The One Guarantee in Life

Every once and a while, our pastor mater-a-factually reminds us that there is only one guarantee in life... we will all die.  Not only will we all die... but we will be forgotten.  The people who forget us (how rude!) will be forgotten as well. 

There is usually a theological message that follows his "the one guarantee" segue.

But think... Do you make decisions involving your life or lifestyle to impress others? Are you worried about what people will think of you if you choose to live a non standard or alternative lifestyle?

I have realized that it does not matter what other people think about what we are doing ... We will be forgotten... They will be forgotten... So why don't we all live our lives fully and pursue our dreams (within reason, of course... keeping safety and long term financial responsibility in mind). 

It doesn't matter what kind of jobs we have, or how much "upward mobility" we have - if that is not what makes us "tick". 

I have been guilty (I am sure we all are) of making large life decisions based off of my perception of what will impress others and make them think... "Wow... that girl is going somewhere"

Those people - that we are all guilty of altering our life paths for... They will all be forgotten along with us.

I do not write this as an argument for living ones life selfishly...just that it is a very powerful thing to free yourself from others standards and expectations.

Loving Life - Holiday Recap

K on Christmas morning

Our Christmas and New Year's was spent in Black Butte Oregon.  The holidays were a great retreat and break from our everyday routine.  Aside from all of the actual traveling (8 hour drive each way), T and I were able to relax and spend a lot of time sharing ideas and excitement for our future.  

Because we are living aboard, we have been given the ability for me to stay at home with the kids as well as the opportunity for T to take time off work (which allows us to go on trips and spend more time together as a family).  We are able to expose our kids to different areas and get them outdoors.  

K in the snow (happy!)

K with Grandma (not so happy)

Black Butte is located in Central Oregon's high desert.  There is usually a lot of snow there this time of year.  There was no snow AT.ALL. and we had a few days that were in the high 50's (?!?!?!).  Hoodoo Ski Resort is located about 10 miles away from Black Butte.  T went skiing the first day the resort opened (it opened for two days and then had to shut down due to rain and lack of snow).  Apparently there is a shortage of snow everywhere.  

Anyhow.  Many memories were made and quality time spent with family. 

K and M appearing to play together (YAY!!)

K helped to decorate the tree.

Buddy and M having "Tummy Time"

The Craziness

M is sitting up!

K starting to realize that Christmas is pretty cool.

Sunrise on Christmas.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2012!

FALL

I did not have high expectations for Summer 2011.  I was on bed rest for eight weeks prior to having M in late May.  Having a new baby is an absolute miracle and blessing.  Moving aboard a boat with a one week old and 15 month old was an intimidating and stressful task.  It was not easy to recover from being sedentary (for two months) and giving birth with the added inconvenience of the hike up and down the dock (with two babies).

I am happy that we moved aboard right away.   It took a while to adjust but we got into a good routine and fell in love with this lifestyle.  Needless to say, I was not one of the Washingtonians that was complaining about the "horrible" Summer weather. 

I welcome Fall's arrival...

Leaves are turning...

The air feels clean and crisp.  The colors are beautiful.  

We have established a manageable routine with the kids.  The kids are happy. 

K in a puddle... Ferry in the background

We are happy.  I am excited to bundle the kids up and hike into town for groceries.  I am looking forward to stormy nights aboard the boat.  I am sure the cold and wet weather will get old but I welcome the change.  

I am so thankful that we have jumped into this way of life. 

K

We have adjusted and the kids appear to be thriving. 

Black Butte Ranch - Central Oregon Vacation -

T's family has deep roots in the Central Oregon (Bend/Sisters) area.  T took Labor Day WEEK off work so we could make the 8 hour (including ferry time) trip to Black Butte Ranch.  Transporting the kids for that long of a drive requires (for our own sanity) an overnight in the Seattle area (where my mom lives) to break up the travel time.  The long drive and chaos of traveling with the kids, all of their equipment and accessories, and the dog is well worth it:

The view from T's family's condominium

One of the things we love about Central Oregon is that it is so much different than the San Juan Islands and all of Western Washington.  The area is considered "high desert" and there is something distinctly different about the trees and topography.  

Beautiful Aspens

There are lava fields, mountains, and different (to us) wildlife everywhere.  Put simply, we LOVE it because it is different. 

T fly fishing in the pond on the ranch (we are both beginners with interest in advancing)

K - 18 months, M - 4 Months

This trip does not have anything to do with cruising, the dreams of cruising, or the direct experience of living aboard.  But - GET.THIS. - Our deliberate choice to live a minimalist lifestyle has given us more opportunities to take these "side trips" than when we were land-bound.  Travel, education (exploring, learning about, and appreciating our surroundings), and quality family time are important to us.  We believe living aboard has allowed us to focus more on these things.

What we are doing is not right for everyone... but, so far, it is right for us.

Black Butte Ranch Website

Our Background - Looking for Simplicity -

We moved to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island after getting married in 2007.  T and I grew up in suburban Seattle.  We loved visiting San Juan Island (we moored our first boat there) and decided that we could pursue a "simple" lifestyle by purchasing a large piece of land and attempt to have a hobby farm when we were not working.  

We purchased a gorgeous nine acre parcel in the center of the island.  Our property had multiple outbuildings, an orchard, pond, two large pastures, as well as a manufactured home that we had intended on replacing with traditional construction. 

 

We attempted to grow our own food (rather unsuccessfully) and raise egg laying hens and beef cattle.  After three years on the property, we started to grow very tired of the constant maintenance and mowing.  I developed serious allergies to hay/grass and was unable to help around the property.  

After a lot of reflection (and some research that I will write about in future posts), we decided to sell our property and look into purchasing a boat to live aboard.  This decision came shortly after we found out we were expecting our second baby.