Week 34. One week left!

As much as I pray and trust God with our future, there are times that a roaring voice interrupts my thoughts and I must silence it by leaning on Him.

It’s the voice that wants to bring up the “what if’s”, the one that wants my own place to rest my head and call home because living on the road for 8 months makes you long for that. The voice that wonders if we will go through more financial hard times in the immediate future. I also worry if my hip surgeon will tell me there is no hope. I usually push these feelings away quickly and convince myself to stop being ridiculous.

This week we have our own home for a few days at a YWAM base, which is the most amazing feeling ever when you have not had your own personal space to think or relax much! On Tuesday we make our way to WA and land “home” on Friday. This is when I will see my hip surgeon and Josh will start working on his future job options. We will have temporary housing for most of the summer if needed.

Onto what we did this past week!

On our way out of Colorado we visited The Garden of the Gods on Sunday, then stopped by Arches National Park in Utah on Monday and ended the week with 2 days at Yellowstone in Wyoming. 

I still cannot express how much beauty and open land there is in this country! I hope you enjoy the tiny pieces I captured of these amazing places.

Most everywhere we have gone has been wheelchair accessible. If not, I walk the equivalent of a couple of blocks with my walking sticks and sit down somewhere and enjoy the view while the family explores.

Arches is a drive-through park with many stops to park and get out, but once you are out of your car, it is not very wheelchair friendly. I understand this because it could take away from nature to build a smooth path to the arches.

Being determined not to let my pain stop me from enjoying life, I set foot, and I mean I set one foot in front of the other without looking back and made it to the top of one of the arches! I shared this moment with my daughters and got a photo to remember that I chose to not let my pain stop me. NOW, this did mean that I had intense pain for the remainder of that day and night with moments of nausea, pain and discomfort for several days after.  But I’m thankful I can do these things if I choose too! The pain is always there, but it becomes worse with the more movement I do, so I sit when I can.

Yellowstone!
I will admit that I underestimated Wyoming. When I think of vacation I often think of somewhere warmer, like California, Florida, Mexico, or Hawaii - Never Wyoming. I have since changed my mind! It’s beautiful! There are so many options and some are things you can't do in bigger tourist town.

Ranches are available as a bed and breakfast, but with dinners and horse back riding too. Skiing in the winter is crazy popular and a visit to Yellowstone (You’ll want 2 days to do this) in the spring and summer. The drive alone is breathtaking. Mile after mile of fields and mountains to be seen, along with wild deer, free range cows and other wildlife. It’s so peaceful….so peaceful I allowed myself a nap or two on those long driving days! ;)

For those of you curious why there are geysers and why the water and mud boil at Yellowstone, here is an article that explains it much better than I could! http://www.livescience.com/18813-yellowstone-hot-water-source.html

We have been well taken care of these past 8 months, and with many surprises along the way. We've received hospitality from complete strangers, giving us warm meals and a safe place to sleep.
We've visited old friends and family who have moved around the US.
We've also been able to get discounts at attractions, as well as hitting as many free ones as we can. We've experienced all the seasons, even having a break from the cold in Florida.
We have sacrificed having a home and security, but we've gained a lifetime of memories and a closer relationship as a family.

I know we're going to miss some crazy aspects of this lifestyle, but I think you'll find me enjoying the normally of life for quite a while! 

Marilyn