Hot, Flat, and Crowded

Four families are now nine! We had a big group marriage ceremony a few days ago. And that’s exciting and all. Problem is we don’t have 9 tents. We have 6. So…yeah. Privacy isn’t really a thing in our current situation...

…But Jael’s great. We’ve only known each other a couple weeks, but I feel like this is gonna work out great. In fact, I guess this is an upside to this whole “flee to the wilderness” thing. I don’t know if I’d have ended up with Jael had we stayed in Jerusalem, and I like her a lot better than any of the other options that Mom and Dad were considering for me. So, there’s a silver lining to this cloud.

Now, it would be a bit more convenient to start a new family not in the desert. But Jael’s a good sport, and we have a good time throwing in just a dash of snarky commentary to help make desert survival a tad more enjoyable. I’ve been thinking of some DIY ideas of how I can improve the camp and make things a bit more homey feeling for the two of us. In my next post, I’ll blog about it:

5 Mind-Numbingly Awesome Ideas to Turn Your Desert Nomad Camp into a Luxury Suite!

I'm sure it'll look just like this by the time I'm done.

Make Me a Match

Being in this small of a dating market makes for some interesting interactions. We have five single guys, and five single ladies. And we all have to match someone. If Dad and Ishmael just went down the list matching by age, I’d be with Orpah, but she’s not my type at all. Luckily, like I said in my last post, she and Sam seem to be fans of each other. Also, Dad and Ishmael seem to be taking into account how everyone interacts in the arrangements they’re making. So that’s a good sign. Laman and Nephi both made their moves for their desired lady-folk quite quickly. I’m a bit less gung ho, and have never been great at the wooing game, so from the moment we headed back to get Ishmael’s family, I figured I’d get last dibs.

But I gotta say, this is actually turning out really well. Jael’s a lot of fun, we have very similar personalities, and she knows how to rock a wimple and crisping pin combo. Oh, and none of my bros are going for her, so I think I actually have a chance getting an awesome wife. Laman, Sam, and Nephi seem to fit well with the girls they’re cozying up to, and even Zoram seems to be a good match for Salome. Although, those two are on again off again—a lot. I think they’ll settle down over time though.

Anyway, Dad, Mom, Ishmael, and Jehosheba are making plans for a big group wedding soon. I told Dad it seems weird to be doing a wedding out here in the boonies with no one around. Can’t really do the big celebration. He said something about how that’s what made this arrangement so nice. Less time worrying about unimportant stuff, and more time to get him some grandkids. Jael was sitting next to me when he said that. He’s kind of awkward, but I guess when you get older you don’t care.

I don't think we'll have enough guests to fill out the reception