WE'RE OFF

We hit the road Friday around 1pm with my dear sister and her girls waving us off. It was a bittersweet moment with three out of five Cashman's in tears. We drove for awhile, maybe two hours before Gabe started to get sick. He continued feeling that way until 8 that night after throwing up one last time. Poor little man. Not the way we thought our first day would be. But we dealt with it, prayed for him and by that evening he was out riding bikes.
Our first night we stayed in Rockwood, PA near Somerset. Our campground was nice with baby goats and a donkey that the kids just loved to feed. We walked, talked and rode bikes. It is a real joy to be on this journey together even with life's ups and downs.
A few minor glitches with the trailer. It blew out some thing on the tire that spewed oil everywhere and now there is a bend in the hitch part. John can only see one side of the trailer while driving it is that crooked. SOOO we might have to purchase a new one or get that one welded. However in hindsight, which never serves us well it probable wasn't the best trailer for this adventure. I think we need one a little bigger and more sturdy. We shall see how this turns out. To be continued
Now we find ourselves in Ohio on Lake Erie. In a wonderful town called Geneva- on- the- Lake. My kids refuse to believe that it is a lake because it is ssoooo big. We hope to explore the town which is similar to a boardwalk at the beach minus the boards but with all the shops and eateries.
I hope to get some pictures on here within the day or so. And a virtual map so you can follow our path. Until then...

Feeling the Love

We had our bon voyage party here on Saturday. I feel blessed to have had so many wonderful people here to say goodbye to us. It makes me appreciate the way our lives touch those of others. Sometimes we get so caught up in all the busyness of life and forget how much other people make a difference in just knowing them, just loving them and having them near our hearts. So this is a big thank you to everyone who came here to spend those last precious moments with us. We love you and will hold you in a special place forever.
We drove the RV to church yesterday so that we could share with our church family the vision we have for our journey. It was an amazing experience to feel so much support and love from people that we had really just begun to get to know. Pastor Bonnie, that dear women shared our story from the pulpit and allowed us to come forward to share our vision for the crusade. She then asked people to come forward to lay hands on us and pray for our safety and blessing. It was overwhelming and very touching.
Many people were able then to come out to the parking lot and tour the RV in order to gain insight as to how we will live on the road. Again I can not say enough wonderful things about the people at Red Run thank you all for loving us in all this craziness. We will honor you and God with this journey.
By the way we are really getting down to the wire here with three days to go before we leave. We got a truck to pull behind the RV. Nice truck with a glitch or two in the towing department. It will work out though as John is on the job. I love that man. He has been so amazing these last few weeks. It's like he is reborn in his "retirement". I am so happy for him and the freedom he is having.
I really have so much to do that I can't even think straight but it will get done and soon enough we will be gone. We just feel so much love in all of this.

Our Maiden Voyage

The settlement went without incident. We walked away very happy with how everything went. It was so freeing and truly amazing to know that this crazy dream is becoming reality. We have no regrets selling the house. I was not sad for a moment., It has felt like we have been a slave to this lifestyle for so long that getting out from under it is like a weight being lifted from your shoulders. The stuff, the big house all really great blessings but John has put so much of his energy into just keeping the roof over our head that to get out from under is such joy for both of us. I am so excited for him to not have to work for the next six months that I could do a dance about it.
We ended up picking up the RV on Tuesday June 3. My sister came along to drive our car home so that we could ride home in Gracie as a family. It was so cool handing the check over for our new home on wheels. We said goodbye to George and Linda and with John behind the wheel we were off. The kids were wild in there. Bouncing off the walls excited. I too felt like a little kid. We made it home through a major rainstorm without any problem.
I was just thrilled to have the RV sitting in our yard. A reminder that dreams become reality if you just believe. Not that there hasn't been some blood, sweat and tears involved but with anything worth having it has been a journey I wouldn't change.
So we have been busy cleaning Gracie and filling her up with our belongings. We like just hanging out in there together. We even spent the night in it when my mom was up this weekend. LOVE IT. LOVE IT.