Why A Llama?
Short version is in 2012 I was working with in the junior department at the KY Camp meeting for a week (think kids day camp) While walking with a group of kids two girls were fighting, the boy next to me said "They really need a llama for their drama" He then said it over and over in many different ways for 15 minutes straight. I told my best friends and it became our running joke. We would send each other llama things, especially if there was something hard or dramatic in our lives.
It was hard at the time because this was before llamas were popular.
One of my friends sent a little lama for my birthday (I think). It sat on my dresser for years. That is until we went on a road trip out west in 2019 to go on a week long canoe trip down the Green River in Utah with my husbands family. I don't know why but I threw him in my bag. Ever since then this llama has been our travel mascot all around the USA.
Our Family
My husband and I met at a bible study in Chattanooga TN in 2017. We started dating in July of that year and then got married on New Years Eve 2018.
We lived there for about 1 year where I worked as a designer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press and my husband Jason worked x-ray PRN at 2 hospitals. Jason had always wanted to try Travel X-ray so on Feb 26, 2019 we started our first travel assignment in New Hampshire (we lived in Vermont).
We then went to Wisconsin, back to New Hampshire, Colorado, Hawaii, and now Idaho.
Spring of 2021 (during our second round in NH) we found out we were expecting our first child, a little girl. We were so excited. However at 20 weeks I went into labor and we lost her to a fatal birth defect. We were devastated and have been on a long journey of healing. We made a website with Aveline's story along with resources for other parents who lost their little ones: avelineshope.com
A little over 1 year after losing our daughter we found out I was pregnant again, this time with a little boy. 8 months of my pregnancy was in Hawaii and the last month was home in KY. On May 3, 2023 our sweet little Andrew was born. Through him God brought a light and happiness I didn't think I could feel again.
Now we are balancing traveling, working and raising our little boy.
Where We Have Lived
What To Expect
I want to share our adventures with our friends and family and I have been keeping a rough journal, so I am going to be putting those stories into a blog.
So follow along as we move around the country on the move, finding inspiration in the most unexpected places.
We'll share the joys and challenges of parenting an energetic little one while traveling, proving that it's possible to nurture both a career and a family on the road.
Whether you're a fellow traveler, a medical professional, a designer, or just someone looking for unique tales of adventure, there's something here for you. The Little Traveling Llama is all about inspiration, laughter, and a deep love for life on the move.