Holiday

How did you spend Independence Day? For us, it was quiet, really quiet. This used to be my favorite holiday, hands down. I loved going to watch fireworks, eating hot dogs, and wearing red, white and blue. I loved that there was a day set aside specifically for being a dig-it, so I could proudly tell my husband how proud I am that he sacrificed for others to be free. He doesn't let me act the dig-it very often, so I take those opportunities as they come. Last year was different, we had planned to do all that, but Ashley had a meltdown and we weren't able to do anything. This year, though, I just didn't have it in me. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it's that my priorities are here in the present instead of the past, maybe it's because it feels like this country is going to hell in a hand basket. Whatever the case, I wasn't in the mood to pack up and go out to watch fireworks. Don't get me wrong. I'm still proud of how much and how long my husband sacrificed to make sure others here can be free, and I appreciate all those that are still serving to preserve that freedom. I truly do love this country and all the opportunities it offers to us, each of us. Maybe this year was different because I have a peace that I've never felt before, because I know that even if I weren't here in this country, living in freedom, I would still have freedom in Christ. "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Words from a new praise song at church - that kind of liberty, that freedom, goes deeper than anything I can feel for this country, this place where I was born that makes me sadder each day as it compromises that freedom for the sake of progress. 

So what DID we do you ask? We worked on the RV! Trent took off the steps, used the grinder to take off rust, primed and painted them and re-installed them. He says I helped him, but I didn't do much beyond keeping him company, and he said that was enough. I did take pictures though!

final painting is done - ready to install

Second step, only one to go!

last step  = yearly maintenance done!

Today we received the Millenicom air card so we now have internet on the road (it plugs into the WiFi Ranger and makes the RV a big hot spot for all our computers and the printer and scanner). Tomorrow I'm picking up the tire pressure monitoring system from Camping World. There are two more things that we want to get to make the RV ministry and work travels a reality, but we don't need those to actually get on the road, so they can wait. We'll eventually get an outdoor freezer - thankfully, it's already wired for it, and the previous owner left the freezer rack system in place. We also need to buy a grill, so that we can actually feed the people like we've dreamed of doing. That we should be able to afford next month, but for now, I'll take the skillet and crockpot and call it good. I made some crockpot bbq ribs the other day that got rave reviews so don't tell me I have to have a grill :)

Trent said he has a tentative for a job in Florida next week. If that's the case, then we'll leave here Sunday and drive down in the RV and make our first real WORK trip. As in a trip where his company pays for us to drive down there and stay instead of him flying and staying in a hotel. I'm SO excited about that. 

I'm such a dork. We had the RV at the house this week, instead of the storage unit, so we could do miscellaneous maintenance on it, and one day, I just didn't want to be in the house, so I turned on the generator and went and worked in the RV. I'm so ready to be rid of this house and just be on the road full time. My mother thinks I'm certifiable because I have no desire to be 'anchored' as she calls it. She's happy that we kept the house for now, but I'm sure I'll get to hear her disappointment once we are finally able to sell it. I'm trusting that God will send a buyer to us that will pay enough to pay the mortgage and closing, no more, no less. We just need to pay the bill, yanno? That's asking for a God sized miracle considering that the tax value just came back almost $50K less than what we currently owe - no one will want to pay over the tax rate, but I just know God has that person on his way that will see the value of the home beyond what the figures say. 

Okay, I got all sorts of rambly, huh? Trent is Iowa today and I'm recovering from the sinus surgery, and I got a steroid shot today in my right shoulder, so the pain meds are ever so lovely, so forgive my ramblefest. I'm off to finish up some work - wow, it really throws off things when there's a holiday in the middle of the week!