Somebody Needs a Snickers

Day 65....that just sounds crazy to me!  But here we are, getting ready for bed for the 65th night in the camper.  The progress has stopped now that the basement is finished.  The two weeks that we saw progress with the basement going in went fast, I guess you could say it's been 7 long weeks and 2 fast weeks.  It's amazing how a little progress makes the days go by faster.  Anyway....we have been lamping and making the best of this adventure.  I have to say that there are a few things that naturally flowed from my lips this week that I never imagined would.  For one, while itching a bump on my upper arm, I told the friend I was with to hold on a minute because I had to be sure the bump wasnt a tick! She immediately died laughing and then I realized....lamping has me paranoid about ticks!  Now, we haven't had any ticks so I'm not sure why but I am still worried everytime I feel a bump that it is a tick.  I just now have to remember to keep that thought to myself because it sounds rather redneck and while I may live in a camper, I am NOT a redneck! Hahaha!  Along with the tings that have come out of my mouth i have tried to watch what goes in my mouth.  I decided I couldn't wait any longer to start my "healthy eating change of lifestyle."  When we started journey I thought we'd be getting in our house about now and thought I'd wait until then to jump back on the weight loss train.  Well, the stress of this adventure has pushed my eating to an all time low, and my scale to an all time high....so I'm jumpin' on the train!  And guess what?....Roger made apple pie cupcakes on my first day of trying to have no sugar!!  I could have pelted him with them but that would be a waste of perfectly good cupcakes, so he took them to work with him.  It's amazing how easy it is to make cupcakes with 12 inches of counter space yet so hard to prep healthy food.  Most of this week I have needed a Snickers bar like the people in the Snickers commercials...you know, the people who are acting like Roseanne Barr and Betty White until they have a Snickers.....but instead I just go to bed in my bunk and pray that I don't have to use the facilities in the middle of the night.  Of course, the healthy eating train requires drinking insane amounts of water that has sent my kidneys into shock. Adding the element of being healthy has been a challenge but we are doing it....and I'm hopeful that it will continue.  As for the continuation of our adventure, we are still hoping to see a house on our property the week of October 14th, I think.  I'm not even sure about that....and I'm too afraid to ask many questions for fear that I'll just be disappointed.  However, I am still praying for something to happen that would bump up our date! 

Car vs. Camper

So after returning home from Walmart tonight I found myself just sitting in my car. I had shut the car off and was just sitting there listening to the radio, checking Facebook and Twitter, and cruising Pinterest.  Then it hit me, I'd rather sit in my car and relax then go in to my dwelling place!....that dwelling place being the camper.  In the car, I can sit comfortably in my seat.  In the camper, the only place to sit is on our bed or on the boys' futon beds....not exactly a recliner or comfy overstuffed chair.  I will never take my furniture for granted again.  Having a chair to sit in that has a back to it will bring me a sense of joy that most would think is insane...but go without having a chair in your home for a few months and see if you miss them.  This adventure has shown me all of the little things we take for granted and things that we have that people live without everyday.  It's quite humbling.  After sitting in my car until my radio stopped playing, I decided I should probably head into the camper.  Of course, the few things I bought at Walmart had to have a place found for them.  Turns out our fridge needs to be defrosted, so off Roger went with a laundry basket of food to take to the refrigerator in the garage. But not before he discovered some rotten potatoes in the "kitchen" and removed them from the camper.  Rotten potatoes,  empty fridge, and the general "camper clutter chic" decor has me thinking I should just stay in the car.  
This might be a good time to bring up my commercial moment:  I sometimes feel like I'm in one of those Febreeze commercials where they put people in a tight space with all kinds of smelly things around them, and yet the people think they're in a tropical oasis.  Well, I am happy to say that those sprays work!  Two boys, a husband and a dog added to general funky camper smells...and rotten potatoes...yet, I close my eyes and feel like I'm laying in an apple orchard or cranberry bog. This  message brought to you by Hayse Professional Campers. 
Tomorrow will bring a new day and a new challenge. I'm going to attempt to go back to healthy eating....I say attempt be ause today Roger asked me to look up Apple Pie Cupcakes! Really?! I think I'm going to need some serious willpower over the coming weeks...willpower to eat right and willpower to find the good in this closet sized dwelling! The adventure continues!

Seasonal Changes...

I am really missing the days when I could say, It's dark boys!, and that meant it was bedtime and off they went to meet Mr. Sandman in their dreams.  Now that it's getting dark earlier this means more time in the camper and after nearly 8 weeks of "family bonding", I think we're about bonded out, especially the boys.  They are doing what ever they can to be a pest to each other....for example, while Carter was in the shower, Joel was turning the water on in the kitchen sink which messes with the shower water.  No one likes to take a cold shower.  I know firsthand since I was the lucky one to take a shower when the propane tank ran out of gas last week....yay, me! I really should have gotten a prize for being the lucky one.  Anyway, now that it's getting darker sooner and cooler, the lamping experience is going to be changing.  Some changes I foresee would be the following:  Since it's been quite cool in the mornings lately, I don't believe I'll be shaving my legs as much...so lookout, Roger!  Ladies, you know what it's like to shave your legs when you have goosebumps the size of speedbumps.  Ouch! 
Another change will come in the time that lights are out in the camper, simply because we'll be in it sooner and have our bedtime routine done sooner.  This concerns me that lights out sooner may lead to more time spent in the new "reading nook"....see previous posts if you are unaware of this area.   We may have to come a different resolution of where recreational reading will take place as I just am not really "feeling" the new "nook."
The big change that I see is the clothing situation.  We have little to no fall/winter clothing in the camper.  It's all packed and stuffed in our garage because we didn't think we would need them before we were in our house or wouldn't need them very much or for very long...talk about total miscommunication!! It's hard to enough to make a seasonal clothing swap in a house, I really am dreading it in a camper that has little to no storage.  We all know how much more room winter clothes take up in drawers....and laundry baskets.  I guess it will be interesting to see how we orchestrate a smooth, seasonal clothing transition. Oy, can those words even go together...smooth, seasonal clothing transition?!?  Well, here we go.  First things first....we have to find the clothes! Can I just go buy all new clothes??  The adventure continues....stay tuned!

When Plan G Doesn't Work, Go with Plan H

We have basement walls up and the plumbing is going in today.  Playing with the echo in the basement has been fun but the process of planning the basement has been comical and stressful. Roger did the layout on a computer program.  After the basement was dug, we went out and started envisioning all the areas and marking them off.  It was then that we realized that his program must be off.  So back to the drawing board!  Last night, we went back out and went old school with the measuring...tape measure, 2x4's, and spray paint.  The new plans and measurements from his program were still off just a bit, but we were able to make it all work in the end....just in time for the moon to come out.  This would be Plan H...because A-G plans didn't work.  

You may notice the wall lines and the toilet drawing....next to the the toilet, you might be wondering what that is.  It's a urinal.  Yep, this house full of testosterone is going to have a urinal! I believe it might be the smartest thing we've done in this whole house.  Hope it cuts down on the splatters and puddles in the floor...guess we'll wait and see!

As we were leaving the camper yesterday morning, Joel got a little excited when he saw this image below.  His words were, HOT TUB!?!?!....I enthusiastically responded with, SEPTIC TANK!!!...he didn't see the fun it in that. He'll appreciate it when it comes time to uses the bathroom someday. ;-)

The rest of these pics just document the progress this week....I'm afraid that after next Monday, the progress will come to a halt for awhile.  Last we heard  the house won't be coming to our property until the week of October 14th....and I believe that was a "Maybe."   Still not giving up on something happening that will make that day be moved up....my prayers are being heard, I am sure of that!

7 Week Stretch

Today, September 10th, we mark our 7th week of Lamping! I guess that's something to cheer about.  This was the view as I was getting dinner ready tonight.

The cramped quarters has me very ready to get out and strech out!  So very thankful for family that has cooked for us during this adventure...just warming up dinner from dinner at my mom's on Saturday, and dinner at my stepdad's on Monday, was a challenge.  I can't imagine doing this without having their homes to stretch out in, and enjoy a full kitchen in as well. 
Another cramped area is our master bunk.  We started out sleeping with our heads to the west...then we tried them to the east...this week we have moved to the north.  I'm afraid that no matter how we lay, there will be no comfortable way to sleep and be streched out fully.  
With all the cramped craziness, it has been great to see the progress on the basement this week....now to just see a house on it!!

Where Do You Do Your Recreational Reading??

One big challenge of lamping has been the fact that there is no privacy and really no place to "get away."  We all really have to go to bed at the same time, which means that if you happen to be a night owl at times, like me, then you may find yourself just laying in bed thinking of things that really don't matter, or overthinking things that really don't matter, or praying...a lot....because you know God is really your only chance of getting out of this predicament sooner rather than later.  I've handled this pretty well until this weekend when I got back to the camper from doing laundry at my mom's only to discover that the boys and Roger were already snug in their beds and lights were out.  I love to read and had a magazine I was looking forward to reading but it's nearly impossible read by the light of flamingo lights.  So feeling a bit frustrated I stood in the "hallway" of the camper trying to figure out where I could have good lighting without waking, or keeping, anyone up.  I thought about going out to the car, and I thought of one other place, but it seemed a little odd.  Then Roger had the same idea, he recommended I go read in the "bathroom."  Of course, his recommendation was followed with a little chuckle.  I will admit that him recommending it made me a little peeved at first, kind of like, how dare he send me to the slightly stinky toilet room just so he can sleep a little!?....But it seemed to be the best option, so off I went to do my recreational reading in the "bathroom"....yes, the lid was down on the toilet.  I tried to make myself a little comfortable so it didn't quite feel like I was "on the pot."  Here's a little pic to record this new found reading nook....and it's certainly fits the nook size requirements.

Yep, feet propped up on the side of the tub, enjoying my magazine.  After doing this, I realized this "bathroom" may have some additional uses.  Like when my boys start pestering each other, and need to be separated, perhaps sending one to time out in the bathroom may be an option. ;-) Disciplining in such a small place with no real way to separate, and no rooms to send them to has been a bit of a challenge....but not sure I'll resort to the "timeout toilet."  Of course, as the weeks drag on, it may just come to that....stay tuned!

White Skirt Optional

So my boys were having so much fun at the top of the giant mountain of dirt that I wanted to get a good pic but needed to get closer because it was getting dark. I was still in my clothes from work today, so what's a camper to do?  Kick your sandals off and start climbing in your white skirt, of course.  Apparently Roger thought it was worth capturing.  I'm only adding it to the blog because I'll be turning this blog into a memory book at the end of this adventure, and I think it's worth noting that when giant mounds of dirt appear....white skirts are optional!  But if your lamping, white skirts are a must because there's no point in dirtying something else that you'll have to haul to your parent's house to wash.

 

Queen of the mountain....and her princes.

Good Medicine!

Today we got a dose of good medicine in the form of an excavator, bobcat, and dump truck!  Yesterday was hard to swallow with not really any good news but hearing the basement crew revving up those engines at 7AM this morning was music to my ears.   We've just been hanging out in a camper for over six weeks looking a where our old house used to be....seeing some progress makes being in the camper a little easier.  That, and my boys and husband were out the door as soon as they heard the crew arrive so I had the WHOLE camper to myself to get ready this morning.  It was so nice.  I could walk the length of the camper, all 10 steps, without climbing over kids, bumping into my husband, or getting hit by the bathroom door. 
Now, I'm well aware that after the basement is finished we'll end up just sitting and twiddling our thumbs while we admire our basement for over a month before anymore progress is made.  I am going to try to hold on to the joy of seeing this progress....joy is good medicine...just hope it's long lasting.

Here are some pics of the today's progress....it's a beautiful hole in the ground. :-) The tiered area at one end is actually the walkout area of the basement.

 

Kind of looks like a hole for a giant swimming pool right now.

 

 This would be Roger's thinking position......he's a thinker. 

 

The boys came home from school and were in awe of the mounds of dirt.  They are in heaven.

 

 

RCS Has Set In

You know that feeling you get when you've been riding in a car for a long road trip?  You know that feeling, when your legs are restless, you keep shifting around in your seat from one butt cheek to the other, trying to find a comfortable position.  And it gets worse as you get closer to home but further from where you left. The medical world even has a diagnosis for people who suffer from this in some cases....it's called Restless Leg Syndrome.  Well, tonight I am suffering from Restless Camper Syndrome!....diagnosed by a professional camper, me.  Laying in our master bunk, my feet hang over the mattress and lay on the wooden ledge most of the time.   Even though the bunk mattress has a foam mattress topper on top of it, the comfort level is lacking in a huge way.  I've actually noticed my hip being sore and bothering me a bit, and I think I figured out why last night when I woke up from my usual 3AM aching, slightly numb hip presumably caused from laying on my side too long on a not so thick and soft mattress.  Tonight, I have just not been able to get comfortable whether laying on the bunk, sitting on the "couch", sitting outside, walking the driveway, standing in the camper, or standing on my head.  Ok, so I didn't try standing on my head, but I almost thought about it. 
Today has been a very rough...aside from RCS...my car is back in the shop...the third mechanic shop in two weeks.  Now they say it's electronic and we probably wasted the hundreds that we spent on it last week.  Then the whole house issues....dealing with the bank....basement....timeline...I'm over it all and I think that has been compounded by the RCS and no car and just having need to feel like I have a home.  I also think the fact that we could have actually stayed in our house longer has me really frustrated as well.  Had we known it was going to be like the end of October or first of November before we might be in our house, we wouldn't have offered to let the buyer have it so soon or agreed for them to take it so soon.  Yes, the date we got today was a week after the previous date.  I was excited to think of having our annual ChiliRoast with our new house here but I'm afraid that won't happen.  But, I am going to keep my expectations low and my hopes high.  We'll still be praying for a change in the date....we believe God still works miracles.

Oh, and thought I'd share some pics....here is one of the view from our master bunk and one of the shower/toilet area, all 12 sq ft of it.  Yep, 12 square feet...measure it out and imagine a toilet and shower in that space.  At least we all know how to flush a camper toilet now...everyone should know how to do this because you never know when you may use one and you don't want to have to take the time to read the directions and cause people to wonder what in the world is taking you so long. Just sayin....

You'll notice the vanity area in the bottom right corner of the above pic, that's where we get ready in the morning.  The door with the full length mirror is the toilet/shower area.  The rest is the boys' "beds" which are basically futons.  Of course, the our tv is on our chest of drawers..oh, the cabinet next to the vanity is the "closet." Yep, not much storage. The fridge is next to the "closet" and the stove is next to the fridge.  We have about 20 inches of counter space split between two 10 inch areas of counter space. And that is our camper. 

 

Here are my restless legs in our bunk....that's my school bag that I will be kicking most of the night. Hope I don't get my feet tangled up in the handles of it....

 

So there is a little glimpse into our little camper....240 sq. ft. of family closeness.  You did notice there really isn't any privacy, right??

 

Did You Know?

Did you know that if you are getting your water through a garden hose that is laying on the ground for a good 60 feet, then you will have a built in hot water source when the temps reach the upper 90's?  Yep, you'll turn on the cold water and it will be cold for a few seconds and then turn bath water warm for a good while before turning cold again.  Kind of strange to have to wait for cold water. 

Did you know that a smaller space isn't necessarily easier to keep clean?  It must be something about larger spaces allowing the dirt more room to spread out.  Seems like I'm constantly sweeping, picking up, trying to organize, and reorganize what I just organized.  This week I've kind of given up and been a bit frustrated with the chaos of such a small space.  But then it got worse so back to trying to keep up with it, I guess.

Did you know that when you take your gas tank in to get refilled, you better not forget to pick it up or you won't have hot water the next morning?  I won't elaborate on this point any more than to say that this didn't happen, yet.   I just thought it did....and was a little freaked out at the thought of no hot water.

Did you know that if your put all the "fattening" food in a refrigerator in a garage 60 feet from your living quarters, you will most likely not eat it?  Yep, 100 degrees outside, dying of thirst, nothing to drink in the camper, lots to drink in the other fridge....but it's just sooo far. 

Did you know that when getting ready in a camper, the lighting may not be the best? ...so ladies, apply your makeup lightly.  If you can see your makeup in the mirror, you probably have too much on.  You may get out to the car, look in the mirror and realize you look like a clown!  The car mirror will be the best place to do any facial hair plucking. So maybe getting ready in the car is really a better option then the camper...it's about the same amount of room.

Did you know that when it rains, it pours BUT God will be there holding the umbrella for you?  Yep, both vehicles broke down last week.  Three family member were sick and had us really worried as well.  By the end of the week our family was all on the mend, we found out about an unexpected raise, and the car was worked on and fixed....of course, it's acting up again and will go back to the shop tomorrow but God showed us once again that He's holding the umbrella, sheltering us and keeping us from drowning in puddles of worry.

And finally, did you know that tomorrow will be 6 weeks of living in a camper for the Hayse family and there is still 5 week until our  "tentative" date for our house to be on our property?!!  Yes, please pray something changes and it can come a week sooner!!  I wanted to be able to move in by the weekend of October 12th since it's a long weekend for me and I could have extra time to make it feel like home.  Even though we are doing a stick built modular and a lot of it comes finished, we will still have countertops, tile work, plumbing and finishing work to do.  So PRAY with us PLEASE that somehow we get it here the first week of October!