Search Results for may (202)

Sommer, Raleigh, FacilityDude and Helpful Neighbors

Ashley Longnecker / July 03, 2015

So, now we are on our own. We packed up early Sunday morning May 31 and headed to Raleigh, NC. One of the last things we do before hooking up is pulling in our slides.

“Kids room, coming in!” All is well.

“Our room, coming in!” All is well.

“Kitchen, coming in!”.....Craaaapppp!!

You remember that awesome clock that we installed yesterday? Well, turns out we forgot about the kitchen slide coming in and it just hit the bottom of the clock and knocked that sucker down between the slide and the wall and there was no way to reach it. After a few failed attempts we just decided that we needed to go ahead and pull in the kitchen slide all the way and we would think of how we could get it out on our way to Raleigh.

“Living room, coming in!” All is well.

We arrive in Raleigh and make fools of our selves attempting to pull in to this super long, but super narrow spot in Crosswinds Campground at Jordan Lake Recreational Area. Jon finally figured it out (after he quit listening to me) and pulled it in like a boss.

Way to go, babe!

So, naturally we go to get set up and pull out the slides, only guess what? We can’t pull out the kitchen slide or we would smash that crazy clock, and if we can’t pull out the kitchen slide the kids can’t get to their bedroom. WE HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT!! So, an hour later I give up and walk to our neighbors (whom I scoped out before hand to make sure they wouldn’t murder me) and asked them if they had a long wire that we could use and told them our problem with the clock. This nice gentleman offered to come look at it and see if he could think of a way to get it out. 30 minutes later the other gentleman at the same campsite came to see if he could help (or maybe he came to see if his friend had been murdered). After another 30 minutes or so they came up with the idea of duct tape on a paint stirring stick! GENIUS!! We got the clock out and just as we pulled it out we get a knock at our door. It’s the gentlemen's wives. I think they were coming to make sure we didn’t murder their husbands. (Can you tell that I am super paranoid about being murdered?)

We invited them in and we got to talk to them for a while. They were so nice and asked to look around at our home. We happily showed them around and were so thankful to have good neighbors that day. They even left us their unused fire wood since they left the next morning and they offered to let us have their left over hot dogs since our kids were hungry and we were busy getting the clock figured out. Thank you, random neighbors for your kindness and for a memory we probably won’t forget for a long time.

Full Time Travel Transition: Part 1

Ashley Longnecker / June 02, 2015

As we are coming up on a full month of transitioning into our moveable home, I thought I should catch you up on what’s happened so far. The short version, at least. 

May 2, 2015 we picked up the 5th wheel (or as we like to call it, RockSteady). A few people had told us we should mount our electrical/brake line inside the bed instead of under the tailgate where it came factory installed. It was one of those things that we just didn’t have time to do before picking it up. We hook everything up and sure enough - our truck bed was too long and the cord was getting caught on turns. So 2 hours later, a new plug is installed in our truck bed, and we were finally on our way. 

The Call

Ashley Longnecker / April 15, 2015

March 23, 2015. I spent the whole day cleaning and staging each room so that I could get some amazing pictures of our home. The kids were so helpful in picking up their toys and making everything look in tip-top shape. We scrubbed off all the crayon marks on the walls and dusted all the doors and frames. We cleaned all the windows and got some really amazing pictures taken. It took me from 9am until 3:30 to get every room clean, staged and photographed. I was so motivated that day. I remember having an extra pep to my step and just thinking how fun that was to see my house for what it truly can be (when there aren’t little people making creative memories all over the place). I remember praying over the rooms that day. Praying for the next family who has this house that they would love it as much as we do and that their family would be blessed in their new home.

Confessions of a Foodaholic

Ashley Longnecker / March 25, 2015

I have big problems. I wake up and think about food, I get done eating and think about what I am going to eat next. I go to bed thinking about food. I have been known to ‘sneak’ food. I’ve planned outings around food. I celebrate with food. I get depressed and I fix it with food. I am happy so I eat food. I’m sad, so I eat food. 

This is an ongoing struggle for me. It’s real, and it’s painful. Painful in my pants, and also painful in my heart. I hate that I cannot get control over this issue. I try to make healthy meals and then one thought of chocolate and it breaks my whole healthy eating routine. I know it’s a self control issue, but I also believe it’s something bigger. What, I still don’t know but it’s real and it really sucks. 

Last March Jonathan and I started eating really well. We cut out sugar and grains. We did a cleanse for 21 days. We even did Whole30 for the month of August. Then life happened. Celebrations happened. Holidays happened. And for one reason after another, sugar crept its way back into our lives. Last year I had done so good (in my opinion) and was down 30 pounds. Now, I’m almost back to where I started last year and it’s becoming harder and harder to deal with it. I want to eat good. I want to get a good exercise in everyday. I want to cut out sugar and dairy and grains again. I felt AMAZING the month of August last year. But those first 2 weeks on Whole30 were a $(%)!! 

I guess I’m just admitting this on here so I can be held accountable. I need accountablity. I need to get this under control. Most importantly I need to be comfortable to be outside with my kids and not worry about if my pants will split when I sit down! I would love to drop 2 pant sizes (preferably 4, but let’s start with 2) and be able to run with my kids for longer than 3 minutes :) 

So there you have it. My goals. My heart. If only you knew how hard this is for me to admit. If only you knew the tears I’ve cried. If only you knew the thoughts that go through my head about this. If only you knew how utterly ashamed I am that this is such an issue. 

As I am writing this, tears streaming, I am in a parking lot because I knew that if I went to Panera Bread to write, I would have to buy that Chocolate Chip Cookie and if I was eating a chocolate chip cookie while typing this then there had to be a coke to wash it down. (Yes, it’s that bad)

There you have it. The struggle is real. And now, I am headed home because Jonathan took the kids to church and I am going to go get my yoga pants on and I am going to go for a LONG walk, and then a bike ride, and then maybe I’ll jump rope.

Here’s to new beginnings...again.

Good iPad Games for Your Older Kids: Part 2

Jonathan Longnecker / March 10, 2015

We're back with more iPad games for your kids that aren't stupid, "free" or crammed with in-app purchases and ads. They also look and feel like someone actually cared when making them. In other words - these are good, solid games that are worth paying for. 

This time I wanted to focus on games for the older kids in your family. Don't worry! I'll let you know if there's stuff like language or violence that you may want to watch out for. Looking for games for your younger kids? Check out Part 1.