Surviving winter in 550 square feet

Well, we have been in our current abode almost 6 months!!  I can hardly believe it.   What is even harder to believe is how well we have been doing here.  Really!

We are working through the difficulties and we are wholeheartedly enjoying the outdoors.

Our horse, Estra Lina de Alexandria

 

Hide & seek inside is not very fun.  Laundry, especially when it's cold or raining, is certainly not fun.  When we're inside, we are in constant contact with one another, often literally; but it gives us more opportunity to smooth out our rough edges.  And I don't know about you but I have A LOT of rough edges that need smoothing out.

So, the outdoors have been our playground, sanctuary, and place where I can go whine to God under the stars of solitude when necessary. 

Now that the weather is turning cooler and the days are much, much, much shorter, I am not sure what thriving will look like.   Being dark and cold by dinner time means that we have a few hours inside after dark...in 550 square feet...together...we have almost been, dare I say it?  Bored!  Well, as bored as you can be in 550 square feet with 4 kids.  :)

After dinner, we usually have animals to care for, playing to do, chores to accomplish, golf carts to ride, frisbees to throw, projects to start or complete, etc.   Now, most of that is completed around dinner time because we care for the animals around or by dark.  And, who wants to throw a frisbee or ride the golf cart in the cold, dark night?

So, here we are...trying to figure out what to do in the evenings.  We might have to bring out the board games we dared not play before now because we were occupied, soaking up every moment of sunshine.  We might have to have some Wii bowling competitions.  We might become proficient at staring contests.  Who knows? 

I'm a little concerned about our sanity through the winter but, then again, my sanity is always questionable.  LOL   Hence living in house on wheels to begin with.   So, no matter what this winter holds for us, I know we'll make it.  Besides, maybe there's a world record for staring contests we can aspire to break...

Here are some pictures because I haven't shared any in quite a while!

The few first pictures are really to show off that my new family picture canvas that came in today (photo credits to my fabulous friend and photographer, Mandy Daniel) and the Christmas lights my sweet husband hung for me.  We don't have room for a Christmas tree and I absolutely adore lights so...

 Here is the dog house Bruce built for Sugar.  The cats don't mind snuggling in there.

Here is a picture of the back of the cabin, where the addition to the 18-wheeler is

Oh, yeah, that's a license plate underneath my house!!

If you look at the silver color underneath the tractor trailer, that is the insulation Bruce put around all the plumbing that is exposed under the trailer.  Yay for being able to have running water!