Welcome to the magical world of transformation…

Last week I visited my sister her husband…

and their daughter…

…up in Oregon.  They live off the grid, which means that they are self sufficient in every way imaginable.  They create their own energy, tap into a well for water, and they even dump their own trash.  Yup, no garbage men off the grid.  Thank goodness for cell phones, satellite tellie and internet; otherwise, they’d not only be off grid but out of their minds!

It was so nice to simply hang out with my sis, her hubs, and their 2 year old daughter.  We’ve been building a new relationship over the last couple of years and it was great to reap the benefits.  We went shopping, swimming in the river, watched movies, and I even helped my sis set up Google Analytics and Feedburner.  Yeah, there were a few tense moments, but they weren’t weighted down with old hurts and unresolved arguments.  They were simply tense moments in a 2 bedroom cabin housing 6 people in 110 degree weather (yes, there was a record breaking heat wave during our visit!)  Those moments came and went as quickly as the air rushing through the 6 fans we had running 24/7.

Anyhow, I thought my visit would be a nice break from all of life’s stresses.  But, now that I’ve been back for awhile I realize that there are just as much stresses living off the grid as on…they are just different.  I worried about using too much power so I continually turned lights off.  I stressed about the water line breaking again and tried to hold me pee as long as possible.  I tried to drink less water despite the heat because all drinking water has to be brought in.  And worst of all, I scrutinized every step outside for fear of accidentally stepping on a rattlesnake:

As you can imagine, my sister has struggled in the transition to life off the grid ~ she’s a huge bug-o-phobe! ~ and after experiencing it first-hand even I thought I would want them to move back to Barrow, Alaska.  But, strangely enough, I don’t.

Because it’s not about where they are.  It’s about how they are.

I want them to create their best life.  I want them to feel safe, secure, and fulfilled.  I don’t care if that’s in the Oregon backwoods, the arctic tundra, or even as missionaries in South Africa.

We differ in so many ways, but one thing will always remain true and indisputable: I love my big sister and her family.  I support them if they decide to stay off the grid or not.

Click here to view all the photos from my trip

Tags: Family, family vacation, fear, life, Relationships, sisters, stress

On the 4th of July we went kayaking in the Elkhorn Slough of the Monterey Bay. Alex and Carina had never been kayaking before and what can I say? It was quite an adventure! This was Will’s view of Alex in their kayak. We do tend to pair up by gender. Interesting.

From left to right: my daughter Carina, my nephew Alex, and my husband Will. I snapped this photo right before we jumped on our kayaks and headed out into the slough.

We let Carina decide who she wanted to pair up with and she chose me. She said she felt safest with me, which is kind of ironic considering that Will is bigger and stronger than I am. But, I guess safety isn’t always a physical thing. In fact, Carina is also bigger and stronger than I am!

The Elkhorn Slough – which is part of the Monterey Bay in Moss Landing – is an awesome place to check out the wildlife. Although, I’m not so sure how “wild” they are! The sea otters probably think they are related to kayaks and boats :~)

One thing that is really cool about my family is that we enjoy spending time together and we can laugh. In fact, the funniest part of my day is usually at the dinner table with Will, Carina, and Alex. I mean, you probably wouldn’t want to join us because everything is a sexual innuendo and we talk about all sorts of gross stuff like poo…but, I guarantee you would laugh!

I swear I must be part monkey…look how happy I am munching my banana.

I didn’t really torture Carina. Well okay, I might not of actually hit her with my oar, but just being out there was torture for her!

Did you know that you can sun even in the fog?

I’m so proud of Carina for getting out there on the kayak in nature. This isn’t her thing at all. In fact, when we were trying to figure out how to steer (which was REALLY hard!) she said, “Get me off this thing! I don’t do nature. Take me to the mall!”

On the way back in, we had a super hard time going against the current. At one point we bumped into a pylon underneath the bridge because the current was so strong. She was on the verge of tears and I felt like strangling her (when she gets scared she lashes out at me because I am the cause of everything evil :~). But, we pulled it together. We oared in unison until we were on the other side. And we did make it back safely without flipping our kayak.

You know, kayaking truly is a great way to come together as a family and I’m glad we did it.  When was the last time you went on a family holiday with your bunch o’ monkeys?!

**Photo credit: My husband Will took all of the photos except the one that he is in.  I took that one :~)

Tags: Elkhorn Slough, family vacation, kayak, Monterey