Our First 4 Months Homesteading

The Art Of Failing Forward

Win some; Learn some

Its official Thomas Family Life have gone full on homestead! Well kind of. The last four months have been quite the journey. We bought land this summer and pushing ourselves into this new world of growing our own food and raising animals. We have had many epic fails and a few good wins but more than anything the knowledge we have gained is priceless. This rings alive the famous quote in our family from one of Roland’s favorite authors ” sometimes you win sometimes you learn” by John Maxwell.

Sometimes you win, Sometimes you learn

John Maxwell

This summer before we purchased our land I felt in my heart I wanted to learn to grow my own food since I was stuck at home like most of the world this past year and since I live in an RV and was parked outside of my moms house with no backyard I decided to grow food using containers lined up behind our RV out of site. And so it begins, even though I always thought I had a black thumb and killed everything I ever tried to grow I learned that my mistake wasn’t my thumb at all, rather my expectation of time needed tending to my garden all together. I was use to watering it when I thought about in checking on things when I had a free moment from my busy life and never really tending to my garden on a regular basis. Well since we were nice and settled with no place to go, what better time to learn?

I gathered all my seeds, not having a clue the difference between heirloom and hybrid seeds and to be honest I didn’t really pay much attention to it. I just grabbed what sounded like something we would like to eat or have eaten on a pretty regular basis. And from there I started trying to see what would emerge from the soil and produce fruit. and to my surprise with patience and care I managed to grow quite a bit.

Now after having purchased some land and starting our family homestead. I realize that if I wanted the biggest bang for my buck it would be wise to purchase heirloom seeds that I can grow time and time again. While I’m still in the process of collecting. We have had a little fun trying our hand in an “no-dig” garden and had a few failed successes lol. I say failed successes because I had a successful winter garden with cabbage , brussel sprouts, and herbs that I failed to secure with some kind of fence or netting. One random day the chickens decided to investigate and ravaged through my beautiful garden. Yes, I was sad at my rookie mistake and equally yes, I have learned my lesson. As I said before we have learned a laundry list of lessons so far lol.

Since we moved to open pastures the kids have been loving being outside with space to roam. Most days you can find Victory playing with grass rocks and mud cause who needs toys when you have mud? and Ariel you can find planted near the fire pit or under a tree with a handy dandy book or four lol. Roland and I have kept busty building a chicken run and figuring out how to raise chickens as our first homestead animal. And let me tell you this is where it all went down hill.

After a month or so living on our land in our RV still planning and thinking of ways to turn this blank canvas into a dream come true homestead. We received a surprise phone call from my mom, she needed us to take in her chickens because she wasn’t able to keep them anymore. It was no doubt a sad loss for her and an unexpected surprise to us. We are so happy to have had the ability to give my moms chickens a good home. And she is happy to be able to visit and receive eggs from them. Receiving my moms chickens unexpectedly left us with having to rush and get their coop and run ready in a hurry. Using materials from their original coop and run to make a much larger home for them. With the addition of using pallets because we wanted to think ahead and have enough space to add to the flock.

Flooded in with nowhere to go;

The plot thickens and if you have any sense of humor you will find it funny that yet again things got rough for us. One decision that led to two months of mud hiking and let me tell ya it was a load of suck!

The week of Thanksgiving Roland mentioned that we were going to get quite a bit of rain and I so naively thought that it would be no big deal. I thought we would get a few inches and it would all dry up in a week or so, no big deal. And because we had been traveling and away for what seemed like forever I was just ready to be home, andddd lets just say I should have absolutely listen to Roland because…….. It rained and the a few days would go by and be dry and it would rain again and this pattern continued day after day to this day. Both of our vehicles had their fair share of getting stuck in the mud and after so much of that we just started parking our cars in the driveway and hiking in and out for a good two months. My biggest concern was “what if it floods” with the ground being so saturated and no ability to drive our truck onto our property, this concern grew as the rainy days continued. That is until a neighbor pulled us out with his tractor. Now we are out and safe. We are currently staying nearby (benefits of living in an RV I guess) We just go by to feed our animals until things dry up. And yet again, another hard lessoned learned.

Finally Some Success! Well sort of;

Success! We have eggs!!!! So exciting to have our new hens finally laying eggs! pictured below are pictures of me holding our first dozen! Finally something we worked for gave us back so sort of reward. and that’s such a comforting feeling after so many fails.

A couple of months into homesteading Roland and I had the desire to use our land to give back to the community we decided that we were not only going to raise chickens for our family but also to feed families going through a hard time. So we ordered 50 meat chickens to raise and to give away. We built a chicken tractor. Which was really cool and something new Roland learned how to do. We were so excited about this project and really proud of what we had accomplished. That is until we had a “light rain” come through or so we thought. In a matter of a few hours a “heavy rain” passed through and drowned all but 9 of our chickens. It was so heartbreaking to lose them that way. We wish they would have just lined up around the rim and they would have been fine, Instead they were scared and stepped on top of each other and drowned. We are still devastated, wishing we would have taken added precautions. Moving forward we know to add a pallet inside the tractor as a place for the chicks to stand. Going into this we thought wow we are doing it. and it’s going to be awesome giving families in need a meal.

Mistakes Made; Lessons Learned

• We’ve learned quite a bit since we started this journey a few months ago and unfortunately we learned them through what I like to refer to as failing forward haha. we made a chicken run that wasn’t enough protection we added 5 more hen plus a rooster to our flock and lost 3 to a bobcat attack. because we didn’t make our run secure enough.
• we started a no dig garden and didn’t put enough paper and cardboard down and so the weeds and grass grew through the paper and much and pretty much took over. we learned from this and doubled down on our next attempt so far we are growing onions and they seem to be doing well.

• Our first week on the land we wanted to set up a sort of relaxing fun family environment. a space to hang out and enjoy our land. So we decided our first projects would be to build a firepit and set temporary post to string lights. I found a few diy projects on pinterest and thought it would be easy and fun projects to do as a family and boy was I wrong. We set the wood post in 5 gallon buckets with concrete and stringed lights from them only for a few hours latter high winds took them all completely out. Our fire pit was a grand success though.
• We successfully built a chicken tractor. Our meat chickens drowned but we have 30 more growing up and will soon be put out to pasture. Thankfully we have learned from our previous experience and have made provisions for this next batch not to have to same fate as the prior chickens.
• we installed a compost pile using our old container garden scraps and it honestly didn’t seem like much was happening months after starting it. I think we just weren’t adding enough fresh food scraps and we also weren’t turning it enough. Now things seem to be coming along and maybe soon we will have compost to add to our garden.

Roll with the punches

I know what you’re thinking, “wow what a depressing story”. Well I guess it depends on how you look at the experiences that we have had. To us lessons have been learned and you can’t buy this type of knowledge it has to be gained through experience alone.There is still many unknowns ahead of us we have dreams of raising bigger animals and growing a full vegetable garden. We want to build a house and a barn. We desperately need a road and we would love to plant an orchard. We are so excited for the journey ahead.

Thanks so much for reading our story of transforming from big city people to homestead country living. follow along and subscribe to my email list so that you can get notified as I update this blog. Also subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Has 2020 Exposed Fear to be your god?

Ephesians 5:14

LightTalk with Angel Thomas;

Is Fear your god now?

My heart has dealt with great hurt this year… Yes we all have experienced this in some way or another. It hurts most seeing, that out of fear many people turned to survival mode and the command “Love thy neighbor” went out the window. Instead neighbors quite literally turned their neighbors in for not wearing a mask, or social distancing, or having “too many” people over for the holidays….. I mean how absurd? It breaks my heart, this year the ugliness really showed up in our society. We were told that all white people are born racist and privileged while blacks are oppressed and deserving of our society to bow down to and worship as some type of dues owed to them…… We witnessed police being targeted and law abiding citizens being told they should fear the police because they are black or a person of color….. My heart gets sad again just writing about it. This year not only did our government close businesses and our citizens torched them in the name of “Safety” or “justice”. People are afraid (and rightfully so, according to the world). With all the unknowns of the future. The media has given us an array of differences to focus on and multiple reasons we should hate each other and fear the world around us. That social manipulation in itself has brought out the most ugliness in our Country.

Read the following list if you agree with at least 3 you might have given fear the upper hand and God the backseat.

• Nothing can be trusted { Even Our elections have been hijacked}
• No one can be trusted { They might be infected and infect me, maybe even kill my family}
• Police can’t be trusted {They might be pulling me over to kill me} {I can’t call them if I need them they might kill me}
• The Medical Industry can’t be trusted { They lied or didn’t speak up for us they might kill me}
• My Job can’t be trusted {Tomorrow I might go into work and the doors are closed for good}
• Racism is everywhere { I could be killed just for walking my dog because I’m the wrong skin color in a nice neighborhood}
• If you voted for Donald Trump you’re a racist/ If you voted for Joe Biden you are tolerant
• The government can’t be trusted {Both parties are corrupt at the highest level}

You are the light of the world. A city on an hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lamp stand and it gives light to all who are in the house. Matthew 5:14

Light or Darkness?

Crimes, hate, death, fear, violence of every kind runs rampid in many cities in our country. there is a great divide.

• Good is being called evil and evil is being called good
• Relationships are being broken,
• lifelong friends torn apart,
• even children to their parents have fallen apart in under a year.
• People are being swayed from every angle to hurt and cause harm, to hate each other.
  • some say it started happening a year ago, some say since the great plague hit our country. I say its been going on for much much longer then that. Since the very first sin in Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve sinned against God. Its just now so pushed out in front of us, it’s like that disgusting pimple so full of puss that it pops and oozes all the gross things out. (yeah that was a gross visual but hey you get the point).Now that we have reached our popping point…… What next? Is this it? Or is it just beginning? That’s the question.

As I ask myself these question I’m reminded that this is very much a spiritual war as its been since the beginning (Ephesians 6:12)

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities , against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6: 12

So to the believer, remember this as you go through the fire of persecution, anger and rejection from friends, family, and even perfect strangers. That these people whom you love and care for are being deceived. you seriously have to test the spirit by the spirit and discern in the moments where things are being said that throw you for a loop so fast you get whiplash. You have to decide if it’s even worth pursuing further argument, or if it would be best to just lift that person up in prayer, lay them at the feet of Jesus and move on. Not fueling your heart with hate or malice. I personally know what this it’s like in my own circle even from fellow believers who actually raised the question of my salvation. Saying (how can you support this or say that) I’m so grateful that my validation comes from the Lord. He’s the one who gave me my mission and my marching orders. So why should I be shaken at all by such a foolish question. And I give you the same assurance that your salvation and value isn’t weighted on if people accept you or not but what the Father himself thinks. And you have to decide to act and walk as children of light.

Ephesians 5:8-14  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light  (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)  and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, But Rather Expose Them  It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.  This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

Cosigning the work of the enemy is in fact working for him who is Satan! IT IS THE WORK OF SATAN!!! As believers we have an important job to denounce evil and expose it from every angle!!! So when I hear from my fellow believers the opinion that christians should stay out of politics. I’m taken back and have to strongly disagree. especially when it causes division and effects our world to such a strong degree.

In Fact I counter their cowardice statement with, “this is why we are in this mess in the very first place”.

“this is why we are in this mess in the very first place”.

Christians for far too long have sat on their hands and said nothing about the work of the enemy in our country. Satan has gotten this far because Christians wanted to stay out of it. I say, TIMES UP SATAN! The light shines on you, your plot is exposed and we won’t sit quite any longer.

TIMES UP SATAN! The light shines on you, your plot is exposed and we won’t sit quite any longer.

To my fellow Christ followers, the way out is only found in the Lord. He is returning very soon for His bride. He will make all things right. For He is the JUST and RIGHTEOUS judge. We can trust the Lord on every promise and word of assurance.

When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.

Proverbs 29:16

The way out is up. This ends when He says so. And He’s the one coming to finish the job once and for all. You can trust Him and HIs promises. I urge you to put away your mantel of fear don’t let it drive your life or effect your relationships. Trust the Lord everyday! Love him more. Sometimes fear can be a coping mechanism. Allow God to reside in that place, allow Him to be your comforter.

Prayer;

Lord thank you for this life you’ve given me. thank you for every good thing. Lord forgive me for allowing fear to run rampant in my life. Forgive me for not loving my neighbor as you command. Lord please enter into any area of my life where I have allowed fear to takeover. I choose to forgive { insert name/s} and I let go of what was done and give it to you. Lord I want you to have complete control of my fears and relationships. The fear and pain of it all is just too heavy a burden for me to bare, and I know you never intended for me to carry that weight on my own. I pray for your help in restoring relationships that were broken out of fear and anger. I pray for you to fill my life with your good and perfect will and not my own. ~In Jesus Name Amen

Thank you all for taking the time to read what’s on my heart. I feel that the Lord has called me to speak on these issues so I will share as He has me to share. If this blesses you in anyway please share it. You can also follow me on Parler, Youtube,

When will this all end?

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SO WHEN WILL THIS ALL END?

I think it’s safe to say that this is the number one question the whole world is asking. The year 2020 has had many twist and turns in it. It’s been a hard year for everyone. Covid has taken hold of all of our lives in many different ways. Some of us have lost loved ones, jobs, and businesses, others are scared for their family members who are immune – compromised, and/ or barely hanging on to their homes and places of work, and then there are others like myself who have chosen not to subscribe to fear and to trust the Lord. But who are angry at the demonic attack on the world. No one knows what tomorrow brings many of us stand on the sidelines praying for a miracle. Many of us are discerning that the hour is near when Jesus will return for His bride the church. We wait earnestly for His return. However in the waiting it’s no simple walk in the park. It is undoubtedly a very rough terrain that we have to trudge through and we as the body of christ can’t slumber during this time. No, not at all. In the book of Ephesians it is written;

WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT

• We are to be the light of Christ. The job of light isn’t always being “nice” but it is always revealing. Yes the light of Christ is ALWAYS REVEALING! We are to expose darkness and give it no place to hide. We are certainly not to cower away from it and hide our light away. and we are not to just go along with what darkness is doing just to fit in. No we are instead suppose to find out what is acceptable to the Lord and not entertain evil but instead expose it.

DO WHAT YOU’RE TOLD AND SHUT UP!

• Today we are in a bit of a tough space because society says to live afraid and that we are all going to die. They say that this virus is a death sentence. And we should live our lives wearing mask and sanitizing everything, stay locked away in our houses and that our only protection and our only hope is to trust our government and the media. I saw a video of a lady washing her groceries!!! And I’m not talking healthy food like fruits and veggies noooo, she was washing soda, chips, cookies, cereal you know all the extremely unhealthy foods and yet it never occurred to her that maybe she is being irrational. On the other hand you have others who are not so convince and seeing the lie they have chosen to call it out (as light should). And in order to keep the public under control and not slipping out of their power.
• The media along with social media has resulted to mass censorship and closing down accounts, not covering certain vital stories and spreading more lies. You aren’t allowed to use critical thinking and expose their lies, Nope. The people incharge are very much agents of Satan.

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the ^[b]wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of ^[c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:10-13

WE ARE UNDER ATTACK – THIS IS WAR!!!

• We have to decide to stand out and the expose darkness from every angle as instructed in the word of God and not hide and blend in with society as to avoid social shaming. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, in fact you can count on it being hard. Satan has a way with threatening you, he likes to control you with fear, anxiety, doubt, and depresion. He wants to isolate the body of Christ that’s why his first attack was on the church. Closing the church was most certainly a hard hitting move. he thinks he can control us, deceive us , hats why it’s important to put on the full armor of God. You can’t win this war with missing pieces of armor.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 

Ephesians 6:14-18

FIGHT LIKE A CHRISTIAN!

• It’s time to fight like a christian! Yes you read that right, fight like a christian! The truth of the matter is there is a war going on in the heavenly places and we are involved in a very important way. The bible says something very intresting and its important to really meditate on it “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Satan and his goons are no match for a christian who knows their daddy and understands spiritual warfare. It’s important to understand that you are at war. It’s also important to understand that sitting on the sidelines hiding from the fight isn’t and option.
  1. Prayer
  2. Fasting
  3. Sharing the gospel
  4. Encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ
  5. Exposing the darkness to no end!
• This all ends when the trumpet sounds and Jesus Christ comes back for His bride. That’s how this ends, and that’s the blessed hope! The fight is hard and ugly but its not without reward. Jesus left us with a promise.
  • “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so,  I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”John 14:2-6

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Don’t accept the fear and hatred they are selling. Instead be bold in Christ and fight in the spirit. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I pray that you chose to defy tyrant orders and spend it with your family and friends. God says in His word;

” not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Thanks for taking the time to read what’s on my heart. I hope this encourages you. Please take a bref second and subscribe to my blogs email list. So you don’t miss any important content.

Dear FB and IG Its over

Well from what you can tell by the title I chose to go with I’m pretty ticked off and breaking up with IG & FB. Big Tech Companies seem to think its their jobs to “protect” the public who can’t seem to protect themselves and get their fragel feelings hurt by every single stupid thing. Apparently it offensive to refer to a male as man, male, or boy and a girl as ma’am, lady, or women cause that’s “assuming gender roles” . Or it’s offensive to call a black person black and not person of color (eyeroll) I mean come on give me a break! I’ve had it and I’ve chosen to step away for a bit or maybe forever time will tell. for now I’ll be blogging about everything from farming and family life, to politics and controversial topics. Why? because this is my blog and that’s my business. If this blog ever gets closed down because I break the new BS rules of this over sensitive society make sure you are following me on YouTube and Parler as we will have multiple ways to communicate.

I hope you choose to stick with me. I’m not scared of tracking ( as I know its all around us in every way imaginable) though I do think that’s troublesome and alarming. I don’t think we should say oh well and not give any protest. I say we get on their nerves and protest the heck out of it. I mentioned before that you are being treated as a puppet in this diabolical process for world domination by globalist but hey don’t go down without giving a fight! Give em Hell!

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Pre-K Homeschool? You Can Do It!

Written by; Marianne Logan Johnson

As a homeschool mom I wanted to share more stories about homeschooling since everyone’s journey is uniquely different. As a result I (Angel Thomas) have chosen to feature the stories of other homeschool mom’s as a part of my homeschool series. I hope you enjoy Marianne’s story and find inspiration from it. I also encourage you to check out her Blog for more inspiration and mom life post. Enjoy! http://www.mariannefaith.com

When I left teaching to be a stay at home mom to my first daughter, I had no idea I would be homeschooling her when she got to the Pre-K age.  Since she has been home with me since her day one, I wanted to give her some knowledge of what school will be like when she does begin going to a regular school one day, and I also wanted her know what it’s like to sit in a desk, work on independent school work, and do activities that build on information that she will need for reading, writing, math and science. I started planning for our homeschooling adventure when she turned three. I started around this time because she started to show signs that she was ready for school. She started asking questions about reading and letter sounds. She also wanted to know how to hold a pen or pencil correctly so that she could write her name. As a teacher, I knew these were signs that showed not only her interest in learning, but her ability also. Sometimes, children are not ready for these things, and beginning too early could make reading and writing worse for them. You definitely don’t want to set your child up for failure or unnecessary struggles by forcing a school-type learning on them. 

I began researching different homeschool options and curriculums. I knew what I wanted her to learn and, as a former reading teacher, I knew the best techniques in teaching children how to read and write. I came to the conclusion that none of the homeschool packages I could order were what I was really looking for, so I decided to use my degree and my teaching experience to create my own curriculum and activities for her. To me, this is truly what homeschooling is about- giving a child the type of structure, setting, atmosphere, content, and learning that is designed specifically for them. I want to give you a glimpse into what our homeschooling day and week look like, and in order to do that, I must first explain my home-made, homeschool curriculum. First let me explain that this is just touching the surface of my homeschool experience with my daughter who is 3, almost 4. Second, do not get overwhelmed! If something isn’t working for you, change it! It’s the beauty of homeschooling your child! And third, Some days just aren’t successful, and THAT IS OKAY!!! Give yourself and your child grace!!!

Okay, let’s talk all things curriculum- 

 Because I wanted to create a strong foundation of learning for my daughter, I knew I needed these elements in our curriculum- reading (letter recognition, phonics or letter sounds), writing, math, science, Bible, and art- along with the basic skills that every child at this age should be learning like scissor skills, days of the week, months of the year, seasons of the year, and weather identification. This may sound like a lot for a 3-4 year old to handle, but you can create activities and assignments that are geared for their learning abilities and interests. I also wanted to create a curriculum that mixed traditional learning with a montessori style of learning because a child should not only learn from books, but also from hands-on experiences that work books don’t give them.

Here’s a general overview of each content area-  

Reading- I use the method in the following photo which organizes the ABC’s in a different way. This is from a very useful website called How Wee Learn. It divides the letters into different groups. I would suggest you start with teaching your child the letters of their own name  FIRST, and teach them the spelling of their name before beginning this method. Remember, this method isn’t just teaching letter recognition, but its teaching them letter sounds as well. Teachers use this method in order to teach kids how to read in a quicker way. My daughter really wants to know how to read the words in her books, so this is why I chose this method to include in our curriculum. We do a letter a week, and put all focus on that one letter while reviewing the letters we have done in the past. 

Writing- My expectations were not as high as they were for reading. Not in a bad way, but because I know my daughter’s hand movement abilities are limited to her age, I didn’t want to put too much stress on teaching her to write perfectly. The main thing we do for this part of the curriculum is traceable letter practice. You can find really helpful and FREE traceable pages online. I printed each letter of the alphabet, and I printed her name in a traceable print. I put them in a binder with each letter page (lower and uppercase) in a page protector. We have a small bucket of dry erase markers of all different colors, and she traces the letters and then is able to erase them and start over.  I use this as a quiet, independent activity my daughter does at her desk. She is thrilled when she writes a letter without the help of the traceable page!! I get so excited for her!

Math- My main goal is to teach counting aloud up to 30 (more if she is able), number recognition up to number 20, number writing up to 20 and counting out objects when given a certain number. In the math section of the curriculum, I have included shape recognition and drawing certain shapes. We do a number and shape of the week. With this math content, it’s really easy to come up with activities with counting. Counting out blocks, barbies, marbles, skittles…basically whatever your child is interested in, use it!  We have had a lot of fun with math! 

Science- We complete simple science projects. We do science once a week. This can be anything from looking at different leaves of different seasons to making our own play doh or ice cream in a bag (this one was a huge hit!!). You might be surprised at how much your preschooler loves science, and I use this as a great opportunity to get outside!

Bible- I knew I wanted to incorporate God’s Word in the curriculum. This content was super important to me! I think using homeschooling as an opportunity to include the christian lifestyle is one of the best things about this experience with your child. We do a devotional each morning before school; usually during breakfast. I use the Veggietales Daily Devotional book which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/God-Knows-Me-Daily-VeggieTales/dp/1683972732/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=veggietales+devotional&qid=1580250645&sr=8-2

  It’s easy for my daughter to understand, and it has brought up some great conversations about God.

For every two weeks, I have picked a memory verse for my girl to memorize and learn. Once again, I don’t put a lot of pressure on her to memorize it quickly. I go with her abilities, and if she needs more time with a verse, we do another week with it. She loves this part of school, and is super proud of herself when she can quote the verse all by herself (and I have a pretty proud mama moment too!). I pick verses that are easy for her to remember AND understand.

 I have also included worship into this part of the curriculum. As a transition between activities in the lesson, I plan a “get your wiggles out” activity. A worship or praise song with instruments is one of these. It’s fun and upbeat, and it teaches kids that they can worship anywhere; not just church. Don’t forget! They are watching and learning from you, so this is a great opportunity to get your worship on too!! 

Art- I keep this simple!!! I incorporate art into just about every content area. We do art work at least once a week. For example, we may make the letter of the week into an animal, or we may do something even easier like painting a certain number of circles to match the number of the week. Use your creativity with this one, and don’t get too technical! I’ve learned that the art assignments can be used as independent work, and it’s a lot of fun for the child especially if you include them on deciding what to do for the week. Displaying their artwork in a specific place in your homeschool room or area in your home makes them feel special and proud! 

So, now that you have an understanding of what I am teaching, let’s take a brief look into how I organize it all into the week-

We do school three mornings a week- Tuesday-Thursday, 8:30AM-Noon. I didn’t pick these days for any other reason than this is what worked best with our schedule. I also have a one year old running around, so I had to think about her needs as well. On school days, I get the oldest up an hour earlier than normal. No one in my house is a morning person, so this is still somewhat of a struggle for us!! Like I said we begin our days with breakfast and a devotional, and then we get right into learning! I start with the letter of the week, followed by the number and shape of the week. Every day we go over the days of the week and practice scissor skills. I don’t have a specific method for this, but I incorporate into each lesson, and I use scissor cutting as an independent activity.  As I mentioned before, I plan “get your wiggles out” activities between each content change. This is crucial!!! Kids MUST get their energy out in order to learn properly!!! I also have learned to plan independent work throughout the lesson. This is crucial for my own sanity/peace and this time allows me to give attention to my youngest or get other things accomplished. 

Notice, I have used the word “plan” throughout this whole article. Plan ahead of time! Plan extra work because some things just don’t work out the way we have pictured in our heads. Plan! Plan! Plan! Because I can tell you from experience, unplanned things WILL happen, so having a set plan in place will help you navigate around the unplanned parts of your homeschooling day!  

You can do this, and don’t ever forget these two things that I basically use as my mottos for homeschooling success: 1. Give yourself and your little one grace. 2. This is not a race to see how much your preschooler can accomplish! Work with their abilities! Some things take longer than others, and it’s okay to change up the lesson plan! 

I would love for you to check out my faith-filled mom blog at www.mariannefaith.com It’ll encourage you through your journey as a mom! 

And for any questions about homeschooling, please email me at mariannefaithblog@gmail.com.

Homeschooling While Traveling Full Time

Written by; Angel Thomas

Lets get down to the honest truth about homeschooling! There are so many rumors out there, I’ve been homeschooling for nearly 5 years now and I have learned so much. I want to share this knowledge with you. I hope that you find it helpful in your journey to discovering if homeschool is the route for you and your child.

I’ve decided to make this a series because I have so much to say. I’ve also partnered with a few other homeschool mom’s to share their stories and experiences. So follow my blog page for more in the upcoming weeks.

Have you ever thought about homeschooling your children? Do you struggle with making a decision because of all of the unknowns. I was there too, five years ago I wanted to homeschool my oldest daughter who was in the second grade at the time. but I honestly just didn’t know how it worked. What were the rules? Is there a particular structure I had to follow? What was the best curriculum to follow? How can I make sure she stays socialized? Not to mention everyone I know felt the need to give me negative feedback including the teachers at her school…….. I kid you not, they said to me “I don’t know how you can handle that and that they could never homeschool their own children”. I found that to be particularly funny because……, well they were teachers lol. They spoke of everything bad that could possibly go wrong everything I should be afraid of. To make matters worse and or should I say, too add coal to their fire I was very pregnant when I made the decision to trust the Lord and go for it. Because He’s the one directing our path anyway and I trusted that He would provide for our every need. And grace me with the ability to educate and speak into my children. That they would learn and I wouldn’t completely screw it all up. I literally had to cling tight to Proverbs 3:5-8 and drown out all the noise. The lies where trying to instill fear in me from doing what I knew in my heart was definitely what the Lord wanted me to do. So in the 3rd grade was when we started our journey with homeschool.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-8

Let me start by addressing the common questions stated in the above paragraph.

1. What are the rules? The rules or laws vary state to state So I would encourage you you brush up on your state laws for that information. I know in Texas there really is a lot of freedom to do things your ways as long as you child can transfer back into a public school setting and be on level.

Rule 1, withdraw your child from public school (If your child isn’t school age this doesn’t apply to you and you don’t have to do anything but get started with the next step

Rule 2, Your school curriculum has to be bona fide aka, It has to be real. You cant just say your homeschooling and not actually do it.

Rule 3, Your curriculum has to be in visual form ( Books, worksheets, video, website etc…..

Rule 4, Your curriculum must include Math, Language, History, Science & Good Citizenship.

• Good citizenship is similar to civics. Public schools teach one semester of civics, usually in the senior year of high school. Teaching U.S. and Texas history, government (theoretical and practical), the Pledge of Allegiance, and similar activities will also help meet this requirement. 

2. Is there a specific structure you need to follow? There are so many different curriculums out there. You can even make your own curriculum. I have personally tried a few I will talk about them more in-depth in a future blog post but for now I’ll just state the ones I’ve tried K12, AOP Switched On, AOP Monarch, AOP Life PAC, (AOP aka Alpha and Omega) For my youngest daughter who is not in Kindergarten yet I’ve put together her basics through Flash Cards, Brain Quest workbook, Scholastic workbook, Hooked on Phonics both the app and the books, And Handwringing materials, enter active activities, and so much more. Depending on the curriculum you chose to go with will have something to do with your structure. My oldest daughter who is now in the 8th grade works at her own pace and uses Khan Academy for additional math help, For my youngest she needs me and her dad to be more hands on to walk through the basics with her and to help her understand the basic concepts.

3. What is the best Curriculum to follow? Honestly it truly is all up to you. So definitely do your research. I knew for sure for me and my children I was not going to be organized enough to put together their whole school curriculum and make sure that they were getting everything that they needed. But I also knew that I wanted them to follow a Christian based curriculum to further instill Godly values and truth into them. Which is part of the reason I chose to go with AOP as the curriculum we would use. I will go more in-depth with how I like it what I don’t like and the difference between AOP and K12 in a later post.

4. How can I make sure my child socializes with other children. Now there is a very simple solution to this very big question. “Homeschool groups” there are so many homeschool groups all across the country. Find a few on facebook. There are a ton of people just like you looking for was to connect their children with peers of their own age group. And might I add that in a public school setting when you child is in a classroom they are not allowed to talk with their peers anyway. They can actually get into trouble by talking during class. At home you child has flexibility. You can sprinkle in play time and breaks whenever you want. You can do school at a playground or a fellow homeschoolers home. The sky is literally the limit!

Now lets crush some Myths and State the Truth! Keep reading I enjoyed writing this part the most. Because there are so many lies and false thinking out there and the worst part about it is the people thinking and spreading these lies have never homeschooled before!( at least that’s been my personal experience) So how in the world can you speak on something you’ve never done before? It’s beyond me!

Truth: When You homeschool you have the freedom and flexibility to make it your own. (Of course within reason) Your children still need to learn lol. If your child is a hands on learner that’s ok! Find ways for them to touch what they are learning invest in those specific tools to best benefit your child. My oldest daughter is a very strong reader she’s been reading since she was about 4 years old so learning from a book and reading her material is not a big deal for her. In fact she thrives. On the other hand I have noticed that my youngest is totally a hands on learner after just a short period of time learning from a book she gets squeamish, she starts wiggling and not really paying attention at all. Now on the other hand, in a hands on environment she’s all in and I can really tell she’s engaging in her work and understanding the information given. With homeschooling you also have the flexibility to start and stop when you want. We tend to start school around 9:00 am and finish close to 1:00pm and we have to rest of the day to do what we want. You can do school wherever you want, The park, the backyard, a coffee shop, the backseat of the car. Lol yes the car is a regular classroom for full time travelers.

False: If you homeschool, your children will be awkward socially and not know how to make friends, your child will not know how to communicate properly, and not know how to properly resolve conflict. All of these statements couldn’t be further from the truth. Let me say this for a matter of fact example, My oldest daughter Ariel is a leader among her peers. She serves in the children’s ministry at our church and sings on the worship team in front of hundreds of kids every week. She has a great group of friends who are super supportive of each other and even encourages authenticity aka realness in their group. Since traveling full time Ariel has made friends in multiple states and they still talk regularly. How’s that for slamming the socially awkward myth!

False: Your child will fall behind and Not Learn what they need. This is absolutely the polar opposite of the truth. It’s been my experience, as well as the experience of other homeschool parents I know, as well of the Deen of an Ivy League college who we are friends with. That homeschool students are self starters they perform extremely well in a college setting. Also fun fact, 70% of homeschooled students are the grade level as their public schooled peers, and 25% are ahead a grade. This is especially true for both of my daughters they are actually ahead of their grade level. Because we are able to move at a pace that works for them.

I hope our story has helped you. I will be writing more on the subject of homeschool and I will be teaming up with other moms to share their experiences with you as well. I would appreciate it if you will help me out by chatting in the comments. I want to know what it is that you want to know more about. I’m willing to help you with your journey to homeschool if that’s what you want. Because this is literally the best decision I’ve made for my family. If it wasn’t for us homeschooling we most definitely wouldn’t have the flexibility to travel full time. I know so many of you have questions and those questions are sometimes the thing that stops people from moving forward. Let us help you with that.

Also Follow and like my blog I will definitely be writing more on this subject because I just have so much to say. Thanks for reading, see you next week!

4 Places You Must Visit When Traveling In Colorado

Halfway up a mountain in Crested Butte was a beautiful campsite with this view.

There were free roaming cows all over Gunnison National Forest right next to Crested Butte it was pretty cool to see them.

1. Crested Butte

Crested Butte is a beautiful town in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, no matter what season you visit there is something for you to enjoy. In the Winter it’s truly a Winter Wonderland with the most beautiful scenery that will leave your heart full of memories to share for a lifetime! You can be sure to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and whatever else your Winter heart desires! Local shops, art galleries, coffee hangouts are available for enjoyment all year long with exception to the off season, theys tend to close a little earlier than normal business hours. During all seasons you offer the unique opportunity to enjoy breathtaking scenic hikes guaranteed to blow up your Instagram Feed. In the Spring, the native wildflowers are in full bloom and gorgeous thanks to all that melted snow! I hope you find time to visit Crested Butte, it’s truly a sight to see!

Here are a few shops you must visit while in Crested Butte, Colorado.

1. “Coffee” – Rumors Coffee and Tea – A nice chill spot to hang out and use the WiFi the coffee is delicious and to make it even better there is a connected book store you can go to a purchase a good read while you relax.
2. “Food” – Pitas in Paradise Has great reviews, its a great place to hangout with friends and enjoy some delicious Mediterranean food after a long day of hiking, skiing, and or shopping.
3. “Art Gallery” – Raynor Czerwinski – We had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners the wife who was so kind to show us around she does all of the beautiful paintings and her husband takes all of the photos they truly are a amazingly talented duo.

I purchased this T-shirt from a Store that sells all types of graphic Tees I wish I remembered the name but I don’t. If you happen to stumble upon it you will probably find this shirt.

2. Ouray

AKA Little Switzerland is the cutest little town just under 2 hours away from Durango. It’s definitely worth visiting with its super cute shops and beautiful mountainous views all around you. Our family had the opportunity to visit Ouray and we had the best time. The shops there are very welcoming some of them will even allow you to bring your dog inside (not all of them)! One shop I will definitely recommend you check out will be Mouse’s Coffee & Chocolate , you will find delicious ice cream, decadent chocolates and coffee all in this one shop. Oh, and be sure to give their “scrap cookie” a try, the “scrap cookie” is exactly that – They take all of the scraps from making candies and turn them into a delicious cookie. I mean how amazing is that! There is so many unique shops in Ouray you will be sure to find something you will enjoy! One place to make sure you go and enjoy would be the Hot Springs Pool, It’s the perfect place for families to go and soak up the mineral rich water and walk out feeling like a new person! There is something for everyone to enjoy from soaking and relaxing, to adventure and play for children of all ages.

This beautiful river went along our campsite in Silverton the kids enjoyed striping rocks in it. Although I will strongly advise that you not let your little ones play too close to the river the current can take them off and do some serious damage. So always keep them near when camped next to a river.

Every morning we could expect to spot this moose hanging out in this marsh near our campsite headed towards town. It was a pretty cool site to see.

3. Silverton

In Silverton you will find the most beautiful campsites the scenery is just absolutely breathtaking views. When you go into the town you will experience cute little shops, restaurants and coffee spots, one of our favorite places to visit in Silverton would be the cute little library. They offer free WiFi and amazing old novels and books to enjoy! Another great way to enjoy Silverton without the camping would be to take a day to ride the train from Durango to Silverton its a 3-1/2 hour journey each way with a 2 hour stop in Silverton to explore and enjoy. The most popular tour would be the Skyway Tour. Tag us on Instagram (@thomasfamily_life) pictures of your adventures!

This picture doesn’t even scratch how beautiful the Top of La Plata Canyon is. But it’s pretty beautiful right! My gosh what a beautiful blessing in was for Mr. Jim to be so kind to drive us to the Top (read below all about it).

This was some type of furnace for a coal mine it was pretty massive in person. We spotted it about halfway to the top of the Canyon.

This was our campsite in San Juan National Forest (this is not our camper pictured) This is actually our neighbors camper we are parked in the next campsite over but we are hidden by the trees.

4. La Plata Canyon

La Plata Canyon is just west of Durango in the San Juan National Forest. You can take a Jeep Tour up the Canyon all the way to the top. If you prefer to drive yourself it’s suggested that you have a 4 wheel drive with high clearance vehicle. The terrain is definitely bumpy and rough! However it’s a scenic ride the whole ride up. When you get to the top it will be sure to take your breath away! Our family was blessed to spend two weeks in San Juan National Forest where we camped for free and enjoyed a nice relaxing stay along the side the rushing river pictured. We don’t own a 4 wheel drive truck but our sweet camp neighbor Mr. Jim picked us up in his truck and was so kind to drive us to the top and it was amazing! We were shocked to see that there was still snow on the ground up there.

4 STEPS TO A DIGITAL NOMAD LIFE

Realize There Are Multiple Ways To Develop Location Free Income

First things first, open your mind to the possibilities of doing things differently from what you’ve done in the past. You are reading this so you check seriously check off the first box. You are on your way to location free income. At the heart of this is finding the Entrepreneur in you! We truly believer God has endowed each of us with greatness! Why, because He is a good Father who has good gifts in store for the children He loves. So here is the tip of the iceberg of location free opportunities to take advantage of!

• Amazon – Private Label, Retail and Online Arbitrage and Wholesale – There are several business models for providing products to Amazon’s Marketplace
• Social Media Marketing Agency – Create a digital marketing agency!
• Shopify – Create eCommerce websites
• Digital Courses – Teach what you are good at!
• Freelance Work – Photography, Videography, IT and more…
• Location Independent Jobs – Some jobs need people to travel and some jobs do not need you come in an office everyday
• Write a Book – All you need is your mind…

The key is to start thinking about skills you have that can used in the marketplace that will not require you to physically be there all the time! Let us know what you come up with!

Research and Find What Best Fits You

There are plenty of courses available to teach you how to create a business out of your passion. If you plan correctly and take a risk you will be able to accomplish it.

There are organizations, FB Groups, books and many more avenues to learn how a build a business that works for you. You can create a business that continues to demand your time or create a passive/ongoing type of income. Either way you can generate more income than what you have now to give yourself options.

The key is to adjust your mindset to an Entrepreneurial mind. It is mission critical you do so! The ups and downs of business is what causes businesses to fail the in the first 5 years of business. Get your mind right!

Get Over Your Fear Of Failure

“You probably will fail, it’s ok, keep trying till you win” – Thomas Family Life

Remember when you started the job you are at now and the fear of the unknown you had? Or do you remember the first day of High School – how terrified you were? Then shortly after a few days, you felt like you had been there all your life! By the of your High School Career you became Mr/Mrs Popularity! Now you have tons of Facebook friends, Instagram Followers and memories from those years! Building your business is the same way! The unknown is terrifying however the blessing relies on the unknown to GROW YOU!

John Maxwell, wrote a book titled, “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes Your Learn” Let that sink in for a moment.

This book absolutely changed our mindset towards chasing our dreams…Keep Reading!!

Your Dreams Are Too Important To Quit

“You have a dream deep inside that will benefit the world if you allow God to walk you through the process of bringing it to Life” – Thomas Family Life

The beautiful thing about the Marketplace that has been created in America, is its ability to provide it services and products that serve the community. Which means you are solving a need or problem in someone’s life. Whether that are looking artwork on their wall to create a beautiful home environment in their new home. Then that home will turn around create a safe zone for a family to grow up in. Have every lasting impact on what a family and supportive home looks like. Your painting was a part of that!

Start looking at what you provide as serve to help someone else – grow their business, overcome a problem or addiction, help a child learn or just help that individual relax after a hard day of work by reading or listening to your novel! You have something creative deep inside you that needs to be in the marketplace. DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!

Top 10 Ways To Camp For Free or Cheap

If you are like us and want to live a life of full time travel and stay at beautiful sights like the one pictured above. But don’t want to break the bank with expensive RV parks, or overnights at multiple State and National parks, where the bill can add up quick and leave you broke and out of options. Then this blog post is for you!
Before Roland and I got on the road For full time RVing we made sure to do just what you are doing……. research! We were determined to have as many tools in our tool box as we could fit before we decided to venture out into the great unknown. Our goal with this blog is to not only encourage others to go and live their dreams but to show you how we have done it. If you haven’t read my previous blog post on how to earn an income to travel full time then go over and give it a read, after you read this one of course.
In this post you will get every last way we have found to camp for free or dirt cheap to make living full time on the road possible and without breaking the bank so keep reading.
(Photo Credit; Passionate Media Group took this photo at our free campsite in Crested Butte Colorado)

1) Boondockers Welcome;

The details; Boondockers welcome Is not completely free because of the $50 yearly membership however when you use our link you get added savings! http://bit.ly/TFLBWReferral Boondockers Welcome is a great place to overnight camp for no additional cost on private property. Boondockers welcome is an app for RVers only and it’s a great way to meet fellow RVers. Usually the people who welcome you to stay on their property are generally RVers as well. Sometimes the owners will offer electric hook ups and/or water for a very small fee, we have seen it cost $2 to $5 a day depending on how long you stay and the size of your rig. But hey if you ask me it beats the cost of an RV park any day.
Our Experience; We have stayed with Boondockers welcome a hand full of times since we started this journey seven months ago. A few of our experiences are definitely worth talking about. Our very first stay was in the heat of summer just outside of El Paso, Tx. When we first arrived we were welcomed by the sweetest host an older Italian gentleman who is also a fellow RVer. We were invited to swim in our host pool and he was even so kind to invited us for some homemade authentic Italian pasta. To top it off he shared his recipe with me! When we were in Colorado We stayed with this cute older couple who were so kind and sweet. We had such a great time with them by the end of our stay it felt like we were family The wife would come out some mornings and we would have coffee and chat while the kids and the dogs would run around and play. She even gave us fresh vegetables from her garden. It was really a great experience. Even our dogs made best buds, it was so cute. Save when you use our link http://bit.ly/TFLBWReferral (Photo credit; Passionate media group at a boondockers welcome site)

2) Harvest Host;

The Details; Harvest host has a one time yearly membership of $79. You can stay at wineries, museums, farmlands, breweries, libraries, country clubs, and more. They do ask that you patronize the businesses you stay at. You do need to be a self contained RVer and also RSVP online before showing up.
Our Experience; We stayed at a small family owned winery on an off day and the owners who lived on the property opened up for Roland and I to have a private wine tasting!! We really enjoyed ourselves, and purchased two delicious bottles of wine for our relaxing hangout time near a warm campfire, after we put the kids to bed. Use our link and save 20%!!!! http://bit.ly/TFLHHReferral (Photo Credit; Passionate media group at a Harvest Host site)

3) I Overlander;

The Details; This is an app that is completely free no yearly fee required. It’s a social share app that anyone can use to camp off grid for free it doesn’t matter if you are in a tent, car, or RV everyone shares, and will tell you if there is access to water, electricity, restrooms, WiFi, nearby food, they may even have pictures so you can see how beautiful the place is before you go. You receive the location via gps coordinates that you can easily plug into google maps. This has to be our most used app because you can use it in a pinch with no reservation required. One thing to note is that the sights are first come first served. But there are usually more spots near by so you don’t have to worry that someone may beat you to the punch.
Our Experience; We have found some fantastic sights through this app. Some have been quiet and personal with no other campers around and others we have had neighbors. For us we loved it either way when we had neighbors we made friends and when we didn’t we enjoyed the quiet. The good thing about this app is you can totally choose. If quiet time is what you are seeking then you can totally move and camp with no one around. (Photo Credit; Passionate media group at our I Overlander campsite)

4) Campendium

The Details; Campendium is an awesome app you can use that is only for RVers we like this one because it RV specific you can narrow your search down to the size of your rig, it has this super cool feature where you can virtually tour over 21,000 different campgrounds throughout the lower 48 states and Alaska ! How cool is that!?!? And to top it off , although it is a social share app it’s pretty heavily monitored to insure that the information posted is true. So, that definitely gave us added comfort using the app.
Our Experience; We love Campendium so much! Not just because of its super cool feature of the virtual tour, I mean that’s just the coolest thing! But we got the pleasure of being neighbors with the sweet couple who created the app in Silverton Colorado. They have been full time RVers for over 10 years and even gave us some fantastic advice on being full time they even let us use their WiFi ,lol. Campendium blessed our life so much when we needed to find a place to camp at the Grand Canyon for free we used it at the North and South Rim of the canyon and both sights were just amazing, quiet,and beautiful. (Photo Credit; Passionate media group at our Campendium campsite)

5) Walmart;

The Details; You can overnight camp and most Walmarts across the country it’s a good option for if you are driving and it’s getting late and you just need to get some rest. Walmart is a saving grace because you can literally find a Walmart in any and every city and town. I will however suggest that you give them a call ahead of time to see if it is allowed.
Our Experience;We haven’t experienced it much but in Colorado Springs we were told that the Walmarts there don’t allow Rv overnighting because the city owns the parking lot and the city doesn’t allow it. We have camped at Walmart several times since we started this journey seven months ago, and its come in handy knowing it’s available. I will advise that you use common sense and caution when camping there. Practice safety and be aware of your surroundings, Walmart can be known for its sketchy late night customers ( Photo courtesy of: http://bit.ly/34ixZc0 )

6) Bureau of Land Managemen

The Details; Bureau of Land Management (BLM Land) This is free land you can camp at for 14 days. Each sight may very but, you are required to move every 14 days 2 to 3 miles if you want to stay in that area. You can find BLM land all over the country. You can check for your area on this website. Our Experience; We have stayed on BLM Land in a pinch on several occasions because that was the free option. To be honest I haven’t been impressed with the sites because it’s mostly been in the dessert, very dusty, and unattractive but I do appreciate a free stay in the middle of nowhere when we have needed it. (Photo Credit; Passionate media group)

7) National Forest;

The Details; We have stayed at a lot of National Forest sites. The rules are very similar to BLM Land. I will be sure to leave a website link for you to look at. But you can camp in the National Forest for 14 days free, and every 14 days move 3.2 miles away.
Our Experience; We have honestly loved camping with the National Forest for the simple reason that its been absolutely beautiful! One campsite where we camped at had a beautiful rushing river right on our campsite. At another we had Lamas walk right through our campsite, it was extremely beautiful! (Photo Credit; Passionate media group)

8) Rest Stop

The Details; Here is a list of states that allow you to overnight camp at rest stops in the US. Any other state you will run the risk of getting a ticket if you are caught: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois (only on the Illinois toll road), Indiana (only on the Indiana toll road, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio (only on Ohio turnpike), Oklahoma, Oregon (14 hour limit), Texas, and Virginia.
Our Experience; Rest stops have a bad reputation for being sketchy. Although this hasn’t been our experience, and to be completely honest we have only overnighted once at a well lit rest area in Texas, and it was pretty well taken care of. I do know that all aren’t created equal and you should use caution and common sense when using any of the suggestions listed. (Photo courtesy of: http://bit.ly/2RIUfcF)

9) Bass Pro;

The Details; So Bass pro will allow you to overnight camp at their store. Different locations have different rules as to how many days you are allowed to camp and where you are allowed to park on the property and they love it when you go inside and shop around.
Our Experience; We found a Bass Pro location on a whim. We overnighted Bass Pro for about two weeks ,lol. We were told it was allowed a few days but no one ever said anything to us.There were a few other people staying for longer then we were. This may vary from location to location. I want to add we did have one experience that we talk about in the video below of a strange guy walking up on Roland while he was un hooking the RV at Bass Pro watch the video for more on that. (Photo courtesy of: http://bit.ly/2rxLhV1 )

10) Cracker Barrel

The Details; Cracker Barrel is another great tool to have and use in a pinch. Its a great place to camp for one night and what’s awesome is you can go in and eat dinner and/or breakfast, so its and awesome win win. And be sure to call ahead and talk with the manager to make sure that they allow overnighting at their location (laws vary in different states) but for the most part Cracker Barrel allows RVers to stay.
Our Experience; We have actually never overnighted at Cracker Barrel . The one time we almost stayed, the parking lot was so small and it was a pretty scary experience trying to get out. We talk all about it in the video posted below. However we do consider it to be a great option and given the right opportunity we will definitely stay overnight some day. I just want to warn you to either call ahead and ask about the parking lot size. (Photo Credit; Weretherussos.com)

How To Afford A Life Of Full Time Travel

To Afford A Life Of Full-Time Travel.

The number one question we get all the time is, “How do you earn enough income to travel full-time?” So why not start my first blog post off by answering your biggest question? There are honestly countless ways to earn a living while traveling full-time. In this post you will learn about the ways we have successfully gained a steady income. Later, in a different post, I will give you other ideas we have come across to make money while traveling. Here’s the thing in order to accomplish this you have to believe you can. If you believe you can, then you can! Now, let’s get started.

The Decision

When we decided to do this a little over a year ago, I went full throttle into research because I knew my husband wouldn’t go along with it if we didn’t have a plan. Can you relate? Maybe its your spouse?Or maybe your kids? Sometimes we have so many different variables in our way and we get stuck in this place of doing nothing and that’s what I call a roadblock. Here’s the thing roadblocks: they can be moved and maneuvered; they can be worked with, it only takes a little thinking and creativity. Now I’m not saying he didn’t have a valid reason to question, because he absolutely did, but I’m saying I had to get creative and figure out a way to earn an income. I knew if I did that he would be all for it!

Getting Started With Retail Arbitrage

So I put my thinking cap on and started researching using Google, YouTube, and Pintrest I found a way to do Retail Arbitrage on Amazon. I decided to try it out with sale items at Walmart and with things at Goodwill. As soon as everything sold Roland was a hundred percent on board. Once we figured out how it worked we went after it, building it and within 3 months we had hit our first goal of having a $10,000 month in sales. For us that was a major win and gave us the push we needed to keep going and finally pursue our dream of full time travel. Here’s the thing you only need a vision and a tiny amount of faith and God will do the rest. You have to partner with God, pray and believe and He will make a way.

Getting Creative with YouTube

Another way to generate income to travel fulltime is YouTube!!! Start a YouTube channel. Tap into your creativity and grow your audience. Start with something that you know or are good at or maybe even start with your journey to independence. To be able to monetize your YouTube as of Dec 2019 you need to have at least 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours. We are currently working on achieving that goal. And our channel is growing so one day soon we will reach that milestone for sure. If you want to help click this link and go subscribe ( YouTube ). We are not intimidated by the mountain in front of us. We serve a God who is in the business of leveling mountains!

Photography and Videography

Photography and videography is at great way to earn an income while traveling full time. It’s something my husband Roland At Passionate Media Group has a ton of talent in this area and he has done some amazing work since we have been traveling. He’s had so much opportunity in this area. From filming a wedding, and taking family portraits, to headshots, landscapes, and engagement photos he has had great success in photography and videography. So if you have a good camera give it a go, try it out and see how it works for you.

Bridge The Gap with Door Dash

Door Dash can be helpful as a back up way to make cash. It’s something that is in most states so if we need some extra cash it’s available. Roland ran a few door dash deliveries in Utah just to try it out and he liked it, he made about $100 in 3 hours so it can definitely help you in a pinch for sure. You can totally do it full time if you want. And if you keep your expenses low it’s totally doable to live on full time, especially if you own your RV and don’t have to make payments.

Overcoming Fear and Jumping into Your Dream Life

Sometimes our dreams can seem so far away and sometimes we can feel intimidated by that distance. Let me give you a bit of advice DO NOT LET FEAR ROB YOU. Fear has no power unless you give it power. Fear is the biggest lier and the biggest crusher of dreams. The fear pit is where dreams go to die. Don’t give in to the feeling of fear. Keep going , keep pressing, keep believing.
In this video driving to the top of that mountain was absolutely terrifying, because the drive was literally off the side of a cliff. On the way up we couldn’t see the top we couldn’t see all of that beauty. All we could see was forest and the cliff drop of doom, lol. We would have missed this if we had decided to figure out how to turn around and get out of there. We would have missed all of that beauty and wonder waiting for us at the top if we had let fear win ( check out the video). Don’t give in and definitely don’t give up.

Living A Blissful Life Together

We made the jump even though everything wasn’t 100% perfect when we started. We had some money saved, some money coming in, and we decided to trust God with the rest. Now we are having a blast living our dream come true with our children. It’s been absolutely blissful and we are so blessed to share this life together.

Fill your life with adventures not things, have stories to share not things to show.


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