We DID It!

Today was another incredibly productive day. Michael staged things, while Stacia and I bought groceries AND made another trip to ST Vinnies. We bought all their blankets - don't try the one on Q street if you are looking for blankets.  Blankets are great to wrap around furniture. They do have a great Instant Pot for $20 - missing the seal(4.50) and liner (19.95) both available on Amazon. I wanted to buy it - but "saner" heads prevailed. NO EXTRA BUYING until we are in Alaska. 

When we got back to my folks',  Stacia put away groceries, Michael and I climbed in the attic and got down the girl's coffee tables and end tables, and began wrapping and loading furniture. Will dropped by around lunch. We enjoyed a bit of a visit and he helped Michael and Cory with some lunky items. 

Cory (below left) got off work at 0900 and joined us around 1030 to pack the rest of the trailer. This involved a lot of juggling as we had  big furniture items and a distinct shortage of things to "stuff in cracks."  Cory had helpfully brought some boxes they had packed which helped to make a "tight fit."

They did fit in MUCH we hadn't expected to get in. 😊👍😀

My elliptical fit!!!! Barely...and the oak mirror right at the back door....

They did it! This is how we bond with son in laws. 

 By 2:45 p.m. we were loaded. We COULD put some clothes from BreZaak in the cracks.....but none of us really want to unload things to fill cracks at this point.  We'll probably repack in Olympia with the clothes BreZaak gave us to take up. 

The plan is for the Kayak and 2 or 3 bikes to ride on the sides of the trailer. The others on the Jeep.  

Can you read the Kayak? We plan to do some more inking. 

We zipped across town for Yuuki to get the certificates she needs to add Canada to her list of  countries traveled.

Michael left one of our trailer tires to be mounted for a spare last week when we bought new tires. He went to pick it up and they'd LOST OUR TIRE. They gave us a brand NEW tire free. We have spares for the jeep, spares for the trailer, extra gadgets and such for the RV....I think we're ready.

We asked BreZaak and CoRielle if we could have a "family meeting."  Family meetings were a "thing" Michael and I instituted years ago. Lately, we've been hearing from the older ones that they disliked them. Ah well - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 😏 Michael and I tended to wander in those meetings, we don't do that so much these days. We often addressed behavioural or character issues in those meetings.....because it was easier to lay the base line in a group and then work one on one. We still have family meetings with the younger three - they seem much funner than the earlier ones.  I think we've grown in our 32 years of parenting. 😀🙌😛

That's the back story. The kids were eager for this FAMILY MEETING.....we discussed the logistical details of having 7 extra people move in with our 5...and merging 3 distinct family units....We know which rooms they want. We have somewhat of a  plan for meals. We brainstormed where to put big items and discussed the merits of wood and carpet flooring. That sort of thing.  WE LOVED Izaak's suggestion to have a weekly family meeting to make sure we're all still on track! Way to go, son! You've got it! 😀😀😀  We reminded the girls they are adults now; these meetings will not be about character training. They may have been doing a bit of groaning and gnashing of teeth.

Added benefits of this meeting were seeing Bella and Gideon, and praying as a family before we began the trek north and they finished their last weeks here. Michael and I decided NOT to leave in the  morning. We will have a "down day," I will take Mom to a neurology appointment, we'll rest and start out on Wednesday instead.

Granna and Gideon

Grandpa and Gideon 

BreZaak bought Bella her very own backpack. She LOVES it. She'll be able to carry a couple of things...which is helpful in an airport.  

Izaak and Bella

  She is READY to go places! 

Bella is sweet with Gideon. She DOTES on him and watches very carefully over him when others are around.

Gideon and Bella 

 Of course Bella wants Auntie Arielle - why would Uncle Cory try to compete with that???😏😉😏

Cory, Arielle, Bella and Baby S too. 

 Bella has learned a new word, "Hi." She uses it quite freely. We were saying goodbye, and she leaned over Bre's shoulder, looked at Gideon and said, "Hi, hi!" He isn't greatly responsive at this point. 😃

We said goodbye, "See you again in Alaska!"

The TRUTH About RV Sites

Many envision the full-time life to be one of constant moving and beautiful sites in nature......and that has been the case, at times.  We tend to focus on the positives, and beautiful sites are a POSITIVE, but I also try to present a realistic view of our life - be that homeschooling, chaplains family, military life and now full-time RVing.

We've stayed in some great spots......spots we'd like to visit again. 

Beale Fam Camp 

Armitage Park - Eugene, OR 

Shoreline RV Park - Crescent City, CA - that's the OCEAN out our windshield

St Vrain CO State Park 

Buckley Fam Camp 

Massacre Rock ID State Park 

Ollalie - USFS campground

These are the types of places one dreams of when they consider RVing full-time. We've loved it. Unfortunately, most of these places have time limits. That's great if you are a full-timer who moves alot.  When moving we've stayed in friend's driveways, we've boondocked, urban docked and mooch docked around on each trip - always with express permission. We have NEVER been like the 11 parked around the Eugene Wal-mart. 😏

Neighbor's Crescent City

Truck Stops 

Wal-mart

Churches 

 Some sites we paid for were terrible - like the KOA in Rock Springs, WY that was little more than a mud hole.  It was ONE night and hardly an issue......but these spots do happen in a full-timer's life. 

We planned on being the type of full-timer who moved every 2 - 4 weeks. Due to our health issues, family situations and Mom's cancer,  we have had extended stays at Beale Fam Camp, a park in Crescent City, CA and most recently 7 months in Eugene, OR.  Since most of the beautiful state and USFS parks won't allow you to stay more than 14 days a month.....and the best rates for RV parks are monthly....we ended up paying monthly.....and living where our neighbors are VERY close to us......though one can walk across the campground and see some beautiful nature.

Maybe now you understand a bit more of why Michael wanted SPACE when we began to look for a home in Alaska. 😊

We ARE going to miss being full-timers!  We probably have a month or less left to claim the designation. It's been a great two years.  We plan on taking extended trips in the future.....the kids can watch the house. 😛😮😜

Mr. Gingerbread Man in Mexico.

Krista posted this on her blog before she left Mexico. I'm just getting it cross-posted. 

My family enjoys a gingerbread competition on New Years Eve and the winner this year received the honor of hosting Mr. Gingerbread Man. He was passed off to me in Colorado, so he could come enjoy Mexico for a bit.

At first Mr. Gingerbread was not thrilled, he was complaining that I lied about Mexico being sunny and lots of children for him to befriend. It was rather sad  the first three days were stormy and I had finals; I was a bad host and didn't introduce him to people.

However, the last week and a half have been what I promised and he has made many great friends and been enjoying some sunshine.

To read more of Mr. Gingerbread Man's adventures  click the "Gingerbread Competition" in the side bar labels. 

One Day and a Wake Up

It was great to have mom back at church today. 💓😊💓

We left early to meet CoRielle at Mom and Dad's. They brought over her very heavy dresser from Japan. We will spend tomorrow packing the remaining things into the trailer.

Our next stop was St Vinnies. They ARE open on Sundays. We purchased seven or eight blankets to use in wrapping furniture.

Will and Sherri had Harmony for the afternoon. We were glad this had worked out and went over for lunch so the girls could get in some cousin time before our move. They had a great time, we enjoyed visiting with Will and Sherri. Mom and Dad joined us for dessert and more visiting.

Gracie was a hoot. She LOVES playing catch. I've never seen a dog play catch with herself.

We sat about an hour - maybe a little less - in the hot tub here at the park. Interesting visits with a couple of fellow retiree types. 😊 I think it really did help both Michael and I with our aches and pains from all the loading. 😏

Josiah called and the boys are back in Eagle River after their big hike. 

One day and a wake up - unless we don't get it all done and leave a day later.😛💥😄

Gideon Comes Home!

We are praising God that Gideon is HOME with his family today; just two weeks after his adventurous birth. Shew - has it only been two weeks????? We had been told to expect longer - we are thankful. 💓😍💓

Izzak and Bella went to spring Gideon from the NICU. 

Gideon had to prove he could sit for an hour and a half in his car seat whilst still breathing. He passed! 

Bella explains the wonders of car seats to Gideon 

Then there were two in the backseat

Bella loves having a travel partner

Home at last! 

PACKING THE TRAILER

Our goal today was to pack the trailer - without the boys.💪 We had stored three years of school books with Mom and Dad when we began RVing. This allowed us to stop in and swap books every few months. It also allowed us to stay out more than one year without worrying about buying school books. 📚

We gave our elliptical to Mom a few years ago when we downsized. She gave it back today. We sure need it. 😋 We also had toys, collections,  and such the kids couldn't part with 2 years ago; that they eventually realized they didn't need in the RV....and some stuff for Arielle and Krista in the attic....we quickly realized we'd be able to get it all in and have space..... We called BreZaak and CoRielle to let them know we could take a few  things for them, if they had anything ready to go. 

We found six of these suitcases from our days of international travel.....EVERY BODY KNOWS you CANNOT put six big suitcases into a trailer empty. They wouldn't stack inside each other and we'd already used all our stuffing sort of things repacking school tubs.....Mom took three of them and filled them with things she wanted to have us take up. It will be like Christmas to unpack  and see what ended up in Alaska.

Perhaps some instruction on elliptical use is in order? 😀

 Mom was worn out from packing - when I realized we could send the suitcases to one of the kids and have them pack clothes or such for us to take. BreZaak seemed the perfect choice as we know they'll have clothes Bella has outgrown, or clothes for Gideon to grow into, that can go now. 

And THEN, we remembered the electric piano we had purchased in Japan!!!! I'm not sure how it slipped our minds. BreZaak have been storing it. Dad and Michael went across to retrieve it. We doubt their BBQ will fit in now.....we decided it would be a good time to call it a night - I didn't want to go up in the attic again for the furniture from the girls (coffee tables and end tables), Michael is at the point where he needs all the furniture so he can carefully pack the remaining space.  Lots of room left...but lots of bulks furniture left....an antique settee set from Mom, an elliptical, coffee tables, end tables (given to the girls from Mom G), Arielle's dresser (purchased in Japan), the piano....

We took a packing break to drive Lorri to the train station. She'll visit family in WA and then head on to Palm Springs - a birthday trip from her sister! It was odd saying goodbye, knowing we won't be here when she gets back.

I teared up having ice cream with Mom and Dad and just us three.  I realized it's most likely the last time we'll have ice cream together - you know that "weekly treat" - while we are here.

Michael suggested we play one round of Farkle. It was much quieter and quicker without the boys and Lorri here. Stacia won!

Krista at COT - Happy Birthday

Krista sent some photos. She didn't say a word. 

Krista - 2nd Row, center,short blond hair

I noticed the gentlemen in the front holding a trophy and asked what it was for. Seems their flight (group of 12) won the "Athletic Flight" of the squadron (bigger number of students) AND Athletic Flight of the entire CLASS of COT (Commissioned Officer Training).  

Krista is front row, 2nd from the left

Note the cute shoes! 

 Krista doesn't know why this photo was take - PA requested it. 

Three weeks until COT graduation. Continued prayers for rest, for her and her roommate, as she battles her cough are appreciated.

Happy Birthday, Krista. I believe this is a birthday you will long remember!