Ticknor Tribe

One common "objection" we hear as to why a family just cannot travel full time is that they have too many kids to be on the road. Well, to that we say..."Nonsense!". And to prove our point, we introduce to you, The Ticknor Tribe.

Vaughn and Dana Ticknor are traveling the country with their 11 children this year...in a 40 foot fifth wheel pulled by an extended cab truck and followed by a 15 passenger van. Be sure to watch the video above to hear about their travels and get a tour of their rig.

When Christine came by the RV and said "there is a family rolling in with 11 kids!"...we said "SWEEEEEET!". Apparently that's not the normal reaction the Ticknors get from campgrounds :) Sometimes they won't even let them camp there. Which is crazy when you realize how fun and inviting this family is! They fit right in with the 11 other kids that were already at Hill Shade! Their arrival was quite the event...check it out:

Bella had so much fun playing in the field with everyone...


Matt shared the veggie oil love with Vaughn...

And here are a few photos of their rig:



Aren't these skylights great!?

You can see more photos of their home here...they also explain in more detail how they made this rig work for their family.

The Ticknors are from Montana...so we hope to catch up with them again someday! Be sure to check out their travels at their blog, The Ticknor Tribe.

Dreams Realized

During the first week of the Live Lightly Tour, we stayed with a sweet little family near Madison, WI. After our first night there, they shared their hearts with us over our morning coffee and cinnamon bun scones. They hadn't slept a wink the night before. They were too busy thinking about how they could sell it all and get on the road with their family! Their house was up for sale at the time...but they hadn't had any solid offers. We joked that if God sold their house the next day, we knew it would be a "sign" that they were supposed to hit the road :)

Well...the next day, their house DID SELL! We were so excited and started making big plans. Dan and Alicia were in the process of adopting their 4th child at that time...and expected the adoption to be finalized shortly after that. But things didn't quite work out exactly how we envisioned. 

Fast forward to today. Dan and Alicia are STILL in the process of adopting their daughter...and the adoption process has been drawn out for nearly 3 years due to trials, paperwork, etc. They will be finalizing this Thursday, and we are beyond thrilled for their family. This was the last hurdle they had to go over before realizing their dream of traveling the country.

We were able to go and visit them this past summer in the Minnie Winnie. We had a fabulous time visiting...and didn't want to leave! While were we there, they caught the travel bug again...

Matt and Dan would sit around the living room looking at TONS of different RV's. We were in the process of selling the Minnie Winnie and buying our current coach, and they were having fun dreaming as well. A few months after that...Matt sent them an ad for an RV with a price they just couldn't refuse. They bought it and their journey began!

Their inaugural trip in their RV was to Hill Shade to come and spend time with us...and new friends, the Moers (owners of Hill Shade). We spent 11 days as "insta-neighbors" and enjoyed every minute of it. 

Matt and Dan installed new hardwood floors in the RV and also revamped the table into a bar area. Dan and Alicia had already painted, sewed curtains, and taken care of other little fixes before they arrived...and it's so cute in there! Be sure to check out the gallery to see more of it. They have 2 bunks and a queen in the back where the kids sleep, and Dan and Alicia sleep in the front on an IKEA sleeper sofa. It's the perfect layout for their family!

We enjoyed lots of meals together...potlucks are a very good thing.

We hung out in each other's homes.

...and the kids didn't have any fun at all ;-)

It was hard to say goodbye...but we know that we will see them again! We're planning on meeting up this summer in the Midwest and then again on the open road after they leave on their adventure in the fall.

 This is a family that we instantly felt a heart connection with...and even though we had only spent a few nights with them that first time around, we stayed in touch through the years and have become dear friends. God had a special plan for them when our lives collided the first time...and it's so fun to see it play out today. It's encouraging to look at their life and remember that God always sees the bigger picture...even as we get bogged down in the details of every day life. He has a plan...and is working it all out for GOOD. 

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

Photos from our time at Hill Shade here.
All photos available for comment on Flickr here. 

We ♥ Hill Shade!

Several months ago, when we announced that we were headed back on the road, a reader named Summer left this comment over at WSLW:

"If you head down through Texas I know some tree hugging,
Jesus loving, hippies that own a small RV park."

Sweeeeeeeet! We were all over that one. Summer left me the web address of Hill Shade RV Park and of the owner's blog. I started to read through it, and I knew instantly that we would be spending time there.

Michael and Christine were in full time ministry for 20+ years and last year, they followed Jesus down an interesting (and sometimes scary) road. They left it all and bought an RV park in the middle of Texas. Oh, and did I mention that they have 5 kids? They are an amazing bunch and it's been such a blessing to live in community with them.

We've been at Hill Shade for almost 2 weeks and we love it. We're planning on staying at least another 6 weeks while Matt works on different projects for them around the park. We're one hour from Austin (love love love that town!) and one hour from San Antonio. We're 11 miles from the closest town, and we have longhorns for neighbors. The pastures are so green and beautiful and the wildflowers are a truly splendid sight. I now understand why people love Texas. Well, until summer hits anyway! I hear it gets pretty toasty warm 'round these parts.

Bella is in heaven...because their youngest daughter, Precious, is 7 years old. They tear up this place on their bikes every day and run, run, run until sunset. Tonight, Precious was gone to town for a few hours and I Bella was in full "friend withdrawl". I think she said "I'm bored!" 10 times in one hour.

They have 4 other kiddos, Mackenzie, Andrew, Rocky, & Marah...each one unique and wonderful in their own way. There is always something new and exciting going on around here.

Christine and I have much in common...we both love Jesus, we both have dreads, we unschool our kids, we like chia and green smoothies, and she doesn't complain when I bring her green curry. She's sassy and hilarious...and has the cutest southern drawl. Her blog is a hoot...her writing is irreverant and funny, and she tackles the big issues with ease.

The girl loves her coffee...every morning I see her doing her rounds in the park with a steamy cuppa joe in her hands.

Michael and Matt are having fun together too. The first 18 years of Michael's ministry was spent in youth ministry. Matt has a degree in youth ministry. Lots of stories to tell. Michael is trying to suck Matt into his sports watching obsession...but so far that isn't working. Both of their wives have dreads, and they both prefer that their hippie wives continue shaving their legs and armpits. Love those guys together.

We have an endless supply of farm fresh eggs (Christine takes Bella with her to pick them at a neighbor's house and then delivers them right to my door!). There is nothing quite like an egg that has been picked that very same day...yummy.

We have waters to test and docks to walk. There is a retired science teacher who lives just down the road and he has been showing Bella how to pick the wild onions in his yard and the wildflowers that are indiginous to this area. He's traveled the world and has the artifacts to prove it...such interesting people in the heart of Texas!

We've already had our dear friends, Dan and Alicia (along with their 4 kids) here for 11 days (more blogs on their visit soon!)...and now my parents will be coming down next week (yay!). Chris and Cherie of Technomadia fame will roll in right after they leave. After that, we have the NuRVer's rally, and hopefully more friends coming by to stay awhile! We're looking forward to all the excitement. Even in writing this, my heart leaps because we just love it here so much. Thanks Michael and Christine...and to Summer for planting a seed that has blossomed into a lifetime friendship.

You can see all the photos I've posted so far in the Hill Shade RV gallery. There will be more coming as I recap the Thiede's stay, but you can have a preview there :)