After we left California we stayed a week in Az and soaked up the sun rays and enjoy some warm weather. Even though the oil field had bottomed out and is on its way to recovering, Tyler lost his rotation which essentially means he gets maybe 3 days off a month. Being cross country just wasn't working for us as a family. We needed to be closer so we could actually see him. We left to go west on November 21st and didn't get to see him until after the new year, which doesn't jive with us. So on our way to him, we stopped in Az.
Goldenvalley is such a solid central location to many things. We were 1.5 from Las Vegas and several other points of interest like Oatman and the Hoover Dam. As I felt the urge to go run and do all the fun things there, I saw the girls playing outside so happily. I realized that it's much easier to fulfill their happiness if I just let them play outside. I don't have to feel guilty about not seeing major landmarks. These girls already get to see more of our country than most adults. So with that in mind, we laid low, handled some scary maintenance things that happened once we got there ( like almost burning down the trailer), and just lived in the moment that week.
Close to our last day, we did go visit Oatman, Arizona! I was told about it at the RV park and it sounded like it was right up our alley and boy it was! We got to watch a staged gunfight in the middle of the street ( they even block traffic for this event), checked out a cool old jail as well as see this small mining town overran by "wild" burro's. It was a fun evening and a beautiful drive.
So all the burros are here from past generations dating back to the early 1900's. This mine produced over $10 million from gold. They used the wild burros as pack animals for their operation, after the boom was over they released them back into the wild and the genetic line is still going strong today. One of the original buildings still standing is the old hotel where they preserved the honeymoon suite of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard ("Gone with the Wind"). This little town is located on route 66 and is such a fun place to experience. I stunned by how many visitors come here day in and day out. Main street is lined with burros and authenticity. The girls had a blast, once they realized donkeys were walking freely through the street they were ready to have some fun. We did just that, it was such a fun experience for all of us.
It seems to me that the more time I spend with these girls the faster time flies by. I am desperately trying to hold on to our time and it just slips away day in and day out. I am so thankful to have them and to have the ability to stay home and raise them. I honestly think that most kids couldn't hack this lifestyle. On our way to California, I was able to get to the central valley from west Texas in less than 48 hours. They ride so well and never complain about our driving time. This winter season we have done well taking our time and not rushing through experiences. I see so many families running haywire through places and not really stopping to enjoy life. We are so fortunate with our unique lifestyle, it just works so well.
Though we love this lifestyle I find myself eager to be on our homestead. Every time I cook I imagine us in our future home, sending the girls out to the garden to gather ingredients for dinner. We talk about raising our own animals for meat and explain to the girls how humane it is and how better our conscience will be once we become self-sustaining. It will be a difficult path yet filled with reward. RaeLynn constantly talks about the family restaurant we have cooked up with our minds. It's so fun to dream with them, the pursuit of happiness can never be snatched from the American mind. We still have a long ways to go but I am so proud of the improvements we have made that get us closer and closer to our dream. It may take a few years but we will get there. We are like sculptors chiseling away at our dream and carving our future in stone. I hope everyone stays safe this Superbowl Sunday, Thanks for reading!
