Hello All..

Thank you all for the kind words about LeighAnn's Dad Passing on Facebook, they meant alot to her.

A more detailed blog will be coning soon. We had a wonderful Christmas, the kids were thrilled, we puilled it off!!

But as 2010 approaches for the Marino's of California, as my dad called us...

Time is starting to run out.....

Hey Everybody!!!

Marino's checking in!!  We just wanted to say thank you so much for reading our blogs, and finding out lives somewhat interesting!! 

We have been so many things during this journey..Stressed, Blessed, Happy, Sad, Scared, Pressured, Loved, Helped, and so many more emotions.

And now..here comes Christmas!!  We are happy Addy will be here with us, and one more in the RV. That should be fun!!

We always seem to pull it off, but it would be nice to not be so stressed, and just enjoy them. Thanks to family, it's gonna be just a little easier.

On the job front, it has been quiet, I thank God I have my Target job, every little bit helps. And I have a new found respect for everyone that is in retail. It's hard, hard work for little cash.

More soon..PLEASE keep the coments coming, the do mean so much, and we will be better at posting them faster!!

God Bless and we love you all!!!

From the Blackberry..

Hello all!! Sorry it's been a while, I updated my phone and had to re-install some apps so I can blog from here. Also, LeighAnn came back from NH and it always takes this family longer to recover from a trip!! I have been working a lot at Target too (more on that later), and both boys are back in school. So that's what has been going on.

We are doing OK, gearing up for Addy's arrival in 2 weeks, and getting ready fro Christmas, or otherwise known as juggle everything so it will be a good holiday. Stress levels go through the roof, but we always seem to pull it off, and everyone's happy!! Going from everything to a lot less really gets your creative juices flowing. Well, LeighAnn's anyway. And she is hard at work making and creating.

I have been working at Target, and have a new found respect for retail workers. Y'all work hard!! I have to admit, this is been a humbling time for me. Going from being on the radio to stocking shelves, or zoning as we call it on the inside, has been a reality check of the highest order. That's OK though. I am so grateful I have this, and the people I work with are real nice. You learn to swallow your pride quickly. Still would love to find a full-time job, and fast!!!

On a lighter note, someone is spamming the comments, so I have to go through them again, but keep them coming, we love them so much!!

We are good, and hope you are too!! xoxoxoxoxo

Just putting out some thoughts about where we have all been, where we are going, and how to get it done. And I dont mean more travel. I mean emotionally. 
I have had the pleasure and displeasure of having to leave Cali for 2 weeks. My father recently became very ill and had to move from NY to NH. I was asked to return to NY (because Im the only sister not working) to gather some of his stuff, cats, that they couldnt bring with a sudden move. And basically just check in on what he left behind. Then I was to go visit with him up in NH for a few days and continue on to Portsmouth to take care of some of our things that we now need in Cali. So anyway, though its been for a sad reason, I have gotten a little va-ca to myself. Poor Ralphie has been left with 4 kids, no money, stress, all by his lonesome out there. He has handled it like a champ. And Reilly has stepped up amazingly, babysitting all day while Ralphie is out, which with Edie and Oden thats an incredible feat.
So even though this trip was tiring for me, packing his stuff and such, and dealing with emotionally challenging family dynamics (mine). I did find time to carve out some thoughts and rejuvenate a bit. I have never had 2 weeks to myself,  not in over 20 years.
I really  want to make some new commitments to myself and my family. I have been really stressed over everything that has happened in the last few months and its got to stop. Me worrying and not enjoying life is not helping to bring in more money, so it has to change. For myself it has to change.
I need to get my creative juices flowing again. In past experiences when money was tight I could come up with amazing cheap creative ideas. For food, decorating, gifts, fun. Its like Ive had a "writers" block on this but I feel it starting to brew. Christmas is coming and I am petrified, but if I can once again tap into this part of me, not only will it be more meaningful and fulfilling but the children will be happy and not know any difference.
I need to laugh more. I am really forgetting how to do it. I need my children to laugh more. We used to be so much funner.
I need to slow down and breath. Enjoy moments that are passing and not rush off to get something useless and stressful done.
I NEED TO ATTEND TO OUR BLOG MORE OFTEN, Forever I have had the dream to travel and write what its been about. Our trip out here didnt come out like I expected and I gave up. Now it is my goal to grab hold of the remains and do what I set out to do. Write. Experience and write some more. I look to you all to remind me when I slack. Here or on facebook, ok Promise?
Negativity is like a disease. It just spreads and eventually kills your life.  A dear friend resently reminded me that ,with my way of thinking, negative,  nothing is going to change. Positive energy brings back positive energy. All day, every day ,I am saying horribly negative things, putting it out to the universe and it is absolutely coming back 10 fold. No more, habits are hard but Im breaking this one.
Ok so my list is long but basically it comes out to having a new outlook on life, so my family can too. But to sum it up here are my new commitments, screw new years resolutions, this has to happen NOW

Get creative
laugh
breath
write
shut up

I finally had a dream come true and Im blowing it, I refuse to let that happen.
More commitments to come

Next blog "confessions of an insane housewife"
Love to you all, stay sane, slow down,   Leighann

From the Blackberry...

Scratch last blog...FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!!!!!!

Were gonna be fine...

From the Blackberry...

It is true...the Lord does test you..we are being tested right now. LeighAnn said it best to our boys..God is not testing you, he is testing Daddy and I.

She could not be more correct.

How do you know when you are being tested? I am not sure there is a direct answer to that question. You just know. You know because you cannot fail the Lord. We can and will do whatever needs to be done, it is just so hard at times.

The test will continue, but I have faith in LeighAnn, myself, and the Lord we will come through with flying colors.

Good Night from a very warm and lovely San Diego.

From the Blackberry...

Hello all! We have been here 2 weeks now, and with all the bumps and stress along the way..we are here and totally love it! We are taking Reilly out shopping for his birthday at the moment, and I am blogging whilst the babies are sleeping in the car.

For us, warmth means a lot. I know we have been "rubbing it in" because it is 81 degrees here, but in all honesty, after that last brutal New England winter, we just about had it with the cold. LeighAnn and I love and have always had a longing for California, we just didn't think it would happen so quick. But things do happen for a reason, and getting canned by them was probably the best thing that will happen. It forced us to do this now, and I for one am glad we did. The kids LOVE it here, and the will be back in school soon. I am looking for work still..something radio or non radio will happen!

Keep the comments coming, they make us so happy, and come visit!! More tomorrow..

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

          I don't get to write often, more so the blogs are from Ralphie with me yelling things from another room, ok, not another room but a different part of the motorhome. There is so much to tell that I get overwhelmed trying to sit and write. And the toddlers literally are climbing up on me so I often dont bother. Then there is Reilly and Zach that want there own time on the computer so there ya go.... not alot of bloging from me.
          I dont like to dwell on the negative parts of this journey but I feel like we need to be honest and open about stuff to all our friends.
So maybe I'll start with that and finish up on a positive note.
          The major issue on this trip has been money, we are I feel pretty open with the fact that we dont have much. Pride has long gone out the window. We just dont have any. Well thats not true. We have barely enough to get by. We still have bills to pay, they never go away, like the car, mh, ins, cells, etc. And it adds up quickly. Food is gone through in here very quickly. The boys are teenagers and they eat ALOT!! and believe it or not so do the babies. Ralphie and I normally do but to be honest we've had to skip a few meals cause we didn't have enough. Now that is a good things because we have both lost a little weight, me about 20 lbs and I dont know how much for Ralphie but hes looking good. So anyway food has to be our biggest expense, and because we dont have alot of storage we go to the store often which as everyone knows you pick up extras everytime. During the time we were driving out the gas was the next biggest expense, at least $100.00 per day. Thats why we just needed to stop at walmart and chill because it was using up all our $$. But then of course your not going anywhere. It was just very stressful at times. Waiting for a check to come in, budgeting 25$ to last for food for 3 days for 6 people. Hard, damn hard. (oh and by the way I probably should write a cookbook for the poor now because It can be done)
There were desperate times but we did get through it. I do own one very dear friend some money I did have to borrow during the worst times, and Im so thankful she was non judgmental and all she said was "what do you need" not why, whats it for, where is all your money, etc. Thats been our familys comments. I know they are just concerned for us but it doesnt help to critique us every mile.
           Aside from money issues the next big problem was answering families questions. Some NOT ALL, have been very hurtful and cruel to us at times. Nobody but us know what it feels like in our situation. We live it. I will always take peoples advice, given kindly ,about what they have experienced related to our situation, but, If you have nothing nice to say then SHUT UP. We have been told that were bad parents, were screwing up all our children, we should just do what they would do or were nuts, and dont put an "SOS" call out to them cause they wont be there. People just need to learn that not everyone thinks the same as them.
          We know what weve done is a little unusual but Its not a bad thing, let me try to explain some of our thought process...
         About 4 yrs ago Ralphie was let go from Star, It was a huge blow to both of us. We had bought our dream home, our first one, we were financially comfortable for the first time. We had a great life. We could relax for the first time as a family. We were fostering 3 littles and feeling like we were doing our part in the world, be it a little part. Then we had to let it all go. He did eventually get the job in Portsmouth, and tho I was very upset having to move, it was a great move there. We made our way into the community quickly and had great friends and our new little babies. But financially we never really did recover after that. Throughout this time Ralphie and I always talked about Cali, in particular San Diego where we met, never wanted to leave (but thats a different story, for later). It was always just a dream to come back just to visit again. Plus we like the warmer weather. Weve had the camper so another goal was to do a long road trip, probably to Cali. So whatever, we all fantasize, but when out of the blue he was let go again,( AND I must add, he was getting good ratings, they were making money from him, they just were stupid.) we said to f**k it, lets just go for some things, Why sit around stressed, panicking, depressed, because thats what we had been living since the first layoff, we had two babies to adopt, no job, no prospects of one in the surrounding areas. Nothing in radio was going to happen there.  So we got the idea of our trip, while he still was getting his severance, and plotted out the idea of the reality show. The show idea was a long shot, were not naive, but we figured what the heck, and if it did work out, It would pay for us to travel. So I guess in a loooong explanation Im saying "Dont kick people when there already down"
     So onto better stuff, were in San Diego now and were still broke but its sooo beautiful here. The weather is perfect everyday, I can leave stuff out and it wont get moldy, people are out on bikes and walking, the food is delicious and healthy, there are street fares, and water outside our windows. Just lovely, and if it doesnt work out here in the long run, I will have experienced it again which was what my dream was. But I do think it will. Right now were still living in the RV. Were at a "resort" campground that lets you stay for up to 9 months. They have pools and a beach, skateboard park, boat rentals. Its very tight in here for a home but for the cost it is worth it for us to stay while looking for jobs and to bank some $$ for renting in the future. We are able to put up the screen room so that does add quite a bit more space. and like I said it is nice weather here until Jan and Feb (rainy season) so we have set up that room as a sitting room and will be adding to it as we go. We still need a few key elements that will really make it homey. A rug for instance, right now I have a small one, a queen size sheet, a table cloth, and a tarp down on the ground to protect us from the dusty dirt, I know its a little ghetto but I dont have the cash yet for such and "extravagance" hee hee. Some shelving would be nice too, and maybe a cot to curl up on and read a book. I must also get some flower pots, I am dieing to garden, you just dont know how much you will miss something until you cant do it. 
        Our plan is to sit it out here until Christmas. We think it would be kinda fun to have a tree set up here in the camper, and santa to visit our little home. The boys are going to start school probably next month. They are in walking distance so thats a bonus. Everyone is looking for jobs. Ginger the fat cat is loving sunning herself outside, and we are missing Gertie. Slowly everyones adrenaline is coming down and were settling in.
        On a side note, here is a funny-exciting story that happened yesterday. Out here is where craigslist started so it is THE place to go and look up everything, jobs, furniture anything, so one of the topics in jobs is tv/video/film. I look there for Ralphie and because they have all sorts of casting calls. Sometimes there looking for extras for a film, reality show contestants etc. So I found one that fit the bill for Reilly our 16 yr old, it was for a reality show focusing on teens and if the economy has put a damper on there lives, their comment was " have you gone from Gucci to Gap". So Reilly wrote into them and told his story (and as he put it "nevermind Gap were Goodwill", and guess what!!! He got a call back from the producer!! It was very exciting for us. He talked with him a long time and asked Reilly a million questions. Its for a reality show on MTV and this production co is the one for "the biggest loser" so they are legit. Well anyway, he said its still in the beginning stages but who knows he may get a call back, The producer gave Reilly his number so I dont think he wasnt interested. It was just a fun time.
      So there ya go, Leighanns thoughts for the day, peace to all and sunshine sent your way. Love and miss you all!

From the Blackberry..... Greetings from San Diego!! As so many of you who know LeighAnn and I know, this city, this area, holds a special place in both our hearts. We have spoken of it so often, shared our stories, and our longing for a return here. Well, here we are!! Back in a place that means so much to both of us. Now mind you, where we have been, and the wonderful bonds we have made with so many are just as important to us, San Diego has been a goal for us to get back to, a dream, one we really never thought would happen. And as I write this, here we are!! We both have a peace and serenity we have not felt in so long. We have barely 2 nickels to rub together, that's the God's honest truth, but we both know this is where we should, need, and want to be. We hope we can make it work here. This is where we want to raise the boys and the babies. We love and miss you all so much, so don't think we hate back east, I am just saying that I, and LeighAnn feel at "home" here. We will always be New Yorkers/New Englanders..but we love it here!! So to say the journey is over is the furthest thing from the truth. In fact, it has only just begun. So many more stories to tell, if you want to share in them..

This was written about 6PM Pacific time.

As I was about to upload it, our son Oden figured out how to open the RV door, and then face-planted out the door. My son is a tough kid, shook it off, but oh my, he has a souiviner on his forehead to show for it!!

We have lived in our RV for over 6 weeks. Entering this journey, we started as a suburban family, thinking we would just minimize our home and get rid of a few things, and move our lifestyle in to a smaller area. Funny, and maybe strange, we have learned that you are not truly living a "Suburban" lifestyle, you are truly living a "Gypsy" lifestyle. People we have met, especially parents, have said to us, "I just don't think we could do this!". And most of the reasoning is that they feel like they are clean freaks and RV living is too messy and dirty. Which kinda pisses us off, because it implies we don't have those standards. OK, those of you who know us know our standards can be..shall I say, "flexible", but you do learn how to let some things go whilst on the road.

Some of those things are....and in no order..

Cups can be used more than once, just make sure there was not milk or a cocktail in them.

A toothbrush found on the floor at home would have been immediately replaced at Rite Aid, in the RV, a quick rinse under a bottle of water is fine, because you NEED to brush your teeth.

You really can wear clothes more than once.

You can think fancy..but what you do sometimes isn't so fancy.

Teenagers are cooler than you think they are, and they can handle a lot more than you think they can, and will make you proud more then you thought they would.

Ramen is pretty good.

You can live in an RV and be just fine, so a small house is not so bad.

There are many ways to childproof an RV, we thought we had is down, until..well..read the top of the blog. We have adapated to that as well.

You can make due with not a lot of money, if you know what you are doing. We have learned this one the hard way.

And finally....

Nothing is more important than being with you family.  We are blessed to have ours, and we wish Addy was with us, but she is doing so well at college, and we are so proud of her!!!

More soon, On to SAN DIEGO this week!!