“I’m busy; but not in the way most people accept. I’m busy calming my fear and finding my courage. I’m busy listening to my kids. I’m busy getting in touch with what is real. I’m busy growing things and connecting with the natural world. I’m busy questioning my answers. I’m busy being present in my life.” – Brooke Hampton, Barefoot Five
Ms. Hampton said it best. I am still busy, but it is a different busy. My workspaces are definitely different. From a busy rehab room, full of my favorite patients, to an empty camper (with a snack and coffee) or the great outdoors. It really depends on what I do each day. (For those that knew my rehab room, look, I even diffuse oils at home!!)
Outside of the normal expected duties of a mom and soon to be wife, I find that I have a great amount of time alone to read, write or learn. It is so much easier to clean an entire camper than it was to clean the entire house. We are still learning life in the camper, and I receive regular deliveries from Amazon for things I need for organizing. For the most part, the kids are doing pretty well at keeping their areas clean and helping to clean up after themselves. They even jump in and help around the property at times. There is always work to be done around here. In reality, at the moment, laundry is my hardest task. That is only because we do not have a washer or dryer in our camper. With all the work that is going on and the intense Texas heat, the dirty clothes pile up fast. We are in process of setting up a laundry room for us but until that is complete, there are seven of us using a washer and dryer in the cabin. I think that we are establishing a pretty good laundry schedule, so it hasn’t been bad. It is just lugging that big basket of laundry that is the worst of it. But hey, I am building muscles and burning calories.
My daily wardrobe has changed also. I gave back the gray scrubs and now primarily wear workout clothes, especially on the weekends, when the property work is being done. During the week I try to stay in my loungewear as long as possible. I can tell you though, if you see me inside the camper, I am usually wearing one of Chris’s old button-up shirts because it is pretty cool in there most of the time.
We rise at 5:30am through the week. The bus comes at 6:30am. The boys and I either walk or take the golf cart down to the end of the driveway in the morning and wait for the bus. The bus driver is almost always prompt. We do occasionally sleep in a little and I will take the boys to school. It’s about a seven-minute drive with cattle fields on either side. It is quite peaceful and very little, if any, traffic. The boys are quickly making friends. Michael even volunteered to work at the high school volleyball games last week to help raise money for the senior class. They do share some pretty funny stories about their days. I am so grateful that I can be there right when they step off the bus and are still giggling about things.
While we have no livestock, only a couple labs and a corgi mix, there are plenty of interesting critters that roam around. I will admit that I have never been fond of most things that live outside. My greatest fear is that they will get stuck in my hair. It is so long that it could be a nightmare to get a critter out of it. Of course, I don’t want to be stung or bitten either. I have learned that most critters will keep the peace as long as you aren’t trying to irritate them. I can even walk by a wasp without freaking out and running the opposite direction now. Progress, not perfection. The coolest part is that it is the best outdoor education class! When we encounter a new critter, we google it and talk about it. Here are a few of the latest encounters.
The days are pretty full, so it is nice when everyone is home in the evening. We do some meals with just our family of five and some with the whole crew. It is nice to be a part of a family community and work together towards a common goal. It is also so wonderful to sit out in the evening with the dogs under the moon and just relax. Or hop on the golf cart or four-wheeler and take a nighttime ride.
It is still a work in progress and evolves daily as we find out what we need and what we don’t need. I have continued to purge some of my belongings. I still have clothes in storage and haven’t had any urgency to go get them. It is nice to live a little simpler. It is nice to let each week unfold with the adventures and experiences that it does. It is nice to goof around and laugh with my children. It is nice to conversate with family and help each other out.
So, the answer to the question, “how is life”, is simply answered with… Nice.
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