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Foxfire & Freeways: Building a Home… One Coop at a Time

Today found me outside in nearly 90-degree heat, assembling a chicken coop for our two accidental family members—Thelma and Louise.

At one point I felt less like I was putting together a coop and more like I was trying to assemble the Avengers. There were parts everywhere, instructions that seemed more like suggestions, and enough screws to build a small spaceship.

Thankfully, by the time the sun started making its way west, it finally gave me a little shade.

It didn’t make it any cooler…

…but at least I wasn’t baking quite as much. 😅

As tomorrow marks the beginning of July, it also marks the beginning of another busy chapter.

This month is all about preparing for our three-month tour starting in August.

There are still projects around the house to finish, supplies to organize, and plenty of lists to work through before we hit the road again.

One thing I was especially thankful for was finding a few wonderful people willing to check on Thelma and Louise while we’re gone.

I told them they could keep any eggs the girls decide to lay while we’re away.

Seems like a fair trade…

Fresh eggs for them.

No surprise chicks for us. 😂

Little by little, this house is beginning to feel more like home.

The road will always call us.

But it’s nice knowing we’ll have a place to come back to when the adventure pauses for a while.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways

Foxfire & Freeways: Life Lately

It feels like another festival weekend has come and gone in the blink of an eye.

First, I owe my readers a little apology for being so quiet lately.

Life has simply been busy.

Between trying to get the house organized, tackling projects, and preparing to be on the road again for nearly three months starting in August, social media and blogging have taken a back seat for a little while.

Sometimes you have to live the story before you can write it.

Even though it’s been quiet online, life around here hasn’t slowed down one bit.

Bug has been growing faster than I can keep up with. He has a third bottom tooth coming in, he’s almost walking on his own, has mastered high fives, waves goodbye like a little pro, and is doing his best to tell us stories in his own little language.

It’s amazing how much can change in just a few weeks.

Sunna is growing right alongside him. Training has slowed down a bit, but that’s part of having a puppy. She’s learning every day, gaining confidence, and becoming more and more a part of our little traveling family.

Thelma and Louise have gotten so much bigger too. We’re still waiting on their coop to arrive so they can move into their new home. Before long, we’ll hopefully be collecting fresh eggs from two chicks that were never supposed to become pets in the first place.

Funny how life works sometimes.

As for us parents…

We’re doing well.

Mostly just tired.

House projects have a way of making every evening feel productive and exhausting at the same time, but seeing each room slowly come together makes all the work worth it.

The Ohio Viking Festival was another wonderful weekend.

We met so many genuinely kind people, and one of the biggest surprises was discovering just how many of them actually live nearby. Ohio is already starting to feel a little smaller and a lot more like home.

One of the moments that meant the most to me personally was meeting several Deaf people at the festival.

For most of my life I’ve rarely had anyone to truly sign with. None of the people closest to me know sign language, and growing up I often felt like I was navigating that part of my world alone.

So spending time with people who understood that experience without needing an explanation meant more than I can really put into words.

Sometimes you don’t realize how much you’ve missed something until you find it again.

Bug made a new friend too.

He met another little boy who’s only two days younger than him, and since they live nearby we’re already talking about getting the boys together for playdates.

I have a feeling that’s the beginning of a pretty special friendship.

The weekend wasn’t without its challenges. The summer heat gave Bug a pretty good sunburn despite our best efforts—occupational hazard of being a fair-skinned little redhead. Thankfully the misting stations around the festival became his favorite place to cool off.

Now we’re counting down to another big milestone.

At the end of July our little Bug turns one year old.

I honestly don’t know where this past year went.

It feels like yesterday he was tiny enough to fit in one arm, and now he’s determined to walk everywhere on his own.

Next stop is Montana in August.

There are still boxes to unpack, projects to finish, and lists that somehow keep getting longer instead of shorter.

But that’s life right now.

Busy.

Beautiful.

Sometimes exhausting.

Always worth it.

And I’ve also been thinking…

Since I love cooking and baking, I might start sharing a few recipes and kitchen adventures here too.

After all, good food has been part of this journey from the very beginning.

We’ll see where that road leads.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways

Happy First Father’s Day to Hubs!

Last Father’s Day, Walter was still in the belly bakery, almost finished cooking and completely unaware of the chaos he was about to unleash on our lives.

Fast forward one year, and now he’s earthside, mobile, opinionated, and determined to inspect everything he probably shouldn’t touch.

This year has been a wild ride. We’ve moved across multiple states, survived festivals, long road trips, camper adventures, sleepless nights, teething, diaper explosions, and somehow added a puppy to the mix because apparently life wasn’t exciting enough already.

Through it all, you’ve jumped into fatherhood headfirst. You’ve been the jungle gym, the snack provider, the entertainer, the diaper changer, the cuddle buddy, and occasionally the designated distraction while I try to accomplish basic human tasks.

One of my favorite things is watching Walter’s face light up when he sees you. No matter what’s going on, Dad is still one of the coolest people in his world.

A year ago, we were waiting to meet him. Today, we’re chasing him around the house while he practices his newest skills and keeps us both on our toes.

Thank you for being such a great dad, partner, road trip companion, and for embracing all the adventures, planned or otherwise, that life keeps throwing our way.

Happy First Father’s Day. We love you, even if we’re both secretly responsible for most of your gray hairs. 😂🧡

— Lori, Walter, Sunna, and the rest of the traveling circus 🦊🐺🚐

🧡 Happy Father’s Day 🧡

Foxfire & Freeways: Growth Everywhere

The last couple of days have been spent tackling the kitchen, and I can finally say it’s set up the way I want it—for now.

What I thought would be a quick project turned into a two-day adventure of sorting through things left behind, reorganizing cabinets, unpacking boxes, moving things into temporary spots, and then moving them again once I figured out where they actually belonged.

You know… the usual.

But it’s done.

And honestly, it feels really good to see another piece of the house coming together.

As soon as I finished, Bug apparently decided it was time to celebrate too.

He was chilling in his walker then he made the entire trip from the kitchen through the house all by himself. He was so proud of himself, and honestly, so was I.

Lately it feels like he’s learning something new every day.

He’s working on waving bye-bye, giving high fives, and getting closer and closer to walking.

There’s been a lot of growth happening around here.

And speaking of unexpected growth…

I accidentally became a chicken tender. 😂

We picked up a couple chicks and ducklings that were originally intended as food for my snakes. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on who you ask), one snake took one look at them and decided she was absolutely not interested.

And permanent members of the household.

So now they’re pets.

Future egg producers.

Meet Thelma and Louise.

They were ride-or-die…

and somehow became the ride. 😂

I’m exhausted tonight, but it’s the good kind of tired.

The kind that comes from seeing progress.

The house is slowly coming together.

Bug is growing by the day.

The animals are settling in.

And for the first time in a while, things feel a little less chaotic.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways

Foxfire & Freeways: Rainbows & Fireflies

Another festival weekend officially in the books.

This weekend turned out to be a really good one. Saturday stayed dry for once, which was a nice change after some of the weather we’ve had lately. Today, however… was a completely different story 😅

Let’s just say some people took the rain as an invitation to go full mudding mode.

Bug absolutely thrived this weekend. Everyone loved him, and he soaked up every bit of attention like he was born for festival life.

Somewhere along the way, he also attempted dancing again—but this time he developed what I can only describe as “Elvis style.” Lots of swaying, little leg movements, and dramatic enthusiasm. He even managed to throw in some perfectly timed war cries during a few songs.

Honestly? Adorable.

Earlier in the week I also got a little time to myself, which was really refreshing. A friend invited me to a sewing and knitting circle just to hang out, connect with people, enjoy some local coffee, and share a little “gossip” with the community.

Afterward, we met up with her family for dinner at a really neat place called Lola’s Modern Restaurant, named after the owners’ youngest daughter.

The place was packed with nostalgia—vintage arcade games, vinyl records, 8-tracks lining the walls, and life-sized cardboard cutouts of people like Elvis and Star Trek characters scattered around the restaurant.

Unfortunately I didn’t think to take pictures, but if we go back next year I definitely will.

The next evening we had a bonfire and roasted beef-and-cheddar stuffed franks along with s’mores.

And now I’m about to pass on the best s’mores advice I’ve ever discovered:

Take a jumbo marshmallow, stuff an Oreo inside it before roasting it, and then build your s’more around that.

Absolutely life-changing.

If you try it, you’ll understand immediately.

Tonight ended quietly—with a double rainbow stretching across the sky and fireflies glowing in the grass after dark.

Seeing lightning bugs again brought back so many memories of catching them in jars growing up. They seem so much rarer now, and I genuinely hope they’re still around by the time Bug is old enough to fully appreciate them himself.

Tomorrow we head back home to Ohio for a much-needed rest and reset before the next festival begins.

For now though, I’m ending this weekend feeling grateful for the little moments.

The music.
The people.
The bonfires.
The rain.
The fireflies.

All of it.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways

Weekend Fun 🧡

Foxfire & Freeways: Rain, Music & New Ground

We made it to the fairgrounds in Indiana Friday evening and spent most of the night getting settled in.

Camper situated, equipment unloaded by the stage, and finally getting a chance to unwind before a busy festival weekend ahead.

Saturday rolled in with rain and a pretty solid thunderstorm moving through. Honestly though, it was beautiful in its own way. The kind of storm you sit and watch for awhile. Because of the weather, the turnout was smaller, but it made for a calmer first day.

Then Sunday showed up completely different.

Perfect weather, blue skies, and a lot more people filling the grounds.

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was finally getting to introduce lil man to people who had been hearing about him for over a year now. Last year I couldn’t attend because there was a chance he could arrive early, so this felt a little full-circle in a way.

And he absolutely loved it.

Somewhere over the weekend he discovered how to sway to the music, and after that there was no stopping him. He loved holding people’s hands and trying to walk around with everyone helping him along.

Seeing him experience all of this has been one of the best parts of festival life. Went to eat at a brewery afterwards called The Bearded Hobo, food was delicious and the drinks cold and refreshing.

Monday we moved over to a different campground nearby, and honestly it’s beautiful out here. We managed to get a paw site too, which Sunna immediately approved of. Plenty of grass, new smells, and room to wear herself out.

Today has been a much slower day—laundry, showers, grocery shopping, and resetting everything after the weekend. The kind of basic things that somehow feel luxurious after several busy days.

Might take lil man to check out the saltwater pool later once things cool down outside a bit.

For now though, we’re just enjoying a quiet moment before another busy weekend begins.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways

Foxfire & Freeways: Prepping for Indiana

The camper is currently in full cleanup mode as we get ready to head down for the Southern Indiana Renaissance Festival.

We’ll be staying down there for about two weeks since it really wouldn’t make much sense driving back and forth between both festival weekends. At this point, the camper is starting to feel less like “traveling” and more like its own little moving home base.

Unfortunately, the entire household seems to be getting hit with what feels like nonstop allergies.

Apparently the tree pollen has been especially bad this year according to the neighbors, and lil man is experiencing it for the very first time. Puffy little face, constantly runny nose, and absolutely no interest in letting us catch him long enough to wipe it 😅

Poor guy has definitely been feeling it.

The rainy weather has at least helped a little with calming some of the pollen down, so we’re hoping that continues.

Meanwhile, Sunna has already grown what feels like twice the size from when we first got her. She’s starting to really catch on with her training, learning quickly, and settling into life with us more and more every day.

She’s also been having an absolute blast playing with her doggy sister over at the father-in-law’s place, which has been good for her energy levels… and honestly probably good for ours too 😂

So for now, it’s cleaning, organizing, allergy season survival, puppy training, and getting ready for another stretch of festival life.

The road keeps moving.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there 🧡

To the moms running on coffee and chaos…
the ones balancing babies, road trips, long nights, and everything in between…

I see you.

This past month has been full of miles, festivals, camper life, sleepless nights, beautiful moments, stressful moments, and memories I know I’ll carry forever.

And through all of it, being “Mama” has still been my favorite part of the journey.

Whether your day is quiet, messy, exhausting, healing, joyful—or a little bit of everything…

I hope you know you’re doing better than you think.

Happy Mother’s Day from our little traveling crew

🧡

Foxfire & Freeways: A Full Day in Chicago

What was supposed to be a quick overnight stop in Chicago turned into another full day there—and honestly, I’m glad it did.

We spent the day taking in as much as we could. Saw the Chicago skyline, passed by the Morton Salt factory, and spotted some absolutely beautiful churches with towering steeples that stood out against the city.

And yes… we also found what most men apparently can’t find—

The Bean 😂

From there we made our way to Navy Pier, where we saw all kinds of ships, yachts, and shrimp boats lining the water. We passed Trump Tower, apartments tucked along the river, and lil man even got to sit in a giant-sized chair for a bit.

Sunna had an entire day of walking and exploring and eventually reached the point of complete exhaustion. She was absolutely passed out while we sat back for a moment with a couple “brewskis” and enjoyed the atmosphere.

To finish the night properly, we went to the original Giordano’s because you really can’t visit Chicago without having deep dish pizza.

And let me tell you…

that cheese pull was unreal.

I’m pretty sure I achieved the equivalent of an around-the-world cheese pull with one slice, which immediately told me the mozzarella there is the real deal.

Now we’re almost home to Akron, and honestly, after a full month of traveling, that’s going to feel like a huge relief.

As much as I’ve loved the road, I think we’re all ready for a little rest.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways

Foxfire & Freeways: Simple Moments and Rhubarb patches

Today was one of those full, simple days.

We spent most of it outside at the cousins’ place—just enjoying the weather, the breeze, and finally having a moment to slow down a bit. I even pulled some weeds to help clean up the veranda, which honestly felt kind of satisfying.

At one point I had a tiny little spider friend stop by, and not long after that we spotted hawks circling overhead. I took a few zoomed-in photos and… I’ve gotta say, the zoom on this iPhone is pretty wild.

It’s been one of those nice, easy days you don’t always get when you’re constantly on the move.

Walter had a full day outside too—he tried a rhubarb stalk for the first time and absolutely loved it. I even tried it myself (for the first time ever), and honestly… not bad at all. Not sure why I avoided it for so long.

He was happy as ever, bouncing around and getting the hang of his sippy cup like a pro.

And Sunna—our beautiful girl—spent the whole day in the sun and grass, soaking it all in. She’s completely tuckered out now.

Days like this feel like a reset.

Just good weather, simple moments, and a chance to breathe before heading home to Ohio.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling.
— Foxfire & Freeways