Early Challenges:
In the early years of our marriage, we faced a series of career challenges. When we got married, Phil had been working at a dental practice for over a decade, about two hours from our home. Shortly after our first daughter was born, I became a stay-at-home mom. Unfortunately, during my emergency C-section, I missed her birth entirely, but thankfully she was healthy, and Phil could stay home for two weeks.

After those initial weeks, Phil returned to work only to find out his company had been sold and the IT department was being dissolved. We suddenly found ourselves with a newborn, high medical bills, and no income. Thankfully, he secured another job two months later, though it only lasted eight months due to company cutbacks.

Baby Number 2 and More Job Changes:
In September 2012, Phil started a promising contract-to-hire position just weeks before the birth of our second daughter. This job required a lot of travel, and we only had one car, but we made it work. However, after the holidays, we learned the position was seasonal. For the third time, we sought welfare support while Phil searched for work.

Fortunately, two months later, he landed an IT job at a local hospital. While it didn’t pay much, it was stable. During this time, I started a photography business, capturing everything from family portraits to weddings.

Baby Number 3:
By summer 2013, we were expecting our third child. Determined to have a natural birth after two C-sections, I found a supportive doctor two hours away. However, when he went on vacation just before my due date, I had no choice but to have a third C-section. Our daughter was born healthy, and we were grateful.

Four Little Girls...

In February 2016, our fourth daughter was born. I was able to have the family-friendly birth I wanted, holding her immediately after delivery. It was also around this time, we discovered the concept of a nomadic mobile lifestyle: where you sell everything, buy an RV, and live life on the road.