We Choose This Life

Where are the Lendes up to now?

2013-01-25T15:40:00.001-08:00

* We are now a Fulltime Traveling Family of NINE!! Dominic Joseph was born at home into his Daddy's hands on September 13th after only 45 minutes of labor. (yes, header will be updated...soon I hope)

* From April until December 2012 we were primarily in the Houston, TX area. A number of reasons kept us there for that lengthy duration...some positive (finding amazing community and Church and the birth of our 7th child) and others not so postivie (lack of work and rv repairs). We did so much while we were there, hopefully someday I'll blog about it.

* We spent 2 1/2 wonderful weeks in California visiting family & friends and a few of our favorite places in that part of the country.

* Currently we are in Las Vegas, NV. Not sure how long we'll be here...maybe until March. If you are in the area or traveling through get in touch with us, we love meeting new friends.

*We're in (long awaited) remodel mode so be on the lookout for blog posts and photos (follow us on Instagram @wechoosethislife). And even though I'm not one for New Years Resolutions, I have commited to documenting 2013 better than any year before, so stay tuned.

DPP 2012 // 12.6.12 // Grandma Visits

2012-12-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

Grandma Visits

Grandma Diane flew into Houston from Northern California for a week long visit. We are ALL enjoying her being here and she is loving spending this wonderful time with us. Today we went to our favorite restaurant in the Houston area, El Tiempo and then we ventured on to reveal the big surprise to the children and Grandma, we had tickets to The Story Tour.

DPP 2012 // 12.5.12 // Essential

2012-12-05T20:11:00.002-08:00

Essential

I have used essential oils for years to bring down fevers, settle tummies, get rid of headaches and calm nerves. But just recently began using EOs with a diffuser. I have lots more love for essential oils now that I have this diffuser and can't wait to dive into studying about more of the benefits of essential oils.

DPP 2012 // 12.4.12 // Sleepless Cutie

2012-12-04T23:00:00.000-08:00

Sleepless Cutie

This little one would not go to sleep. And I guess its obvious it didn't bother us too much. I tried to put her down at the "normal" time and she just wasn't having it, Nick tried again a bit later and still she was awake. So we just went with it. When you have 7 children, a happy awake child is actually a positive. (Now if it was every night that would get old, but once in awhile, fine.) We were able to spend time with this wee one that became a big sister while she was still a baby (at 13 months) and she was the center of attention.

DPP 2012 // 12.3.12 // Checkers

2012-12-03T22:30:00.000-08:00

Checkers

An evening game of checkers. Téadora and Jericho are playing against Dillon. I get a bit teary eyed to see these 3, once my babies, they have earned the title of middles in the last few months. Our checkers board (rug) was picked up at a Cracker Barrel shortly after hitting the road.

DPP 2012 // 12.2.12 // Advent

2012-12-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Advent

Advent is here, Jesus is coming. This Advent we are spending time in our traditions...Christmas story books, Jesse Tree devotions & Little People Nativity. Plans are in the works to birth some new traditions this Advent, just waiting for the perfect time to reveal them.

Here is a post from last December, sharing a bit of our Advent & Christmas.

DPP 2012 // 12.1.12 // Me & Toothless

2012-12-01T21:58:00.002-08:00

Me & Toothless

A rare capture, my eldest girl and I. She has two less teeth than she did a day ago, she sticks her tongue through the hole. As we walk she holds my hand...if I let go, she grabs it again. Oh God, please help me to cherish these ever fleeting moments.

Our Life On Wheels :: July 2012 :: RV Must Haves

2012-07-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

If this is your first visit to We Choose This Life -- Welcome!
Starting June 2012, a monthly blog carnival, Our Life On Wheels will be held here. Fulltime travelers will come together to share about a variety of topics. If you want to learn more about the carnival head over here.

Make sure you scroll to the bottom of the post the link up or check out others "RV Must Haves". And don't forget to check out last months blog carnival, "A Day In the Life Of..."

**If you have previously added the Our Life On Wheels :: Blog Carnival button, please head over here and use the updated button, the old one has a dead link. Thank you! **

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Our Top 5 RV Must Haves

Our traveling family has been on the road for almost 3 years. We've had two RV's, both travel trailers. Over the years we've come to find many things that are MUST HAVES for this life on the road. Let me just tell you it was ridiculously hard to decide which RV must haves we wanted to include...when you fulltime RV most everything you have with you is a must have :)

Here are our TOP 5 (in no particular order):

1. Lightweight Non-Breakable Dishes: We chose BPA Free, Melamine dishware. Our Laurie Gates dishes were purchased at Costco (4 place settings for around $25). I loved the color that they brought to the table, add in the fact that they are lightweight, inexpensive and unbreakable, we have never once regretted the purchase. When the time comes that we are needing new dishes I think I will go with Zak Designs, I am particularly fond of their Confetti Recycled Melamine line.

2. Magnetic Spice Tray & Magnetic Knife Rack: Besides my Vita-Mix, these two magnetic kitchen items are a MUST HAVE. For the magnetic spice tray, I purchased a metal tray from a antique store (also can be found on Ebay) and then magnetic spice tins from Bed Bath and Beyond (you can get them at World Market also). The magnetic knife rack was purchased at Ikea. Just an FYI the spice tins nor the knives are removed for travel, also both the spice tray and the knife rack were installed with regular screws and a drill (or screwdriver, can't remember which).

3. Mini Broom & Dust Pan: Yes, an RV is a small space, therefore easier (and quicker) to clean than a house. But we are EIGHT bodies coming and going, eating, making messes, we have to sweep & vacuum frequently. I've found that a big broom and dust pan just take up too much space, not to mention they don't work well in the small areas, like the bathroom, around beds, etc. We love our mini broom and dust pan and for $1.99 at Ikea, you can't go wrong. We use it MULTIPLE times a day. It lives under the kitchen sink for easy access. Plus, an added benefit, even my 3 year old can sweep up crumbs from lunch or sand from the playground :)

4. Portable RV Waste Tank: If you plan on staying places that don't have full-hookups (which include many Thousand Trails, state & county parks) and plan to be using a dump station, you have got to get one of these. When your tanks are full, you no longer have to hookup your trailer and pull it around to the nearest dump station. Just fill up your 22 Gal. Original Tote-Along, hook it up to your hitch and drive the portable waste tank to the nearest dump station. You could also have your 8 & 10 year old try to tote it over, that makes for quite the entertainment. When not in use our rides on our back ladder attached with some strappy tie downs (technical I know).

5. RV Stabilizer and Leveler Blocks: Long gone are the HEAVY chunks of wood we use to haul around. For about 18 months we've had the Lynx Leveler Blocks . We use them to under our tongue and stabilizer jacks and to level the trailer side to side. We have two sets of 10, they are lightweight, easy to store and very useful!

*This post contains affiliate links*

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Thank you for joining us and come back next month for

Our Life On Wheels :: Blog Carnival :: "Meals on the Road".

August 2012 :: "Meals on the Road" How do you cook in that tiny RV kitchen and fit your food in that tiny RV fridge? What are your favorite on the road meals? How often do you grocery shop? Do you have a favorite recipe or kitchen item you couldn't live without? We want to know about it!

--Please have your post ready to link up by Monday, August 6. Check out the guidelines for Our Life On Wheels :: Blog Carnival if this will be your first time participating or if you have any questions.

Our Life On Wheels :: June 2012 :: A Day In The Life Of...

2012-06-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

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A Day In The Life Of .... Eight on the Road

We are a fulltime traveling family of eight (soon to be nine), we've been traveling for almost 3 years. I get a lot of questions, pointing toward the fact that we are on an extended vacation or our live is always perfect. I will say that we love our life and choose to live it this way, it is LIFE...it has ups and downs, twists and turns and many bumps and bruises. Albeit it is absolutely wonderful to not have our evenings and weekends taken up by yardwork, housework and garage cleaning out. Living this smaller, simpler life affords us to not have Daddy working full-time, year round (he does work and A LOT, just not near as much as he use to), which means we have much more family time and honestly that is our FAVORITE part about this life.

Here is a sneak peak into our life...24 hours, 8 people, living in 350 sq ft --- always an adventure.

Saturday

6:00pm :: Dinner prep. Mommy is making grilled onion and cheese quesadillas, Daddy is inside making a green salad and children are playing outside, some are setting up for our campfire. Children pitch in to set the table, serve food and drink and then its time to EAT!

7:05pm :: We are finished with dinner and we're onto cleaning up. Children clear their own plates and everything else from the table, Daddy starts dishes and Mommy puts Lyric to bed. Tonight will be a bit different, we're having a campfire (happens a few times a month) so bedtime won't be quite as early as usual.

7:20pm :: Children play indoors(and make sure their room and beds are CLEAN) while we wait for it to get cooler and the sun to go down, currently its 88 and SUNNY.

7:51pm :: Baby Lyric is asleep and mommy has finished dishes. Now Mommy heads outside to see how the campfire is coming along.

8:35pm :: Campfire is roaring, sun is setting. We decide to do our evening read-a-loud around the campfire..we are reading Farmer Boy. Everyone is anxiously awaiting s'mores (which happen even less than campfires). Mommy sets her timer (we use timers a lot) for 5 minutes, then its s'more time! Tonight was a successful campfire, nobody was burned by flaming sticks or marshmallows :) We have FOUR boys who love to play with the fire, please tell me my children aren't the only ones!

9:15pm :: Pjs, teeth brushing, prayers and bedtime. Yes, we still brush all of our children's teeth and yes, they really line up. Most of them brush their own in the morning and either mommy or daddy do it at night.

9:30pm :: Children are asleep. Mommy and Daddy enjoy the quiet.

Sunday

7:15am :: Our birthday boy, Jericho, greets us with a loud "Happy Birthday". Big Boys (Aidan, almost 10 and Coda, 8) share jobs of putting away dishes and taking out trash (from the kitchen and bathroom). They are also in charge of teaching another sibling a few times a week. Everyone makes their own beds, some better than others ;)

8:30am :: I always have a few "helpers" in the kitchen. Special birthday breakfast is made, homemade waffles and fruit. Dishes again :)

9:49am :: This is one of those times that we need two bathrooms. 3 of us need showers, 4 of us need to use the bathroom and all 8 of us need to brush our teeth.

10:30am :: Just finished bathing Téadora and doing her hair. Got Jericho and Lyric dressed. Aidan, Coda and Dillon are ready for the day. Children are doing their own thing inside. Daddy is cutting up watermelon for Jericho's birthday BBQ later today and I am heading for the shower.

10:45am Ok, just kidding, I decided I better wrap Jericho's presents, so I'm stowed away in my room wrapping. Jericho opened his presents. All six children are busy playing and helping with the new toys. I am FINALLY headed for the shower.

11:45am :: Can't have lunchtime without a green smoothie. Today's smoothie is orange, peach, pineapple, strawberry, mango and LOTS of spinach. Perfect lunch.

12:15-3pm :: We have become fast friends (tends to happen in the traveling world) with another family at the RV park, they are joining us today. We spent the afternoon exploring a nearby family fun park.

3:30pm :: Back at the RV park the children are excited about the birthday BBQ and cake, so we gather everything we need and head down to the pavilion. April was undecided as to what to get Jericho for a birthday gift. She has a true gift in the art of cake making and surprised Jericho with the BEST Thomas the Train cake I have ever seen. I love homeschooling/rving children...besides Lyric, Jericho is the next youngest out of the 10 children (in our family and theirs), all of the children spent the day doting on Jericho, never annoyed with him, but continually doing what they could to make sure his birthday was all about him!

6:00pm :: We're home now, unloading, cleaning up and recentering. Its been a busy day. The children aren't done yet, they are set on going to the country band concert at 7pm. I'm not so sure I'm up for that, but the laundry room is right next to where the band is playing (and laundry needs to be done), so I guess we'll go.

7-8pm :: Children are running around, line dancing, playing in water spigots and climbing trees. Four loads of laundry are washing. I sit down with my glass of ice water (mostly ice), listen to the band and watch Daddy and Téadora dance.

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Thank you for joining us and come back next month for

Our Life On Wheels :: Blog Carnival :: "RV Must Haves".

Details on Next Months Our Life On Wheels :: Blog Carnival Topics:

July 2012 :: "RV Must Haves" What are RV must haves? You can tell us about features on your RV, mods you've completed or that handy dandy kitchen utensil that every RVer must have. The sky is the limit. But we all what to know what you couldn't live without on the road.

--Please have your post ready to link up by Monday, July 2. Check out the guidelines for Our Life On Wheels :: Blog Carnival if this will be your first time participating or if you have any questions.

Our Life on Wheels :: Blog Carnival

2012-06-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

Once a month this summer (and hopefully beyond), this blog will host a series: Our Life on Wheels. Fulltime travelers will be joining together to share on a variety of topics.

We start June out with - "A Day in the Life Of". If you are interested in participating please see below.

And I hope you are interested in reading and seeing what a typical fulltime travelers daily life looks like, please check back here on Monday, June, 4 --- I will have my post live by then and others will be linking up.

Other topics to be covered are: How We School on the Road, Meals on the Road, How We Fit It All (Organization), Favorite RV Things, Our Favorite Place. I am welcoming other topic ideas (whether you travel fulltime or not), so please comment or email me.

Interested in participating, here are the details:
My goal is to run a series of blog posts that connect all of us and our various ways of doing things, as well as giving fellow travelers, dreamers, family and friends answers to their most common questions.

The series is going to start with "A Day in the Life Of..." The post can cover your family doing ordinary and/or extraordinary things over an 8-48 hour time frame. The format is totally open, meaning you can use pictures, words, and/or any other variety of media to offer your readers a small window into your daily life.

The blog posts will be connected via We Choose This Life and your posts will link up at the bottom, I will also ask that you link back to the series (for now grab button below). My post will be live on Monday, June 4, so please have yours ready to be linked by this date. This blog series is going to be joined with the Group Writing Project on the Fulltime Families.

:::COPY & PASTE TO GRAB THIS BUTTON:::

Residency? Domicile? Or, How We Became Real Texans.

2012-05-23T10:51:00.001-07:00

When we started traveling fulltime we stayed California residents, using our parents address as ours and a PO Box for our mail. Once every two or so weeks sister would pick up our mail and forward the important stuff onto us wherever we happened to be. We filed a private school affidavit that allowed us to homeschool the children. This worked well, but it wasn't ideal long term.

We began to research what other fulltime travelers did for their mail, residency and homeschooling dilemmas. We don't own land or a house anywhere, so that wasn't a deciding factor. It came down to three states we were choosing from, South Dakota, Texas and Florida. All three had mailing forwarding services that would fit our needs, all three were fulltime traveler friendly. Out of the three Texas is the only state with no regulations on homeschooling, both Florida and South Dakota have moderate regulation.

There were a few deciding factors that led us to choose Texas as our new home state. One, no regulations on homeschooling. Two, low cost license and registration on our RV and vehicle. Three, Texas is centrally located and has weather we wouldn't mind being in at any time of year (just because we travel fulltime doesn't mean we wouldn't ever have to have jury duty.) The switch was pretty painless. And it was only after we made all the changes did we realize we also have no state income taxes, so that was an added plus.

How we became Texans:
1. Became Escapees members and signed up for their mail forwarding service (we did this prior to arriving to Livingston, through the mail)
-We were issued an permenant street address, not a PO Box.
2. Visited Livingston, TX
-Got our Excursion and trailer inspected (at a local body shop)
-Registered and licensed both, registered to vote, received new license plates that day (at the Polk County Tax Assessors office)
-Applied for Texas drivers licenses (at Texas Department of Public Safety)
3. Switched our insurance to Texas. We were able to stick with our same companies, Ameriprise for vehicle and Progressive for travel trailer. The switch took just a phone call to each company. And our premiums went down dramatically from what we were paying in California.
4. Changed our address with employer, bank, insurance, cell phone, etc.

All in all we were running around Livingston for less than 3 hours to accomplish all of these tasks. Which included some juggling of kids and ATM cards to get sufficient funds in cash.

A few need to knows:
- Registering vehicles, applying for drivers license and registering to vote can only be done once you have a Texas mailing address.
- The tax assessors office (where you register and license vehicles and RVs) only takes local checks and cash. We had not been residents long enough to have new "local" checks and our bank was not in town, so we had to make a few trips to the ATM.
- In order to apply for drivers license, all vehicles and RVs must be registered, so make sure you do this first.
-When you apply for a Texas drivers license they confiscate your old license and give you a temporary 8 1/2x11 black and white print out of your license which has to last you the 6-8weeks until your real license arrives (plus forwarding time). We can say that this license even though this license looks as fraudulent as they come, Nick was able to fly from California to Arkansas and back with it. (Although it was a little iffy on both legs of the trip if his ID was going to be sufficient.) So I might suggest that if you are planning on doing any air travel make sure it is at least 8 weeks after you apply for your license :)
- From what I can gather, the licensing and registering of vehicles and RV's can be done through the mail. Inspections must be completed within 10 days of entering the state. I am not clear on how long you have to switch your drivers license.
- Yearly inspections are due on vehicles and RVs, however if you are not in Texas when registration and inspections come due, you can still pay registration. You will then get vehicles and RVs inspected the next time you go to Texas, within 10 days of arriving back in the state.

Y'all we are Texans now.

We received a lot of information on this process from the Escapees forums and a document published by the Escapees RV Club called "How to Become a Real Texan", this is a newly updated version packed full of information. The DPS and the Tax Assessors office were both very helpful over the phone, so that we could make sure we had everything in order before arriving.

A Birthday, A Bayou and New Orleans

2012-05-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

After Alabama we headed into Mississippi and then onto Louisiana. The next day would be Coda's 8th birthday and we didn't want it to be a traveling day. So we decided to stay two nights at the Fountainebleau State Park, which is located just across Lake Ponchartrain from New Orleans.

For Coda's birthday we decided to check out the Jean Lafitte National Park - Barataia Preserve. There was a neat little visitors center where we picked up our Junior Ranger Booklets and our National Park Passport stamp. Then we headed out on a walk through the swamp and bayou. One of the activities in the JR Ranger book was kind of a scavenger hunt and the children were so wonderful at finding the little things. We were mostly keeping our eyes our for alligators. We did mange to spot one little one...he was so cute (from afar).

Once the children had said their pledge and received their Junior Ranger Badges, we decided to head into New Orleans. We weren't sure what we'd find and knew we wanted to be gone before nightfall. But we thought we'd check it out for a bit. We parked near the French Quarter and spent a bit of time meandering the streets, window shopping and checking out the awesome buildings. We ended up eating dinner at Hard Rock Cafe...the quality of the food (for the prices) was disappointing, but we went there to celebrate Coda's 8th birthday and that was great! I had hoped we could find a restaurant that would be authentic New Orleans food with some vegetarian options, that didn't happen. I welcome any recommendations for the next time we stop there. We ended the evening with a stop at Café Du Monde for some beignets (read: fried dough covered in more powdered sugar than you've ever seen).

We woke up the next morning to quite the storm. We had planned on hanging out at the state park and exploring, well that wasn't going to happen. We packed it up and headed out --- next stop Texas.

Tuscaloosa and the Ticknors

2012-04-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

We had a rough route to head down through Tennessee and across Arkansas and over to Texas. I love "rough routes" like rough drafts they can be totally scrapped at the drop of a hat or and incoming Facebook message. I checked in with Foursquare to Tennsessee at a Rest Stop at top of the state. Within minutes Dana Ticknor (Ticknor Tribe - traveling family of 14) messaged me and asked how far south we were coming. They were just outside of Tuscaloosa and invited us to come see (meet) them. We have been trying to meet for quite some time now, so I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. And so our rough route was scrapped.

We decided to make the long haul all the way to Tuscaloosa, knowing we would barely make the gate closing of 10pm. But we were determined. Not even a horrible thunderstorm, Nashville traffic and a wrong turn could keep us from making the gate closing. Well at 9:52pm we called and the nice gentleman said he would wait for us...we arrived at 10:02pm, whew.

And in the morning we woke to this, the Ticknor Tribe right next to us!

We spent the day chatting (moms & dads), running in the woods and fort building (boys) and flower picking (little ones).

I think there were three times the middles aged kids sat down -- before the two meals we shared and during the campfire :) If you were an outsider you would have been AMAZED at how well meal time went, since there were 20 of us eating. Bigger kids were helping little kids, Mamas and Daddys able to sit and eat. I feel so blessed that we were able to be in the presence of another "large" family who has bigger kids and see how well they all work together.

It was a quick visit, but so glad we were able to connect. And the cool thing is they travel, we travel, so we are bound to meet up again!

Ikea & Louisville Sluggar Museum and Factory

2012-04-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

After leaving Ohio we decided to head south to IKEA. You know, first things first, must organize our super tiny home. I love Ikeas motto, "A home doesn't need to be big, just smart.". I had a pretty detailed list complete with measurements, so the adventure through Ikea was enjoyable, not painful!

We purchased new bedding for the children, hooks, lights, drawers & a few other things. Here's a look into our bathroom. All items are from Ikea.

We had planned on turning west after Ikea and heading toward Indian Lakes Thousand Trails in Indiana. But, when I called to make reservations I was informed they were only open weekends until their actual opening in April 6. I was a tad bit irritated since the website says "Open All Year". So we changed directions and headed south, towards Louisville, KY.

We splurged and stayed at a KOA just outside of Louisville, it was about 4 miles from the Sluggar Museum. We did this for two reasons; #1 we'd be arriving late & they had large pull-thru sites and #2 we were making last minute plans and lacked research time. We stayed for two nights, our first day putting together our Ikea purchases. And our second day we spent the morning at the Louisville Sluggar Museum and Factory.

I had visited the Louisville Sluggar Museum a little over 10 years ago and I knew Nick and the children would enjoy it. The price was not too steep and there was quite a bit to explore. We all learned lots about the history of the bat and baseball itself. There were quite a few hands on activities and the factory tour was the best, not to mention the mini Louisville Sluggar we all came home with (that's 8 mini bats, still not sure what we're doing with all of them, lol).

Even baby Lyric got a bat :)

Introducing...Our New Home on Wheels

2012-04-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

After spending four months in California, visiting friends and family, exploring old favorites and new finds and working, it was time for us to move on.

And we moved on fast. We moved out of our first and beloved home on wheels, packed our belongings into a Uhaul trailer and trekked (quickly) across the United States to Ohio.

We stopped briefly in St. Louis to deal with our storage unit, say hi to friends and play a little at the St. Louis Science Center.

We made it to Ohio and dropped our Uhaul trailer at a KOA. After a day of a walkthrough, fan adding, paper signing and hooking up, we were on our way back to the KOA with our new home behind us. It took us some hours but we unpacked and moved in. We are all overjoyed with the newness and space our new home has given to us.

Here is a sneak peak...and yes! we've already started decorating and wall will be painted (I just have to decide on colors).

Sundial Bridge & Burney Falls State Park

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

For at least the next month & a half we will be traveling around Northern California. Nick is on a short term project & we will be in an area for a week or so and then move on to the next area. Since we are "from" Northern California, we are excited about this time to be able to visit with family and friends along our way, as well as explore.

Currently we are in Red Bluff, CA. We've spent the past week getting back into our routine and reorganizing the trailer. After spending almost 3 weeks at Grandma & Papa's house, we've been busy settling back into RV life. We don't lay low for long.

Our week was also filled with walks along the Sacramento River, which is directly behind our RV Park.

One day after work we drove into Redding and took an sunset walk across Sundial Bridge. Winter hadn't quite hit yet, so there were runners, bikers and walking families galore --- plus Ben the Knife Juggler.

On Sunday we too a drive to Burney Falls State Park. President Roosevelt once called Burney Falls the 8th wonder of the world. I can see why. It was about 35 degrees, so we were all a but cold, but not too cold to hike the Falls loop.

It is sure nice to be back in the land of mountains, trees, flowing rivers and the Pacific --- California you may be expensive & crowded, but you are SUPER beautiful.

Simplify Christmas

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

For most, December is a crazy month filled with parties, programs, baking, buying, decorating, overspending, secrets and stress. Why? Why are we doing all of these things? Do we feel present, peaceful and grounded? Or does it make us feel frantic, frazzled and burdened?

Just the sheer thought of the craziness that surrounds Christmas makes me on the verge of a panic attack. The obscene amount of unnecessary things that are purchased and given is overwhelming. We give not because we can afford to give or want to give or even because the person needs the gift. Instead we so often give with debt acquired because, in some way or another, we feel obligated to give.

Year after year, I feel deep down inside of my soul a conviction, a yearning that longs to celebrate only the birth of Jesus on Christmas.

I'm not saying that it’s easy, and I'm for sure not saying that I don't fail miserably each year, but I continue to long for this celebration and to try my best.

I long for a simple Christmas. One where no materialistic gifts are needed, but where our time spent together is the best gift. One where no fake man with a big white beard is what children are excited about, but where all are completely overjoyed that their Father in heaven loves them so very much he sent His own son to give to us a beautiful undeserved gift. I long for a simple Christmas with no debt, no stress, no greed, no desires of our own take over; a simple Christmas that truly focuses on what Christmas is really celebrating-the birthday of Jesus Christ.

We do many things each December to keep our focus on Jesus. And I am longing to add more traditions to our December, but more so I am feeling called to change our Christmas Eve & Christmas Day to truly focus on that little babe in the manger.

Here are some of our family’s Christmas traditions:

- We teach them about Saint Nicholas. We talk each year about what an amazing man of God he was and how he sacrificed his own needs for people who had less than him. We do not teach our children to believe in Santa. (Our children do know that others believe Santa is real and brings them gifts. They know it is that child's mama and daddy's job to tell them the real story- not our job! :) )

- We read different versions of the biblical Christmas story each day of December. Some of our favorites are: The Animals Christmas Eve, The Jesus Storybook Bible, The Christmas Baby, The Christmas Story with the Holly Babes. We lots of play time with our Little People Nativity.

-We seek out Drive Thru Nativity's, with hot cocoa in hand we enjoy the outing as a family.

-We encourage the hand making of gifts or the buying of a gift that will be truly special to that specific person. Each gift we give is carefully planned and picked for its receiver.

-Every evening during our Bible time, we focus on the scripture leading up to Jesus' birth. Our method changes yearly, but this year we are going through Ann Voskamp's Jesse TreeJourney, and in addition to the scripture, we are reading the corresponding story out of our Jesus Storybook Bible. (I think we will use this particular combination for years to come. I feel a tradition brewing. *swoon*)

-On Christmas Eve the children do a play of the birth of Jesus.

-Christmas Day we have a birthday party for Jesus, complete with decorations, cake (or cupcakes), singing and celebrating.

What are some of the ways your family keeps Jesus at the center of this season?

What are some ways your family keeps Jesus at the center of Christmas Eve & Christmas Day?

December Photo Project :::: 12.20.11 & 12.21.11

2011-12-22T15:56:00.001-08:00

12.20.11 :::: Summer Camp Friends

Reconnecting with old friends is one of the many perks of traveling fulltime. Loved meeting up with Kristen (another like-minded mama) & her family. I hadn't seen Kristen in over 8 years, but we stay connected through Facebook!

12.21.11 :::: Morning Goodbyes

Still in our pjs, coffee in hand, a little sad about saying goodbye, but feeling so blessed having spent an entire week living life together.

December Photo Project :::: 12.17.11 -12.19.11

2011-12-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

12.17.11 :::: Nativity

12.18.11 :::: Biggest Pizza Ever (Before)

12.18.11 :::: Biggest Pizza Ever (After)

On 12.18 the Lendes and the Moris had our Christmas complete with a 24" pizza....needless to say it was not too much pizza for us.

12.19.11 :::: Cousins

December Photo Project :::: 12.15.11 & 12.16.11

2011-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

12.15.11 :::: Fairytale Town

12.16.11 :::: Hiking Auburn State Park

A few days into our week with E, Uncle Serg & Baby Lucca and we have already had so much fun. Spent an afternoon at Fairytale Town in Sacramento, E & I loved sharing this place with our husbands and children, we had wonderful memories of going there as children. Then the next day E & Serg brought us to one of their new found treasures a hike in Auburn State Park, so beautiful.

December Photo Project :::: 12.14.11 :::: Driving

2011-12-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

Comfy boots, good tunes and riding in the passenger seat on our way to spend a week with our most favorite family of three.

December Photo Project :::: 12.13.11 :::: Pizza & Grandpa

2011-12-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

December Photo Project :::: 12.10.11 - 12.12.11

2011-12-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

12.10.11 :::: Besties

12.11.11 :::: Grandma Love

12.12.11 :::: Friends

December Photo Project :::: 12.9.11 :::: Morning View

2011-12-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

North of Ventura on the Rincon Parkway I woke up to waves crashing and this view. Oh Pacific Ocean how I have missed you.

December Photo Project :::: 12.8.11 :::: Alone

2011-12-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

In a family with six children there is always someone to play with. But it is when they each take their alone time that they truly melt my heart. These little people, living right before me, I am SO blessed to be a part of their lives.