God's Healing Hand After The Loss Of My Only Sister

As many of you know, Don writes all the blogs and I have remained silent during our 29 months on the road partly due to my quiet nature and tendency to shy away from those around me.  Everyone knows that Don is my super sociable and very outgoing half that I deeply admire!  It obviously takes something that is very important and life changing in order to motivate me enough to come out of my shell but if I'm able to help just one person in any area of their life through my testimony then I will do just that.  

I have had the biggest struggle of my life since losing my 32yr old sister and only sibling on 28 Dec 2013.  After a tragic event that took her life, she left behind a husband, her 3 children, her parents, her sister (me), grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends who all miss and love her very much!  Going to her little boy's Kindergarten Graduation was among the hardest things I've done since her passing.  I hurt for what she is missing and for the little boy who stood in front without his mommy in the crowd.  

Me and Kristin always together.

Me and Kristin on my wedding day.

Kristin and me on our last family vacation together.

Ricky graduating from kindergarten. (He has his mommy's dimples.)

Ricky and me at his kindergarten graduation.

Me and Dustin at Ricky's kindergarten graduation.

For 3 months, I was unable to care for myself, our children, or my husband and it put a tremendous burden on him with everything being dumped in his lap and having to worry about my mental and physical well being too.  This also weighed heavily on our children to see me in such a state and upon seeing the pain I was causing them along with many answered prayers I was slowly able to resemble a functioning wife and mother again.  Although I appeared okay on the outside, I had a raging war going on inside that was full of pain and torment and I begged God to send me help sometime last month because I felt so weak and knew that I couldn't go on without help.  The next day God put Young Living Essential Oils (EO) in front of me again (He placed them in front of me approx. 2 years ago but I ignored him and now I battle with guilt because it's something my sister and I could have experienced together) through the testimony of a very dear friend who was unaware of my need.  At that moment, I promised Him that I would never again disobey and I will continually share my testimony in hopes that others may be blessed as we have.  God has given me balance in the raging war between pain and happiness within and has given me hope and faith to continue along His path while passing through this life on our way to our eternal home.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products discussed are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

I'm simply sharing with you what has helped my family.  Soon, I will be sharing a video on our Livelyrv FB page that explains the oils that came in my Premium Starter Kit.  But first I want to list a few of my favorites because of the amazing results we have personally experienced.

Everyday Essential Oils in the Premium Starter Kit

  -Peace and Calming: Helped support my body's natural sleep cycle and for the 1st time in 8 months, I was asleep before 6am. The essential oil blend is very calming and helps my little ones wind down for a peaceful nights sleep also. (We are currently out of this and I have found that Cedarwood EO is also helpful in easing my mind and promotes a restful sleep.)

   
  -PanAway:  Supports the nervous system, muscles and bones.  It helped alleviate the pain that has almost always been present in my back! 
  
  -Valor:  Supports the nervous system and emotional balance.  It is my go to when feeling overwhelmed, lonely (even though I'm surrounded by 7 individuals who love me!) or an extreme amount of sadness that stems from the loss of my sister. (Others help in this area too but so far, for me, Valor takes the lead.)

  -Di-Gize: Came in place of Purification (reason: currently out of stock) in my kit and it is great for supporting the digestive system.  I take 1-2 drops every morning to help soothe an upset tummy.

  -Roman Chamomile: Supports skin health and the nervous system so is very soothing in the bathwater just before bed.  Helped alleviate ear pressure and support proper drainage when we were having ear trouble. 

  -Lavender: Worked wonders for soothing our skin after being in the sun too long and we woke up feeling great.  Lavender is great support for the skin!   It took the sting from my arm after sticking it to a hot oven a few days ago.  This is also very soothing when used in your bathwater with Epsom salt and great for using in place of dryer sheets at the end of the drying cycle.

  -Thieves: Is great for immune support and is very soothing at the onset of a sore throat.  This also happens to be my favorite scent when diffusing in the air and has the added benefit of killing airborne bacteria!  It fills the air with the scent of Clove and Cinnamon.

Everyday Oils Included in the Premium Starter Kit.

Those of you who personally know my mom will also know that she has suffered from neuropathy in her feet since having radiation treatments in 2000.  Over the years she lost complete feeling in her feet and the loss of feeling has now traveled up to her knees.  At the age of 54, she has been falling on a regular basis and has slowly been losing her mobility.  As you can imagine, she has tried everything, both natural and prescription, to alleviate the pain but nothing helped so she was left feeling hopeless and emotionally drained.  After reading many testimonies about others getting that feeling back with the use of essential oils, I decided to mix several single oils that support the nervous system and sent them to her along with a bottle of PanAway to help soothe the nerves and maybe alleviate some pain.  I feel blessed to share that after only a few uses, she felt her toes wiggle in her house shoes, can feel the external temperature of her feet by touching them together and is now able to feel carpet fibers under her feet when she walks!  Her feet and legs are still mostly numb and these may seem like small changes but are huge to all of us!  I will continue to update everyone of any changes and feel free to call, email or PM me to check in privately.  

I know this is a lot of info but I'm absolutely blown away by what these oils have done for us!  I will continue to share the many blessings we receive through the use of our Young Living essential oils.  It breaks my heart to know there are many people out there that are suffering just like me that may not know about the amazing benefits that can be obtained through the use of these oils.  I wish I had used them when they were first placed in front of me years ago but everything happens in God's time!  These are the things that have stood out for us and had almost immediate positive results!

I signed up with Young Living's Premium Starter Kit to become a wholesaler in order to get 24% off retail price for my family but it has now blossomed into a business for us.  We are so blessed to be part of this amazing company and also do something that we love!  Helping others find the right oil to support their needs, watching them grow in excitement as they begin to feel the health benefits,  and building life long relationships with those that join us on this journey is more than we could ever ask for!  

Gary Young, the owner of Young Living, is a wonderful man who discovered essential oils 13 years after a logging accident that left him in a wheelchair.  Early on he decided he was not going to live life confined to a wheelchair and since then, he ran in a half marathon but still suffered with a lot of pain from the accident which is what led him down the path to what Young Living has become.  He never compromises on quality and always waits on God to provide each harvest which is why oils will sometimes be out of stock.  I love his seed to seal process and that he allows us to visit the farms and distilleries to be part of the entire thing!  If you would like to begin your own personal wellness journey through the use of these oils then I encourage you to sign up as a wholesaler for the savings and decide for yourself if you wish to work the business side or just use it for your own family and friends. 

If anyone chooses to take a leap of faith then you can sign up here:  https://www.youngliving.com/signup/?site=US&sponsorid=2023586&enrollerid=2023586.  My member number is already on the form as the referring member and all you need to do is check wholesale and pick your starter package.  If you would like to attend a class and have others who would be interested in attending then let us know and we will be happy to set one up in your area.

I would like to thank each and every one of you who have prayed for our family during these difficult times.  We still have many struggles ahead of us but also have faith that God will get us through as he has continued to do.  If he is able to take someone as shattered as I was and make them whole again then he can do it for you!  Sometimes all you have to do is ask and allow Him to carry you until you are able to get back on your feet.  I have many days when I feel as if I may fall but have such comfort in knowing that He will catch me.  May God bless each and every one of you and continue to guide you throughout your daily lives!

Misty Lively 

Our Home Away From Home

Well we finally made it to Texas and have been having a great time.  We ended up staying at Bluebonnet Ridge RV Park & Cottages, which is one of the best RV parks we have stayed in so far.  

It is rated as one of the Top 100 Good Sam Parks in America and Top 100 Parks nation wide.  We have really enjoyed our stay here and will hate to leave.

Facing the 5 acre lake from our RV lot.

The family next door has four children around the same ages as our older ones and they have become the best of friends.  They are a really great family with Christian values and we are blessed to have met them.  God is always guiding us to others, who share our values and beliefs and through that we experience encouragement for continued enrichment and spiritual growth in which we are very thankful.

Our main reason for being in this part of Texas is due to our daughters, Courtney and Tia who needed some orthodontic work.  While in West Virginia we were given an estimate of close to $5000.00 for each girl to have a palatal expander inserted to widen their upper jaw and face masks to pull it out.

Plus there was the time required for the girls treatment in West Virginia which threw a wrench into our travel plans to see America.  So we decide to ask around to see if we could find an orthodontist who provided the same quality service, but at a cheaper cost and would work with us on the treatment timeline.

After checking around and finally putting a post on Fulltime Families Facebook page, we were directed to Orthodontic Avenue in Coppell Texas.  We called their office and after discussing their prices and services, we decided to drive down and get the girls evaluated by Dr. Dipak Chudasama.  It was well worth the trip for both price and service and we are happy to report that the girls are receiving excellent orthodontic treatment.

Courtney and Tia with their face masks on.

We are very happy with Dr. Chudasama and his staff with the handling of our daughters treatment.  They are very friendly and professional and we always feel very welcome when we visit their office.

The whole LivelyRV family with Dr. Chudasama at Orthodontic Avenue.

On our way down to Texas we made a stop in at the Duck Dynasty headquarters in West Monroe, Louisiana to see Willie and the rest of the crew.  Well they were no where to be found, so we just posed for a picture next to their warehouse.

Don, Chloe, Misty, Courtney, Tia, Avery, Ethan, and Ian at Duck Commander headquarters.

While we were there we thought we saw Si standing in the yard across the street, so ran over real quick to try and get an autograph.  Come to find out it was just a standup advertising Uncle Si's Iced Tea, which is very good by the way!

Posing in front of Uncle Si's bottle of tea.

Another thing to do while in the area is go to Six Flags Over Texas and ride some rides.  Even though I'm getting too old for such foolishness, Misty and the kids really enjoy it, so off to the park we go.  Luckily we all had shirts from Clendenin Advent Christian Church which made it easier to keep track of the kids while in the park.



The kids at Six Flags Over Texas.

Tia practicing for her driver license in a Chaparral Antique car.

The Chaparral Antique car ride at Six Flags are themed on the Chaparral Motor Company of Cleburne, Texas which started producing cars in 1911.  They made three or four models, but are best remembered for the Chaparral.  Unfortunately they could not compete with Ford and other manufactures of the day and soon went out of business.

Ethan trying his hand at driving.

Of course some of us did not have as much fun as others as is apparent in this next picture of Avery on one of the roller coasters.  He said that he was not scared, but the picture says otherwise.

Avery having more of a thrill than he expected.

The rest of the kids do pretty well on all of the rides and I'm pretty sure that the ones they have not ridden yet because of fear will soon be a thrill they request to seek out during the day.  We plan on making plenty more visits to the park before we leave the area.

Ethan and Courtney enjoying the ride.

Also while staying in Terrell, Texas we started going to The Refuge Church which meets in the Hometown Theater in the Tanger Outlet Mall.  They are a great group of Christians who preach out of the Bible which is God's word to us.

One Sunday we went out to Lake Tawakoni for church service, a baptism, and a picnic.  It was a very fun time and two of our neighbor's girls got baptized in the process.

Unforeseen to Pastor Darren and Pastor Todd was the mud which was knee deep and like quicksand, so wading out into the lake was a no go.  Luckily they rented jet skis for the day and so used them to transport the individuals being baptized out into deeper water.

The kids at Lake Tawakoni's muddy shore.

Jane and Jill getting baptized in Lake Tawakoni.

One area of concern was that the lake's water level has receded so much that the original docks are no longer usable.  It has lost around forty percent of its water and as of 9-24-2014 is only 59.8% full.

All of this should be under water at Lake Tawakoni.



We also helped The Refuge Church at the 2014 Flight of Our Fathers Fly-In at the Terrell Texas Municipal Airport supporting the baby changing station.  We, of course, did not have to change any diapers or anything, but provided parents a secure location to change diapers or breast feed their babies.

Afterwards we enjoyed watching the planes fly in and on static display.  The church also provided all of us shirts, which will be handy for the next time we go to Six Flags.

Tia, Ethan, Avery, Courtney, Chloe, and Ian at the Terrell Texas Fly-In.

Courtney, Tia, Ethan, Chloe, Avery, and Ian enjoying the Terrell Texas Fly-In.

We also celebrated Chloe's fourth birthday on Sept 19th with our neighbors.  It was nothing special, just a princess cake, ice cream, and presents, but Chloe was more than happy with it.  Of course, the lasting memories created during her birthday will always be treasured!  She is growing up so fast, just like all of our kids, and will be going off to college before you know it.

Chloe's Birthday Cake.

Our four year old enjoying her day with her Mini Mouse outfit on.

So that is what we have been up to for the past month.  There have been bumps in the road, but not any that we could not get around or over.

Just to show you how small of a world it is, our kids started walking a pair of dogs for a couple who were staying the next lot over.  After meeting the couple, come to find out the husband retired from the New York Army National Guard and knows many of the same individuals I do.  He has also been to West Virginia many times and worked at our Regional Training Institute at Camp Dawson in Kingwood, West Virginia.  It is a small world after all.

If you like our blog, say so in the comments section.  We love to hear from you.  You can also follow our blog and become friends with us on Facebook.  The more the better!

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful lifestyle and God is the reason why. He keeps and guides us and all we have to do is listen.  All we have is because of Him and His son Jesus.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...





Vicksburg, Mississippi

While traveling towards Texas we made sure we stopped in Mississippi and took in a site to visit.  We ended up staying in Vicksburg, Mississippi at the Magnolia RV Park Resort and visiting the Vicksburg National Military Park.  Anytime we can visit a Civil War park, we probably will.

The RV park was clean and had a decent pool which felt great to cool off in.  We would gladly stay there again when passing through Vicksburg.

 

The Union knew it needed control of the Mississippi River in order to win the war and President Lincoln considered Vicksburg to be the key to ending the war, "The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket." 

Vicksburg National Military Park entrance.

In May 1863 General Grant, after many repulsed assaults against the Confederate Army at Vicksburg, began a formal siege and started to bombard the city from both land and river with artillery.

After forty six days under siege, General Pemberton knew the Confederates could stand no more and surrendered on 4 July, 1863.  I was told by a local that Vicksburg did not celebrate the Forth of July holiday for eighty one years until 1945 and it still is not one of their favorite holidays so they hardly do any celebrating for it.

Looking down one of the Union's cannons at Battery De Golyer.

The Union Army's strategy was to concentrate its artillery while the Confederates spread their guns out and so when a Confederate cannon fired its one shot the Union would retaliate with a barrage of artillery which in most cases knocked the Confederate gun out.

Cannons lined up at Battery De Golyer named so for being manned by Union Captain Sammual De Golyer.

Panoramic shot of the battle field between Battery De Golyer on the left and the Confederate lines on the right.

One of the most interesting things here was the sinking of the USS Cairo an ironclad that was stationed on the Yazoo River.  The ironclad ships were the backbone of the defense for rivers and coastal waters.

The USS Cairo was actually the first ship to be sunken by the use of electronic detonated mines.  During one of its patrols two Confederate soldiers detonated two of the mines which tore gaping holes in its hull.

USS Cairo on display.

Tia, Chloe, Avery, Ian, Ethan, and Courtney in front of the USS Cairo.

Courtney, Tia, Ethan, Avery, Ian, and Chloe standing next to one of the thirteen guns on the USS Cairo.

The iron plates that were used to protect the USS Cairo.

The Mississippi River was very important to get shipments to both armies and whoever controlled it at this point, controlled who got supplies.  The ironclad ships were to keep the rivers open for the Union Army.

The Confederates had oversight of the Mississippi River from the bluffs above Vicksburg and could repeal any attempts the Union made to get up or down the river.

The below view is what the Confederates would have seen except now the waters are from the Yazoo River diversion canal rather than the Mississippi River like it was in 1863.  In 1876 the Mississippi river changed its course and now runs at Vicksburg's southern edge of the city.

The view the Confederates had of the Mississippi River back in 1863.

There is so much more to visit at Vicksburg National Military Park to include a sixteen mile self guided driving tour.  To do this park justice it would take you a couple or more days to read every plaque and see every monument that have been placed in the park over the years.

Another fact that is not well know about Vicksburg is that it was a prisoner-of-war exchange point.  April 24, 1865 over 2300 Union soldiers left Vicksburg on the steamboat Sultana heading upstream for home.  While near Memphis, Tennessee the boat exploded and killed over 1800 of them which is still today, America's worst maritime disaster.

There is a cover charge, but it is not much and well worth it or if you have a National Parks Pass, you are good to go.

It is great to be back traveling America and visiting its wonders.  We are so blessed to have this life that God has provided for us and need to remember to give Him thanks for all things, good and bad.  Easier said than done, sometimes.

God bless you all and may He keep you safe!

If you are not following our blog, please sign up to do so.  Also become a friend with us on Facebook.  Another great site for RV families is RVillage which is new and just about at 10,000 members.  Maybe you can be the one to break ten-thousand!  They are at 9,975 as of 27 Aug 2014 @ 5:27 PM EST.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

States we have stayed in so far.

Finally On The Road Again

We are happy to say that we are back on the road again seeing America.  It feels good to be putting miles under us once again.

We left West Virginia and headed to South Carolina to say a few nights so we could mark it off of the map.  When we first started this adventure we said we had to stay in a state thirty days to mark it off the map, but have amended that requirement.  If we stay the night and get out and see something in the state, then we can check it off.

We ended up staying at Cherokee RV Campground in Blacksburg, South Carolina which was a very nice RV park.  There is no playground or anything other than open space for kids, but it was nice, quiet, and the lot we parked in was flat enough.  We would surly stay there again if passing through.

While there we went to Kings Mountain State Park for a visit.  This park sits next to Kings Mountain National Military Park which is a Revolutionary War site.  Both parks offer hiking trails and plenty of history.

The Kings Mountain State Park also has the Piedmont farm which is a replica of an 1800 era farm.

Piedmont farm in Kings Mountain State Park

Another view of the Piedmont farm in Kings Mountain State Park

One of the crops this farm grew was sorghum cane which was used to make molasses or sorghum syrup.  Not to be confused with sugar cane which is a different plant and best know for making sugar and molasses.  To read more on the difference you can go to OChef and read Cane syrup vs. sorghum syrup.

Pan used to boil sorghum to make sorghum molasses

Since sorghum cane handle drought better than sugar cane, it was what was grown in this region and used to make molasses or sorghum syrup.  Its juice would be squeezed out using the below press and then put in a big iron pan, like one above, and boiled off until it became thick.


Press used to crush sorghum cane to extract the juice

Close up view of the press used to squeeze the juice out of sorghum cane

Another crop that was grown in this region, which is no surprise, was cotton.  Cotton was king in the south and was needed to make clothes and linen.

Cotton bale

 Most communities would have a large cotton mill, such as the one on this farm, where cotton farmers would bring their harvest for processing.  This cotton gin would have been power by animals such as mules or oxen.

Gears to a very large cotton gin.

Part of the cotton gin that removed the seeds from the cotton

Another very important type of merchant or skill that most towns needed to survive would have been a blacksmith.   Iron had to be manipulated to put it to use and make tools and the blacksmith was just the person to do that.

Blacksmith shop on Piedmont farm

Once more we are very happy to get back on the road and start seeing America once again.

God had a reason for us to stay put for so long, but now we are back on the move and following His lead. 

God bless you all and may He keep you safe!

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

Better Late Than Never

Forgive us followers, it has been forty five (45) days since our last blog due to complacency and rain.  More due to complacency than that other reason.

We are ready to bring in the slides, pull up the jacks, hit the open road, and get back on our tour of America.  Life has thrown us some real curve balls lately, but with God's help and guidance, we are overcoming them all.

We do not want you to think that all we have been doing is holding up in the RV not doing anything. We've just not blogged about it, is all.  Even though the rain has cancelled a couple of our activities, like the outing with the Clendenin Advent Christian Church to the West Virginia Power baseball game, we have gotten out and done some things.

For one thing the kids went to Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Big Chimney Baptist Church and had a blast.  The theme for this year's VBS was "One Nation, Under God" and they had plenty for the kids to do to include a dunking booth and horse back rides.  It also gave Misty and me a few hours alone to ourselves, of which we took full advantage of by going out to dinner and catching a movie.

Tia riding Babe at VBS.

Ian riding Babe.

Ethan riding Babe.  He just finished getting dunked in the dunking tank.

The kids have also been getting closer to nature every chance they could.  Between the frogs that were caught, the raccoon that keeps raiding our trash can, and granddaddy longlegs, they have been busy.

Tia holding a frog she caught one night.

Ethan's frog catch of the night.

Tia showing off her frog she caught.

Ethan and Ian closely examining a frog they caught.

Tia and her Granddaddy Longleg collection.

A baby toad or frog Tia caught at the playground.

Coon tracks leading to our trashcan.

Proof of what's been getting into the trash.

One evening nature really got close to us in the form of lighting striking a tree that was about one hundred yards from the RV.  Needless to say it got our attention.  

You know the saying that when you see lighting, count the seconds until you hear the thunder, and that is how many miles away the lighting is, well in this case there were no seconds in between.

God is awesome with his show of power!

Tree struck by lighting in campground.

A closer look at the damage of a lightning strike to a tree.

We doubt that this tree will survive its lighting strike.

Then there was the Forth of July festivities with the family which included a cookout, swimming, and Tia's birthday party, all rolled into one.  Anytime you mix hotdogs, hamburgers, birthday cake, ice cream, watermelon, and swimming, kids are bound to have a great time.  

The kids having fun swimming with their cousins during the 4th of July.

Tia, the birthday girl, coming up after being under water.

Ian with some hang time while jumping into the pool.

Our latest adventure was blackberry picking here at Lazy K.  The RV park is full of trails that have blackberry bushes growing all along them.  After getting permissions from the park owner if it was OK for us to pick them, we set out with me warning the kids, that in order to get the good berries, you had to get a few scratches.

Getting ready to go pick some blackberries.

Kenny, the owner of the RV park, told us where he picked almost three gallons of berries the day prior too and advised us where he had not picked yet, so we had a better chance of getting plenty of berries.  It was good advice and we got into the thick of it, literally.

Ethan going into the bush looking for the best blackberry.

As in any group of berry pickers, you have the devoted ones who will do just about anything to get the berries and then you have the less devoted, who love eating the berries, but are not as keen about picking them.  This was no different in our group.

Blackberries!

Chloe, Misty, Tia, and Courtney picking blackberries.

Tia reaching for a blackberry.

Courtney saying something when we just staring picking.

Ethan picking his first blackberry of the season.

Bush that Kenny picked from the day before, so not as many ripe berries.

Ian trying his had at picking berries.

Tia showing me her first berry picked.

Family fun picking blackberries.

Tia getting a brier in her flip flop.  Not the best thing to wear when picking berries.

Nice, juicy blackberries.

Of course, yours truly, knows that in order to get the ripest, juiciest, sweetest blackberry, you have to sacrifice some blood, sweat, & tears.  I held back on the tears, but the other two were given freely.

My battle scars from berry picking and I've just started.

Ethan was my second with the next best devotion to the cause and was the one who went into the thickest cover to get the bestest berries.  I know bestest is not really a word, but who cares.

Ethan getting deep into the bush to get the best berries.

Ethan picking berries well inside the bush.

Avery was also a very good berry picker and picked more than anyone else, excluding me and Ethan.  The girls did pretty good and Misty, who is afraid of snakes, did not really pick much at all, but Ian was the worst one.  If he had to make a living as a blackberry picker, I'm afraid he would starve to death or at least, not make a very good living.

Speaking of snakes, while I was deep in the bush Misty says, "Don, don't move, I heard something move and I think there is a snake right next to you!",  well I look expecting to see a snake ready to strike, but instead see a baby bunny rabbit.  She is so scared of snakes, that anything she hears in the weeds has to be a snake.

I guess you had to be there to think it was funny.

Avery with his berries.

Ian with his berries.  He did have a few, but combined them with some in another container.

All in all though, we only picked for about thirty minutes and came up with about five quarts of berries, more than enough for a blackberry cobbler.

LivelyRV picking blackberries.

Courtney showing off what she has picked so far.

Tia's berries so far.

Now we are getting into the berries that no one has picked yet.

More and more ripe blackberries to pick.  We had to wade deep into the bushes for these.

Starting to get berry overload, there are so many.

Blackberries in paradise!

Tia, Dad, Chloe, Avery, Ethan, Ian, and Courtney with our harvest.  Notice my bleeding arm.

Tia, Misty, Chloe, Avery, Ethan, Ian, and Courtney showing off their berries.

Our spoils from the battle with the bush.  We only picked for about 30 minutes or so.

Avery posing with our berries we picked.

More than enough berries for our blackberry cobbler.

We soaked them for a while to get the worms out, which there were a few, but not many.  I always tell Misty that the worms add protein, but she is not impressed.  I'm sure I have eaten my fair share of worms in my lifetime since I will eat a few berries when picking.

Worms in the berries.

A worm trying to escape.

We have also spent time visiting family and friends while in West Virginia and have had a great time doing that.  

So those are a few things we have been up to the past few months.  We hear the west calling and will get there soon enough, but life keeps tripping us up and slowing us down.  We just need to trust in the Lord and do His will and all will be good.

God bless and may your path be clear of any obstacles.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

States we have visited and stayed in so far.