Fall Break

Otis lost his first tooth yesterday! The tooth fairy gave him 5 dollars, she didn’t have change. He was VERY proud of himself and is already looking forward to the next tooth.

Michael got off work earlier than usual today, which was 5 PM. Otis and I did chores and went grocery shopping. When we got home we went walking in the woods. We wore bright orange just in case! Right at the end of our adventure we saw something bright white on the side of a tree, further up the hill. When we got close enough we realized it was a mushroom, Lionsmane! I cut it off the tree and brought it home to eat, I’m going to use it for dinner tomorrow.

Last night was our coldest night so far in the camper, we used the heater for the first time. Michael set up a small space heater in the shed for Kingston to stay warm, he’s too big to come inside.

I plan on getting my nails done tomorrow since we’re going to Texas for the week. My hands usually are too dirty to try and make them look pretty. Otis is excited to miss school and see Blake. I made Michael a Lasagna he can unthaw for dinner so he doesn’t starve while we’re gone.

Once we’re back from Texas I’m going to try and put some fall decorations up in the camper. They’ll have to be hanging decor, we’re slowly filling up every area in this place.

First Entry

This is a new concept for me, but I'm giving it a try. Over the past two months, my life—and my family's—has changed a lot. Otis started a new school, I quit my job, and we moved.

Michael and I had been searching for a home to buy for two years, but we could never agree. Too expensive, too ugly, wrong location. After a lot of discussion, we finally decided on a piece of land. It’s 3.5 acres—wooded, but not too remote—and closer to my mom and dad. The land had been on Zillow for only five minutes before we put in an offer. We were determined.

Fast forward ten months, and we’re now living on our own little property—in a camper. A camper wasn’t our first choice, but we knew we wanted to move soon so Otis could start his new school and we could cut down on bills. Those goals are now checked off the list.

Adapting to camper life was easier than I expected. Bumping into each other doesn’t feel rude anymore, and hearing and feeling every movement has almost become comforting. It’s easy to live this close when you actually like the people you live with!

The plan now is to start building the cabin after Christmas. Michael works at UPS and is busiest during the last few months of the year, which means more money—and that’s a big part of building the cabin. Last peak season, we saved enough to fix his truck and build a very nice shed (with the help of my Pop).

I’m hoping that the more I learn how to use this platform, the better I’ll get at documenting our life on the land. I want it to be raw and real so that I can look back in a few years and reminisce. I also want to share the silly and serious moments of our new life with close family, because one day, we’ll be sitting on a wooden porch, with a real driveway and a cozy cabin, talking about this—and I don’t want to forget what mattered to me during this time