After a hot but amazing summer of travel, we have arrived in Tennessee. Summer is not over here yet. Daytime temperatures are still in the high 80s Fahrenheit and the pool is open until mid September.
The goal was to get here to celebrate the fall feasts and we made it in good time. We visited our church for the first time last Shabbat (Sabbath) and it was even better in person than our online experience the last couple of years. We received the warmest welcome I've ever had from a church. Their focus is on being a family fellowship more than a 'church'.
I told Beth, the pastor's wife, that it's her fault we are here. At the end of the livestreaming service, the whole congregation is told "turn around and face the red light on the camera and wave to our livestreamers", followed by a Shabbat Shalom! Without exception, I always cried at that part of the service. I wanted to be there with my people...my tribe. And now here we are. We don't know for how long. Aside from camping with our church family during the Feast of Tabernacles, we will be staying in the same spot until the end of October unless the Lord leads us otherwise. It's nice to settle someplace for more than a few days and to spend some quality time with our church family and meet some new friends. But we have also promised Aidan Legoland in Florida so we aren't sure how the travel will play out.
Our campground is beautiful, very well maintained and it has the best pool to date. So we are very content with our season here. It has been amazing to run across so many people in our travels that have sold their "sticks and bricks" and have gone full time RV living.
I don't miss our house at all. I don't miss the hectic life I had. I do miss recycling though LOL. I know this may sound weird, but in the south, everything goes in the trash. It goes against every fibre of my being.
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| Sunset Sewing. Working on linen dress prototypes. |
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| Another glorious sunset, Tennessee style! |
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| Puzzles from the homeschool (roadschool) bin. Getting ready to get started on Kindergarten |
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| Little boy: Lego! Mom and Grandma: Sewing! |
And here comes a bit more vulnerability. The one thing I do miss horribly is our doggies. It has been almost torture emotionally and I'm continually praying about it. My friend is dog sitting for me back near Victoria but that was based on us returning before the end of October. So we are really asking the Father what we should do because we will still be here end of October and after that we don't know where He will lead us.
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| This was during a house showing. An hour in the car and Cooper was a hot mess. :( |
I desperately want them here with us, but the reason we left them is that Cooper has extreme travel anxiety and we thought it would be more compassionate for them to keep them together and let them stay with my friend. They settled in well and I know they are in a loving home. I didn't anticipate how it would affect me emotionally. If we stay living full time in an RV, we aren't sure how they would adapt and the travel would still be an issue. Is it kinder to them to rehome them with someone who can give them the life they deserve? Or is it more important for them to be with their original family? I've looked into getting them transported. I've looked into getting them rehomed. I've talked to our vet in Victoria. The path forward isn't clear and every day I shed more tears about it and place it before the Father. I made an error in judgment and posted on a camping facebook page. All the vitriolic comments sent me in a downward spiral. How dare I leave my dogs! People comment without any understanding. It was hateful! I deleted the post and cried myself to sleep that night. The fact remains that Cooper would be a hysterical mess with our travel days. It wouldn't have been fair to him. But I do miss them so much and pray that the Lord provides us with clear direction.
And now I'm crying again...
Mavis
