2021 {Year in Review}

Despite still living under the threat of COVID, we managed to have a pretty good year. Physical therapy for my shoulder finally ended, after 9 long months, and we were again free to travel. We took a six week trip north visiting Charleston’s historical forts and sites, then Ohio to see family for the first time in two years. We attended Twinfest again, but this time with friends (the Durens). Grandpa took us on our first fishing charter experience at Lake Erie. In the fall we returned to the Keys with the Gebbias, this time staying a full two weeks and reconnecting with the Logsdon family, who taught us to how to go “bugging” (AKA lobstering). Turns out Asher is quite good at it! He also caught a stingray, a crab and a 6ft shark! I was able to spend some time at the Curry Hammock Hawkwatch station with Luis and Mariah. Back at home Asher caught a SIX pound bass in the yard. I cleaned and cooked it, which was a bit traumatic for all of us, and though it was tasty, we decided catch and release is more for us. 

After our August 2020 accident, I really needed my parents. My mom ended up coming to visit for 3 weeks in November. I needed it so bad and was so happy to have her with us. We were able to heal some past hurts and talk about the future. She also took me to my ridiculous amount of appointments, which gave Daddy and the kids a break from sitting in parking lots waiting for me. We also spent a couple days visiting her cousin, Joni, in Dunedin. My dad came for a week in May. I was doing better by then, so we took him fishing, swimming at Silver Glen, and I treated him to a tram tour of Carney Island.

The kids tried new things: They created and ran a mobile coffee shop at two Crossfit events, where DJ Journey made her debut. We hand-fed tarpon in the Keys. They learned to dive at the pool on Joint Base Charleston, they tried (and love) frisbee golf, they learned to play cards with the adults (“the neighborly game”), and joined Crossfit the day they turned 10. It’s still shocking to me that they do the same workout as the adults! The kids attended summer camp where they learned to use bows and arrows safely and accurately and throw axes! Journey learned to play the ukelele. Despite four years of fulltime RVing, we had never had to shelter from a major storm, however while in Charleston, Tropical Storm Elsa, came thru and we ended up sheltering in a bathroom with 2 other families and their pets for an hour in our pajamas. Good times! 

We were invited to a special Veteran’s Day camping event in Sarasota where Asher won an all-ages fishing contest and brought home a $200 rod and reel! We also enjoyed a weekend of camping at Otter Springs with our ITEC friends. When I went to Sarasota for RRT, we stayed at Rambler’s Rest in Venice and went bowling with Uncle Eric. We went shark tooth hunting in the Peace River. Lisa’s family met us for a day at the beach while they were in town. The kids and I went to the bird banding station.

After my struggles with panic attacks and anxiety, I found RRT (Rapid Resolution Therapy) was a great way to painlessly process traumatic events and become free from those automatic post-traumatic stress responses and troubling thoughts. It helped me so much that I went thru the training to be able to help others with RRT. 

One of my favorite things that happened in 2021 is birding related. Go figure. I was leading walks for our local chapter and a woman attended two in one day, yes, two. She then began inviting me to bird with her and two other friends. I have had SO MUCH FUN with these three ladies over the last year! I am so thankful for Liz, Alice and Wendy for accepting me into their group. I have been hesitant to bird alone, but now I know I always have them to call, because they bird every. single. day! They are all excellent birders and we all learn a lot from each other. One other wonderful birding memory from this year was when my friend, Jim, called one day and asked me to come over quickly and bring my camera. He had found a rare bird. Like SUPER rare. The bird lives in South America! It caused quite a stir, not just locally, but across North America. Over time I heard it spoken about on podcasts and my photos were featured in a national magazine! 

In all we visited 4 national park sites:

Cuyahoga

Congaree

Ft Sumter

Ft Moultrie

5 state parks:

Hocking Hills

Silver Springs

Malabar Farm

Bahia Honda

Curry Hammock

An unexpected Christmas surprise

 RVers, friends visit

Florida exploring

 camping otter springs

Florida Keys 2021

 fishing

Grandparent visits

 mom and dad

Bird banding

 Prairie Creek

Twinsfest

 Twin days w/ Anina

Cuyahoga & campground

 swimming

Ohio second post

 Hocking hills

Ohio

 fishing charter

Hocking hills

birding

lake

Forts

 Sumter, Moultrie

Charleston, SC

road trip

2020. The No Good, Very Bad Year. {Ok, some good + one miracle}

2020. It was bad.....

Well, I think we all know what happened in 2020. It was a year for which I think we all had high hopes and big plans and before it even really got started, life as we knew it changed as the world screeched to a halt. News of a virus in China. Soon it had a name, COVID-19. As it spread, entire countries began shutting their borders. Shelves emptied and you could not buy toilet paper anywhere. Masks were required, jobs deemed "essential" stayed open while all other businesses closed or required their employees to work from home. Libraries closed. Parks and even the beaches were closed. Church went online. Even restaurants were closed, seemingly only drive-thrus, pharmacies, Walmart and Lowe's remained. Some states and countries even went so far as to declare leaving your house illegal if not for a few exceptions (food, medical help, or essential work). By the middle of the year we knew people with covid. By the end of the year we knew people who had died from covid. But even funerals weren't allowed (no gatherings of more than 10 people). 

Asher and Journey have chronic lung disease as a result of their prematurity. To be honest, living in lockdown was not new to us. We spent 6 months of every year for the first 3 years of their lives sheltering at home. RSV looks like a cold in an adult, but it could be deadly to a premature child like ours. So back into sheltering mode for us. Even as our friends went back to living pretty much normal lives, we just couldn’t take that chance. 

Before the pandemic, Daddy was busy outfitting his Jeep for overlanding. He purchased a 4x8x4 enclosed trailer, customized the inside with a folding couch/mattress, A/C, kitchen, a King-sized rooftop tent, an outdoor shower and an awning on the top. After a couple shake-down trips to Salt Springs and Anastasia State Park, we were finally ready for our big FIVE month overlanding trip out west. Of course you know what happened. All travel was cancelled. Shelter in place orders. Campgrounds and parks even closed. Travelers got stuck with nowhere to go. 

In April, Daddy's mom died. We knew it was coming. Her sickness was, after all, the reason why we postponed our "carry-on only life". It was the right decision. We ended up getting three more years with her. But still, it hurt. And funerals were banned. In July, the beaches finally reopened so the family met to reunite Mom's ashes with Dad's. We gathered for our final goodbye in the morning. Dinner that night was interrupted by another death. My brother-in-law's wife overdosed on fentanyl while we were all in the next room. It was very traumatic and just plain awful.

While still reeling from those losses, two weeks later, Asher, Journey, Daddy and I were T-boned by a drug-impaired woman while we were traveling at 55mph. The JEEP was totaled, but we survived and that is a MIRACLE! I later learned the Holy Spirit put me on the heart of a friend and she had begun praying at 3pm. Our accident happened at 3:11! That's no coincidence! Still I had injuries and would endure 9 months of physical therapy and go 6 months without driving.

Three days later I ended up having a panic attack while driving and then didn't drive again for 6 months. During this time I leaned heavily on God, listened to Louie Giglio talk about his own battle with anxiety and finally I had ONE session of RRT (Rapid Resolution Therapy). RRT offers a shift in perspective which helps clear trauma. If you're dealing with trauma or emotions that aren't serving you, just try it!

.....but also good.

Ever since the twins were born, I had wished for more time to catch up on all the things I felt I needed to do. Turns out I wouldn’t be as productive with the extra time as I had thought. 

We hadn’t realized how busy our lives had become. I was taking the children to homeschool classes on Fridays, library events thru the week. We visited with other homeschooling friends 1-2 times a week, plus Daddy was at the gym everyday and I was out birding when I could. When everything stopped we had more time together again. Since Daddy’s gym was closed, he could stay up and watch a show with me. We, or I took the kids fishing a couple times a week to different lakes nearby. After the accident, when I couldn’t drive, Asher was content with fishing in our backyard. He actually has caught a number of 5lb bass out there! 

The Overland Cafe was born. Daddy noticed there was a need for coffee at some local Crossfit events, so as a homeschool project, he helped the kids create a mobile one-day cafe. Journey took and made orders while Asher processed payments. I was really impressed with their confidence and ability. It was popular enough that we received requests to appear at other events. After three events, we realized, though a fun project, we were actually losing money. Another great lesson. So, the Overland Cafe is officially out of business.  

It was a year of leaning into God. Between the loss, fear and pain we were feeling, we learned again to rely on him. I participated in a Bible study with fellow Fulltime Families Moms thru zoom. Who knew an online Bible Study could work? We took a spontaneous trip to the Keys to spend time with our friends, the Gebbias, a much-needed break! We snorkeled, fished and I got to spend time at the Hawkwatch at Curry Hammock. 90 degree weather plus biting no-see-ums led us to stop at Lazy Days on the way home to “just see what they have”. Famous last words! In the end, we wound up swapping out the 8' overlanding trailer for a 30' travel trailer. Turns out I prefer a bit more luxury with two kids in tow (a toilet and room for all of us to relax under A/C).  An RV wasn’t the only big addition. After years of saying we can’t have a pet, we inherited our sister-in-law’s one year old kitty, Denali, a Snowshoe Siamese. She's turned out to be a great addition to our family!  

We took our new RV for a weekend trip to Otter Creek with ITEC friends, and to Patrick AFB where we watched a rocket launch with old friends.

Daddy went to Burundi with ITEC. I became the VP of our local Audubon chapter.  

While we were in Ecuador in 2019, Daddy’s friend stayed at our house to keep an eye on it for us. By the time we returned, he decided he liked it so much, he wanted to stay. He and Daddy began making plans for a small cabin on our property.  After about a year of living with us, I should add that we have a TWO bedroom house, he moved in to the “TC” (Tiny Cabin) and we all breathed a bit easier. We enjoy having him around and it’s been fun seeing him learn about the nature in our yard. 

Our friends, Natalia, Stefan and their husky, Belle, stayed with us for 7 months. We enjoyed pancakes and great conversations on Sundays. Stefan even taught all four of us to play the guitar. 

So yah, while it was one of the most difficult years of my life, I can definitely look back and see some great blessings and one huge miracle!

Overlanding Cafe

 Homeschool Project

A new RV (and cat)

 Denali

Exploring Florida

Ocala NF

Natalia and Stefen

 A last minute opportunity to spend time with the Gebbias.

Tres Traumas (+1 more)

I couldn't breathe, my body completely locked, contracted and numb, unable to move, my heart beat so fast it was vibrating. I was clawing at the very cliff's edge of consciousness, when finally the medics arrived, and rushed me back to the same hospital I was released from just 3 days before. I waited 43 years for an ambulance ride and now this makes twice in one week. 

If you know me, you know I've struggled thru some very hard things (infertility, I nearly died during the loss of our first baby, 80 days in the NICU with my prematurely-born twins, a year-long deployment ending with my husband on a ventilator and 2 years of rehab ahead of us- this all happened within the span of a few years), but this month, friends, this month has broken me. Two and a half weeks ago we said our final goodbye to my dear mother-in-law as we released her ashes to the sea. Later that same day, I watched a family member die before my eyes while another desperately performed CPR in vain. You can't unsee that. This week, while still reeling from that trauma a drug-impared woman drove into the side of our Jeep while we were traveling at 50mph. It's only by the grace of God and the protection of angels that we all walked away from that impact. My children, though deeply traumatized, had not a scratch on their little bodies. My husband, the man that I so deeply love and admire did exactly what he always does, he took charge. After checking us, he checked on the other driver then directed traffic on arguably the most dangerous road in the area for half an hour while awaiting police. A trip to the ER, my first ambulance ride ever, revealed my pain was not due to broken bones. Thank you God. 

While feeling deeply blessed to be protected thru this, I began to realize how close we came to a very different outcome. The police were surprised our Jeep didn't rollover. What if the oncoming traffic were closer, after all, we were spun into that lane. What if we were driving our lower-set Element as we had planned that morning, instead of the much taller Jeep that my husband insisted on taking as we left the house? Would her SUV have come fully thru the door seriously injuring my body? Journey's?

Don't get me wrong, I'm deeply thankful that my 'what if's are not 'if only's. Yet my brain can't stop thinking and replaying these traumatic events of the last two weeks, unleashing anxiety that I had struggled with from those earlier traumas a decade ago. 

Despite the anxiety I felt at the thought of driving just three days after the accident, I headed to the doctor alone. (My thought process: I have to drive again, right? I might as well start now.) Just beyond the scene of the accident, I became light-headed and pulled over. Despite desperately trying to control my breathing, the situation began spiraling out of control. My entire body went numb due to a tachicardic heartrate triggered by adrenaline, caused by lack of oxygen. A terrifying chain reaction.

Alone in a parking lot, about to lose consciousness, I called 911. I also called out to Jesus and miraculously he kept me awake. While speaking to the dispatcher the phone fell from my hand as every muscle engaged and became paralyzed, my speech changed, an intensity indescribable.

Finally medics arrived, gave me oxygen, an IV and tried to stimulate my vagas nerve to slow my heart that was now beating at 160 beats per minute, 100 times faster than my normal rate.

I pleaded with them to not take me to the hospital. Just days before I was terrified upon arrival in the midst of a pandemic. The ER was overwhelmed. Gurneys holding people appearing near death lined the halls. I held my breath and closed my eyes as we passed. There was no room, so I had to wait in the waiting room with 10 other people. I remember wondering what would happen if I arrived by ambulance but left before treatment, it was that scary.

The medics made it clear, my condition was extremely dangerous, to the hospital we must go. Upon arrival, my heart had slowed to a much less scary 91bpm, though still experiencing a buzzing numbness, I was slowly regaining the ability to move my hands. After normal chest x-ray and blood work revealed I did not have a heart attack, we knew it was, as I suspected, a panic attack. A term I had heard used in the past to refer to low level anxiety, a term now too benign to equal the terrifying experience I just lived thru. This was BY FAR even more traumatic than the vehicle accident that caused it. Now I have anxiety about having another anxiety attack. Devastatingly ironic isn't it? Toss yet another trauma onto my quickly growing pile this month.

2019 {Year in Review}

I am grossly behind on my annual recap. 2019 was an incredible year of new experiences for us. We spent five months living in Ecuador, one month in Colombia, then ended the year with a roadtrip from Florida to Ohio and Tennessee. While living in Shell, Ecuador, on the edge of the Amazon, we experienced earthquakes, and learned when you hear a "train", you run for cover, because that is the sound of serious rainfall headed your way! Asher and Journey attended an actual school for the first time ever, which of course was in Spanish! This freed up Daddy and I to be able to volunteer at ITEC Ecuador, helping with anything from cleaning to accounting to building canoes and airplanes! At school the kids learned to play futbol, and found you don't have to speak the same language to be friends. 

We spent time in the "ring of fire". Rode a tram 10,000ft up a volcano where we then explored on horseback, enjoyed lunch from the rim of one of only two inhabited volcano craters in the world.

We explored Cotopaxi National Park by car, on foot and on horseback and experienced blizzard conditions when we tried to hike up the snow-covered mountain.

In Mindo's cloud forest, we rode a cable car over a deep valley then hiked a popular trail past 7 waterfalls. I saw a Cock-of-the-Rock and a Long-Wattled Umbrellabird. 

Nicole and I spent a week birding like mad from the cloud forest, to the paramo of Cayambe Coca, to the Amazon jungle tallying 380 species of birds, while staying in numerous interesting places, meeting incredible people and improving my spanish. 

We spent four days in the Amazon learning what life is like for the Waodani people. We met Mincaye and Kimo, men who killed our friend's grandfather. The bigger shock is that same friend actually introduced us to these men who are now totally changed Christ-followers. We saw firsthand the power of redemption, forgiveness and true love. I watched Mincaye, hunched in his old age, walk barefoot thru the jungle holding the hand of his bride. If you only knew how she became his, you'd understand why I still get emotional thinking back to this memory. 

With the Waodani we planted crops (plantain and yucca) and ate monkey, piranha, wild boar and chontacuro (palm grubs- Asher) in the jungle. We experienced culture shock when we arrived, and again when we traded jungle life for a high-rise in Medellin. A visit to Comuna 13, one of the most dangerous locations at one time, gave us a new perspective on life and how much can change in a short time, both for the bad and the good. 

Back in the states, I had the pleasure of attending Night to Shine with my buddy, Lisa. We milked a cow for the first time at the Fugate homestead. The Obrien's showed us around Chattanooga and treated us to the aquarium. Daddy finally bought another Jeep Wrangler and began outfitting it for overlanding. 

In Florida the kids took classes in Batik art, archery, volleyball and tried indoor skydiving for the first time! They witnessed the birth of 8 puppies and observed their development and helped with their care. They also learned thru fostering that saying goodbye is hard, but it's still worth doing. Numerous trips to Tallahassee and Sarasota gave us time to spend with family. In Ohio we visited Chrissy & Shaun, toured Shawshank (Mansfield Penitentiary) and attended J's annual Halloween bash. When we left Ohio we had no way of knowing it would be two years before we'd be able to return (upcoming covid pandemic). 

2019 Florida Highlights

 2019 Florida travel

Ohio & Tennessee

 Our visit with friends and family.

The Shawshank Redemption at Mansfield Penitentiary

 Did you know Shawshank Redemption was filmed in Ohio at the Mansfield Penitentiary? We took a tour with my dad. 

The Joy of Fostering Puppies

Jan 2019

Asher and Journey have been wanting a dog again, but we aren't ready for that kind of commitment. Instead, we decided at Christmas to foster a pregnant black lab, named Ziva for the local Humane Society. They thought she wouldn't have her puppies for another month, but when we arrived home I noticed the puppies moving in her belly, which meant she was further along than they believed. Daddy built a box for her and we returned to pick up a baby pool to use as a birthing tub. In the early hours of New Years Eve, I awoke to a squeaking noise. The first puppy was born! I rushed to wake my children and we waited, and waited. An hour passed before the second puppy was born, but after that, they came rather quickly. Eight puppies in all! Asher and Journey documented the time, sex and distinguishing marks for each puppy. 

Ziva is an amazing mommy, she took care of her puppies and seemed to appreciate us jumping in to help. At 5 weeks the Humane Society came to our house and gave everyone their shots. (Later we learned this should have been done at 6 weeks.) By now the puppies were bounding thru the house. So fun and playful! Once they reached 8 weeks the kids said their tearful goodbyes and I drove all 8 puppies and Ziva back to the shelter. Upon arrival we found out the shots had been done too soon and they wanted us to keep the puppies for a couple more weeks. I just couldn't. As fun as they were, puppies are A LOT of work and I hadn't slept thru the night in those eight weeks. I cried as I walked away empty handed, without even a "thank you". While we didn't do it to be appreciated, it would have been nice. It was still a great experience for my family and we do hope to do it again in the future, though maybe not for the full eight weeks.

Note- If you are open to fostering a pregnant dog or cat, I'd encourage you to try it. Our Humane Society was asking for people to commit to 2-4 weeks, though it was clearly assumed we'd keep them for 8 weeks once we took her home. Be clear with your intentions. Do not let them vaccinate before 6 weeks. 

Cultural Curiosities

A short collection of cultural differences you should know before visiting Ecuador.

Adios is only for final goodbyes (moving away, death). Say Ciao instead.

Never point or wave, use your chin to indicate a direction if necessary.

Never use the single finger "come here" motion (NEVER). Instead do a palm out, fingers down scoop towards you.

When indicating height- for an animal, hold your hand at the appropriate height with your palm down. For a person, the palm should be sideways.


Terms: As we traveled we realized some words were used only in Ecuador and not in Colombia, or even more specifically in Shell, but not in other parts of Ecuador. This is quite interesting, but it seems quite similar to the pop vs soda vs coke type situations we have in the United States.

Mande- polite way to say "What?" when someone calls your name. Or your child gives you the ole "Mom, Mommy, Mama, Maaaamaaaa....." bit. However we learned it's not used in other parts of Ecuador, but is used in Mexico and not at all used in Spain. 

Funda- a bag

I'll add more as I remember them.

Guatapé

Let me be clear, we are NOT city people. After a month in bustling Medellín, we were in dire need of natural surroundings. It was time to head to Guatapé, a very popular lakeside town just a two hour drive away.

The main attraction is El Peñol, a 656ft tall rock that can be climbed for breathtaking views. 

From the top you have a fantastic view of the emerald lake with numerous islands.

I was unsure how our children (8yrs old)  would do climbing its 649 stairs, but they had no problem. On the way up, the stairway is plenty wide enough to stop and enjoy the view while catching your breath while allowing people to pass. 

On the way down, you're on an inside staircase which is much narrower with fewer places to pass, but it's much less strenuous.

Once you reach the top, you can reward yourself with ice cream or a drink. For those who prefer not to climb the rock, you can still enjoying this spectacular view from the outdoor cafe balcony at the base of El Peñol. 

The village of Guatape is a fun place to walk around. The buildings there are as colorful as a box of crayons and the shop owners are super friendly.

We discovered this restaurant and it was so good we are there twice. Their limonada de cocós were SO GOOD! 

After climbing El Peñol we decided to return the following day for a boat tour. Our guide pointed out some fun rental cottages on an island and lakehouses owned by rich and famous Colombians.

We were on a pontoon boat, but there were many different boats to choose from.

In Guatapé we stayed at El Remanso Del Agua, the guesthouse of a Colombian couple. They took great care of us, fed us breakfast each day, drove us to and from the village and even dropped us off at the airport. Their property, a gorgeous retreat, is just what we needed after the culture shock of Medellín. This is their yard. Asher and Journey loved the tree swing. You can even see the top of El Peñol! Birding on the property and along their road was fantastic! I saw 37 species of birds there.