Airstream Adventures

I promised to show some of the projects we've been working on over the past year. One of our biggest time drains has been our Airstream Argosy travel trailer...

It was a bit of an impulse buy. We wanted a way to go camping as a family. We tried the tent thing in the past but the weather here is not exactly pleasant for camping most of the time. Initially we thought about a pop up camper. I started pouring over craigslist and found this adorable Airstream that was not very expensive.... $3000. We've always wanted to fix up an Airstream so we were super excited about it. We never realized we could get into an Airstream for so cheap... HA! The thing is you can't get into an Airstream for so cheap...We have spent at least another $3000 fixing her up and countless arguments over how it should be done. I admittedly geeked out and joined the airstream forums. I wanted it restored to its original glory. Willem just wanted to get it campable so we could use it. It isn't pristine but we did take a year to get it ready. So we have now taken it out a few times and are getting used to RVing...

I failed to take a lot of before pics, but they all generally looked the same. Ours is a 1974 28 foot. Here is an ad for the 1978 models. As you can see they are not the shiny silver aluminum ones. Argosies are painted but they were used to test lots of cool options that are now on current models, most noteably the wrap around front windows which we love.

Ours had been used as a hunting camp and was basically trashed. It was overwhelming as we began to restore it so I think that's why we forgot pictures...just too much to do.

The first order of business was to replace all cushions and upholstery. We were not about to sleep on 30 something year old cushions slept on by hunters. That dome part in the front was also orange so we spray painted it white. The curtains I made and we bought new foam mattresses that I covered. This bed makes out into a queen size and this is where Willem and I sleep.

Here is the kids bedroom area. I wanted it to be fun and playful. We added the bunk above and the bottom is a full that makes into a couch when we aren't sleeping. We usually leave it as a bed for now.

While I was busy making it look pretty on the inside Willem had the ridiculous task of making the thing water tight. It leaked in several places. He also was busy getting the plumbing replaced and putting in the new bamboo floor. We added a new air conditioning unit, had some welding done on the frame to reinforce it as well as added new brakes and tires. It took forever and we chose to stop at the bathroom. We got it to a point where we can use the facilities but next year's project is to make it pretty which unfortunately will mean pulling it all out.

So far we've taken it to Chicot State park and to Galveston. We hope to do more with it this fall. We are also getting it well stocked and hoping to buy a generator for it in the event we need to pull out of here for a hurricane this season.

Here are a couple more pics for you to check out....In the interest of space I'll make them smaller but feel free to click on them for an enlarged view.

Bye for now...

why adopt

We are still here....We are progressing through our home study. Our visits have been completed, our paperwork is almost completely gathered. We now are waiting on our FBI criminal history to arrive in the mail. The next step is to submit a formal request to Citizen Immigration Services to adopt internationally. Some moms have growing bellies...I have a growing binder or paperwork.

Now that summer has arrived I have a little more time to sit down and write so I thought I'd address the questions we get most often about our adoption.

As we have told friends and family about our desire to adopt we often get one of two responses. Excitement or the strange look of why?

The answer to that question is I'm not sure why but I know several thing for certain...

I've always had a desire to adopt. In the early 90s I remember seeing many newsline type shows reporting on the conditions of orphanages in Romania. I will never forget seeing those kids rocking themselves to sleep and banging their heads against their cribs. It totally broke my heart. I remember thinking to myself that I would take one. Of course I wasn't old enough but I knew I could do it. I had always been a babysitter... I have 20 first cousins and I'm older than all but one of those. I was often asked to keep an eye on or babysit all of those at some point in time. I was responsible I could do it....
It got me thinking and I have always looked at children in bad situations and asked myself "Could I love that kid as my own?" and most of the time I concluded that I could. I then began to question this desire I had and wondered why I had it. I began to convince myself that maybe God was preparing me. Maybe I was not able to have children and this was his way of bracing me for it. I even went so far as to warn my husband about this premonition I had. He was fine with adoption and even liked the idea.
Obviously I was able to have children. It was even easy and I still am able to have kids. So, I could have more or I could act on this somewhat unique desire...
Which leads me to my next reason...

God calls us to it.... Not everyone is called to adopt but it clearly says in His word "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress... James 1:27" I know that this doesn't mean we are all to run out and adopt but God has given me the desire and therefore I should. Kids need parents and we want and are blessed enough to be able to provide for another so we should. Let me re emphasize that....God has blessed us as a family beyond measure. He has done so much for us that honestly I feel like I have more to give and this seems like a great way to do it.

We want a big family... Willem and I have always wanted a big family. At this point in my life, I am not that into the whole pregnancy thing. I've been there done that. Same goes for babyhood. We cherished it for our three but we are happy to be done with midnight feedings, bottles and soon to be diapers! We want our kids to have each other, to depend on as they grow older. We want lots of grandkids and big Christmas dinners... Adoption fits the bill and we get the bonus of picking the age and sex of our child...perfect!

So there you go...a little explanation of this journey we are on.....

Hope everyone out there has had a great Memorial Day weekend...