May 31st – June 2nd • The New Mexico Expedition
We had debated on driving halfway to the place we would be staying in New Mexico so it wouldn’t be such a long drive, but once we hit the road, we decided we would just drive right through and then we could relax when we got to Elephant Butte, New Mexico. We started the day early then drove over 1000 km in one stretch only stopping for bathroom and food breaks. When we know were are going to have long travel days I always pack sandwiches and snacks for the day to limit the amount of time we waste stopping. The kids have gotten pretty used to the long drives when we move from place to place.
It was dark by the time we got to Elephant Butte and our GPS didn’t know how to get us to our campsite since it was in a weird spot. We ended up taking a wrong turn and having to turn around, soon finding the spot we were staying. The place we are staying at is a second RV location and it’s new so it wasn’t fully developed and took a little know-how to find where we would be. We finally made it to our campsite Cedar Cove Too in Elephant Butte, NM. We had just enough daylight to get everything setup then headed to town for supper. When we got back everyone passed out from a long day.
The next morning we needed to do laundry, get groceries and water. Even though we may not be living in a full size house, we still have to do the daily errands that you would have to do in a regular home. The biggest difference is that we don’t have a washer or dryer, which means we have to go to a laundromat weekly. There are some things we are trying to figure out, like maybe getting a setup for a portable washer and a larger freezer. Although we love our camper the couch setup isn’t as good as we thought it would be, but I’m sure we will be making some Renos in the future.
Once we got all set up Kevin had to hit the road for some work, which meant the kids and I would be here to get caught up on school. Noah and Malachi have both been learning guitar and piano, so they spend a big part of their days playing instruments and just enjoying the outdoors. We got a huge campsite here which is awesome for space and the kids being able to play. At the back of our campsite, there is a big hill with sand and it’s a perfect sandpit for Lita and John to dig in with their trucks.
I’m in awe at how talented our boys are and how fast they have picked up playing guitar and piano. The inspiration they had from their cousin Joseph was a good motivation to do more practice and learn more things. Noah has been spending hours playing both piano and guitar. While Malachi spends hours learning and playing new things on the piano. I know that Stacy (Malachi’s piano teacher) would be so impressed with the progress he has made. Here is a few videos of the boys playing some music while we hangout at the campsite.
I never expected homeschool to be so good for our kids, because of homeschool, they have learned and expanded their knowledge of music, travel, the states and so much more. I know it takes time and effort to homeschool 4 kids, but in the end, it is worth all of it when you can see them grow and expand their knowledge. Noah has a love for cars and automotive while Malachi is really interested in electrical engineering. I also feel as a family we have become closer and I have gotten to know my kids so much better just by taking the extra time with them. We really are blessed that we have this opportunity as a family to grow together, I feel that I learn along with my kids daily. Noah really has helped me with my writing by proofreading and correcting this very blog you are reading (even the teacher gets taught sometimes!!).
The excitement to have so much fresh produce and for a reasonable price is unexplainable, I got artichokes for supper and we have been eating so many fruits and vegetables. You forget really fast when you’re living in Canada how cheap produce is in the states and the variety of it too. I’m so excited to be somewhere I have access to such a variety of produce. The boys were super excited to have artichokes while Lita and John never have heard of them before. I have created vegetable lovers out of my children and they are so excited when we can have something different.
After a long hot day, we all headed down to the shower house for a cool shower. Although you would think a hot shower is what everyone wanted when it’s so hot outside, in reality, a cold shower is the best. This campground is a newer campground and it’s a bit underdeveloped, but they have nice clean facilities and that makes a big difference. We enjoy the walk down to the shower house and the time we spend walking back. Being outside really is invigorating and gives us all energy. We will have to find some reprieve from this heat at some point!
