We took the 101...

Okay, so that blog title is mostly a joke. ;-) We really did grow up in California, but unlike the SNL skit, have never used "the" when talking about freeways, highways, interstates, or any other roads. Then again, we grew up in Northern California so that might be a regional difference. SoCal's, any insights? On that note, we did take 101 and it was a beautiful drive!

Last week we joined my husband in California to finish settling the estate of my Father-in-law. Then we caravanned to Washington for work and to bring a few things home. It was a long drive, especially with no relief driver in the car, but we made it! It ended up being fun in spite of the pouring rain. The kids were especially excited when we went over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Fun fact: My husbands grandmother marched across the Golden Gate with her school band when it opened in 1937! Their family has a long history in California.

San Francisco also has a lot of cool murals and beautiful architecture.

We made sure to visit Chandelier Tree (the drive-thru tree) and stamped our Parks Passport at Redwood National and State Park. Close to the Oregon border you will see gorgeous coastal views. I definitely recommend going if you're ever nearby!

Fortunately for the kids, we were able to get home in time to go trick-or-treating, which was exciting. A big thank you to our wonderful friends for taking them while we sorted everything out! This week has given us a chance to visit the orthodontist and to get a few other things taken care of. Mostly though, it's just been nice to visit with friends and be home for a tick.

Our unexpected detour ended up adding three states we weren't planning on visiting this year- California, Oregon, and Washington. Who knows? We may need to hit all 50 now just to say we did!

Tomorrow we head back to Idaho. I'm sure the dogs will be excited to see us again! They've been at a kennel while we've been gone. Then we start preparing to head down to Arizona for the next leg of our trip in a week or two. Is it really almost time for the third leg of our adventure?!? I guess what they say is true, time flies!

- Jen

The Squeeze is On!

It's June! This means we head out in just three short weeks. Fortunately, we're still on track with preparations. Here what the next three Fridays look like for us:

Next week- The movers come to take all our furniture to storage.
Two weeks- The house will be scoured from top to bottom in preparation for the renters.
Three weeks- We hit the road!

In the midst of all that we have an eighth grade graduation, Cub Scout crossover ceremony, visit to the veterinarian to make sure the dogs have all their paperwork for international travel, orthodontist appointment, dentist appointment, DAR meeting, choir concert and banquet, renter walk-through, will signing, and a homeschool conference. Not to mention all the meetings at work for my husband and visiting with friends to say "See you later!"- Crazy, to be sure, but all good.

This week has been low-key here on the home front. Monday was Memorial Day so everyone had the day off. Our family spent part of the day packing and the other part at a local retirement community where our youngest and his Cub Scout Den performed the flag ceremony for their remembrance barbeque. It was such a joy to see the older generations interacting with our young guys. The boys made cards for the veterans and gave them out after the ceremony. If only you could have seen the faces of the veterans and how proud the boys were. So touching!

Also, as of this week we've officially made it through our first homeschooling year! Hooray! Testing was on Tuesday and I think it went pretty well. Our youngest was nervous when I dropped him off but was having a grand old time when I returned. Apparently he made a new friend and they finished early. We'll get the results in a few weeks.

It's amazing how many things we've done together this year. We put together a Shutterfly yearbook and were blown away after seeing it all in one place. He loves having his own book for his friends to sign- and this year he made A LOT of new friends! I'm thinking next years book may be slightly larger (to say the least!)....... I'm totally up for the challenge!

- Jen

Sunny Days

Western Washington summers usually begin after July 5th. Before that you can count on sweatshirts and soup. Well not this year! This past week has been filled with 80+ degree days and everyone has been out enjoying the sun. It's truly an amazing place to live, especially when everything is in full bloom and alive with activity. Here are a few pictures (taken by me) to give you a glimpse.

View of Seattle from the ferry

 

One of our seasonal residents near Anacortes

Snoqualmie Falls

 

Totem pole at Beaver Lake 

On a clear day "the mountain" (Mt. Rainier) reveals itself. Usually it's veiled by cloud cover. Sometimes when it's really clear, and if you're in the right spot, you can see both Mt. Rainer and Mt. Baker at the same time. Two sleeping giants, blanketed by snow, trees, meadows, and animals. Magnificent.

This was taken during one of our spring trips to Mt. Rainier. Seattle is very close to both the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges.

 This sign about sums it up!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm a member of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). This weekend is our State Conference and that's where I am right now. Once a year we all gather together so the chapters can give updates to the State Society on what we've been up to all year. It's also a time to honor special people who are making a difference in their local communities. At the various meals we sometimes have speakers, demonstrations, or hear music. One of my favorite memories was when the dancers from the Chemawa Indian School came up from Oregon to dance for us. They are so talented and it was an honor to meet them. Chemawa is just one of the schools supported by the DAR. http://www.chemawa.bie.edu/

Since I'm busy at State Conference, this will be a quick update. Here's the skinny on where we are in our preparations for the trip:

- I've been busy boxing up dishes, books, quilts, and more for storage. After realizing how many books I've packed, I can officially declare myself a bibliophile.

- Since the original person we spoke with about renting our house hasn't signed on the dotted line, our house has reverted back to showcase mode for house hunters.

- We've been going from one appointment to another to make sure everyone is current on their dental/physical/eye/vet check ups. We'll be gone for more than a year, after all.

- The camping fabric has been turned into pillowcases for the trailer. One more week until we pick it up!!

We'd love to hear from seasoned RVers about things we should know. Should we join an RV club? What should we avoid? Any tips in general? Let us know! We'd appreciate it! Only 63 days to go....

Now I'm off to give my Junior Membership State Report.... busy, busy!  Have a great weekend!

- Jen