The Grand Finale!

Fifteen months ago we embarked on our Great Family Adventure and now I am thrilled to report that WE ARE FINALLY BACK HOME!! HOORAY!!!! The renters have moved, so let the dogs run free and the unpacking ensue! We're all excited and I'm more than a little curious to see what sorts of things we'll uncover that I've forgotten about along the way..... 

After returning to our first blog post, I can happily confirm that we've achieved every goal and have come a long way. A VERY long way. In fact, I think the best way to conclude this blog is with a recap of the highlights, so here goes!

 

We:  

- Drove about 45,000 miles. (That's almost double the circumference of the earth!!)

- Are on our third set of tires for a car that is less than 2 years old.

- Had one flat tire (on the loneliest highway in America of all places...)

- Visited all four corners of the American roads system.

- Drove the entire length of both the Alcan and Dalton Highways.

- Drove the full length of the Alaska Pipeline.
- Slept in the barracks of oil workers on The North Slope.

- Drove through six time zones.

- Experienced 24 hour sunlight.
- Visited 43 states and 8 Canadian provinces. 

- Spent the night in 25 states.

- Walked on arctic tundra.

- Walked on Matanuska Glacier.
- Tasted glacial ice in our drinks after it had been fished out of the water in Prince William Sound.

- Waded in the Arctic Ocean. 

- Waded in Chena Hot Springs.

- Our oldest son flew a plane over Knick Glacier.

- Our youngest son drove a boat in the Everglades and rode on a camel.

- Were pulled by an Iditarod sled dog team.

- Witnessed the Aurora Borealis in it's full glory.

- Saw people surfing the Alaska Bore Tides.

- Learned how to use an authentic Eskimo Yo-Yo.

- Saw the tallest mountains in North America.

- Met and learned from Native people all over the continent.

- Visited long-unseen family from all four branches, in both the U.S. and Canada.

- Visited Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and quilters all over North America.

- Visited as many national parks as possible, both American and Canadian, during significant anniversaries.

- Saw the following animals in the wild: Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Deer, Caribou/Reindeer, Moose, Javelina, Alligator, Eagle, Dall Sheep, Bison, Elk, Fox, Rabbit and Hare, Porcupine, Hawk, Squirrel, Coyote, Sandhill Crane, Loon, Bighorn Sheep, Raven, Crow, Seagull, Swan, Canadian Geese, Puffins, Seal, Whale, Cow, Musk Ox, Mountain Goats, Antelope, Ibis, Dolphin, Osprey, Pelican, Iguana, Chicken, Manatee (okay, this one was in a zoo of sorts, but we did see their natural habitat in person!), Peacock, Snake, and so many more!

- Learned about things like geothermal energy first-hand (Chena Hot Springs, Yellowstone...). 

- Visited as many farmers markets as possible and tried many new regional foods (Square ice cream? Honeyberries? Pinon Nuts? Conch?).

- Got library cards and checked out books in each location we stayed (except Maine). 

- Crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge and drove through a tree.
- Taught the kids about politics while watching a very controversial presidential election.

- Saw a cattle drive.

- Stood in four states at once.

- Visited cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. 

- Saw a cactus forest.
- Visited an "energy vortex".

- Participated in The Festival of Lights. 

- Experienced snow in Arizona.

- Visited vast canyons, giant rock formations, giant waterfalls, and a giant meteor crater.

- Drove Historic Route 66.

- Took a left at Albuquerque.  

- Slept by a graveyard.

- Ate beignets and drank chicory café au lait at Café du Monde.

- Witnessed a NASA Atlas 5 rocket launch in person. 

- Had a nasty encounter with fire ants.

- Had season passes for Disney World.

- Ate Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys.

- Discovered there's no such place as Kokomo. 

- Swam in the ocean.

- Saw real-life mermaids eating and drinking under water.

- Met an author and drove by Stephen King's house.
- Met an Olympian. 

- Visited lots of cheesy tourist attractions.

- Drove UNDER a body of water.

- Were chased by a snow storm.

- Ate a Boston Cream Donut at Dunkin' Donuts in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Had lunch at the original Wahlburgers location in Hingham, Massachusetts.

- Saw frozen lakes.

- Walked through a covered bridge.

- Watched the process of making both birch and maple syrups.

- Tasted the first candy to be commercially sold in America (No, not the ACTUAL candy!). 

- Visited lighthouses.

- Visited a working Shaker Village where the last two actual Shakers live.

- Visited Prince Edward Island and Green Gables. 

- Found Oak Island.

- Visited Civil War battlefields and stayed in a haunted(?) house.

- Toured America's Capitol. 

- Visited the Canadian capital during Canada's 150th Anniversary.

- Were detained at a border crossing.

- Watched a race at Churchill Downs.

- Explored the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

- Ate a Kentucky Hot Brown at the Brown Hotel.

- Ate Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kentucky (It tasted the same).

- Found Col Sanders grave.

- Watched the making of a Louisville Slugger in person.
- Lost 1 credit card and a drivers license.

- Bought boots in Nashville. 

- Attended a show at the Grand Ole Opry (wearing said boots).

- Drove through Rocky Top, Tennessee while singing "Rocky Top Tennessee".
- Ran moonshine across state lines.

- Saw a life-size replica of Noah's Arc.

- Experienced a total solar eclipse.
- Said goodbye to a loved one and celebrated the graduation and wedding of two more. 

- Homeschooled all three of our children for a year....and survived!

- All five of us (plus two dogs) lived in a hotel room for one month...and survived!
- Reached over 30,000 hits on this blog, and saw it through to the end. <3

We'd like to thank to each and every one of you for following along on our Great Family Adventure. May life bring you many wonderful adventures of your own! Who knows? We may be reading about YOU one day!

With much gratitude, this is the Schmidt Family signing off!

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

Renters and Quilts

We've found a renter! That means that we'll be leaving in 77 days no matter what. I had mixed feelings about showing our home. On one hand, it meant that we had to drop everything and let strangers walk through our house. Our sanctuary. They had the opportunity to criticize and comment on the home we love. They had access to our personal space and possessions. It's a bit of a vulnerable spot to be in. On the other hand, our whole family had to work together to make the house consistantly spotless and show-ready. It was really nice to enjoy it at it's best, with everyone pitching in to keep it that way.  Now that it's spoken for, we're back to "Whose day is it to do the dishes?" Oy!

I've been on Craigslist this week, selling all kinds of things that we don't need anymore. I love how it makes space in our home and also puts money in our pockets for things we might need or want on the trip. Our oldest son has a few items he's selling because wants to buy a certain laptop to help him with movie-making. He's a pretty responsible kid (proud mom!) and I have no doubts that he'll reach his goal. I love watching his process when making a big decision. He does extensive research on the item he wants and then looks for all the options to get it. Which brand and model are best? Does he want a new computer or would it be just as good to buy a refurbished one? Who should he buy it from? Is it really worth the money? Oh, if only we all (myself included) were that discerning about what we spent our money on! I only pray that he continues to use such wisdom in all his life choices.

We pick up our trailer at the end of the month and I'm just itching to get my hands on it to make it "ours". Like I said, we'll be packing only the bare minimum, but there are personal touches we can add to make it more comfortable (and fun!). I bought some trailer fabric to make pillowcases. It's the little things, people.... ;-) It's flannel and so soft!

Next week I'll show you the completed bathroom project. My husband has the before pics on his phone and I want to make sure you can really see the transformation. All we have to do now is add the hardware to the cabinets, which will be done this weekend. Instead, I'll show you pictures of the quilt tops that were finished this week. I'll be dropping them off at the quilter in a few minutes, which leaves only one more to finish before we go!! Hooray!!

This quilt is for my new nephew. I bought the plaid homespun blocks at my guild's annual show this year. I've been a member for several years and the members are seriously talented- like international show winners talented. Sometimes little orphan blocks end up in the boutique. Who am I to say no when they are calling my name? So, they came home with me and this is what I did with them. I think he'll like it. Plaid is always so homey. Plus, it works as great camouflage in case of baby "accidents".

I added some Moda graphic prints as borders. Dots make everything more fun!

This Alexander Henry print has been "maturing to perfection" in my stash, as Nan from Pots and Pins www.potsandpins.com would say. I love these cowboys! They're perfect for the back. I'm a big fan of Alexander Henry and their novelty prints.

This top is for the daughter of a dear friend. When her oldest was just a baby, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was a really hard time for their family and she walked through it all while pregnant. I made a quilt for her son during the hardest days to add what little comfort I could. I'm thrilled to say that he's healed and going strong today! In his honor, I'll encourage you all to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets. If this little guy can go through what he did, then we can handle a little bit of discomfort now and then. You might just save a life like his!

Now that that chapter is over, I thought it high time his little sister received her own quilt. Rainbows are so joyful, don't you think? This pattern is called "Tangled Tracks" by Kristin Gassaway for Connecting Threads. It was fun to put together. I see days of picnics on the lawn, blanket forts, super hero capes, and many other activities ahead for this little quilt! I'm so thankful that they're now able to enjoy the fun days- together. <3

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

- Jen