So if you read the blog you will already know that we live in a camper now. A 30ft pull behind camper. After my husband lost his job in St. Louis he got another one.... in Memphis Tennessee. I find it so funny that when we told people that we were moving here they would say, "oh it's so pretty there" "oh you have the blues, Graceland, so much history" yes, yes those things are true... but let me just give you a picture of how it is to live here. 

It is basically a trash dump, that crushes all your happiness. 

I don't know maybe that isn't fair. But really, there is a lot of trash EVERYWHERE, especially in the neighborhoods near Graceland. So many buildings run down and boarded up. Grass is unkept. It just over all looks awful! You would think with a spot where they get a lot of tourist they would keep it looking nice. I don't think I've seen so much trash in my life around a city. And it wasn't even just the trash, it was all the overgrown grass and weeds on the city streets. There was one street that had so much overgrown weeds and grass you couldn't see the sidewalk. Just overall looks terrible, very unattractive. we have yet to see Graceland, but it's so expensive for just the 5 of us, and 2 of us are 5 and under! My husband looked it up, it was gonna be around $500 for us. I don't think it's worth that! geez, it's just a museum basically. 

I miss St. Louis. I miss our house. I miss all the free things to do, all the amazing places to eat! I miss forest park! I miss the homeschooling co-op's! You know how they say hindsight is 20/20... I feel like this is one of those things. 

When Matthew was offered the job it sound great. But once we got down here,  and he's been working it doesn't seem so great. I think right now the only benefit is the pay increase. Because we still have no house. Still in this camper. Now don't get me wrong, living in a camper is cheaper than a hotel by thousands of dollars and camping is fun and sounds to great... if you found a campground that was nice. We have been here little over a month and we have already having trouble with people. Because our camper isn't new and fancy we have people complaining and we have people complaining about us being her on a month to month basis... which why that seems to be a problem for you is beyond me. Then on 2 occasions we had people being rude about the kids swimming in the pool! What is the problem with people, like where do you live that you need to be so rude? Then we had them tell us that people took pictures of our camper and posted on a review and that we need to pick up everything outside, we had 2 camping chairs, pool toys, cooler, table, grill, 2 kids bikes and that's it. They said it's a campground, not a trailer park... could you explain how those things make it trailer park? But yet here I am looking around seeing everyone else with camping chairs, coolers, dog kennels, bikes, trailers, buckets, trash cans, grills, welcome signs and much more! We have come to realize if you don't have a fancy rv or camper and no kids this is the place for you. Needless to say we are looking some place else to stay. 

Sorry this is so long, but I just need to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening! 

 

to our sweet baby boy (not such a baby anymore) Asher Jo! Ash turned 4 years old yesterday. We spent the day just enjoying time together celebrating Asher. We took him to the Children's museum, then came back and grilled then he opened presents and we had cake and ice cream! It was such a great day and he had so much fun! check the vlog to see how much fun we had! 

Happy birthday to our loud, funny, daring, dangerous 4th child, we love you so much Asher Jo!

 

 

 

 So, we made another change in our life. We moved from St. Louis Missouri to Memphis Tennessee! 

It was not because we weren't happy living in St. Louis because we were very happy living there and loved the house we lived in, but unfortunately things happen in life that are out of your control. My husband got a new job that lead us here to Memphis. 

I will say that this time around moving was not as easy, everything bad that could happen, happened. I mean there was a point where you just had to laugh when something else bad happened. I was just a never ending of horrible things. If it could go wrong, it did. What was crazy about it was that we were moving 2 hours less than when we moved to St. Louis. At one point it all just felt like a mistake. But we made it through... barely. And here we are.... living in a camper at Graceland Rv Campground. 

You know, I would watch these families living in an old school bus, making it work and living a very happy simple life. I'd think, man I wanna do that. How fun to just pick up and find some place new and exciting! Yeah, it's not like that for us. It didn't start off very well. Our camper is older and wasn't in perfect working order. Little by little we are getting it there so that we can be a little more comfortable. 

Are we planning on living in a camper forever? No. Why are we living a camper? Well, with everything going on in the world with covid (yeah, I know how could covid be affecting our living situation) it has become very hard to find house's or even apartments to live in. We didn't want to do what we did when we were moving to St. Louis where Matthew would move there and live alone until we found a home. And the kids and I could not stay in St. Louis because we STILL, yes, STILL own our house back in Ohio. So there was no way we could afford to have the house in St. Louis, house in Ohio AND him living in Memphis. It would have been too much. We could have went back to Ohio to live with family, but then we would be living away from Matthew again and when we did that when he got the new job in St. Louis it didn't go so well.  

So here we are living our... somewhat best life in a 32 ft. camper in Memphis. 

As a mother I feel like EVERYDAY should be a day to remember your mom and all that she's done. I know that I could use a little more appreciation around my house. But then again couldn't we all? 

As I said in my other post, mothers are so underappreciated. Now don't get me wrong, I know very well there are single parents and those who are dad's. I'm just saying from my point of view, which I am a women who's a mother and my role in the family. Just wanted to put that out there. 

I guess for me it's like, do you really need a designated day to make you stop and appreciate your mom? I fee like you should be doing that all the time. I mean when you stop and think back to your life as a kid how do most of you remember it? Was your dad in that role more or was your mom? And what I mean by "role" I mean the one who basically held everything together as my daughter put it. As a wife and mother, I do find myself doing a lot around our house. Making the choices, keeping the house in order, paying bills, managing pretty much everything, taking care of the children, schooling the children. You name it, and I'm probably doing it. 

It's exhausting sometimes. And what do we get from it? Thing's like your teenage son saying "I don't know who I hate more, you or the boys" YES, those were his exact words said to me yesterday. And all because I wanted him to ride along with me out to the stores. My reason behind him tagging along was so we could practice driving! So I didn't even have a selfish motivate behind it! It was for his benefit! He did apologize and ended up going with me. But I was caught so off guard by the statement, and actually I was more upset by the fact that he said he hated his little brothers. Then I realized what he said. It's funny how when kids say things, or anyone in general you don't realize what you say and how much it could hurt someone, and sometimes it's too late. As a parent you just need to realize that they don't mean it and are saying because they are young and annoyed. Their emotions run high sometimes. I mean I'm totally guilty of saying things I don't mean, and a lot of times it's to my husband... So I took it with a grain of salt, but still stung a little. 

So I know this sound's like a terrible Happy Mothers Day post, but I'm just being real and honest. I love my family and my husband and my kids, just wish that they could see things from my eyes sometimes. 

Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful mothers day, and let us  not forget those momma's who are pet momma's they don't have it any easier! 

 

 

Can we just be real honest with our self and say, 'sometimes motherhood sucks'  it doesn't always, but yes there are moments where it does. I've been feeling like that lately. Also, that marriage sometimes sucks as well. I had some things in life that happened that got me to thinking how stressful motherhood can be. 

I feel like I give and give and give 100% of my time, energy, and life to my husband and kids but get nothing in return. Why is it that mothers always get the bad end of the deal? I'm the one the kids hate the most because I'm the one disciplining them, homeschooling them making the choices that they don't like. 

I feel that in a marriage is an even 50/50. One person shouldn't have to make all the choices or decisions  when it comes to your kids and married life. One parent shouldn't make all the rules, it should be a joint thing. Each one should follow them. If one parent is following through but the other parent isn't, it just ends up confusing the kids. Then you hear, "but dad let me" or "mom said its ok" You NEED to be on the same page with everything or your kids will run the house. 

Are you the parent who makes the rules or the parent who doesn't follow them?