PBnJ5 Adventures

Well, Florida has redeemed itself. We had a wonderful time at Sea World. We saw all the shows, Dolphins, Orcas, and Sea Lions. The boys loved all of it! And just as I predicted we pretended to be Orcas for several days. We saw as many animals as we could and closed down the park by riding as many last second kiddie rides on Sesame Street as possible. We went hard all day. I think Max said it best as we were walking across the parking lot to get in the truck “I am so freaking tired!”. Yes my sweet boy, so am I. We were so thankful that Mimi and Pops were with us all day for the company and the extra set of hands. We only lost Zac once! He didn’t even know he was lost, he was just walking with the crowd like a big boy. That is not a great feeling as a mother, sheer panic. Thankfully it only lasted a couple minutes and no harm done.

We hung out in Orlando for the next 4 days. We finally had some sunny days. We went swimming, played mini golf, cleaned the 5th wheel, did the constant pile of laundry, met some great neighbors, went shoe shopping for the boys for sandals, did our first haircuts on the road, and explored Disney Springs. We decided we will do a Disney trip when the boys are older, can go on every ride and no one needs a nap! So for now we will take the free shopping experience at Disney Springs to see something Disney (and not spend a penny!).

There is a funny little event happening in South Florida this weekend, not sure if you have heard of it but it is called the Super Bowl. Turns out when the Super Bowl comes to town, so do lots of people. This makes it very difficult for those of us just hanging out to get an RV spot where we want one. Mimi and Pops headed to North Miami after Sea World and we wanted to spend more time with them. After calling as many RV parks as we could over Christmas we just could not find anything open. So we found an RV park in the Fort Lauderdale area that we could store the RV for a few days while we “partied” in Miami. We found a great Airbnb that was a townhome right on one of the canals just across from the North Miami/Surfside hotel strip. Being in a house was a little weird after being in the RV. The boys ran around like crazy people with so much space! I have to admit it felt huge and was a great little vacation from our RV Adventure. We spent two days hanging out with Mimi and Pops at their hotel pool and the beach. The weather was beautiful and sunny! We got to see some of the parties just down the road for the Super Bowl and on our drive back to Fort Lauderdale we drove past the stadium. It was cool to see it all when there is not a billion people trying to get to the game and all the traffic. We got out of dodge just in time.

Upon returning to our 5th wheel, we were greeted by a dead battery, an empty propane tank, and a fridge that had been off for an unknown amount of time. Awesome. So I “got” to clean the fridge and throw a bunch of stuff away. Kills me to literally throw money in the trash with spoiled food. When the boys eat as much as they do these days, food is precious. But no amount of money is worth food poising. I was too tired and stressed after our day to conquer the store, so God bless Instacart and the lovely man who did all my shopping for me and brought it right to my door. Luke took the boys swimming while I sat on my couch and restocked everything I had just thrown out. There really are some great things about technology.

When I look back over the last 8 days since I posted last it feels so much longer because of all the things we have done. The places we have stayed, the miles we have traveled, the people we have met, and the memories we have made. Life actually feels fun finally. One of the best parts that has gotten so much better than when we started in November is how much the boys have changed. They are awesome. The bond that is growing between them is everything that we hoped it would become. We wanted this trip to lay a foundation for them as brothers that would last them a lifetime, and I honestly think that it is happening. Just yesterday on our drive back to Fort Lauderdale, Max and Tucker were sitting in the back seat holding hands, sharing blankets and toys, and telling each other how much they love each other (Zac was passed out sleeping!). “Max I love you to Mars and back and then to Mars and back again.” Thank you NASA for teaching us about Mars and how far away it really is. They share toys so much better, they fight less, (don’t worry they still fight some) they wrestle and giggle and would rather play tractors on Tuckers bed than watch TV. This, this is why we did this crazy journey. They also have become so comfortable talking to people. I am an introvert and they push me way outside my comfort zone by all the people they just want to chat with. If there is anyone playing in the pool or sitting in the hot tub the likelihood that they will have any quiet time is not very high. All three boys will carry on a conversation with them about anything. Most of the time it is Dinosaurs or traveling in the 5th wheel, but their lack of shyness and great communication skills blows my mind and makes me so proud. They are all becoming great swimmers and learning so much everyday it is exactly what we were hoping for.

I read a great quote on an Instagram page of another family who travels full time with their kids and she said it so well. “It’s not about if they’ll remember it, it’s about who they’ll become because of it” – @rambleandrevive. Oh how true that is. I am sad for Zac that he probably won’t remember much of anything he sees, but what he will remember is the bond he shares with his brothers. The love that grows between them I pray continues to grow for the rest of their lives. I also know that the amount of time that they get to spend with their parents, especially their Dad, is changing who they will become and how they view the bond of a family. There are things this adventure provides us that we could not do in our previous normal life. Has it been hard, yes. Is it getting sooo much easier, YES! Is it worth it, 100%. Not a day goes by that we don’t talk about how thankful we are for this journey.

I know that not everyone has the chance to make such a huge change in their life for many reasons. But let me encourage you, change at least one thing that is holding you back from living life just a little bit fuller. Not busier, fuller. It could be small or it could be huge, but don’t let fear hold you back. Reach for the thing that you have always wanted to try, you never know what blessings are waiting for you. I know that might sound cheesy and cliche but people, I am living it everyday. I look back and I don’t even know that girl that was scared to leave the 5 mile radius that was my life. But we overcame the fear of change, pushed through the hard, and opened an amazing adventure. Thank you Lord for guiding us and giving us the strength to take the leap.

Live your Adventure,

Julie