----->>> In a Home Named Destiny: April 2013

135 Days

Today we are celebrating our 135th day on the road!!! Time flies when you're having fun!

Tulsa, OK to Amarillo, TX is about 365 miles. Our GPS says it should take about 5 hours and 20 minutes, but translated into Destiny time that is approximately 8 hours, depending on weather. We got a later start than we wanted but it was worth it. We got to sleep in our own bed for the first time in over 3 weeks, went to Whole Foods, made a delicious breakfast and stopped by a gas station. We took turns driving throughout the day and just as I was taking my second shift at the wheel the sun started to set and the winds picked up. Usually night time is my favorite time to drive. Jordan will read a book or do something in the back and I get lost in my head and music, it's therapeutic and gives me time to process through everything. On the other hand Jordan loves driving in the day time. He likes to see everything! So we are a good team.

Anyway, so the winds really started to pick up and I started seeing lightning in the distance. Jordan checked the Doppler and we both got really quiet. Apparently that huge storm we were trying to beat had just found us and was coming with a vengeance. It started to hail, the lightning was shooting across the sky all around us and the wind just got crazier.

We pulled over at a gas station in the middle of no where to figure out what to do. The storm subsided some so we thought we were good. We checked the weather and saw *BLIZZARD WARNING- 8-15INCHES*

We were 100 miles from Amarillo and the Walmart we planned on staying at. If we were going to be stuck anywhere we wanted it to be there because the snow fall was supposed to be 5-6 inches less than where we were. And if we could make it to Walmart, they would have everything we could need. So we shook off the lightning bolts and thunder and decided to run like the wind! With the headwind we could only go about 45mph but we were hoping it would subside a little. Once we crossed the Texas state line the roads were more tolerable. At one point we looked over the left of us when we were switching seats and saw a small tornado looking thing coming straight for us. We started to freak out and tried to drive away as quick as possible, as soon as we came back on the freeway we realized that it was just a shadow from a huge cross. Ha, we might have been a little paranoid. But honestly it really did look like a small twister. By the time we finally made it to Amarillo and the Walmart parking lot the storm really started to hit. We grabbed a few things from inside, filled up all our gas tanks and generator, and found some propane and hunkered down. The blizzard had begun! Thank you Lord for allowing us to get here safely and in one piece! Destiny is such a trooper. She runs from tornadoes, crosses huge mountain passes, and races through storms! So we'll be here until we can get back on the road. Pray for sunshine! Arizona, we can't wait to see you and your amazing weather!

The awesome 6 story high cross that scared us!

Just making my husband's favorite,
brussel sprouts with bacon!

Love my little motor home kitchen!

Just the beginning of the blizzard

Poor little Destiny! Isn't she so cute?!

Back on the Road

Back on the road smiles! Pure joy!!!

Aww.... what a beautiful Saturday morning. The sun is shining, snow covers the ground, and life is coming back to the frozen earth! After a really good nights sleep we are so amped to get moving and get back on the road. It's almost as exciting as the first day we left. Ever since the New Year we've basically been hiding out at a house so the road is really calling our names. We spent the morning and afternoon packing, showering, and organizing. By four thirty we were ready to get moving. We said goodbye to Chelsea and Calie and headed over to the Napa Store to pick up a few things and say goodbye to Brett. It was a short and sweet farewell! We brought Brett a thank you sixer of Blue Moon and loaded up with gas, propane and coffee and hit the road. IT'S ADVENTURE TIME!

My husband is a stalker

OKC

Gumby is just hanging out

Entertaining Marley and ourselves

this picture does no justice

74,000 miles

Our son!

We had all sorts of things planned to do on our way through Missouri and Oklahoma but we took one look at the Doppler and change our minds. A storms a brewing and headed straight for us. Feet of snow, blizzard conditions, ice, freezing temperatures- UGH! We are so over winter. Ever since Kentucky (Nov. 12) we have been experiencing the season and quite frankly we are just ready for some sun shine. So we dropped all of our plans and decided to drive west as fast as we could to try and beat the storm. We stopped at a gas station outside Tulsa and as I was walking out from the gas station bathroom I found Jordan talking to a man who was standing next to the door with a backpack and duffel bag. Apparently his name was Patrick Johnson and he had just got off probation in Tulsa. He was headed east to see his son Shiloh. He pulled out pictures and introduced us to Shiloh. He was named after a drifter that Patrick had met and admired on the road sometime ago. I guess the guy was really excited and dedicated to see his son. He had walked 50 miles yesterday, slept under a bridge last night, took some sketchy hitch hiking rides, and walked 50 more miles today. He was a really nice guy that had a bad past. We talked for a good while and he told us where to stay in Tulsa and really wanted to make sure we were in a safe part of town. Before we pulled out we decided to make him a snack bag with some of the food and water we had. We were barely leaving the parking lot and he already was eating it, must have been hungry. A fellow traveler just in a different medium. Wish we could have given him more.

It's funny because meeting Patrick filled us with a lot of joy. As we kept trucking to Tulsa we just talked about how this lifestyle allows us to meet so many people of all walks of life and allows us to reconnect with old friends. And if you add the landscapes, sunsets, and new cities we really have nothing to complain about. Life is pretty perfect. Well we are off to bed in a new Walmart parking lot on the safe side of town (after we argued for 20 minutes about which parking spot would be the best one! haha). Love to you ALL!

Out in Mizzou

It was a bit of a whirlwind getting here and it continued upon arrival. Not in a bad way, just always an adjustment when we get settled into a new environment. Plus with Brett and Jordan starting work the next day our adjustment time was pushed into hyper drive.

Brett bought 20 acres of land in Wheatland, MO over five years ago. It came with a mobile home that has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, laundry room and a huge deck. It's seriously awesome! Chelsea (his new bride) has been doing a lot of cleaning, painting and fixing up the ol' "bachelor pad" it has been for the past five years. They have been so good to us and have given us our own room and hot shower to use while we are here. It's such a relief from the winter in Destiny. Even though our heater works great, it's just nice being in a warm house during the 19 degree weather. We are extremely grateful. Outside the house the property is gorgeous. It's winter and everything is dead and naked but man it's still beautiful. There are trees of all sizes with these amazing twisting branches. I can only imagine what it will look like in Spring.The house is off the main road quite a bit so it's nice and quiet, just what we like. When the sky is clear you can see so many stars.

Handsome Napa Guy!

Jordan's first day of work, lots of belts to put away

Our first Missouri snow

Beautiful lake right up the street from Brett's

It was cold!

The downside of being out in the sticks is the limited connection we have to the outside world. The cell service is usually good enough to send texts but in order to make a call we have to go for a walk. With the weather being anywhere from 12-28 degrees in the evening or a daily high of 38, going for a walk just really isn't fun. On top of that our brand new lap top took a dive. Justin (Jordan's cousin) took a look at it in Arkansas and found zero viruses, he thinks the hard drive crashed. We got a defective computer, considering we only bought it 5 months ago. It's been hard not being able to connect with everyone, keep up with the blog, or do any of our normal Internet things or phone things. I think because we are hitting our "5 month itch" (5-6 months into any trip away from home we start really missing our people) the whole disconnect thing becomes much harder.

Even on an Iphone, my husband takes amazing pictures

Jordan and Taylor Swift

Red Neck version of Mator

Cute little girl!

Right across from Brett and Chelsea's Courthouse wedding

My boy lounging on his pillow couch

Other than that I have had a LOT of down time. Jordan has been working ten hour days, three to six times a week. I have been trying to stay busy by cleaning out the motor home, reading, planning a fun trip home, and hanging out with Chelsea and Calie. When Jordan's not working he's been relaxing, hanging out with Brett, playing his guitar, or video games. We have gone on walks through the property, went to Brett and Chelsea's court house wedding, went car shopping with them and just relaxed. We are getting really excited to get back on the road. We miss our girl, Destiny, and adventures. We have a lot of exciting things planned for the trip west bound and can't wait another minute to get driving!