Author: millerrv

For those of you following this blog closely, you may be surprised to see this post.  It is quite unexpected, specifically since I last told you all that I would not be blogging for the next week.  I told you that I was going to be at a wilderness survival camp for the next 5 days, that I would not have access to internet.  That was all true, until 6 am this morning….

Regretfully, I was awakened this morning, like a reoccurring dream that won’t go away, by my wife telling me that her heart was beating irregularly fast again.  After sitting up and praying for her, she, without any hesitation, told me she wanted to go the hospital again.  Unlike our previous episode of the same kind, we had the privilege of being with family and having the luxury of borrowing a car for the convenient, six minute drive to the hospital.  After defrosting the windshield, after surviving the below freezing Missouri night, we drove away without the hassle of moving our RV or waking the children.

Avoiding ice on the roads, we quickly made it to the hospital building where we had been to only two days previous for Mel’s cardiology exam.  Checking Mel in, she was wheel chaired to her hospital bed, though this time I was granted the ability to stay with her in the hospital since the kids were still safe in bed at “home”.  She requested I call her parents, and I did so.  They prayed for her as I chatted with them in the lobby, then I joined her in her room afterwards.  Her upper body was covered with monitor cords connected to her skin by white circular “stickers”.  Her gown and our favorite “star blanket” covered her to keep her warm.  Her cheeks were red and her face shown agony and discomfort.  By the time I came in, the nurse had already talked with her and no one who worked there showed signs that they were worried about her condition.  Everyone was kind, calm and professional.

Between short occasional conversations with the staff, Mel and I were left alone with each other and I moved the single chair in the room by her bedside.  We looked into each other’s eyes and cried.  I could see in her eyes, not only the pain of her physical discomfort, but also the agony of the fear of the unknown, the latter, I believe, far worse than the former.  I had no power to do anything to change her situation, I had only myself and my presence to offer her.  The only gift I could give her that cold winter morning, felt to me to be the most precious gift I had.  Though I wish we were still together, sleeping in our own bed, I felt more grateful than ever to be in her presence in that moment.

Suddenly her heart monitor began to flash red numbers and her heart rate rapidly rose.  I watched the red numbers increase before my eyes.  145… 151… 159… 163…the monitor began to alarm and a nurse quickly came into our room as the number 171 appeared.  The nurse coached Mel in her breathing and tried to assist her in relaxing, all the while staying very calm, without the slightest hint that she was concerned that Mel was in any kind of danger.  As Mel’s heart rate slowly decreased, she was administered an oxygen mask for a short time, then after the episode had passed, we were once again left alone to ourselves.  I had, which I must admit is very rare, brought my Bible with me, and I read the Psalms to her starting with chapter 23.  We then sang a song together she remembered singing in her childhood when she was scared.

Mel reminded me that we had not yet written our will together and I told her that I was not ready to discuss it now, though I was willing to listen to anything she wanted to say.  We quickly moved on to listening to uplifting music, on my phone’s Pandora app, gentling filling the room with songs of praise to the Divine King.  After over an hour had passed, the doctor came in to discuss Mel’s situation and the results of the lab testing.  The good news was that Mel’s heart was working properly.  The top muscles and the bottom muscles was working together in harmony, even when her heart rate rapidly increased during her episodes.  Mel’s heart was healthy, with no signs of serious threat.  “The question remains,” the doctor explained, “Why is your heart rate suddenly increasing without reason?”  This question she could not answer, though she listed off some uncertain possibilities.  She recommended we call the cardiologist again on Monday morning and, with the new heart records they had just obtained, she may be able to shed some new light on the increasingly concerning situation.

“If you have another episode,” the doctor explained to Mel, “take a dose of the medicine you have been prescribed, and lay down and relax your body the way you did when you were here.”  And with that final advise, Mel was discharged once again.  As we exited the hospital and got into the car, we had only thoughts of the unknown to accompany us.  I was grateful that Mel was safe, though deeply perplexed by the situation.  Thanks again, everyone, for your concerns and prayers.  We will keep you all updated as we discover more about where this unexpected turn will lead us.

After spending the day resting after our early morning hospital scare, we cancelled our evening plans.  Contacting Mel’s cousin Aaron, we made arrangements to come visit them one night earlier than planned.  They let us park our RV at the church Aaron is head pastor at.  We plugged in and stayed their for the evening without being disturbed by anyone.  The next day we arranged to go to lunch with Aaron at Chili’s restaurant.  I enjoyed ribs, chicken strips and beef brisket complete with garlic bread and corn on the cob.  A meal fit for a king.  Along with sharing a meal with us, Aaron shared the 15 passenger church van with our family for the next few days, and I commented how small the van felt to drive.

That evening we all piled into the van and drove to Aaron & Paige’s home.  The house was packed with family, including 2 cousins, 8 children and 3 spouses (one of Aaron & Paige’s kids is married) for a total of 13 bodies.  Pizza, pasta, bread and salad satisfied all the hungry mouths present.  While the kids watched a movie and wrestled in the living room, the adults (and a teenager) played cards.  It was good to see family; laughter and conversation were in abundance.

The following day we relaxed in the sun on the green church lawn.  The kids played at the church playground, rode bikes and enjoyed the beautiful Texas day.  The church had a kid’s youth group service that evening which the kids were excited about and especially because they could hang out with their same aged family members.  This afforded Mel and I a date night to ourselves (we had planned a double date with Aaron & Paige, but Paige wasn’t feeling well) and, by Aaron’s recommendation, we ate at the Flying Carpet Turkish Cafe (http://flyingcarpetturkishcafe.com/).  Not only was the food and service excellent, but the building was uniquely decorated with hand made Turkish rugs hanging from the walls.  The evening was completed by artisan crafted ice cream at an ice cream shop called Melt.

The following two days would be traveling days on our way to see Mel’s brother and family in Kansas City, MO.  We drove north through Oklahoma while listening to the music from the musical, “Oklahoma.”  Stopping at the visitors center, we learned the history of the relocation of the Native American tribes into what is now Oklahoma during the expansion across the United States and the 1889 land rush into “Indian Territory” after the western frontier had been settled.  It is an interesting and sad history into how the Natives were treated. We wondered at how we had never learned this part of our history while growing up. It’s something worth digging further into. Also, we studied the famous Route 66 and listened to 4 different versions of the well known “Route 66” song.

Though it was not the most straight forward route, we drove next to Arkansas.  We stayed the night at a local Walmart, and I did my grocery shopping in the evening so we could get a quick start on the road the next morning.

Mel was able to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist just outside Kansas City, only minutes away from her brother, Matt’s, house.  Her appointment went well, everything checked out, and the doctor recommended her get an ultrasound on her heart as a final precaution.  And so, at around 5pm on Friday, March 8th, we pulled into the driveway of our closest relative outside of Washington state.

We plan on staying here for about 12 days.  During that time I (Josh) will be visiting a wilderness survival camp for 5 days (that I am super excited about!).  (https://survivalschool.us/survival-training-class-list/wilderness-survival-courses/sigma-survival-training/) I will be gone from Monday, March 11th- Friday, March 15th.  During that time I will be unable to blog, but trust me I will have much to say when I return.  I hope and pray all you who are reading are well.  We are grateful and thankful for everyone for following our family’s epic adventure.  All our love goes out to you.

It was about 5 am on Monday, March 4th, and all members of our family were bundled in their sleeping bags as we wintered the below freezing temperatures of the cold Texas morning.  Our motor home was parked at the Grapevine, TX Walmart and our gas furnace heater had stayed busy all night long.  As I lay in bed, warm and comfortable despite the outdoor weather, I was awakened by the gentle nudging of my arm by my wife.  Mel was sitting up in bed and had been now for a short period of time.  Groggily I listened to her explain that she could feel her heart suddenly beating at an unexpectedly rapid rate.  I sat up beside her and felt her pulse.  It seemed like it might be beating fast, though it was difficult to feel because the beating was also very shallow.  After praying together I asked her if she needed to go to the doctor.  After she gave me an uncertain answer as to what she thought best, I knew it was time to go.

To our great fortune, our RV was parked in a Western suburb of Dallas, only four minutes away from an emergency hospital.  At a later time we reflected on the fact that many times on this trip we had been camped in the heart of national parks, hours away from civilization or any type of clinic.  If we had been at Yellowstone or the Everglades, our hope of medical assistance would have been much delayed.

Trying not to wake the children, we took the window covers down, brought in the RV slides and began our hospital commute in the darkness of the early morning.  In what seemed like only a moment, we had arrived at a glowing red sign that read “EMERGENCY”.  We parked the motor home in the two lane driveway and I helped Mel out, her body weak and shaky.  We walked together to the hospital entrance and the automated door opened as we got close.  I assisted Mel into a chair and checked her in with the lady at the front desk.  Minutes later, I watched my wife being separated from me as a hospital assistant wheeled her away to be admitted to the clinic.

As I walked back to the RV I was surprisingly calm and peaceful.  Though inconvenient to be woken at such an early hour, I had, the day before, been in an emotional and spiritual place of prayer and fasting.  In fact, I had only one meal the day before and the incident was more curious than alarming.  The timing seemed surprising as I was in a state of soul searching that such a thing as this would happen at this time.

Entering the motor home, three of the kids were now fully awake (Asher was still in a deep sleep).  I comforted them and assured them that Mommy was alright and we prayed for her together and I ask them all to lay back down and rest, even if they couldn’t sleep again.  I relocated the RV to the back side of the large parking lot, and before long, all the children were asleep again.  I, too, laid back down, and falling in and out of a sleep, I periodically texted with Mel while she was in the hospital.

About two hours passed and she told me she was being discharged.  I walked back to the entrance of the hospital and, by her request, I pushed my wife in a wheel chair back to our RV.  She was healthy and safe, though the doctors prescribed a heart medication and asked her to see a cardiologist in 7 – 10 days.  Though slightly shaken up and exhausted from the early morning rush, she looked healthy and happy and I was glad that she was back together with us again.  She went back to bed and slept for some time.

She was awakened by Asher’s voice who yelled, “She isn’t in the hospital, she is right here!”  The children had awoken and, after trying to convince Asher that Mommy was in the hospital, he had to see for himself if it was true.  He had missed out on all the action and the only proof he had that Mel left and came back again was the fact that our motor home was in the hospital parking lot.  All things considered it was the best place and best timing that an unexpected emergency like this could have happen.  Thank you all for your prayers and concerns.

(Mel has seen a cardiologist now and is scheduled for a heart ultra-sound next week. If there is anything more to update you on, we will share that with you at that time. Thank you, again, for your prayers!)

After enjoying two full days of exploration at the San Antonio Missions we had to move on.  Our original plan was to travel even further south to the Mexican border and to even cross over if time permitted.  Unfortunately for us now, neither of these two options would fit into our timeline.  We had already contacted and made plans with family and friends in Austin, Dallas, Burleson, and Kansas City.  So, much like a child playing with a yo-yo, we traveled back north into Texas, on the same rode we traveled south on just days before.  Luckily our next stop was close by and we stayed a day and a night in Austin, Texas.  Though we planned to check out the city for a while, we ended up hanging out with a friend of Mel’s, Jo, at a local BBQ joint for most of the day.

As Mel and her friend chatted away, the kids and I got a taste of Texas TV culture as we watched BIG trucks hauling sleighs through mud pits and manic drivers smashing cars into each other.

The next day, like a yo-yo returning to the place where it began, our family returned to the Homestead Heritage property for two more days. (It was now Friday March 1st- marking it the start of the 7th month of our trip).  There was something about this place that compelled us to be there.  We were drawn to these people, the unique way they lived their lives, and the way they interacted with us and one another.  Our first priority was to visit the craft village and pick up the cloth coaster Eva had made on the loom at the Belton Expo two weeks before.

Friday night we joined them for another community wide dinner gathering and participated in a group conversation about music as an analogy for living in harmony with each other.  Of course our entire family was pleased with the country cooked chicken and creamy mashed potatoes.  The following evening we were invited to another member of the community’s house and we talked long into the night about our faith walks and studied the biblical passages regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday morning we drove to a city outside of Dallas called Grapevine, where we visited another one of Mel’s friends, Merrill, who treated our family to an afternoon at the local aquarium.

The kids had a blast seeing all the diverse sea life and the day was full of fun, laughter and ice cream.

Driving to the closest Walmart parking lot for the evening, we parked our motor home for the night, unaware of the surprise that awaited us early the next morning.

We finally began our adventure further south into Texas.  It was now Sunday, Feb. 24th, and we still had enough time to travel to San Antonio to see the Alamo.  Before doing so, we stay at a Thousand Trails camp ground for two nights to rest and recharge our emotional batteries after our detour to the Homestead Heritage.

Driving into downtown San Antonio, we parked our motor home on the side of the road right next to the great San Antonio River.   Just a few blocks away we walked to the Alamo, where we were able to enter the historical church building and walled courtyard for free.  Inside the church building we saw a memorial for the brave soldiers who gave their lives to “remember the Alamo” which was a catalyst for Texas to win their freedom.  (Unfortunately they do not allow pictures inside the church building).

Behind the Alamo church building was the walled courtyard of the mission which held a variety of activities including a live reenactment of the life and time and a complete history of Texas.

Though we could have stayed longer, our 2 hour parking was about to expire and it was time to move on.  We then drove to the National Parks San Antonio Missions headquarters, where we watched a video about the history of the San Antonio Missions and the kids picked up their workbooks for the Junior Ranger Program.  As the day came to a close, the kids found a large tree to climb which they said they wanted to make into their home and stay for the night.

 The second (and unfortunately last) day in San Antonio was even better than the first.  We drove our motor home to another of the missions locations (a total of 5 mission locations) called Mission San Juan.

I was completely fascinated with the original purpose and design of these missions to house and protect the needs of the native people of the surrounding areas as well as being a location to teach skills and trade goods.  The missions acted as a walled city within a city.  I imagined it would be so cool to live inside of one of these self contained structures back in that time.

After lunch we rode our bikes 3 miles down the 15 mile long river walk that traveled alone the San Antonio River.

The short bike ride lead us to yet another one of the 5 missions called Mission Espada.

A very cool mission indeed, it was a place of peace, tranquility, beauty and devotion.

They even had a working blacksmith shop there.

And of course, as the day came to a close we stopped by the National Parks office to be sworn in, once again, as honorary Junior Rangers.

Our intuitions to reroute our original plans in Texas were proven right by the experiences we enjoyed at the Homestead Heritage (https://www.homesteadheritage.com/).  What was first an afternoon detour to their Homestead Cafe (see previous blog post), turned into an extra-ordinary, four day adventure beyond the limits of our imagination.  No where else have I ever felt the embrace by so many people at once.  Its warmth and depth still cradle me now.

After waking up after the first night of our stay at the Homestead Heritage (again, see previous blog post if you haven’t already), our new friend, Kash, came by once again to spend the day with us.  We were invited into the home of the farmer we met the previous day and spent the entire afternoon there.  Our kids played with the farmer’s three children, whose ages range from 9 – 14.  The kids enjoyed all sorts of fun including a pony drawn cart ride, and played with newly born bunnies among other things.

Afterwards, Kash invited us to share dinner with his family at his home, giving our kids the opportunity to meet his six children for the first time.  The drive to Kash’s house was only minutes away as most community member of the homestead either live on the 510 acre property or on an adjoining piece of property, as was his case.  On a 3 acre homestead, we saw Kash’s vegetable garden, chicken coop, German Shepard breeding dogs and double wide manufactured home as we pulled in.  His wife Sarah (whom we had met the evening before) and children enthusiastically greeted us as we entered  through the door of their home.  We were introduced to their two older daughters ages 19 & 11 and there four younger sons ages 6, 4, 2, & 9 months.

We ate Malaysian hot dogs (Kash is from Malaysia), beef sausage wrapped in a thin egg omelet for dinner and talked into the night.  This community was a living culture unlike any we have ever experienced.  We were drawn to them, captivated by them, and embraced by them.  After we allowed the evening to advance far too long, we accepted our parental responsibility by politely retiring for the evening and preparing to shuttle our children back to our RV.

The following day we spent more time with the animals,

and visited some of the other buildings including an “aquaponics” greenhouse.  Not ever seeing one of these before (and not even knowing what one was), Kash explained to us how the large glass fish tank in the middle of the green house was used to provide nutrients to the plants inside the building.  Through pipes buried in the ground, the waste from the fish water was re-purposed as valuable fertilizer for the greenhouse plants.  It was fascinating to see how, and why, the intricately connected system worked.

Friday, we were invited to the community’s weekly Friday evening meeting including a community wide shared dinner.  This was a smaller “cell group” meeting of about 150 people (including children).  We were served a Mexican style buffet in an old red barn made of reclaimed lumber.  The discussion that evening was about the Old Testament story of Samson and the discussion was insightful and interactive.  We got back to our RV earlier than the night before (thankfully), and got the kids to bed after another busy day.

Our final day at the homestead, before we finally headed south to San Antonio, was just as rich as the previous three.  After eating lunch by ourselves in our RV we headed to Kash’s house to celebrate together with them their oldest boy, Reuben, as he turned six years old.  I (Josh) had the privilege of helping construct a “tree house” for his son, feeling like I was serving in the farming community.  Several other boys from the community also helped including Caleb.  Even Eva put on her tool belt.  The evening celebration included “naan pizzas” and the kids created a fire in the back yard and played together as the parents hung out inside.

Though we didn’t want to leave, we knew that “the show must go on”.  Our hearts had been overloaded with delight by our new friends but now it was time to say good-bye.  Our detour had come to an end and it was now time to finally be heading south for San Antonio.

Feb 20th, after sleeping in the Walmart parking lot in Waco, TX, felt just like any other day on our now, almost 7 month trip.  But the ordinary became extraordinary as the day advanced.  Around 10 am, we arrived at the Homestead Cafe (http://www.cafehomestead.com/) which was located on the Heritage homestead property (https://www.homesteadheritage.com/).  Our intention was to eat lunch at the cafe and tour the community including visiting the woodworking shop, pottery shop, fabric shop, and seeing the property.

We had a couple hours before lunch which we spent visiting various location on the homestead including in the visitors center, metal working shop, pottery shop and water powered gristmill.

Even in our first two hours there we began to notice something that stood out to us.  When ever we chatted with a member of the community, they immediately stopped what they were doing, gave us their full attention, made us feel welcomed and important, and seemed in no hurry to “get back to work”.  In fact, when we got to the metal working shop we set down on a bench set up for visitors (like us) to watch the metal smiths work.  In no time at all, the craftsman put down his tools and engaged us in conversation.  Soon after, another craftsman (the first man’s brother it turned out) joined us and we chatted for at least 20 minutes (probably longer).  This theme of people stopping in the middle of their work and treating us with such priority was experienced over and over all through the day as we continued our tour.

Next, the main attraction (or so we thought at the time).  Lunch time.  It was now just past noon and we were anxious to get a table at the cafe and sample the farm fresh flavor of home grown food.  Passing through the entrance of the cafe, we asked the server behind the counter for a table for 6.  The energy in the cafe was alive and the aroma of the country harvest lingered in the air.  A tall gentlemen (later we discovered he helped run the cafe) also greeted us, and like previously mentioned above, seemed to have nothing more important than to spend time with us.  Soon after, still standing in the lobby of the cafe, a second man joined the conversation.  20 minutes of conversation passed with these men as well, before they invited us to enjoy lunch at the table that was waiting for us.  Before we sat down, the second man, who’s name is Kash, asked if we would like for him to give us a personal tour of the homestead property.  Already being touched by the overwhelming hospitality of the morning, we agreed and he told us he would find us after lunch.

On the menu: Grass fed beef hamburgers, artisan style bread made from flour milled on site, red country style “smashed” potatoes and french fried potatoes, both grown on the homestead.  The food was amazing, the service not only great but delivered with care and respect.  We spent our time eating, relaxing, savoring and chatting about our short, but unbelievable experience so far, and our personal tour of the property to come.

Even before we could pay for our check, our newest friend, Kash, sat down at our table and began asking us what we wanted to see on our visit.

Leaving the restaurant, Kash escorted us in a golf cart and drove us to a larger van to begin our tour of the property.

Farm animals are always a favorite thing to see and Asher was particularly pleased to see the goats and Lydia the horses.

Next stop was the overlook, giving us a 180 degree view of the 510 acre homestead located in the fertile Brazos river valley.  Our host informed us that 40 families lived on the property, tending and caring for the land.  Other families also lived on adjacent acreage giving them a total number of members in their community of over 1000 people including children.

Then he drove us down to the farm valley to chat with the farmers and community members looking after the land and animals.  Once again, though the farmers where busy at work, they stopped what they were doing to give us their undivided attention.

After spending some time at the river, we drove back up to the high land and toured some of the facility buildings including the cheese shop, and “cheese cave”.

As our tour for the day was coming to an end, Kash asked us if we wanted to stay the night at the RV spot located on the property, just a stones throw away from the craft shops.  Though we had reservations at a Thousand Trails camp site about 45 minutes away, we felt compelled to accept his invitation to “stay a while longer”.  But his invitation did not end there.  He invited us to come to the Wednesday night community church gathering (also on the property) including refreshments together after words.  With only one hour between the time Kash dropped us off at our RV and the time he came back to pick us up for the evening gathering, we frantically worked to eat a quick meal as a family before we rushed out the door again.

The church gathering was a “smaller” meeting of the community where around 400 people came each week to worship, listen to a message and gather to build community and relationships.  The fully packed room was quietly reverent as we walked in and we felt that those in attendance were filled with a waiting expectation for the coming moments ahead.  The music started slow and calmly, but with growing intensity, eventually erupted into genuine praise from the body of worshipers.  The message was about surrendering to God’s direction in our lives and the crowd seemed cut to the heart by the words delivered.

Afterwords the “refreshment” socializing time was actually a catered meal from the homestead cafe of an enchilada cheese burger and french fries.  Actually a full fledged second dinner including caffeinated sweet tea at 9pm in the evening!  Sitting at a table big enough for 8, about 12 people gathered around our table, everyone actively engaged in conversation.  We laughed, talked and made ourselves known.  It was a strange feeling of being with family who we had just met for the first time.  People who, just one day before, didn’t know we existed, now, anxious to welcome us and find out who we are.

We left that meeting filled with awe and wonder, curious what tomorrow would hold.  Kash dropped us back off at our RV for the second time that day, agreeing with us that we would see him again after lunch tomorrow.  As he drove away we allowed our heart and minds to be filled and overwhelmed the memories of the day.  We had found a place, after searching a vast, beautiful country for over 6 months, that seemed beyond compare to it all.  Though our country, as we had witnessed first hand, was incredible beyond words, we had found something even greater.  A place that did not welcome us as visiting tourist.  No, a place that embraced us as family.  We were beginning to see something greater than we had ever seen before.  A community of people that was serenely devoted to functioning as the family of God.

On Feb. 19th, we visited Waco Mammoth National Monument.  To those of you paying close attention, you will have realized that we have gone astray from the Texas itinerary we posted earlier in our blog, stating that we would not be visiting Waco until March 1st.  This occurred for several reasons and will be mentioned more in our next post.  For now, know that due to weather and flexibility, we decided to travel even further north into Texas, before eventually, we will head south just to head north again.

Weather- the day was a perfect day to visit Waco Mammoth National Monument.  Seeing that the weather forecast called for heavy rain showers, we were pleased to find ourselves indoors in a state of the art, climate controlled, excavation site protected from the elements; 70 degrees with 50% humidity, 365 days of the year.  We began our journey on a ranger lead tour from the visitors center to the dig site, all piled in an extra large sized golf cart.

Before entering the facility we learned valuable information about how the first bones were found near a river bed, eventually leading to the discovery of the largest find of Mammoth bones together in one place in the entire world.

Once inside we were amazed at what we saw.  A real live archaeological dig preserved for public viewing.  With a ranger lead tour, we learned about the type and size of the giant elephant like mammals.  From age to era, gender to temperament, the ranger explained the findings and history.  One of a kind, I believe, is an understatement.  It was history, science, archaeology and wonder all contained in a climate controlled box.

To better understand the size of the great beasts, they had a life sized picture of a Columbian mammoth (not to be mistaken with the Woolly mammoth) painted on the wall.  Our kids stood by it for perspective.

After a fascinating day of discovery and fun, the kids placed their hands on a replica mammoth tooth to be sworn in as honorary Junior Rangers of the Waco Mammoth National Monument.

February 18th- We celebrated Asher’s 8th birthday all day long.  For those of you who know him, you will not be surprised that our celebrating was as creative and silly as he is.  The first priority on Asher’s birthday was a scavenger hunt to find the missing “Legend of Zelda” triforce pieces scattered around our RV.  This adventure was complete with detailed treasure map and cardboard treasure chest.

Of course this lead to the inevitable costume change into Asher’s favorite adventure hero- Link.  Once appropriately dressed he opened his other birthday cards and gifts including a crown from Eva, dubbing him “King for the Day.”

Next priority- A breakfast fit for a king.  By request: Natural sausage and cheesy eggs with a candle on top.

The middle of the day was filled with all kind of activities all by request of Asher.  These included playing an online game called “Block Bros.,” (which has now become the favorite screen time game of the Miller kids); visiting a grocery store to pick up birthday snacks and treats; shopping at Target to spend Asher’s newly acquired birthday monies;  and finally, building and playing with the new Lego set Asher purchased at Target.

The day was full of fun and laughter and though the sun was beginning to set, the adventure had only begun.  The grand finale came at dinner time when we went to Olive Garden (a family favorite) and the staff sang an upbeat version of “Happy Birthday” including a chocolate birthday massage and free desert.

Asher finished off the sweets completely, knowing full well that our next stop was our family’s favorite ice cream stop- Menchies.  There we filled our bellies to our heart’s content with frozen yogurt, syrup, gummy worms and candy bliss.  Our celebrating was complete.  Happy Birthday, Asher.  You are becoming such a big boy.

 

You might be wondering why we chose Belton, TX as our first stop in Texas, especially if you consider its location (in the center of the state) in proximity to all the other places we want to visit.  Naturally it would make more sense to visit San Antonio and Austin first, before heading further up North into Texas on our way to Missouri.  Let me explain.

Back in December we visited a bookstore in Florida to stock up on materials for our road schooling adventure.  Among them was a book & magazine about homesteading that our family become drawn to.  In the magazine was an ad for a homesteading EXPO in Belton, TX on Feb 16th & 17th.  https://www.motherearthnewsfair.com/texas/ (hopefully this link is still active) We were very interested to go and since the dates seemed like they would line up with our schedule, we made it a date to be there.  Because we ended up staying in Florida for so long (2 months) we had to drive straight from New Orleans to Belton, bypassing San Antonio and Austin, in order to make it to the EXPO on time.  As you will read about below, it was well worth it.

The homesteading EXPO was a two day event with break out sessions every hour from 9 – 5.  With 8 different stages, all with varying focuses, there wasn’t enough time in the day to see everything the EXPO had to offer.  Among the sessions we visited we saw: Planning a Homestead, Building (and playing with for the children) with clay and straw,

creating a homemade composting toilet, making homemade bread (with demonstration & free samples) and making homemade mozzarella cheese (with demonstration).  Also we saw many farm animals and vendors.

A group of people there called the Heritage Homestead, had many hands on crafts at the EXPO.  All four of our children created something homemade at their stations including; Caleb- a wooden spatula,

Lydia & Asher- cloth woven bracelets,

and Eva- a thread woven coaster on a hand machine loom.

Not only did we have a blast at the EXPO but we were especially impressed with what the Heritage Homestead had to offer.  We discovered that they had a Homesteading craft village and cafe that we could visit about an hour north of Belton.  Because of how much we enjoyed our time with them, and we decided that we would visit them after the EXPO was over.