Merry Christmas!

We weren't able to get Christmas cards & letters done in time this year, so we decided to do an electronic one instead.

We started 2012 living in Anchorage, Alaska, and now find ourselves at the opposite side of the year, living at the opposite side of the US in Clearwater, Florida.  To say it's been a year of extremes is quite the understatement!

Andy went from the extreme of having a busy, demanding job to getting laid off and spending six months on "vacation" in Florida searching for another.  He's had a few nibbles lately and hope an exciting Human Resources Manager position is right around the corner for him.

Debbie also experienced an extreme change. She went from homeschooling five kids in Alaska, to having four kids attending school in Florida and preparing to go back herself. That's right folks, she's applied to University of South Florida's PhD program in Composition and Rhetoric and plans to start in the fall of 2013. 

The kids have enjoyed their extreme move. They spent five months swimming on a daily basis, playing with cousins, and exploring the beach.

Katherine is in the gifted program, got straight As on her report card, and is applying to the gifted middle school program this fall. She is still fascinated in all things space and is excited to be going to the Kennedy Space Center (and EPCOT) this year for school field trips.

Sarah loves school and is just shinning in chorus. She dreams of working with dolphins (rescue & rehab) and would spend every minute at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (home of Winter) if she could. I can't wait to take her to Sea World for the first time!

Benjamin is also enjoying school. He was tested for gifted and his scores were off the charts (takes after his papa!). He is applying for the gifted elementary school program for the fall which is also a Spanish immersion. This boy needs a challenge!

Christian is in pre-K and absolutely loves his teachers and school. He's a bright and social boy who delights in telling his friends all about Alaska. He has become quite the swimmer and a fan of all things Spiderman.

Little Sammy is 2 1/2 now. He's the only one home with Debbie now. His favorite thing to do is go with her on her 3 miles walks along the beach each morning. Well, that and playing with cars, trucks and airplanes. He is a boy after all.

So that's our update. We are extremely grateful that we're together this Christmas, and wish you and your family and extremely happy and healthy 2013!

5,000 miles down, 0 to go!

I've got my toes in the water, tush in the sand
Not a worry in the world, a cold drink in my hand
Life is good today
Life is good today.

4700 miles down, 300 to go!!

We are only 4.5 hours away!  A mere 300 miles!!  Can't believe we're almost home and our trip is coming to an end.  For our last night on the road, Andy treated us to a king suite at the Hilton with a jetted jacuzzi tub!  I love my husband!  We also stopped early because he knew I still had a ton of papers to grade and he didn't want me staying up to 1 or 2 am any more to grade them, but instead, wanted all of us to get a good night's sleep. Such a good guy!

Conversations today covered a wide variety of topics.  My personal favorite:  you don't need to tell mom every time you're hot.  You're going to be HOT!  Here are some tips to help keep yourself cool: then I gave them some tips on how to stay cool - drink lots of water, keep your feet bare, slow down and relax - it's OK to take a break, etc.  Of course, that led to a discussion on swimming and the family rule that there must be an adult present to swim - no adult, no pool.  So many little things to learn when you move 5,000 miles!
Anyway, that's all for now. I'll post more tomorrow when we make it home, but right now I need to grade some more papers then take a nice long soak and snuggle up in this deep down-comforter bed!  Pictures with my family will be coming tomorrow!  Yeah!!

4200 miles down, 800 to go!

We are getting so close! Even with our late start this morning we cranked out the miles, finishing up IL, cutting through a smidgen of KY (another lovely state!), and are now just south of Nashville, TN (ANOTHER lovely state)!  I just love the south!  The rolling hills, so many green trees, lakes, so very, very pretty. Of course I love New England for those very same reasons!

Andy and I had a good chuckle when we passed our first Waffle House exit sign.  Even though I lived in Atlanta for 6 years I never did acquire a taste for it. Cracker Barrel on the other hand, oh yea, bring it on!  Dinner there again tonight.

Tomorrow we'll finish up TN,drive through GA and hopefully hit the tip of FL.  I'm excited to be seeing Atlanta again, even to just drive through it.  So many good memories of living there, good friends, and my career really skyrocketed there.  Looks like we've got one more night in a hotel in front of us then we'll be at my dad's on Sunday.  SOO excited to see the family again! I get happier and happier with every mile that's bringing me closer to home!

Andy here - got the engine checked out.  Found a dealership just down the road from where we were staying.  The wiring harness was very old and had worn out so the engine was misfiring.  I thought it felt like a timing issue.  The symptoms are the same but the harness is a more permanent fix.  The good part was that the dealership was able to diagnose and fix the problem without any notice.  I was in and out in three hours and we are now loading up again.
Can I just mention how absolutely beautiful Wisconsin was?  At least the part we drovew through was astounding.  Wisconsin has a new fan.

3540 miles down, 1460 to go!

Today marks one week on the road. Our schedules are so messed up that when the waitress at IHOP told me this morning that kids eat free on Thursdays my first thought was, "oh, we'll have to remember that for tomorrow."  Then it dawned on me, today is Thursday.  I didn't feel so bad when I looked at Andy and realized he had to stop and think about what day it was too.

Today things got, well, a little silly.

The name of this town got use singing the Fraggle Rock theme song - menomonie, ba-ba-da-da-da, menomonie, ba-da-da-da... and yes, this lasted ALL DAY!

We drove through Wisconsin today - LOVELY!  My dad was born in WI, his parents grew up there, lots of family from Rinelander, WI.  All those rolling hills and gorgeous farms, and oh so many trees, yes, I could totally live there too.

Our highlight today - Cracker Barrel for dinner!  It's been about 2 years since we've eaten at one and it's our favorite place to take the kiddos.  SO glad to be back in the CB part of the world again!  It was good timing too, we just finished our third unabridged book on CD and needed some more.  We picked up Lost Hero (Andy hasn't read it yet) here and can return it at any CB we choose when we're done with it.  It's a beautiful thing!

We are resting our weary heads tonight in Rockford, IL.  Our check engine light came on after dinner so we decided not to try to push it to Springfield and get it checked out in the AM.  I need to get some laundry done and of course, grade papers, so we'll get out of here late tomorrow morning (hopefully) and then push it hard for the last 1400 miles. We hope to be in FL no later then Sunday evening.  My toes have a date with some sun, sand and surf on Monday, can't miss it!

2960 down, 2040 to go!

We're back in the US, back in the US, back in the US of A! (I'd rather be in the USA than USSR, hope The Beatles don't mind).

Today was our late start day so we only got about 460 miles in, but the kiddos enjoyed the pool and giant water slide, so it's all good.  We passed into the US without any trouble (yeah!) and drove diagonally through North Dakota, stopping on the Minnesota line just a smidgen east of Fargo, ND.

As you can imagine, the kiddos are really getting tired of all this driving.  Poor Sammy cries every time we buckle him up in his car seat now. We play the ABC license plate / billboard sign game every time we go though a town - trying to see how many times we can get through the alphabet before we leave the town.  We talk a lot, play 20 questions, we'll finish The Throne of Fire, the 3rd book in The Red Pyramid series tomorrow.  But we don't allow DVDs or gaming systems in the car, preferring the old fashioned books, talking, and listening to CDs instead. We wanted to take this time to really interact with the kids, they are all growing up so fast. 

Our good intentions though, led to a rousing game of "He's touching me!" today, quickly followed by, "STOOOOOOOP!"  Games, I too, have played with David and Robin when we'd drive from Chicago to St. Petersburg to visit my grandparents.  Andy and I are torn between two schools of thought: have no mercy and push through and get there in 3 days, or take a break for a day, get out of the car and do something FUN, then push through.  I keep thinking it's the journey, not the destination, but in reality - it's also the budget.  Luckily, we have LOTS of time to talk about it!  :)

I'm enjoying being back in the real world and paying much more reasonable prices again.  My AK friends - McDonald's cheeseburgers are only $1 here - not the $1.50 we're used to! Milk is cheaper, fruit - oh, so much cheaper, even gas was $1 cheaper a gallon down here.  Amazing.  The one down side to being back amongst civilized society - I really need to do some shopping and start wearing make-up again. Hmm, maybe we should take a day off and go shopping.  Yeah, I'm sure Andy would LOVE that! 

So it’s time for a new flavor.  This is Andy and I wanted to provide a different view from the touchy-feely stuff Deb writes.  Don’t get me wrong, I think what she has been writing is accurate but it also reflects that certain ‘rose-colored glasses’ approach that she exhibits so frequently.

The drive thus far has consisted of extreme changes from absolutely breathtaking mountain vistas to the endless grasslands of Saskatchewan (there is a reason the Prairie Provinces are so named.)  Debbie has also seen more wildlife this trip than her entire three years in Alaska.  We have seen moose, many bears, a herd of elk, deer, bison, both living and road-kill porcupine, swans, hawks and, of course, horses and cows.

So, we are almost back in the US; yesterday was supposed to be a light day driving.  We drove into the Katch (don’t I sound local?) and made our way south to Regina.  Now I like Canada, people are generally very polite and courteous here, but really, are you telling me that no one stood up and said “Regina? I think we ought to name the province capital something else.”  For those of you who are wondering why I would have any issue with the name Regina, you should understand that the pronunciation of the word ‘Regina’ when used as a name or in Italian (where it means queen) the ‘I’ makes a long E sound; BUT the pronunciation of the ‘I’ in ‘Regina’ as the capital of Saskatchewan is made with a long ‘I’ sound.  I’ll give you a second to say it out loud … yes, it does in fact sound like part of the female anatomy.  So I say again, are you telling me that no one stood up and said “I think we ought to name the province capital something else.”

Anyway, it is what it is.  It is also a place that had all hotel rooms in the city booked because the minister of agriculture was in town.  Well, we think that’s the reason and the concierge we asked seemed somewhat confident in the reason.  So we are here in the rapidly warming weather and ready to re-enter the US.  We will have to wait and see if Debbie ever lets me post again.

-          Andy

2510 miles down, 2490 to go - more than half way there!

Tonight we are in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, about 1.5 hours from the U.S. border.  We'll be dropping back into the US in North Dakota - plan to have lunch in Minot, ND tomorrow.  We'll be getting a late start as we promised the kiddos a nice swim in the hotel pool in the AM before we leave. They've all been so good, they deserve a special treat.

Canada has been beautiful, and everyone really is so nice here, but I'm ready to leave the world of the Metric System behind.  Every time I think we're doing great, I'll see a road sign saying 562 to our target city and I always have to remind myself it's KM, not miles! And don't even get me started on how excited I was to see gas at 1.52 - only to realize that's a liter, not a gallon.  They do have an amazing candy bar here though that I'll miss - the Bounty.  Mmm, so yummy, but oh so glad it's not in the US!

Our drive today was pretty uneventful.  Lots of farms and prairies.  It was a gorgeous day and this afternoon when we stopped for gas we had the kiddos go run an an adjacent field.  They had so much fun!

Another exciting moment - was seeing this ...

Who-hoo! I haven't seen this warm of weather in more than a year!  Good-bye cool weather clothes, it's time for shorts and flip-flops, and I'm SO ready for them - cute toes and all!

1950 miles down, 3050 to go

We have made it back into civilization!  Cell phones are working again - haven't had service since Friday morning - even saw a Walmart and Costco today.  Wonder of wonders! 

We're in Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.  Officially off the Al-Can a few hundred miles ago, and let me tell you, I'm quite happy to be off that road!  What's it like to drive the Al-Can you ask?  Well, let me tell you what to expect:

• Gas prices around $6-7 per gallon
• $10 for a grilled cheese sandwich
• Gas stations spaced, in some areas, more than 100 miles apart
• Some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable
• An incredible assortment of wildlife just outside your car door!

So what did we DO with the kiddos during all this time in the car?  Here is a run-down on our activities for the past several days:

• Listened to Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Katherine is now a fan of Flavia deLuce! YES!!)
• Listened to the second Rick Riordian book in the Red Pyramid series
• Played Disney trivia with the kiddos - started using the cards from a game, then put them away and just made up our own questions
• Sang songs (Katherine quickly put a stop to this one!)
• Played the Table Top discussion question "game"
• Had the kids run laps (5-6 times) around the van/trailer every time we stopped
• Talked - wow, what a concept! 
• Learned that, even when using a stinky outhouse, it is NOT OK to say, "it reeks" in my presence.  (FYI - Riek is my maiden name)

All-in-all, it's been fun.  I'd even do it again - but next time in an RV.  Feels good to be back in civilization again.  Plan to make the rest of our days around the 500-550 mile mark.  It makes it more fun for everyone.

A Recap of the Past 3 Days - With Photos!

Ahh, a day of rest has been lovely. We slept in, swam like the fish we are, and the kiddos all were snoring by 6:45 pm this evening.  Perfection!  We have our longest day yet tomorrow - 650 miles - so we'll be getting an early start.

I've been taking pictures to "document" our crazy move across the continent.  Today I had time to connect the camera and post, so here goes.  Our life in pictures over the past 3 days.

Day 1 - Once all my preparations were done, boxes packed, trailer loaded, more boxes shipped, laundry done, house cleaned, food / snacks ready, I had one more thing left on my to do list.  A pedicure.

So, now that I had pretty toes, we were off!

It was a short drive, but we saw some amazing views!  The Mat-Su Glacier...



... and mountain, after majestic mountain.

On Day 2 - we let the cats out of their crate.  Oh was it exciting!

Little Sam enjoyed watching the cats too, but he preferred his books.  That's my boy!

And of course, more amazing views.

Day 3, began with an incredible treat - blueberries!  Big, fat, juicy blueberries!  Mmm!  Even more excitement as we devoured this tasty treat!

We also saw a TON of animals on Day 3!  We saw herds of bison, elk, deer, some bears, moose, geese, swans, and even a porcupine or two!  So fun!  We're working hard to make sure we enjoy this trip - even with all the little challenges (and big miracles!) that are part of it!

Next stop ... Edmonton, Alberta, Canada!

Day 3 - 1300 miles down / 3700 to go

Wow, what a day!  Have to start out with what we learned this morning:

Prayer - what you do when driving the Al-Can and watching your gas gage get lower and lower as the two gas stations you pass in more than 100 miles are both closed up and boarded.

Fervent Prayer - what you do when your gas light comes on knowing the next gas station is 15 miles away. Add to that the fact that you are pulling a very heavy trailer and the roads are going up and down through the mountains.

Miracle - arriving at the gas station safely 15 miles later.  For me, this is accompanied by tears of relief, joy, and sincere gratitude.

During the last mile before we made it to the gas station, Andy shared the Old Testament story of the widow and her son, sharing her last bit of oil and flour with the prophet Elijah before they died of starvation. Elijah told her that as long as he was with them they would not run out of oil. Andy said that as long as the Lord was with us, we would not run out of gas.

I can't describe how grateful I am that we made it to that gas sation safely.  We know we are moving to FL because that's where Heavenly Father wants us to be.  We are so grateful that He is helping us get there safely!

SO, we have made it 600 miles today to Fort Nelson in British Columbia. Tomorrow we rest, have a mini church service in our room (the girls are giving the talks, boys will pick out songs, Andy & I will read scriptures), relax a bit, then let the kiddos burn up a ton of pent up energy in the hotel's pool.  Looking forward to taking a break from the road.  But for now, it's back to grading papers, knowing a nice long update and those long awaited for pictures will happen during our down time tomorrow.

Day 2 - 703 miles down / 4297 more to go!

OK, we made it to Whitehorse!  Whew!  The roads have been really bumpy ("dips" as they are called in The MilePost), and not always paved, but the worst of them should be over (I think). We only "bottomed out" twice, so I think that's pretty good, it was just REALLY slow going at points today. 

Two tough things about driving the Al-Can, there is NOTHING for hundreds of miles!  You fill up whenever you see a gas station once you hit the half-way mark on your tank, because you don't know when you'll see another one.  We're struggling with dinner - no one is hungry for it at 4 pm when we pass food options, and then it might be 9 pm before we see any more options!  Looking forward to getting back into civilization in about 2-3 days.

I left the camera in the car and it's 11 pm here and I STILL have about 2 hours worth of work to do for University of Phoenix tonight, so no pics again. Sorry.  I will post a bunch tomorrow though - been taking pictures like I was Amy Makechnie or something!  :)

Bringing the cats with us has proven to be a HUGE blessing!  Who knew??  They are great travellers, sleep on laps or on the floor, a terrific distraction for the kids, and have adjusted to their life in a harness/on a leasch quite well.  I love it when things work out.

We are in Canada now.  We had a rousing verse of "O Canada!" as we left the good 'ole USA.  Unfortunately, that was about all any one of us knew except Andy so it quickly turned into a solo.  I told the kids we'd have to learn more of the song while watching the Olympics this summer - so excited to see them again, LOVE the Olympics!!

OK, need to get back to grading papers.  All is well, we're on schedule, another LONG day tomorrow then we'll rest on Sunday.  Hmm, 7 people and two cats crammed in a hotel room for a day - rest might not be the most appropriate word for that!

Day 1 - 170 miles down / 4830 to go

Quick post tonight to let everyone know we made it to our first stop - Glennallen, AK.  No Internet access except in the lobby - so no photos today.  We left Anchorage at 6 pm, right on schedule.  No real surprises, just got a jump start on the trip.  Will post more and photos tomorrow!

T-Minus 17 Hours and Counting

The preparations are coming to an end.  The house is packed, cleaned, and vacated.  The largest trailer UHaul will let us move one way from Alaska is packed to the hilt. 

It is TINY! It's a 5' x 8' cargo trailer. We sold ALL furniture and sold/donated approx. 3/4 of our "stuff."  In some aspects, it was pretty nice to get such a good purge.

With such a small trailer we did have to mail some boxes as well.  After donating more than 40 books, we still ended up with 45 boxes of books (1 cubic foot in size), plus 16 small boxes of clothing and other household items we just couldn't fit into the trailer.

We're planning on driving at least 500 miles a day, but travelling the Alaska-Canada Hwy doesn't provide many options.  We'll leave later afternoon on Thursday, 5/31 and drive 180 miles to Glenn Allen, AK. Friday we'll stop in Whitehorse, Canada - 525 miles. Saturday will bring almost 600 miles to the next stop - Fort Nelson, Canada. The next stop - 648 miles to Edmonton, Canada.  After that there will be more options for stops, but the first three days it's very rural with only some isolated gas stations.  So I'm told.

I'll post more about our preparations tomorrow.  For now, I need to grade more papers and get one last good night's sleep before we hit the road.