How do you downsize gifts??

I do not have much to report on the front of buying anything toward our new journey.  I am guessing it will be about a year before I am able to buy my new home!  That is completely okay though, I am okay with working toward a goal.

Right now I am looking at everything as if we are moving into an RV at any time.  This is making my planning for gifts hard.  I do not want to buy the kids a bunch of toys we will have to get rid of in mere months because there will not be room for everything they want to bring.  They are the hardest.  

I am using this place as a sounding board for gifts, if you have any suggestions, please share them with me!!

Some of my ideas so far....

This is a durable camera for younger photographers.  I really think the girls especially would love to be able to take pictures.  HOWEVER my next idea for them has a built in camera, and I like the idea of killing two birds with one stone...

This is an Android powered media player.  I have the same one.  It has built in wi-fi, complete access to the android market place, and it plays music, movies, takes pictures, and also has an ereader app available.  I think this would do wonders for the girls, and serve many uses, not just one.

Another Idea I have for them is letting her pick out their very own bed sets.  They will each need a bed set for their beds, so letting them personalize it would involve them in this aspect of everything!!

I am lost for the boys..they are 20 months and 5 months.  Really what can I get for them that will be 'practical', probably nothing.  We DO plan on bringing with us, a select few toys to play with, so I think I will have to base their things around their interests in toys as they grow.

My gifts for my husband will not be hard, but they will be hard to bring with!  My husband enjoys technology, and movies.  I am trying to figure out a way to put all my movies on SD cards or a hard drive so they can be put into my media player.  I havent figured all that out yet.  His XBox games are a different story.  We will have to get one of these humongous things...

If YOU have any ideas that would travel nice for children my age (6, 5, 20 months, 5 months) please let me know!!  

Choosing your new home...

Determining our RV type is becoming the hardest part of this entire journey.  I need a vehicle to carry 6 people.  Everyone but my husband and I are in carseats right now.  My oldest is 6, so by Colorado law once she reaches the age of 8 legally she no longers needs to be in a carseat however, I know she will not reach the weight limit of her carseat for some time.  We will keep her in her seat until she is 10 or over the weight.  With this set up, it makes driving in a truck almost impossible.

Thanks to an amazing forum I just joined I realized an E-350 passenger van would probably be the best choice.  Even my husband agrees.  What I am thinking is the girls can each have their own bench seat, because sitting them next to each other for long periods of time in a vehicle always causes fights.  Or we put them each on the opposite end of the bench.  It would leave us plenty of room for storage in the vehicle, provided we dont go over the GVWR. 

Obviously then we would buy a pull behind.  I am hoping for one with slide outs, but I dont expect that to be our first purchase.  I plan on buying one that is a little older, but still in good condition and customizing it to meet our needs as a family. 

That brings me to the next point.  You need to decide what you want in an RV.  I am really trying to figure out things I cannot do without.  One of those things is a private bedroom -with a door- for my husband and I.  I dont care how amazing the door is, I just need a way to close myself out and have a little privacy at times.  I would prefer a way to sleep all of the children without having to put the table down every night.
I would prefer bunk beds.  I would prefer a couch.  I know that those two things together will be hard to find, but I am looking for potential not only what it has RIGHT NOW.

Have you made improvements to your rv?  Do you have tips or tricks you would love to share?

Our Introduction

So!  I am sure everyone wants to know everything right?  Well lets start with the basics...

Who am I?
I am Mindi, a 24 year old mommy of 4.  I am a student, a wife, a dreamer, and a little nuerotic.  I love to plan.  I have been married to my amazing husband for 3 and a half years.  I am trying to define who I am as a person, and not as the role I play in other peoples lives!

My Family!
I have four beautiful children.  Here is a picture of them taken just tonight by their daddy.

We will start with the oldest, she is at the top of the picture.  Her name is Chloe West, and she is 6!  We do k12 online schooling.  She is stubborn, and difficult, emotional, and high energy but she is my baby.  I love her dearly, even with her....Chloeness.  At the bottom of the picture with the pink shirt and beautiful blue eyes is a baby girl named Nevaeh Sunshine.  She will be 5 on the 29th of April!  She is just as her picture shows her...happy, she lights up a room, she is sweet, too trusting, quiet, and not as innocent as she looks.  She picks fights and antagonizes Miss Chloe.  And sandwiched between them, is the always handsome Jeffery Junior.  Also known as Junior.  He is so much energy and craziness, and all boy!  It is so hard for me to keep up with him, but he is worth every single broken toy and bruise!

 

Here is Mr Daddy, he is famous around these parts, and our newest addition to the family.  Maddox James.  He is almost 5 months!  He is so happy, and always smiling or giggling.  He is one who loves to sleep in, and he loves his mommy.  Its my first mommy's boy!!

What are we doing?

Right now we live in a beautiful home in Denver Colorado.  My plan...our plan for our family, is to buy an RV, and move into it.  The first step is to buy it, then we will have 3 months to anything we need to do to fix it up and get it ready to live in.  We will move into it for a three month period (In our driveway) to see how we cope in it.  After our three month "staycation" we will then move into it full time for a year renting out our house.  We will be saving up the money from my job, the money from the house rent, and we will pay off all of our debt.  After that, we will save e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.  We will then go on the road for at least 2 years!  We will travel the country.  See everything.  And find a way to support ourselves while doing it.  

This is our journey, our story, and I hope you enjoy it.