The Challenges of Returning Home....

It's been two weeks since we returned to Washington State and moved from our 17 foot trailer to a slightly larger hotel room. For reasons I won't mention here the renters are still in our house, so we've been improvising until we can finally exclaim "We're home!!!" Patience is a virtue and we've all been working hard to make lemonade out of lemons. To give you a better idea, here's a glimpse of what our current normal looks like:

- During the week, my husband gets ready for work early in the morning and takes the dogs out before he leaves. (So thoughtful!) We take the dogs outside several times a day to go to the bathroom, always cleaning up after them like any responsible pet owner should. We can't leave them alone in the hotel room for long in case of barking, so they come with us everywhere we go. We take turns staying in the car with them for appointments, shopping, etc. because the car might get too warm otherwise.

- I make sure the kids are ready for school and drive to our neighborhood. Our daughter goes to a friend's house so she can take the middle school bus while I drive my oldest to the high school. The middle and high schools start within minutes of each other, so timing is an issue. After my oldest is dropped off, the youngest and I drive back to our neighborhood to wait for the elementary school bus. I could just drive him to school and wait there for an hour, but taking the bus helps him get used to the route so we don't have any issues after we return home.

- After the bus pulls out I try to get things done with the dogs in tow. It may be a hassle but you have to admit, they ARE pretty cute.

- After school, the dogs and I pick the oldest up and drive back to our neighborhood to meet my daughter. Then we wait for the youngest.

- From there we all return to the hotel room and do homework. The kids can work in the room but if it's too loud or they need to spread out they can go down to the lobby and work at the common area tables.

- Next we make/get dinner. This is usually something that can be cooked on the stove, microwaved, or brought in due to lack of an oven and storage space.

- Somewhere in there my husband returns from work and we eat together and relax.

- Then comes bedtime and we repeat it all the next day with slight variations. Sometimes our kids plan to see a friend or two after school, which is nice because it gets them out of the hotel for a while. Seeing friends and going to school helps them reclaim a small sense of "normal" while we wait for the real thing.

- Over the past few weekends we've had some amazing friends who've hosted the kids at their houses, which was great for our son's 16th birthday. Otherwise we generally drive around or hang out at the hotel. We can't really prepare anything for the house just yet because there's no place to put it. Even the kids' school gear had to be replaced because everything we have is currently in storage. I'm just hoping the weather doesn't cool off too quickly because our cool-weather gear is in there too!

Even though our homecoming date is still up in the air, we really are thankful for the small things that have made this transition time bearable. Fred Rogers once said "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" She was right. We've had so many people step forward and offer help during this time and we're grateful for each one of them.

I'll keep this blog updated until we're home again, so please say a prayer that that will happen soon. My birthday is this weekend and you can guess what I'll be wishing for when I blow out those candles!

Hope you're all having a great week! Stay safe out there!

- Jen

The Adventure Begins!

Today is the day we've been waiting for! At 5:30am this morning, we pulled out of our driveway, trailer in tow, kids and dogs secured, and headed for the Canadian border to embark on the great family adventure we've been preparing for.

We crossed the border without a hitch (Don't worry, we have a hitch. That was just a little trailer humor..) and traveled through rain, thunder, lightening, wind, and sun to get to our camp site. Now, at 6:40pm, we are safely tucked away and getting ready for dinner. The dogs and kids made it through in fine style.

We've been having fun spotting wildlife, including big horned sheep who were grazing at the side of the road, deer, a bald eagle, and many yellow signs warning us that a moose could cross the road at any given time. British Columbia is beautiful and I'm enjoying seeing merchandise in both English and French.

Tomorrow, we plan to continue our journey through B.C. toward Alaska. We will be driving through Yukon Territory and should arrive in Fairbanks on Tuesday. From there, we will leave the dogs and trailer to drive up the Dalton Highway (or the Ice Road, as parts of it become in winter) toward the Arctic Circle . Next week's post might be a little late because we will be in Deadhorse getting ready to travel through the oil fields to the Arctic Ocean.

Fun Fact: For security reasons, you need to submit your passport information ahead of time to buy a ticket to travel through the oil fields. Otherwise, the road ends in Dead Horse for civilians- no ocean access. We'll be sure to take a lots of pictures! Who knows? Maybe we'll see a polar bear...from a safe distance.

A big thank you to our wonderful friends and neighbors who sent us off with so much love and support. We look forward to seeing you again in 14 months! For now, on to Alaska!

- Jen

The Final Countdown

It's here! The final week before we leave for our big adventure! In all likelihood, the next post will just be a quick note to let you know we’re somewhere in Canada on the “Alaska Highway.” Did you know there’s an official marker for that in British Columbia? Me neither! You’d better believe I’m going to try to convince my husband that we need to take a detour to find it in Dawson's Creek!

We’ve been swamped with milestones and contractors this past week, which is why this post is a few days late. The school year ended. Our oldest graduated from eighth grade, which means he’s officially in high school now- Yikes! He also finished all the requirements to earn his Star rank in Boy Scouts. Our daughter performed beautifully at her choir concert and ended the year with a banquet. Our youngest moved up from Bear Cub to Webelos in Cub Scouts, and had his last fiddle and speech therapy sessions. We’ll miss our music and speech teachers. They're awesome! On that note, we also visited the WHO (Washington Homeschool Organization) convention. Our math curriculum for next year is ordered and will arrive when we're in Alaska. Did I mention I like checking things off my lists? ;-)

Other than that, the dogs are  now up to date on their shots and have their health certificates for the  Canadian border. Our wills are finalized. And last, but not least- our house is empty and ready for the renters to move in. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for all the people who helped us with the final details in order for this trip to come together!

In spite of all the craziness, I actually finished something creative. This quilt is for a young man who is near and dear to our hearts. He graduated from high school a few weeks ago and is on his way to the Air Force. We are so proud of him! I hope he likes it.
 

It's backed with flannel, which won't do him much good during these hot summer months (He obviously doesn't live in Western Washington- our summer doesn't arrive until after July 5th- Really!) but it will be super cozy in the Fall when he's missing home. The picture below was taken before it was quilted by Vicki Stratton. She has been wonderful in helping me finish all these projects before our big launch!

Five days to go and we are SO REDAAAY!! 

- Jen