Our hotel has two rooms. A living room with a table, sofa, and chair. A tv and little kitchen. Then we have the bedroom. It has two beds in it.

The kids have been taking turns sleeping with Isaiah. Poor kid. Nobody wants to sleep with him. He kicks and squirms. Hogs the blanket. Snores. We have kept him on the sofa bed and Samuel and Sarah have alternated sleeping with him each night. Last night, Samuel took a stand and refused to sleep with Isaiah. He just couldn’t take it anymore.

So Gary, being the always humble parent offered to sleep with Isaiah on the sofa bed and give Samuel the roll-away bed, Sarah the double bed and me the other double.

This seemed like it would work. Everyone went to sleep just fine.

3:45 AM….Eli woke up screaming. I woke up and laid in my bed for a few seconds trying to figure out where I was and which bed I was in. When I thought I knew, I rolled out of the bed to get him and smacked right into the wall. I made the wrong choice. I crawled back across the bed and fell off the other side.

I picked myself up and stumbled over Samuel in the roll away bed to look for Eli’s crib. After finding him I gently tried to coax him back to sleep.

5:45 AM He’s still awake and crying. No one was sleeping at this point except Isaiah who was, of course, snuggled up to Gary with his knees in his kidneys.

Gary gave me the sofa bed and offered to try with Eli. After just a few minutes, he was fast asleep and so was everyone else.

It was a long night for this Nopad-Nomad family.

We’re hunkered down, waiting to see what Nemo brings. 

No worries.  I have the tank full of gas.  Cash in my pocket.  Bottled water bought. Peanut butter and bread stored.

I didn’t fill a tub with water because, frankly, we don’t have a tub.  We have a fancy schmancy shower with glass walls and mirrors that makes one totally uncomfortable with oneself while showering.

Okay.  Off the subject.

We are ready for NEMO!  It’s coming to the Jersey Shore, although I think we may miss the heavy snowfall. 

I always say that I could live the rest of my life and never see another snowflake.  But I think I would actually miss the anticipation and preparation of a big winter storm.

Hurricanes??  I can live without!  But snowstorms are kind of fun and romantic.

So, we’ll live in our nice little home on 4th street in Asbury Park and on Sunday we’ll shovel our way out and head back to the hotel. 

One more week of cold, then off to Florida!

 

 

Today the kids and I took a little road trip (19 miles) down the coast to Seaside Heights.

Seaside Heights is a very popular Jersey Shore destination with an awesome boardwalk and amusement park.  During Hurricane Sandy it became famous by having it’s roller coaster washed out into the sea.

We wanted to see it.

As we were travelling down the shore road we saw many roads roped off and police officers everywhere. There are signs that say “No Stopping” and “No trespassing”.  There is a 25 mph minimum speed limit, meaning that if you are a gawker, you could get a ticket.

As we got closer we were amazed at the destruction. Hundreds and hundreds of homes ripped off their foundation and laying on their sides.  It is amazing to see a 2 or 3 million dollar home lying on it’s  side with the contents spilling out.

There is construction going on everywhere you look.   Everywhere are signs warning against looters and police officers at every turn.

We were able to find an open road leading up to the ocean where we got a quick glimpse of the coaster.  But otherwise, we were not allowed to get any closer.

The boardwalk stores have been gutted and their contents piled high in the streets.

It is really an amazing and awe inspiring sight.

It reminded me that so much can change in an instance.  That we tend to put so much time and energy into our stuff.  But it can be gone in one storm.

Being a nomad/nopad is teaching me that I can do without ALOT!  I don’t need 10 pairs of jeans and 20 pairs of shoes.  I really can get along without a 4200 square foot house.  All we really need is each other and the rest is just gravy.

We are blessed to be experiencing this homeless adventure and learning so much.  Thank you Lord for this precious unique time and blessings to those still fighting the storm.

 

 

We were walking down the street yesterday. Battling the cold. Battling the wind. Listening to the kids whine and Eli cry. When all of a sudden Sarah yelled “There’s a dollar blowing down the street!”

Gary took after this “dollar” as it went blowing and tripping along the sidewalk then out into the street. They both chased it. Samuel, Eli and I followed along behind not too interested and trying to figure out how I would explain their death because they were chasing a dollar into the street.

Gary finally gave up when he saw the dollar fall into the storm drain. Oh well…

We caught up with them and I looked into the storm drain only to discover that it wasn’t a dollar, it was a 20 DOLLAR bill.

Renewed by this sudden discovery of wealth, Sarah and Gary determined that they had to get that money. They both laid on the sidewalk and tried to fit their hand into the drain. It wouldn’t fit. They decided to find a stick and spear the bill.

They both looked and looked until they found a stick with a sharp edge.

With a crowd looking on and cars slowing down to pass, Sarah and Gary worked until they retrieved the 20 dollars from the drain.

Just another day in the life of the Cline nomads.

Isaiah just looked at me from across the living room in our hotel and said, “We’re hoboes, right Mommy?  Or are we Freedom Fighters?”

I think we are definitely Freedom Fighters.  As of Monday morning, our house officially sold and we paid off all debt.  We are FREE from any debt!  In this day and age, that is really unusual.  And we have really fought to make that happen.

Selling our house wasn’t easy.  There were all kinds of unexpected surprises.  Gary and I really prayed hard and many times thanked him for the trials.  We learned that not much is in our control.  Our timing is not God’s timing. 

But, here we are.  Day three of nopad nomads.

And I love it!

Our hotel room is organized.  The kids have their own drawer and own little space in the suite.  They have gym in the pool and have even gone to the workout room once. 

I have not heard one complaint.  We really can do without alot of space and alot of stuff.  And that makes me so happy!

Today we looked at two homes for rent.  One was a three bedroom, 2 1/2 bath apartment.  I loved it.  The other home made so much more sense.  It was a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom 3500 square foot home.  I hated it.  I couldn’t wait to get back to my little hotel suite. 

My real estate agent probably thinks I’m crazy.  But that’s okay.  She won’t be the first person from New Jersey who thinks that. 

 

We said goodbye this week. To our house. To our yard. To our stuff.

Memories. And we made some great ones in North Wales. Community group in our house every Thursday. Sarah and Isaiah going to public school. Bringing Eli home from the hospital. Hobos in the backyard. Mark and Jennifer moving to PA. Station Square Apartments. Backyard bonfires with the Lewis’s. Pho and More.

So now we start a new chapter in the Cline book of adventures. And this one is in New Jersey.

I’ve said for 20 years with Gary, “Take me to the depths of Africa, but NEVER make me live in New Jersey”. God has a wicked sense of humor.

This week we are living in the Embassy Suites. I’ll be honest. We’ve been here for 3 1/2 hours and it hasn’t been easy. I hate transitions. I wish we could skip this part and cut straight to where everything seems normal again.

But I know that this time tomorrow life will be getting a little easier. Our new life will be a little bit old. And New Jersey will feel closer to home.

Like Sarah said today, “I’m tired of good-byes and ready for hellos”.

When you know you are going to be nomads in 9 days, you get some giddy-up in your go and start looking for your first “PAD”.

Our first weekend is booked, albeit in Lansdale and not real exciting.

However, I also booked our first two weeks in Piscataway, New Jersey. (I love saying “Piscataway) We will be at the Embassy Suites and I talked them down to a great rate. Tried to get them to give me the Presidential Suite, but they just wouldn’t bend. I WON’T give up.

Hotel living is going to be fun. Sarah thinks it’s going to be like that show that used to be on Nickelodeon “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” where they live in The Tipton Hotel and the single mother is a lounge singer. Okay….not alot of similarities EXCEPT for the hotel part. …hmmm…I wonder if they have a lounge????

We will get a free hot breakfast every morning, an indoor pool and hot tub, and a managers reception every night. What more could I ask for?

So, our first “PAD” is on the calendar. Feels good to know where we will be the first 14 days.