**SPOILER ALERT: VIDEO at very end!**

One year ago, on April 23, 2018, we spent the first night as a family of four in our #tinyhome, a 400 sq.ft. fifth wheel that our youngest called (back then) “the bus house”.

We sold our house (and almost everything in it!) to embark on a #tinyliving #rvliving journey. It’s been a year of ups and downs, but a year filled with GRATITUDE for God’s faithfulness and provision.

Here are some things we’ve learned along the way:

✔ “Stuff” and material items aren’t important. What’s important is how you spend your time and who you spend it with.

✔ A house is just bricks, mortar, wood, etc. But a HOME is filled with love and family. 

✔ Less is more. Less stuff = less cleanup = more time doing what you love and more time with the ones you love. Buying less also means you can use those extra funds more purposefully.

✔ If someone dances in an RV, the whole thing shakes. Or if it’s windy. Or if someone walks fast. Or if the boys are wrestling, jumping, running… you get the picture. 

✔ You don’t want to flush the toilet or turn on a faucet in an RV while someone else is taking a shower… unless you wanna be funny and give them a burst of cold water! 

✔ Be very careful when going down RV steps… indoor and outdoor. They’re a fall hazard! 

✔ We’ve survived without a dishwasher and washer & dryer. Washing all dishes by hand and using a laundromat is not so bad. 

✔ We’ve missed our bigger oven, more counter top space, our vegetable garden, and a bath tub!! 

✔ YouTube has every “how to” video available for RV newbies! 

✔ We’ve learned that we each need some “alone time” from time to time.

✔ We’ve learned to pause, soak in, and truly admire God’s creation, appreciating nature and wildlife that is all around us, from the tiniest little lady bug, crawling on a blade of dew-covered grass, to a magnificent eagle, soaring across a gorgeous blue sky. 

✔ We’ve learned to trust God during life’s storms… including the (literal) severe storms, tornado warnings, and floods that are extremely hazardous to RVs and fifth wheels! 

✔ Change can be good. Change helps you learn and grow and gives you opportunities to meet new people and try new skills.

✔ And lastly, we’ve learned to appreciate every day. We don’t know what tomorrow holds. Our titles don’t matter. Our possessions don’t matter. What matters is that we do everything, every day, for the glory of God! Whatever that “everything” is for you– the purpose God has given you or called you to do for this season of life that you’re in– do it with all your heart.

Maybe it’s raising your children and modeling Christ to them. Maybe it’s teaching. Maybe it’s serving school lunches and sharing smiles and hugs with the students, letting them know someone cares about them. Maybe it’s being a business executive and treating employees and customers with respect and kindness. Maybe it’s being a doctor, a musician, a lawyer, a maid, an architect, a first responder, a photographer, a stay-at-home-parent, etc.

Titles don’t matter. Use the gifts God has given you to glorify Him by sharing His love with others and making His name known.

Where you live doesn’t matter either. You can live in a brick and mortar house, an RV, a big house, or a tiny house. Glorify God wherever you are.

To celebrate our one year anniversary, we made a video with a compilation of photos and clips to give you a glimpse into our lives this past year. Click HERE or click on the image below. Enjoy!

— Amy, Danny, Caleb, & Aden