The Crash Landing of 2017

The end of my 2017 year was a rough landing. All within the span of 1 month, I had found out my wife was pregnant, I had the possibility of being kicked out of school, and my grandfather was on hospice. Did I mention that it was also close to finals and I had multiple tests to study for?

First, I was full of excitement and fear when she told me she was pregnant. It was by complete accident and would mean that Lynnie and the baby would only be 16 months apart. We first were apprehensive because our children would be so close together, but this quickly changed to jubilee when we wrapped our minds around the idea. With excited anticipation for our new baby, we were crushed when Kelsey had a miscarriage at 9 weeks.

The week before my finals I received an email that made my heart drop into the darkest pit of my stomach. This e-mail was an alert that I was under investigation for possible cheating. Almost half of my graduating class and I had received the same email. Long story short, a document was shared with me that had some reproducible material for our upcoming test. I never added to or used the document which meant I was found innocent of not cheating. None-the-less it was a very stressful time and a time where I was uncertain of the future and what exactly the investigation would mean for my family.

When I heard my Grandpa Baugh was put on hospice, I was devastated. I was named after my grandfather and have always been proud of him and my name. My hope was to visit him one last time before he passed. Kelsey and I were planning on going home for the holidays once my finals were over. Sadly, he passed away December 6th, 2017; only 8 days before we would fly home. The tender mercy from our Heavenly Father was being able to attend his funeral and be one of his pallbearers.

Even though all these trials and stresses came at once, I could not be more grateful for my Father in Heaven and my angelic wife. I could not have continued without their unwavering support and love for me. I'm truly blessed.

Adjusting To Camper Life, School, and Work

Well, it has been a couple of months now since we have been living in the 5th-wheel and we haven't killed each other yet...I guess that means we really do love each other. I think the two hardest things for Kelsey is having to wash dishes by hand and not having a big enough closet to hang her clothes. I helped her with her first issue by making a deal that I wash the dishes while she dries and puts them away. On the second adjustment, she is screwed. We have reorganized and found unique ways to use our space to make it work for us. I like things to be clean and organized, but when you live in a small space you are bound to have some clutter. Luckily, it is much faster to clean such a small space.

Kelsey had a lot of changes quick when it came to her work. She first accepted a part-time position at a middle school. She was there for a little over a month, when a high school offered her a full-time position with benefits. Kelsey decided to accept the job because we definitely needed the benefits. Lynnie has a mild heart murmur that requires regular cardiac check-ups. This has been a hard decision on Kelsey because she has to drive over an hour to work and that means less time with Lynnie.

School for me is going great, but it is very difficult. I spend most of my time at the Higher Education Center for class, studying, and simulation. What I hate most about school is spending less time with my family. We try to make it work by having Kelsey and Lynnie eat lunch with me on the weekends while I'm studying, or by maximizing the time we do have together. The trailer helps us with this by motivating us to get outside more and explore this great section of the United States.

(This post was written a year late but it was written in the perspective at that time)

This is how we had to arrange our shoes to be able to have some more space in the closet. 

                                               

In the living room, we have a little toy box for our daughter's toys. This works pretty well to help keep the clutter to a minimum. 

First Challenges of the 5th-Wheel

When we arrived in Abingdon it wasn't as easy as just pulling in and setting up the 5th-wheel. This was when we realized living in a camper wasn't going to be all rainbows and butterflies. We decided to park our camper, not at a campsite, but at a mobile home park. The pros were a cheaper rent, but we were in charge of paying our own utilities. The con was the city of Abingdon was ridiculous in how they wanted us to set up our camper.

The city first made us pour cement footers, use mobile home metal tie-downs, set our camper on cinder blocks, and build steps to our front door. Our trailer was meant to move, but that was the exact opposite of what the city wanted. According to them, it needed to be secure so that it wouldn't blow away in a tornado. Ironically, a few short miles down the road is a permanent campground that doesn't have all of these requirements. The only difference was we were in a mobile park versus a campground.

All of these requirements only ended up delaying our set up for a few days. Luckily, our landlord allowed us to stay at his campground for free in the meantime. We do prefer living in the mobile park for the fact that we have more space, consistent neighbors, and are closer to town.

These are the cinderblocks that had to go under our camper. This is the front of the trailer.  

Here are the metal tie-downs located in the front of the trailer that we had to attach. We wrapped them in pool noodles and duct tape to help make them less harmful. 

This picture shows the back of the camper where the cinder blocks and the metal tie-downs are located.
It was quite the process we had to go through just to get the trailer set on our piece of land. It definitely isn't going anywhere, that's for sure.

Why We Decided to Live in a 5th Wheel

When we first told people we were going to live in a 5th-wheel, they told us we were crazy! I tend to agree with them. Was it crazy to live in a 5th-wheel with a newborn and a 40-pound pup? Yes, but it was an adventure we wanted! When I first married Kelsey, I would joke with her and say, " I can't wait until I retire so we can sell the house and live in an RV." She would laugh and say, "I'm not selling my house!" Then I found out I was accepted to nurse anesthesia school in Abingdon, VA.

Abingdon, VA is in rural southeastern Virginia only 20 minutes from the Tennessee border. When we started looking for housing we quickly realized our options were limited. It was even harder for us to find a place that allowed dogs. So, I asked Kelsey why don't we live in an RV now instead of later when we retire. Her first gut reaction was NO! but after I explained my reasoning behind it she warmed up to the idea.

Here are just a few reasons why living in a 5th-wheel works for us:

1. We had extremely few options for housing and what we did have was pricey in our opinions
2. When you buy a trailer, it's considered your home - so the interest you pay is tax deductible
3. We are paying rent to ourselves instead of to someone else
4. Our land rent is only $140 a month
5. I hated having all our mix-matched belongings from college - this helped us to sell them
6. It helps us realize what is most important to keep and encourages us to live a minimalist lifestyle
7.  Forces us to watch less T.V. and try to get outside more
8. Plan to keep the 5th wheel after school so we can have an awesome camping trailer
9. Try to keep costs as low as possible to help keep the student loans to a minimum
10. Knowing there was an end to living in the 5th-wheel (more for Kelsey)
11. Kelsey could also refurnish our home to her liking when we were done with school

This is why we decided to live in a 5th-wheel while I went to school. Not all of these reasons were a reality, but it was what started our adventure. It may not be the typical approach to living, but it is what works for us.

The Arrival of Lynnie May

February 4, 2017 - A day to remember!

Let's back up to the beginning of how that day became so special. Some of you may know that I teach high school math and my biggest fear was that I would go into labor while I was teaching one of my classes. Phew...what a relief when I made it home and then my contractions started.

It was Friday, February 3rd. I got home from school and Evan and I decided to go for a walk with our dog, Zoey. While we were on the walk, I started to get really painful jolts in my - you know what - and a shortness of breath. I looked at Evan and said "We have got to turn around right now and get home. I think it's time."

So I waddled all the way back home, this was no easy task. My pain level was growing more at this point and I could feel that it was time. However, my contractions were not quite at 2 minutes apart yet. So we ate dinner and I waited. I called the nurse's twice before we actually drove to the hospital because I wanted to make sure that it was actual labor and not get sent home when we arrived.

Finally, at around 11 pm I made Evan take me to the hospital. We grabbed our bags, and our last minute items and left. We made sure we had the car seat and everything we needed for the baby to arrive. Evan didn't think I was actually in labor and that I was just going to get sent home.

We parked in the parking garage at the Methodist Hospital at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. We walked in and went to the labor and delivery wing where they brought us into a triage room to check and see if my cervix was far enough along to be admitted. I hoped would be because I did not want them to send me back home. Well, they checked me and I was only dilated to 4 cm. They told me to stay in the room and that they would check on me an hour later to see if my cervix had dilated more. Ugh.....I had to wait in this room and sit on a ball to try and get labor going. At least we had some movies to watch to help pass the time.

Finally, at 1 am the nurses came in to check on me again. This time I was dilated to a 5 so they said I could be admitted and I was finally taken back to my room, where I would give birth.

By this point, we had called my parents and let them know that we were at the hospital so that they could get their plane tickets and meet their first grandchild. Evan called his parents as well and let them know it was almost time.

Once, we got settled in the room, I took a bath in the big tub that they had to help with my contractions because I hadn't gotten my epidural yet. This seemed to help ease the pain a little bit. Finally, at about 4 am I got my epidural and let me tell you, that was so amazing. I slept the whole rest of the night and woke up around 7 am.

Since we didn't know if we were having a boy or girl, we had some names picked out. On the
whiteboard in the delivery room, we put our list of names up on the board and asked all the nurses and doctors who came in to add their vote for one girl name, and one boy name. It was so fun and I loved seeing what others chose. Our list of names included: Girls: Evelyn Rae and Lynnie May. Boys: Jack Potter, Wrigs William, and Wilson Michael. We got the most tally marks for Evelyn Rae and Wrigs William.

The doctors came to check on me to see how I was progressing, I was kind of stuck at 8 cm, so they went ahead and broke my water and gave me Pitocin to help get me to deliver. The baby was sunny side up, so I had to use a peanut ball to get her to flip over and be in the right position.

Within about twenty minutes of getting the Pitocin, it was finally time. My OB, husband, the nurse, and a medical resident where the only people in the room. I had Evan on one side holding my foot and the nurse holding my other foot. Evan and I were very excited to see if we were going to have a boy or a girl.

My doctor told me to push when I could feel the contractions coming on and within 45 minutes of pushing, we welcomed a sweet little baby GIRL!!! We were thrilled!! They immediately gave her to me to hold on my chest and that was a wonderful feeling. Then Evan cut the umbilical cord and the nurse took her to get cleaned up and weighed and all those things they do. She was born at 10:16 am on February 4, 2017. She weighed 8lbs 4oz and 20.5 in long.

After, a couple hours and a lot of thought we finally decided on her name; Lynnie May Whipple.

I will never forget how I felt when I saw her for the first time. Pure joy, a sense of overwhelming, and a deep deep love for her.

Graduate School & God

When making decisions that will affect my life, my wife's life, and my unborn (at the time) child's life I consulted my Heavenly Father with my decisions. He knows what path I should take and what is best for my family and I. Some people might laugh at the idea that God speaks to his children, but He does. He loves us, He sent his Only Begotten Son for us, He cares what goes on in our lives, and He showed me what I should do.

I knew that when I earned my baccalaureate degree in nursing that I wanted to continue my education. I just didn't know what path I wanted to take. There are a lot of paths a nurse can take after receiving their licence. They can go on to administration work, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, specialized training like life flight nursing, or other avenues. All these areas intrigued me. I am grateful that God helped me with my decision and showed me the path that I should take.

Some people expect that God will do all the work for you, make the answer clear, or you will have some life changing experience. That wasn't my case. I had to research these various paths that I could take, pray, and make a decision. After doing some job shadows, failing to set up others, I knew (70% sure) that I wanted to become a nurse anesthetist. Once, I made a decision on what I wanted to do, God confirmed that I had made the right choice. How did God confirm my choice? By directing me to the school I should attend. 

At the time my wife and I were living in Minnesota and I was working at the number 1 hospital in the US, the Mayo Clinic. I figured that I would just go to school there. One they paid for your schooling, two we had bought a house there, and three Kelsey had a great job teaching math. It seemed like a no brainer! Still I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket, so I applied to a couple of other schools. I didn't really know which schools to apply to, so I just googled the top nurse anesthetist schools and applied to them. On that list was Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) the number 1 school. 

I was shocked when I received the e-mail to come interview for VCU's program. The best school in the nation wanted to interview me??? My first thought was well at least I can practice interviewing before I apply to Mayo's program. Even though VCU was the best school in the nation, it wasn't my first choice. I mean come on how do you beat free schooling from Mayo! Besides that VCU started in January. My wife had to finish her teaching contract which ended in June. Lastly, Kelsey was pregnant and there was no way I would live 15 hours away when my wife was due in February. With all those cons I decided to interview with VCU anyways. I wanted the practice. 

My first hint that God wanted me to go to VCU was when I learned my cousin was in Richmond VA going to VCU. I have a large extended family and it can be hard to keep up with everyone's lives. Anyways, when I found out he was there with his wife and newborn I was beyond excited! I would be able to see my cousin, who really is a great husband, father, and example to me. I learned so much from him and his wife with my short stay there. Since, they had just gone through having a child I had many questions for what was soon going to happen to me. Also, the other plus was the free place to stay as I was interviewing. Sadly, they weren't able to pick me up from the airport. Which led to my next hint that I should go to VCU. 

My aunt and uncle were in Richmond at the same time I was going to be there for my interview. They were beyond nice to one, get a hotel so that I could stay with my cousin, and two, my uncle was able to pick me up from the airport! He even woke up early to give me a ride to my interview. The things God had to align for that to happen really shows that he knows all of his children. He knows me, you, and loves each and every one of us. 

My last sign that I should go to VCU was my interview itself. It went smoothly, I learned about a place call Abingdon. Abingdon is one of VCU's distant learning sites in rural Southwestern Virginia. Little did I know that Abingdon would become my new home. The last thing I learned was that the first two semesters of the program were online. Which meant I could stay in Minnesota until August. This meant I could be with Kelsey when she gave birth to our little girl, Kelsey could finish out her contract, and I could work a little longer to help with the finances. It was clear the direction God wanted me to take! God speaks to his children. We just have to listen. It is just funny that this whole experience led to our current situation. A baby, dog, school, and living in a 5th-wheel. 

How Zoey Arrived

When I graduated college I always told myself that I would get a dog as a gift to myself. I have always wanted a Great Dane. Sadly, apartment managers generally don't want a mini horse living with you. My wife and I decided to look at rescue dogs at the local shelter. That is when I first met Zoey. Zoey was abandoned by her owners who moved to a new place that didn't allow pets. The landlord found Zoey a few days after she was abandoned. She was adopted once, but she killed the family's cat. The family brought her back after that incident. After her ruff (pun) go to life, I knew I had to have her. So I went and got her the next day when my wife was at work.


When my wife came home from work and found a furry little friend at home she was not the happiest of campers. I guess surprising her with a dog wasn't a decision I should have made by myself. Kelsey really was so mad. I remember to this day that she threatened me that she would go off birth control without me knowing. In that perspective, I could see why she was mad. I was mistaken in the fact that looking at dogs did not mean I was allowed to get one. On the bright side, I got myself a dog anyways.

Kelsey was really unsure about Zoey for the first couple of days. Shockingly, the facility let us bring Zoey home when she was sick. When I picked my furry canine up they handed me her leash and then her pills. I didn't give it much thought because I was too excited to have a dog. I had to leave my pride and joy with Kelsey the next day while I was
at work. I guess that is when Kelsey and Zoey started "bonding".  Zoey started wretching up and had diarrhea. Kelsey was scared and near tears. I felt bad that I had left her such a mess.

Kelsey now loves Zoey. As Zoey started bonding with us more, we found out that she has such a funny personality. She is part dog, cat, and fish. I have never seen a dog chase her tail and do somersaults, but it is quite the site to see. Zoey will attack her shadow, chase light, and loves to swim. You couldn't ask for a better dog! We are lucky to have her in our lives!