Vaya con Dios

The actual countdown begins! John and I are leaving Tucson on Monday and staying one night on the U.S. side of the border and will be going into Mexico Tuesday morning. We feel more ready than ever and John has really worked hard on making the vehicle top notch. The past month we have been working on my mom's landscaping and it has been hard work, but very rewarding. John is nice and tan from being in the sun all day... and to think that it is already in the 90's on some days, scorching! I got so overheated the other day that I had to jump in to their pool... in March! John and Wallace both got themselves into some 'jumping cactus' ... if you don;t know what it is just look at the name... ouch! Gotta love Tucson!

Last week John and I were concerned that we wouldn't be able to find veggie oil for the truck because believe it or not there are companies that most restaurants already sell their oil to. Luck is on our side and we scored! When we were at a hardware store a man passing by asked us if we ran veggie oil in our truck. (unless you know about the veggie conversion most people wouldn't recognize the set up) We struck up a conversation with him and 4 hours later we were at his house pumping oil from his own stock. He also runs his truck using waste vegetable oil and diesel. He gets veggie oil from some of the local restaurants near his home. What a great guy! Thank you Don for all of your help!


One of the projects I have been getting started is my jewelry making. I am hoping to make money on the road by selling my jewelry to tourists and eclectic shops. I am excited to start collecting beads, seeds and shells once we are on the road because it will make my pieces more unique and it will be a lot cheaper for me to make. Please give me any feedback or if you have any ideas on pieces that I can make. We are just trying to come up with ways to make money while on the road. I may even start making water bottle holders out of old t-shirts too.

Another investment that John and I made is in the SPOT satellite messenger, check out the website here: http://www.findmespot.com/en/
Basically it functions as a GPS locator, tracker, and 911 emergency anywhere in the world. There is a function on it that can track us every 10 minutes and you can see exactly where we are on GoogleEarth. We will send a link via email to family and friends. The 911 function is great in case there is a life threatening emergency and they will locate local emergency officers anywhere we are. Also, we will have an international cell phone that we will be buying SIM cards for in each country or we will use Skype through our computers.

Some people I want to thank:



Thank you Dan (step-dad) for putting up with us taking over some of your house space and for teaching John and I so many things, everything from how to run irrigation to hard work and patience to being so courageous (he got his shoulder operated on... what a sport!)
Matt (sister boyfriend... I mean Fiance!), thanks for being awesome and for loving my super schister! She needs a man that won't put up with her schtubborness, but loves her for it too!
Gramps: Thanks gramps for being such a sport... knowing that you are nearing the end of your life must be hard and I will never understand what you are going through until I am in your shoes. We all love you and appreciate all you have done for our family because even though you can be a bit of a humbug it is because you care!
David, Lisa, and kiddos: Lisa you have always been in my life as a babysitter, cousin, friend and more... you are such and amazing person and I am so happy for you. Could your kids be any cuter?
Tom: Thanks so much for helping me out! This time of year can be hectic and I truly appreciate it!
Deb, Joe, and kiddos: It was so great to see you when you were in town and I am really looking forward to staying in touch more!
Barb and Vinny: Thanks for your support on our trip and thank you for helping look after grandpa
Alexis (Smacky): Schister I could go on for pages!!! You mean the world to me... and if I could give you the world I would, but for know I will just give you piece by piece. Thanks for loving me ... that may sound schilly to say, but that is all I ever wanted from you! I love your house and garden... I will miss your sugar snap peas! Congrats by the way (you know what I am taking about!)
Mom, my super special mom!: You know that moment when you can't express yourself in words, well that is how I feel when it comes to the gratitude I have toward my mom. We all give her a hard time at times, but honestly she is the most deserving person of having greatness come to her full throttle. Thank you mom for your big heart, Bradley genes (short waste! arghhh!) and just overall awesomeness!!!!!!!
Oh and Baley (their dog) for being such a good friend to Wallace!


Please keep in touch, we love hearing from everyone!