. There's always ups and downs, highs and lows but its how we choose to see things, what we choose to focus on. We don't have to be pulled down by life's hard times, we can acknowledge the hard, feel those feelings, cry out, but choose to focus on our blessings. There's always blessings to be felt, seen, acknowledged in our lives and for that we are thankful and grateful. 

Every morning I take Ernie pup on our walk I feel those enormous blessed feelings and I thank the Lord for the little things, big things, in between things - all the things. The sunshine on my skin, its warmth, the beauty of the large oak trees surrounding, the way their leaves rustle, the intricate way the moss and vines climbs up the limbs as I look above, the ability to move my body each day, the gratitude I feel for being in this place, this town, this state, the wonderful people we've met, how it feels more like home in our hearts than anywhere has, that we are all together in this space and place right now as a family. Life is so amazing and so full of beautiful blessings.

 This month.....

I had my birthday, hubbie has his tomorrow.

1st Thanksgiving in Texas

Cooking the very first holiday meal in our RV / tiny RV oven!

Fall looks like its here - leaves everywhere

Market Days in town

Park walks with the pup

Exploring rivers and parks

For my birthday we did breakfast in Flatonia at Darlin's Diner, antique window shopping and site seeing in Smithville and some chocolate birthday cake that evening! It was our first time to this cute little diner but after seeing rave reviews a while back I was excited to try it. It did not disappoint and I can't wait to return to try other menu items.

Darlin's Diner Menu

Weekly Monday night family board game evenings....this week was Life. Ernie pup laying at our feet while we laugh and play together. We now have a loveseat, recliner, and chair in the tiny cabin so we go over there for some space and place to play.

Texas sunsets.

Our neighbor cows. #35 and 36 are exceptionally friendly and come out to the fence line that meets our backyard to say hello. They are super interested in our pup but he doesn't care much. 36 let me pet its head. Cows are awesome.

Luckily our landlord behind us also has chickens that venture into our yard on a daily basis so it makes me less miss having chickens of my own. I told my husband the minute we get our own land I'm getting a flock!! I can't wait!!

Kale and several types of lettuce are holding strong in this gardening zone here in south central Texas. For now we are container gardening but we're making large garden plans (and dreams) for when we aren't in this space and have our own place. For now finding contentment with just a few plants. We also have tomatoes and peppers.

Yard views out front...It's officially FALL y'all!  Leaves everywhere but yet still a lot on the trees and still pretty green everywhere we venture. We're loving Texas and can't wait to experience a full year here.

Pup walks every morning at our city park.

Day trip to La Grange to check out a fishing spot along the Colorado River. There's also a nice spot along the same river in the town of Columbus.

Venturing to city parks in other cities. We've officially hit all the ones up in every town surrounding us.

We are loving Texas, loving our new area, still trying to settle into a routine here and anxiously awaiting to pick up our pot belly pigs, our sons pigeons and the remainder of our items in our storage. We are blessed.

Around Here - Walks & Home Projects

 Happy October 1st! How is it October already....this year has flown by. Perhaps its because Jan-Feb-March was all about prep to leave for our big adventure April 1st. Then RV life and travel. And finally being guided to and planted in Texas. We have one more big to-do next month in November to pick up some of our belongings from Arizona and also pick up our girls- our pot belly pigs then I think come December we'll be able to breathe....a whole year of go-go-go. Its been a whirlwind of ups, downs, highs, lows, huge blessings and miracles, tough times, and tender mercies - 

WOW >> what a life adventure. 

A little photo catch up of what's been going on around here....

Morning park walks with Ernie dog. I LOVE our city park. Tons of oak trees, trails, picnic tables every where, several playgrounds, swings scattered about, tennis courts, the city pool, sports fields. Its got it all and yet its so incredibly peaceful. Its my favorite way to start the day - walking our  dog there.

Projects around the house....

1) Address posted, welcome sign and hanging plants hung on the tiny cabin.

2) Deck and stairs built for the RV.

Two of my favorite spaces in our new place. Siting in the front yard beneath the trees with our pup so he can breathe in the air, listen to the sounds of birds. My other favorite place is the front deck of our tiny cabin. Its SO incredibly peaceful and beautiful in our new space. Trees and wildlife everywhere. Quiet, serene. I just sit for a few minutes gazing out and feel so recharged, so blessed, so grateful for God's guidance to be planted here in this town, in this state and here at this farm.

Foggy morning....if you think it looks 'cool' - - it was like a HOT sauna outside.

Photo dump of the cows from our old neighborhood. I love cows! They are so adorable and friendly!

Back in the RV & Morning Walk

We're officially at our new location and slept back in our RV for the first time in exactly 2 months. We arrived as the sun was setting, got hooked up and spent time hanging out, listening to music and talking together, us and the kids, then all went to bed.

We're excited to be back in our small RV space. Tiny living isn't for everyone but for us the benefits outweigh any space issues...and for us between the tiny cabin and the RV it is plenty. PLUS if inside ever feels cramped....there is a whole world OUTSIDE! 

For us: Small space = increased family bond. Less cleaning = move living. Less stuff = being more intentional. Small house = no debt. Living small = bigger gratitude. These are just SOME of the benefits we've noticed and there's so many more.

In the morning Ernie dog and I went out for our usual morning walk but this time to explore our new area. Our landlords cows were out behind us grazing. We walked along the country road lined with white fencing and trees. Tons of trees then open pastures full of more grazing cattle. Peaceful and quiet. I love our quiet mornings together. Its such a beautiful way to start the day. Alone in the quiet just me and him, in nature with time to ponder, time to pray, time to reflect. Starting my day with such gratitude for the smallest things that I notice but also for the big life changing things that we've gone through lately. All the ups as well as the downs have led us here and I am so thankful and blessed.

Living life fully in this moment, in this space, in this season of our lives where God has planted us. Opening ourselves up to all the possibilities he has in store for us here. Trusting in his plan and path for us and leaning into faith.

Tiny Cabin

 We're thrilled to be moving this coming weekend. We couldn't be happier with our choice to not only live back in our RV instead of a traditional house but to also provide extra space for the kids and our family with this Tiny Cabin. Its going to be a long slow process to build the inside out but yet another fun project we can all do together.

The cabin got moved last week. We're moving the RV end of this week. Blessed to have connected with Doug- our new landlord. He owns this farm of 40 acres and has 3 spaces on his property for manufactured homes, RV, tiny house, whatever you want - with hook ups to electric/power/and sewer. His parents owned this property and had these rental spaces here for a very long time. We're thankful for low rent, out in the beautiful country but only 2 minutes from town and the grocery store. We're thankful for him to allow us our animals here and he's welcomed us to stay as long as we want. Enormous excited feelings for this opportunity and what this means for our future.

Tiny cabin moving....

The view from our space - so many gorgeous trees lining the road here. Lots of deer, birds and wildlife seen already just on our trips over. Can't wait to live here full time.

All set up on its blocks. Sitting on this porch with this view in the mornings is going to be amazing. Having our pig girls just in the pen behind us is such a blessing.

 

We're Home. Home is where we are all together as a family. Home is in nature surrounded by beauty with trees and animals. Home is community of welcoming neighbors. 

 

Home is now Texas for us.