As you’ll quickly get to know, we’re pretty real and raw around here—no filters, just life as it happens! With seven kids of my own and two bonus kids, things are always lively. In late February 2024, we made the big leap and moved into a 35-foot travel trailer with six of our children, and yes, I was pregnant. Let me be honest—this adventure was not always easy. We had been living in a spacious five-bedroom, three-story house with a basement. Space wasn’t the issue, but we were all so spread out, always tucked away in different rooms. It was rare for us to all be in the same place together.
Jose and I both worked, and by the time I’d get home, I had zero energy. I would go straight to my room, grab clothes for a shower, and then collapse into bed while watching TV. It started to feel like we were just living parallel lives in a big house, not really connecting as a family. It reminded me of my grandfather, who left Cuba to provide a better life for his family. He once said he worked his butt off to buy and pay off a two-bedroom house for his five daughters, but at least they were always together, unlike us in that big house.
Family RV Living Journey
When we moved into the RV, we weren’t 100% sure if this would be a forever thing. But we knew we wanted the experience. We wanted to travel, explore, and be closer as a family. Do you know how many kids never get to travel out of their home state or even fly on a plane? We wanted more for our children.
At the moment, we’re moving back into a house—a cozy three-bedroom with an open kitchen and living room. The space will allow us to be together more, which is exactly what we want. Our RV journey isn’t over, though! We’re planning to make some tweaks to the RV, fix the roof, and handle a few minor repairs that popped up while we lived in it full-time. The RV will stay parked on our property so we can work on it whenever we have time, and who knows, maybe Jose and I will even sneak away for a night or two. Plus, it’ll be perfect for podcasting and office work without bringing the stress home!
Before Jose came home from prison, we had already talked about living in an RV, traveling the country, and starting our own businesses. When he got home, we set the plan in motion. We saved up, bought the RV, and a 15-passenger van to haul our big family around. Once we moved into the RV, we sold nearly everything because we were ready to hit the road!
So why the change in plans now? As parents, we all want to give our kids a better life than we had growing up. Even if we had amazing parents, we still aim to do even better for our children. While living in the RV, we listened to what our teens were saying. They wanted to finish high school in one place, and we understood that. We didn’t want to stay in Harrisburg, PA, so we spent the summer traveling around to different states, trying to find a place to settle down.
Taking the Summer to Travel
We spent some time in Clarksville, TN, but couldn’t find any openings for our RV. Then, we found a spot in Cadiz, KY, but after a month, we got a call about living closer to Jose’s family. Honestly, I wasn’t excited about it at first. We all know living near family can come with its own set of challenges. While some things happened that I’m not ready to dive into, I’ll say that since moving to Southern IL, I’ve come to love it here. It’s been everything we wanted, and having family nearby has been a blessing.
The kids are thriving now—they’re back in public school, they’ve found a church they enjoy, and they’ve joined clubs, activities, and sports. We may not be traveling full-time at the moment, but we’re keeping our RV journey alive. Once we’ve finished making the repairs, we’ll be ready to hit the road again. For now, though, we’re soaking in this chapter of life, and we’ll continue sharing our journey with you. Stay tuned for our family RV living journey that will most certainly be continued.
Thanks for being part of our adventure! Before you go learn more about our family.