Journal

I do not own the rights to this photography. I simply found it on a backgrounds download website through google.

The strangest happenings are happening to Caleb and I.. :) We decided to take the 199 to Oregon instead of back on the 101 to help our truck not die. So, we got to Grants Pass, Oregon. Oh and btw the US 199 Redwood Highway is the only other way to get to the I5 from Crescent city if you don't want to take the 101. So we got to the Walmart and it says no rv camping, the first Walmart we got to that does not allow people to stay the night, its a super Walmart and is awesome BTW... :D But we were like uh oh! We didn't have a place to sleep yet and it was getting dark, didn't want to really drive at night. So we go find the home depot and sleep there that night. Let's just say... We poured out a little water from Gypsi's bowl of water and I turn around to jump out of the trailer... and we have a small ice skating rink outside our door. ;) Lol. It was kind of awesome! It was 22 degrees at 6:30 in the morn. So we decided to go find an am-pm because we had a free coffee from there. We got there and saw that they don't actually have the store part just the gas so we went straight back to our truck and ....... it didn't, it wouldn't start!!!!!! We stayed calm and kept our cool. Pretty quickly 2 men from the shop come and start takin a look at the engine, about 2 minutes after that a girl from the shop comes to bring me a cup hot cocoa. The guys tell us its either the fuel pump or fuel pump relay. Oh... Did I mention? Our car died at a mechanic shop. :) lol. Ironic?? heheh. ;) We were planning on heading back down south a bit, we were literally ON OUR way out to the 5, just needed some coffee first. Well also, our cell phone is broken so we cant just call. Okay, so moving on... Fuel pump relay or fuel pump is dead. They tell us there is an auto parts shop a few blocks away, so we go walkin to buy a fuel pump relay PRAYING that was it.. well that wasn't it.. and did I mention its 22 degrees. So that mechanic is booked all day so we need to find another one.. We walk through the town and look for all the mechanics we can find to see if any are available. After our 3rd try we found Greg and this LOVELY woman who worked her BUTT off for us to help us out in EVERY WAY she possibly could. This mechanic was able to look at our truck but we need a fuel pump, and the tank is rusted so bad there was a hole in the tank so that needs to be replaced because once you took it off... every bolt and everything were stripped and we know because Greg wanted to keep showing Caleb what is going on. So Greg gave us our "Worst case scenario" on the price of everything.. in total $750. So we were like Oh no.. because we only had $945. to live off of and pay what needs to be paid still. AND WE HAVEN'T even gotten into January and we were almost out of money before the month even started. We got paid on the 30th of Dec and our truck died the 31st. Talk about timing! So we were pretty amazed at the decently cheap price of $750 and that is including labor... Oh I forgot to mention.. We had to call AAA from the mechanics to tow our truck about 4 blocks down, what would have been 60 bucks AAA saved our butts there.. So big picture here.. Our truck got towed to the mechanic, our trailer is stuck in the Ar-co back lot and the mechanic was going to be closed Thursday (which is today), Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and ON MONDAY they would get the part in and be able to fix our truck. So we are stuck with NO TRANSPORTATION. Our trailer illegally parked for the night but was allowed by arco regardless and they could have lost there job but decided to help us anyway. Now back at the mechanic shop Caleb and I are trying to go through every option, hoop, and loop to try to get things figured out.. What are we going to do? We need to get our trailer somewhere, and there are no California state parks here, RV park maybe, boon docking? but we don't even have enough money left over after paying for our truck to be fixed to be able to pay for that. how are we going to get the trailer there?? We wont have any money left over for January even if we could get all this done. So like I said just a little stressful but we were staying thankful and positive as best we could. Now to the most amazing parts of the story. This story is mind- boggling... Just be ready for that. 

The mechanics office lady was trying to help us and I mean BEYOND OUT OF HER WAY to help us. She gave us a ton of numbers to try to ask for some help, she told us that she is going to call an old co worker, Jeff to see if he wouldn't mind lending us some help. She told us he has a truck and may be able to tow the trailer to a rv park for us, she even offered to call the RV park and let them know what time we would be coming. Jeff told her that he would help us out definitely. So he was going to come get us and the trailer Jan 1st at 8 in the morning. That prayer was answered! We were taking our problems on one step at a time, so now that the trailer was going to be picked up we still needed to figure out the money issue.. We walked around town more to see if we could get a cash advance or somethin... came back to the mechanics and decided that we would take her offer of trying this auto finance card thing, but we were sure we weren't going to be able to get it since we have tried several times in the last few months to do different things and credit always ended up being an issue, so we had previously decided we weren't even going to give it a shot. Well we did.. And we ended up being approved for MORE than we asked for. We planned on paying 400 and asking for 350 to help cover the rest.. Then pay it off. I mean we have spent the ENTIRE day at the mechanics, using their phone because they offered it. So lets just say WE WERE ALLL happy to hear that news! We all hugged and shared our gratitude for ALL she had done for us this last day of the year. So now the money issue is fixed. WOW! So who wants to tell me this didn't perfectly fall INTO PLACE?! Now just wait.. the story goes on! So.. so far.. Every single person we have met was one of the most friendly people we have met... and not just friendly. HELPFUL. Caring for their fellow human in need. They don't know us from Adam as Caleb says it. :) Yet were so full of care and helpfulness. The last day of 2014 in Grants Pass, Oregon started with one of our worst case scenarios about travelling ending up to be one of the most shocking days of our lives. We were doing great! When we were on our way out of the home depot parking lot.. We had to wait to let the ice melt off the windshield so I had told Caleb, I don't even want to leave yet but I had got SO EXCITED for the next place we were going that I didn't mind getting back on the 5 to go back into California and stay at this awesome state park we were about to go to. That's when the truck broke down. lol but anyway, through out the day both of us kept saying, "I kinda like this town!" "me too!! The people are SO NICE". " I almost don't want to leave! " So we found a rv park after walkin to find a coffee shop with wifi. Then went back to our trailer and started getting ready for bed.. Not knowing what the New Year, our fresh start would bring. Caleb and I woke up at Midnight to everyone putting off fireworks and said HAPPY NEW YEAR! Then... went back to bed lol. We woke up, walked a couple blocks to get some coffee and started getting the trailer move ready for when Jeff comes to the rescue. I mean... moves the trailer. :D We enjoy our morning coffee and hot cocoa and wait for Jeff's arrival. Jeff AND Steve arrive.. Steve decided to drive for Jeff to help with our trailer. Steve happens to be a uhh what should I say.... God send!? I mean the captain of forest fire firefighters here in Grants Pass. Also an Army Veteran... Well OBVIOUSLY.. Caleb and him hit it off pretty Darn quick! We arrive at the rv park Caleb goes in and starts the process to get us in to a spot.. I take the opportunity to thank the man for his services, and get to hear his heart about helpin people a bit, takin people in. Caleb comes out and tell us the news... Remember not an hour ago when we were sipping on our hot coffee and cocoa we just bought? Well... the card we just got our drinks with went and decided to get frozen on us by the bank.. Chief says, "hop on in... Jeff.. You know where were goin? The ranch? Yup." DO YOU HEAR THIS? The man is taking us to his home to hold us up until we decide what we wanna do, or what. Parks our trailer, plugs us in to electricity, and water NO TROUBLE what so ever. Caleb and I go inside our little house and start gawking and awing and wondering we are just totally bewildered at all the strange happenings that are happening to us. Like if God was into playing dominoes and decided he wanted to set up these dominoes to fall in the most perfect sequence of events moment by moment through our last 2 days.. Now we start doin some communicatin and voiced that we didn't really wanna go back down south at all right now.. I am really enjoying this town where our worst case scenario event unfolded. :) WOW. That's saying something. I didn't have this in any other town we seen(we've been watchin hell on wheels the tv show and I have accidentally been picking up their accents on the show). HAHA. :D So we started playing with the idea of staying here, maybe paying to stay monthly at the rv park and start workin to save some more money. Our fresh start possibly? :) Steve(chief) comes knocks on the door and asks us if we wanna come inside we can use the shower there's a heater in the house so its warm. We sit down and just start chattin away with him and his wife just getting to know each other a little and they offer us to stay in a bedroom/loft up stairs if we want. Basically offers Caleb a job, and then a bit later tells us they're gonna take us out for breakfast. ? :0 ? WOAH. 

Met the rest of the family livin here on their small ranch coming to find out how similar our interests are. with ALL of them.. We almost have never felt so comfortable to be ourselves with no judgement, no hostility, no tension, it is weird. IT'S WEIRD! That is seriously the only word I have been able to describe what my brain is going through. I started realizing there are MORE people out there like the Hollidays and Russ N Samone like a mix of the people I am most comfortable with in life. I felt instantly loved and accepted, same with Caleb.. LIKE DANG. That's all I can say about it hahah. They have a hot tub they said we ARE MORE than welcome to use. There is another younger couple Caleb and My age here.. We just fell into the arms of a very incredible community. The girl Stephanie has 2 boys 4 and 5 years old so I get to be around kids, she has an etsy and loves crafts like moi! Several things about her actually reminds me of one of my closest friends in Kentucky. Rhiannon. One of the first things I thought was dang... I cant wait to tell this to Elisa! No body is going to believe this story. hahaha. The moment we passed into the border of Oregon down Red Wood High way from the state park we stayed at in Crescent city to Grants pass Caleb was oohing and awing and loving every bit of terrain here. He said we could live here in whatever town we drove through LOL. Well.. We think we found our place we might stay for a bit.. WE DON'T KNOW THOUGH! We never know what the future holds or what is in store but I will stick by what I have learned, "let Go and let God" because we have watched the desires of my heart that I have always wanted pretty quickly be fulfilled since I truly learned that I do not have to work for my salvation. I started being open to any direction He might want. Before Caleb I was being offered a worship leader position at Monterrey Bay Calvary Chapel and the doors were closed. Then God brought my soon to be husband back into my life and started JUST POURING DOWN BLESSINGS on me. I had completely relied on other peoples thoughts and opinions or things they believed God told them.. I was done copying people and wanted to see God for myself. I wanted to see who He is in a broader spectrum, a new and different light. It was time to be woke up from my long nap. The Isolation of the Redwood Forest was a great place to start doing that. I wanted to see Gods handy work, and meet people. 

Now I will QUOTE from a Michael Gungor song called White man

"Atheists and Charlatans and Communists and Lesbians

    F            C            G               Am

And even old Pat Robertson, oh God He loves us all

F           C           G            Am

Catholic or Protestant, Terrorist or President

F          C          G     Am    F     C    G

Everybody, everybody, love, love, love, love, love"

anyone that I should be so lucky to meet on the path that is SO OBVIOUSLY BEING DUG OUT BEFORE us and Truly love them regardless of what they have done or the life path they are on... WWJD? This is where we are being led. Another desire of my heart for ages that God is helping me do is Get over all the fears. As soon as I decided to let my life be taken in any direction that God would want.. That is when I started walking with real faith in God. I started seeing real miracles happening once I left the four walls of my great church. I started having my own honest faith in God and faith in how Hes got things planned through the experiences I get to have and the strangers who care to help. We are seeing the fruit from going forward in our lives with this fresh start and new beginning. AS a reminder that we can always go back to visit our SouthernCal families and friends we can see the I5 from where were sleepin every night.  :D Happy New Year! We wanted to pay forward the goodness and mercies that are being poured on us daily! LITERALLY! :D