Preserving the Past

What can I say? I'm a total sap. I'm sure if you looked up the word "sentimental" in the dictionary, my picture would be used as a reference. I've saved school pictures, letters, cards, origami-style notes and more because I like remembering people and meaningful events. Each item in my collection holds a memory. Some good, some bad, but all part of my life story. Every once in a while I'll go through this collection and throw away things that no longer have meaning- things that may have been important to me as a child, but I can no longer remember what they were for. It's good to clean house to keep the important things close and let go of the rest. This trip is giving us the opportunity to do just that.

Packing up our home for storage means sorting through these items. I have four different categories of mementos that were organized and boxed up this week- mine, my husbands, my kids, and our family history. I love family research and treasure those old black and white photos from days gone by. Documents like birth/marriage/death/baptism certificates give us clues we need to piece together the stories of our ancestors. It's so sad to run across old pictures of people at the antique store with no clue as to who they were or where they came from. Please make sure to write on the backs of your pictures if you are the keeper of these precious identities! Also, make sure to scan them so they can be enjoyed by the whole family for many years to come. There may be only one picture of "so-and-so" but with a database everyone can access, everyone gets to enjoy it and the original can remain safe.

Since these old pictures and documents are fragile, they must be handled and stored with care. The picture above is how I organized my genealogy research this week. I took advantage of some local sales on shoe boxes (specifically made to store photographs) and clear plastic bins . Then I got to work coating my floor with piles of paper and documents. Paper can get heavy quickly, so I made sure the bins were small enough to carry if full but big enough to keep everything together. Each bin contains one or two shoeboxes with labels on them for quick reference. There's also enough room in each bin for corresponding family history books and albums/pictures that are too large to fit in the shoeboxes.

Here's an example of the contents of one of the bins:

- Shoebox 1- Pictures of my fathers side of the family
- Shoebox 2- Pictures of my mothers side of the family
- Large photographs and documents
- 2 family history books that either mention or are about these families

After a lot of sorting, writing on the backs of pictures, and reorganizing, I can now find what I need quickly and efficiently. This system is perfect for storage because aside from being easily identifiable, the bins will keep everything dry and free of pests. It's also great because once we return I can take each bin and just place it back on the shelf for easy access. Functional AND sustainable. My favorite! :-)

Soap Box Note: While sorting through everything, sometimes you run across things that might mean more to someone else. Everyone has that family member who "inherits" everything and never wants to share. I implore you to not be that person. If you are blessed enough to be entrusted with these priceless heirlooms, then please make sure to keep what is precious to you and send the rest to the most relevant people. Space will be freed up for you, but more importantly, you are giving a gift to someone who will treasure it. You really don't need 5 copies of your great grandfathers photograph if you have siblings and cousins. You really don't need your uncles' report cards if you know his family would take care of them and appreciate them more.

My great aunt sent me my grandparents marriage certificate a while ago. I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me that she trusted me with it. It has now been scanned for our whole family to reference and enjoy while the original is safely stored. On that same note, I've spent this past week sending envelopes filled with pictures to other family members because those pictures rightfully belong in their hands. In sharing, everyone benefits. Also, you just never know if you might have the key to someone else's mystery. Something to think about.

- Jen

Being Productive and Dying of Boredom

Today is the last day of "Second Winter Break" and I'm happy to report that everyone is FINALLY fever free! Believe me, after two weeks on the couch, the kids are eager for a change of scenery. Our youngest came down with the fever last week, a few days after we celebrated his half-birthday. He has a summer birthday and since he's the only one who will be celebrating two birthdays away from home, we said he could have a half-birthday party. He had a great time and felt special with so many friends helping him commemorate his upcoming transition to double-digits. One friend even gave him a Lego travel trailer set. How fun is that?!

Last weekend we also received the call that the tile was ready, so we braved the rain and picked it up even though my husband still felt crummy (he's not one to sit around unless he's on death's doorstep).  We went with a porcelain tile that looks like natural stone for the floor. I'm excited to show you when it's finished! Once the floor is in, we'll be ready for the shower tile and cabinets. It's amazing, and a little scary, how fast the time is going and how much we have left to do.

In anticipation for our trip I've also been stepping back from various volunteer roles. One role, as Washington State Junior Membership Chairman for the DAR, will be finished in May. That's D.A.R., not dar. It stands for the Daughters of the American Revolution. My final state report was due to the National Chairman this week, so I finished that and was able to send it in on time (phew!). In case you are wondering, a Junior is a member between the ages of 18 and 35. These women are involved in all sorts of wonderful activities serving their communities. If you're not familiar with the DAR, you can check out our website at www.dar.org

Overall, it's been a productive but "booooooooooring" break from school (according to the kids). I hope you've all managed to avoid the yuck and are doing well. Back in the saddle again next week!

- Jen

Deconstruction and Decongestant

Last weekend we made the decision to remodel the kids' bathroom. It was dated and didn't flow well (the space, not the water ;-)). You know that room you always plan to change but it ends up being the last one you get to. Yeah, it's that room. We discussed our plan of action and visited the tile store. After looking at hundreds of samples, laying them out all over the showroom floor, and finally placing the order, we happily headed home to start prepping the space.

Remember how I told you that my husband can do just about anything? Well, he can. And so he got to work deconstructing the bathroom to get it ready for the new shipment of tile and vanity/sink that are on the way. Existing tile was broken up, the counter/sink/cabinet were removed, and sheetrock was ripped out. It was quite a sight to behold. Dust was flying everywhere in the room, deafening cracks rang out as he broke apart the tile..... and then there was the debris. So. Much. Debris. Luckily, he has a wife who is happy to help. And so I hauled away bucket load after bucket load.

Here is a picture of the bathroom as it stands now. The lighting will be much better when there's something worth seeing. We will be taking out those beams you see in the center of the room to open the space up. One of the past owners separated the toilet/shower area from the vanity/sink area so their kids could get ready for school at the same time. Functional for them, not so much for us. So, the space will become one room again and we can't wait!

Along with demolishing the bathroom, Sunday brought with it that nasty virus that has kept my two oldest kids on the couch all week with fevers, congestion, and general yuck. Doesn't it just figure that the minute we render a bathroom unusable, someone gets sick?!  Apparently there are lots of sick kids at the moment, so teachers have gone easy on the make-up homework assignments (which we are grateful for). We have second winter break next week which should give our kids enough time to get better and catch up. My dear husband came home with the virus last night, so we'll be taking a break from bathroom work.

As a side note, I have a shameless plug. I've also had an online Thirty-One Gifts party over the past week and it ends tomorrow, February 13th. If you are interested in beautiful organization and storage solutions as well as stylish bags and jewelry, let me know and I'll be more than happy to send you the link. My sister in law is a consultant and she's in the process of trying to buy a house, so I'm hosting a party for her to help grow her business. That, plus I have my eye on a few things for our trip and the hostess credits will help me with those. :-)  I love their products and you will too (trust me!) Come on by and check it out!

- Jen

Education and Roadschooling

This year I've been homeschooling our youngest son (9). It's been a series of experiments to see what does and doesn't work for him. Some things have worked right off the bat and others we labored at until I realized it was time to abandon the original plan and try something else. We have our good days and our not-so-good days. Overall though, I think it's been the best thing we've done this year. Don't get me wrong. I love the elementary school our kids have grown up in. The teachers are wonderful and we have a supportive community with many resources. As a parent, though, it's my responsibility to be paying attention to my child and what he needs to help him succeed for the future. This year he needed to explore and grow at his own pace and in a different environment. Rather than tell you about the challenges, I'd like to tell you about a few of the successes.

In September we started swim lessons. He HATED getting his face wet. New things can be scary and until this year he just wasn't ready to "take the plunge". Fast forward to today- he's swimming laps! I can't even begin to describe the joy and pride that fills his face when it's time to go to the pool. Being able to take lessons when everyone else is at school has made all the difference. It's quieter and there is a seniors aquatics class at the same time. My little guy has become buddies with all the "grandpa's" and he loves it! In everyday life we interact with people of all ages so I think it's wonderful that he's able to experience this time with them. It gives him an opportunity to form relationships and learn from others who have lived longer and have valuable information to impart. How much we miss when we only interact with people who are most like us (age, gender, skin color, background).

Our son is also becoming more aware of self-management and how to apply what he's learning to every day life. He recognizes the difference in how much better he can focus when we're in our quiet home sitting at the table for schoolwork, as opposed to somewhere busier and full of new things to look at. Math has never been a problem for him but now he's exploring how you can get creative with it, like in cooking! Last week he made delicious brownies for my quilt group without any help from me. He was so proud of himself! He's learning to read and write cursive which is important in signing documents to distinguish yourself from others. This year he even learned how to address envelopes. It may sound like a silly little thing, but I was shocked to learn my middle school age children had no idea how to do it.

This sweet boy can now pronounce his R sounds, thanks to the fantastic speech therapist he's been seeing while his siblings are at school. We are able to see plays, visit museums, read books, meet with other homeschooled kids at the park, and just "be" instead of rushing from one thing to the next, worrying how we're going to fit it all in before we collapse at bedtime. If he needs a nap one day, he's able to take one. It's made a huge difference. I now feel like I can handle roadschooling all three next year without the overwhelming self-doubt that can come from jumping into the unknown of homeschooling after traditional schooling. Believe me, there are days when I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. There are days when I feel like we've done nothing and I'm failing him. Don't make the mistake of thinking our life is all roses and sunshine. The thing that keeps me going is looking at the progress he's made in the past six months and how much he's learning about himself and his own capabilities. I have no doubt it's giving him the confidence he will need on his journey into manhood to stand up for what he believes in and to know that he's able to do so much more than what someone else might say. Hopefully, it's also teaching him empathy for others and to realize that there is a lot to learn no matter what age you are.

When we return for the 2017-2018 school year, we'll reassess where we are education-wise. Most likely, our kids will return to the local schools. Since our oldest will be in high school, we need to plan ahead for the credits he'll need to be on track with his peers. We also need to be aware of the laws regarding education in each state as we travel. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is a valuable resource for this. http://www.hslda.org/  We'll also be working with the local high school so our son can transition seamlessly. We have every confidence that all three kids will return with a better understanding of the country we live in and the world around them. It's an exciting opportunity and I can't wait to see what unexpected gems we pick up along the way!

- Jen

Trailer Secured!

This past weekend we visited the RV show (yes, again) to make sure we felt good about our trailer model choice. After all, we’ll be toting it all over North America for more than a year. We’ve decided on the 2016 Viking 17BH. It’s small, lightweight, and features bunk beds so our family of five will be able to sleep comfortably when the need arises. Of course, we all had fun looking at the mammoth RV’s that boasted separate rooms full of storage, entertainment centers, kitchens with islands, and expanding walls- but that isn’t what we need for this trip.  It was still fun to look, though! We are happy to announce that the deposit has officially been paid and we pick it up in April! This will give us enough time to prep it for the trip but we won’t have to store it longer than necessary.

Scouting activities sprinkle our schedule over the next few weeks. We’re planning on meeting up with local troops wherever we stay so the kids can participate in outdoor activities and service projects with kids their own age. This will allow them to make new friends but will also help us to contribute to the local community and meet all kinds of people while we’re there. We want to learn about different cultures and places, so this affords us a more personal opportunity to do that. So far, I’ve reached out to a troop in Alaska. They’ve been kind enough to respond that they’ll be happy to receive us when we arrive. Meanwhile, less than five months till launch!

- Jen

Construction, Landscaping, and The Ladies

My husband can do just about anything he puts his mind to. I'm immensely proud of him and how capable he is. This past week he began renovations on several aspects of our home. Our home was built in the 1980's and, in line with the trends of that time, we have hollow doors. Functional, but nothing to write home about. We want our house to appeal to renters who will most likely take care of it in our absence, and so, we are doing small upgrades like replacing the doors with better quality ones to make it stand out. We would have gotten around to this sooner or later but our trip has given us the push we needed to check this off the list. I can't even begin to tell you what a difference it's made in the feel of our home. Like I've said before, it's the little things that make a big difference!

In addition to the doors, our master bedroom closet needed to be refreshed. If you have a closet or other space where you feel like a purge is necessary but don't know how to go about starting, then let me help you. Trust me, it works! The rule is that you need to make a mess to restore order. Pull every single thing out of that closet/drawer/room/whatever (which we did) and then clean the space. In our case, my husband removed all the closet organizers, carpet, and light fixture. Then he and our youngest son painted it a light neutral and installed can lights. This brought a lot more light into the space. He was able to replace the carpet himself and the result made it feel brand new! Then he put the closet organizers back in, which gave us the usable space we needed for organization. This part is the most important. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING BACK THAT YOU DON'T ABSOLUTELY WANT OR NEED! Everything left over is either sold, donated, recycled or thrown away (or in our case, boxed up for storage). When you have a clean space to fill, it's a lot easier to decide what stays and what doesn't.

Also this week, we finally brought in the cavalry (landscaping company) to help us make our yard look as manicured and clean as it did when we moved in. Talk about a breath of fresh air!! Okay, I'm making it sound like we are messy and our home/yard are a wreck. That isn't the case. The reality is that when you have kids and live in your space, sometimes things get overgrown. Sometimes you hang on to things "until the kids are older". It's just a fact of life. Well, now our kids are older and it's time to reset. I love it! There's just something joyful about stopping to look at a well maintained yard and home. If I was a millionaire (or multi-millionaire in this economy), the first thing I would do is hire someone to keep our yard beautiful all the time. I have two black thumbs, so to me, this would be heaven.

Allow me to introduce you to our ladies. We have chickens. Have I ever mentioned that? Yep! Five, in fact. Alice is the sweetest. She follows me around like an adoring dog. They are so easy to care for and there is a marked difference in the quality of eggs they produce as opposed to the average grocery store egg. Sadly, I'm going to have to start buying grocery store eggs again or find a local flock because the time has come to say goodbye to our girls. Three are under a year old and are in their prime laying years. So instead of being processed, the whole flock will be going to live with a family who are in need of some hens. We'll miss them but are pretty excited to be sending them to their new home- which happens to be a castle. Really! With stone, a drawbridge, yaks, pigs, peacocks, and everything! It will be a grand adventure for them and will give us the freedom to plant some flowers and mulch without our curious girls coming along to dig everything up. One less thing to have to deal with as summer approaches. Farewell girls! I'll miss you following me around the yard and the way you congregate at our back door. You've been good to us and one day maybe I'll write a book about you.

- Jen

 

L-R: Count Cluckalah (Welsummer), Fanny Fluffbottom (Plymouth Barred Rock),  Pixie (Bantam Lavender Ameraucana), Carlos Jr. (Black Star and named by neighbor boys), and Alice (Speckled Sussex)

Projects

This is a travel blog. The main purpose of it is for you to see how we prepare for our upcoming trip and then follow along when we go. That being said, you're inevitably going to see some of the things we're passionate about that have absolutely nothing to do with travel. For me, one of those things is quilting. I love the creative process. There's so much satisfaction in sewing that last stitch and stepping back to admire your finished project. I imagine the life it will live, how it will be used, and hope that it will be cherished. Each quilt takes planning, resources, and a lot of time- sometimes decades! It's like an everlasting hug from its' maker and if you are lucky enough to receive one, don't take it lightly. It was a labor of love.

I'm thankful to say we've had tons of good news this year. We have loved ones who are getting married, expecting babies, graduating from high school, graduating from nursing school, retiring, and a few who have received the welcome news that they are in remission from cancer!! Because of these blessed events I have projects galore to work on before we go. There won't be any room for me to bring my sewing machine or fabric stash, so I have to be realistic about how many projects I bring with me and how many I can complete before June. Oh, if only I had the time, money, and brain power to make a quilt for everyone...*sigh*

Here are a few pictures of some of the quilt tops (top layer) I've worked on this week. Please excuse the poor quality. They were taken with my phone. The first is for a very special teacher who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on New Year's Day. This teacher is one of those gems within the public school system who work tirelessly make a difference in the lives of their students. If you are one of these teachers, thank you! Keep fighting the good fight one student at a time. <3 It's worth it.

This pattern is a half square triangle variation and it will soon be quilted (sewing the top, batting, and back together) by Vicki Stratton ( http://www.quilting-time.com/ ).

Top with the backing fabric- Why, yes, that IS Dick and Jane!
 

 

The project below is from a block swap I hosted a few years ago with some friends. The pattern is "Friendship Spools" by Edyta Sitar ( https://www.laundrybasketquilts.com/tablet/index.html ). I just love the spools with all the thread colors! It's being prepped for our trip so I can do the final appliqued border by hand whenever we have free time. 

 

 

This last one has been a work in progress for many years. My sister in law, who is wonderful at embroidery, embroidered the teacups and teapots with the intention of making them into a lap quilt for her mother. Long story short, I ended up with it and we are now collaborating on the final queen-sized version as a gift for my mother-in-law's retirement. The top and bottom borders still need to be made but this should give you an idea of the effect we're going for.

 

As you can see, there are many iron's in the fire right now. The kids have school (I'm homeschooling our youngest currently), my husband is getting his ducks in a row at work and with house projects, and I'm working behinds the scenes on all those little things that make leaving for a trip like this easier. Through it all, life sprints ever forward. I wouldn't have it any other way.

- Jen

 

P.S. In case you were wondering, we looked at trailers last weekend and narrowed our choices down to one floor plan. It's small, but as my husband puts it "We just need to be able to stop, sleep, and then hit the road again." The model we chose will do that job just fine. Now to find one at a good price and get the trailer hitch installed!

Lists, List and More Lists

Let's face it, I'm a list person. You know those people who have lists of lists? That's me. This trip has its own set of lists already- a list of things to do to our house, a list of national and international legalities to learn about, a list of accounts to set up and close, and the list goes on. I just don't like the feeling of forgetting something and so my way of maintaining some semblance of control is to create lists and check them off.

This week we are working on the 'House Needs" list. There are small fixes that stay on the to-do list for years on end because they really aren't important enough to make a priority. Things like changing out doors and pruning trees. That's the beauty of moving out. It forces you to address those little issues so your home will be more attractive to others. The bonus is that when we return, those things will be taken care of. Plus, moving out also forces us to finally purge the items we've been living with but don't necessarily need/want. We've started this process over the past week. Boxes carrying holiday decorations and other items we won't need for the next few years have been building up for the move to storage. It's a lot of work, but let me just say that it is SO freeing! We're not hoarders by any means, but it's still amazing how many things we unconsciously allow to remain in our living space.

This week we've also actively started looking at trailers. We'll be living in a home in each state, but the trailer will be perfect for the in-between times and also when we travel up the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay in Alaska (or as close as we can get. Not many towns with lodging along that route!). Our family visited an RV show a few months ago to gauge the best sizes and layouts for our needs. My favorite model was the 2016 Spree Escape Bunkhouse but we'll see what we ultimately end up with. The goal is something that is 20ish feet with room for 5 people to sleep and move. Oh yeah...and at a reasonable price. We'll see what this weekends' search yields!

Here is a little art project that was made in our excitement for the trip. A little wishful thinking on my part (I love vintage). I wonder if we'll actually see buffalo? I guess we'll have to add it to the list!

- Jen

Preparation Begins

Today is January 1, 2016- New Year's Day. Our family thought it an excellent time to make the official announcement that we've decided to embark on an epic family adventure!

Starting at the end of June we will be leaving for 14 months of travel around North America!

“How is this possible?!” you may ask. Surprisingly, the logistics couldn’t have come together more beautifully. We plan to homeschool (roadschool, actually) our three children (14, 12 and 9) and my husband will work remotely. The timing is perfect because our kids are old enough to remember and participate, yet young enough to be free of the ties of life they’ll experience in just a few years. We will live in different states for approximately two month periods in order to rest and fully experience each location. As you can imagine, that kind of a life shift will take quite a bit of planning and preparation but we are excited to get started!

Goals:

1. To experience the many regions, climates, terrains, languages, foods, people, histories, arts, etc. that our beautiful continent offers.

2. To reconnect with long-unseen family and friends and give our children an experience that will stay with them for a lifetime. (I mean, really, what better way to connect with what you're learning about than to experience it for yourself?!) We welcome any suggestions along the way to help us plan.

Route (as it stands today):

1. Alaska
2. Idaho/Wyoming
3. Arizona
4. Florida
5. Maine
6. Somewhere in the middle ending with the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse
7. Return home before the 2017-2018 school year

While in each location, we will be exploring surrounding states and areas as time permits.

Our kids are at the ages where their lives revolve around friends and trends, so we decided to create this blog so you can all follow along. The kids will be checking in with their own perspectives from time to time and we expect that they will have many experiences and opinions to share. Our plan is to check in at least once a week (Hey! A New Year's resolution!) so be sure to sign up for updates or bookmark this blog to stay current.

In the meantime, we are in the throws of preparation. We are thinking about things like storing everything we plan to keep after we return, getting our house ready to rent, deciding what we will need for a year and what we can live without. I suspect we'll surprise ourselves with how little we actually *need*.

We look forward to planning this trip and traveling with you.

Welcome to our adventure!

- Jen