Living Life Without Limits

Weekly Update

2010-10-04T00:45:00.000-04:00

Every week I plan a couple days for the kids and I to just stay home and relax together. Yet every week we are busy every day. I don't know how this happens but it is something I need to work on. This week I was able to get out for a bit to go to a soap making workshop. I've always wanted to try it but never got around to it. It was amazing how easy it really was. I thought working with the lye would be a bit tricky but by the end of the workshop I managed to make about seven bars of all natural soap...I chose lavender, tea tree and mint scents with seaweed for exfoliating. They smell so good...and it was fun to get out and do something just for me. On Monday Maddy had her hip hop class and then we headed to the park to meet some new friends. By the end of the couple hours there the kids were all already asking to go to each others houses...the time flew by! Tuesday we all headed to Everdale Farm. If you've never been it is a must do in the area. Everdale is an organic farm and environmental learning centre. They have created an environment that shows you how agriculture can be sustainable, how to be more energy efficient, and the importance of healthy land for healthy people. It is, as they say, a living classroom. We did the farmer for a day program with some of our Barrie homeschooling friends. What a day! It rained...the whole day! And that only made it more memorable. The kids started out picking organic vegetables, cleaning and preparing them for soup and salad. They had discussions about the importance of free range animals, and experienced carding sheep wool to make bracelets. They spent time in the meadow with the sheep and carried around the chickens. In the end they feasted on the soup and salad they made themselves. It was hands on learning all day and they loved every minute! Ali has expressed an interest in volunteering there now and they are eager to have him, so we are making plans in that direction too. So...we made it to Wednesday...time to slow down. We took a day to sleep in and then headed to the donkey sanctuary. It was an ideal place to meet people who could tell us all we needed to know about raising these adorable equines. They have over a hundred rescued donkeys at their farm and it was easy to fall in love with them all. We can't wait to get ourselves a few!

Every Thursday Maddy attends an enrichment program. While she is off I usually take some time to bake and cook with Katie and Ali. This week Katie helped make lemon poppy seed loaf and Ali made a chick pea salad. I wish I had taken pictures...you'll have to trust me...they were delicious! Friday ended up being a home day...Maddy was not feeling great and no one really felt like going out so we hung out watching tv, playing games and knitting. And thanks to our awesome new homeschooling friends, we had company for the afternoon to just sit and chat! Saturday? errands..errands...and more errands. But Sunday brought us a lovely visit with Cindy and Dad, and waaayyy too much coffee! The kids helped Bill and Jeff clean up the "waterfront" for winter and it totally looks smashing! In the afternoon Cindy and I took Ali, Maddy, Josh and Matt to donkey sanctuary again for their World Animal Day celebration. We totally froze our butts off! And that meant more hot coffee from Timmies on the way home! Now...I can't sleep from too much caffeine and I need to get ready for another busy week.

A New Approach

2010-10-01T18:16:00.000-04:00

It has finally occurred to me that I am a neglectful blogger. I don't mean to be it just sort of happens. So I've decided to take a new approach. When we started blogging it really was a way for family and friends to be able to follow along with our travels. It is still a great way for the people who don't see us often to be able to sneak a peak at our new adventure learning how to live simpler on a farm...quite a change from what we've done in the past. The most important reason I keep blogging is really for my kids. I want them to be able to look back and see what has happened in our lives and what they were a part of. I could hand write, scrapbook or dictate it. But let's face it, technology has just made it so much easier. So I blog. I can write, photograph, video tape...and keep it all in one place. And friends and families comments means it can be interactive for the kids as well. My intention is to do a weekly journal of our activities...this will be challenging for me but i will give it a go! So if you don't hear from me each week please send me a nice reminder...i may need it for the first while.

August: Outdoors at the farm

2010-09-06T23:34:00.000-04:00

Ali's new bunny Muffin

Ali's latest catch

Our tree frog

A boy and his snake

Our resident artist

Maddy's new bunny Zyla

Kayaking on the pond

The pond at dusk

August 26th...WHAT??...Already??

2010-09-04T01:15:00.000-04:00

So the summer is coming to an end...it's unbelievable really. The weather has slowly been shifting and hinting at fall around the corner. We have some amazing things to look forward to with the harvest season... but I don't want to go there yet. You have to see what we've been up to for the past couple months since we moved into the farm. It has been a mix of buzzing activity and a calm serenity. The kids of course have spent as much time as possible in the water. Even with the weather changes they have been in daily, if only briefly...man the water is cold now! Sure doesn't stop them though! Ali has been saving his money and finally bought his kayak. It's such a joy watching him cruise around the pond inspecting all the nooks and crannies. The animal activity still hasn't slowed down here either. The night the kids and I stayed up to watch the meteor shower, Maddy found a little tree frog hanging about. The boys have been catching an abundance of snakes,frogs and toads...some a little too close to the house for my comfort! As many of you already know we also have two new little baby bunnies. They are just the sweetest little girls...and I'm partial to things with fur...Ali named his Muffin and Maddy's is Zyla. They have already grown so much in the two weeks since we got them...looks like they are going to be big bunnies!

The bunnies aren't the only things growing around here. You should see out little Katie...she has definitely gotten taller. More importantly, she is doing some new things with such ease now....like riding her bike and scooter with the big kids, drawing some amazing pictures, singing the latest hits, playing board games with us, and cooking with me in the kitchen. She is even creating her own recipes that are in her words "seriously good".

Through out the last month we've enjoyed dinners and potlucks with family and friends, sitting on the deck watching the sunset over the water, visiting local farms and meeting new people, farmers markets, preparing the barn, painting, late night movies, visits from grandma and grandpa and cousin meaghan, library days, play dough marathons, all night knitfests, tenting in the yard, sleepovers, baking and amidst it all a whole lot of relaxing! With the end of summer quickly approaching we are focusing on spending time visiting with friends and family before we start hibernating...

how are we enjoying life on the farm??

2010-07-18T22:36:00.000-04:00

2010-07-07T12:26:00.000-04:00

Okay! We did it! We are in our house now and beginning to settle in. It will take some time as we have lots of painting and fiddling to do with the house...but we're in! Yeah! I'm getting requests for photos...so the other evening I managed to sneak out and take a couple...inside pictures will come eventually! But for now the kids are enjoying the water, the space and their not so new neighbors!

Changes...

2010-05-23T10:51:00.000-04:00

SWIMMING AT THE LAKE

KATIE AT THE FARM

OUR NEW BACKYARD

It seems like I've been neglecting our blog for a while now. Well...not really. I have been thinking about it a lot....mostly asking myself how on earth can I possibly update everyone when soooo much has been going on? I'm not sure I can do it in one post but here's my try! (and certainly not in the right order!)

Our biggest news is that we found a house. We are so excited to have found such an amazing place and are counting the days until we can move in. We certainly worked hard to get this property...I found it by chance and we all fell in love with it the moment we pulled up. It is an 1860 farm house with a few additions, a big barn, garage, workshop, a separate artist studio, paddocks and lots of pasture. There is a great swimming pond for the kids and 34 acres for the kids to roam. Our dream to have a farm has been a topic of conversation with the kids for so long and now it is a reality. The kids are already planning for animals...talk of chickens and goats, miniature ponies and even snakes have been floating around. And I am seeing a nice big garden in my future! All of this seems too good to be true but there is more!! For our first year on the road our travelling partners (the Goodman-Caines family) became part of our family. We realized that we all really like being together. It's as simple as that. So when this property had the benefit of actually having two homes it just made sense for all of us to be together again. Fun times ahead!

Right now we are staying in a house(hmmm...i use that term loosely) in Innisfil while we wait again for our motorhome to be fixed...the first week we had it back we had a flood and now it is being reno'd. So many moves and changes...another reason we are looking forward to a permanent home again!

What else have we been doing? The kids and I have been volunteering at a local organic farm every week with Laurie and her boys. It is such a great relaxing environment to be in...everyone helping each other, chatting and laughing. We've met some wonderful people doing this. The kids have been able to watch baby chicks grow up, plant seeds, plant herbs and vegetables. They are learning so much about gardening and what it takes to run a farm. And they get to do it all with their friends.

We also just came home from a week in Tennessee. We had been looking forward to attending ARGH (Autodidactic Radical Gathering of Homeschoolers) for a long time and we were not disappointed. It was a four day gathering in Roan Mountain State Park with thirty or so other unschooling families. Imagine that...being with so many children and parents in such a relaxing and welcoming environment. We met so many wonderful people and the kids are already asking to go back for the next one. Who could blame them...it was never ending nerf gun wars and late night socializing with old and new friends. I think we'll be back!

Through out all this the weather has been great so we have been spending time at the beach and park with friends just hanging out. Too many sleepovers, campfires with friends, late night gaming, visiting with family, homeschooling fieldtrips....well..lets just say we have been busy!!

What have we been up too???

2010-04-07T15:11:00.000-04:00

It seems a lot of our time these days has been spent trying to find a place to live. It's definitely challenging. We are trying to live as normal as possible, but let's face it...not so normal when you're living in a hotel! We want to find a house but we are definitely not willing to settle for anything less than what we really want this time around. Sooo...funny enough the motorhome is almost finished getting the work done on it so we will picking it up and moving back in. We are all soo excited about it! The kids keep asking when we can get back in it. Right now we are looking for a campground...only a few open this early in the season. Hopefully in the next couple weeks we will be out of the hotel and things can really get back to normal! The kids can get outside and run around finally...no more parking lot! And we can cook! Imagine that! In the meanwhile the house hunt continues and we have been out as much as possible hanging with friends! Good weather for exploring the outdoors!

Happy Birthday Maddy!

2010-03-26T12:30:00.000-04:00

Maddy turned 11 today! I decided to have a surprise party for her...I'm pretty sure she is the only one in the family who would enjoy this...and she didn't suspect a thing! It was so fun to see the expression on her face...the complete joy at seeing all her friends together to celebrate with her! I'm pretty sure we managed to pull off a birthday she will not forget!

2010-03-22T13:39:00.000-04:00

I really want to take a minute to thank Leslie from home-grownkids.blogspot.com and also selfcreatingart.blogspot.com for choosing me for a beautiful blogger award. I started this blog as way for our family and friends to keep up with where we were and what we were up to, but it has become so much more now. I'm happy that others are able to take something from it as well!

The requirements for accepting this award are as follows:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Pass this award along to 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic!
3. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.
4. Share seven (7) things about yourself

Seven things about me:

1) I knit everyday...really!

2) I don't like chocolate

3) My favorite movie is still The Big Chill

4) I'm happiest when I'm with my family

5) I can't miss an episode of Grey's Anatomy

6) I love music but don't like to dance

7) I'm a night owl

2010-03-22T13:04:00.000-04:00

It's been over a month since I've posted....I've been putting it off somewhat I guess. I wasn't sure what direction this blog would be taking. We left California over a month ago to visit family and friends back in Ontario. What I didn't know then was that we would not be going back. With work requiring more of Bill's attention here in Canada we made the decision to move back. It's interesting that the decision was easy to make...there were no regrets or what ifs...we were just as happy to come "home" as we were to leave almost two years ago. It has been really great to be able to see everyone and know that we can still easily see them again. And really, I am feeling a little relieved on the homeschooling front. It is just so much easier in Ontario than anyplace we visited on the road. I don't feel like I have to be looking over my shoulder all the time. And I was not looking forward to having to register the kids with the school board and following their rules...we are natural rule breakers I guess! Now that we are back we are really looking forward to exploring so many places in Ontario that we never took the opportunity to get to know. There is so much to do here...and I think our trip really opened our eyes to how we really like to spend our time. And that is outside in nature. The kids love to run, climb and explore so being in the forest, or exploring a riverbed or foraging for wild berries...it's just a more enjoyable time than any of the "touristy" things we did. So that's our focus right now. We are looking for a farm and some land to give the kids space to grow and create a place for ourselves that we can pursue some of our interests. We can't wait to have some farm animals, grow a garden and continue to enjoy a much simpler life. It's time to put down some roots again.

Homeward Bound

2010-02-18T14:29:00.000-05:00

Talk about crazy...last Sunday Bill and Maddy flew back to Canada for Maddy's orthodontist appt. And Ali, Katie and I found ourselves in the truck with all the animals driving our way back to Barrie to meet them....a week later. Long story but circumstances beyond our control meant Maddy and Bill would be in Canada for at least three weeks...and that's too long for me! So we decided I would drive and bring Katie and the pets with me. Ali was not going to let me do this alone so he was on board with me too. A good thing as I realize how much easier he made this trip for me. I realize we lead a pretty adventurous life already, but this was a step out there for me. I really like to drive but I was somewhat concerned about hitting less than favorable weather, and how would Katie handle the long hours in her car seat? And would the cats and bunny even survive the trip? After eight days, two separate visits to a mechanic, only one traffic violation, too many hotels, and a freak snowstorm in Louisiana and Mississippi, we are back in Ontario with Bill and Maddy. It appears we will be here for two to three weeks...plenty of time to see all our friends and family...and enough time to appreciate the weather! Here's a short portion of our photo journal all taken with my i phone along the way...

Leaving the California sunshine behind

Nothing passes the time faster than just being goofy...

One of our many pit stops for food

Exercise time for Button

Sculptures in the desert of New Mexico

Somewhere in Texas...what a big state to cross

The Mississippi River...this is actually a color photo...just a really wintery day!

Our stop in Graceland!

Our first taste of Canada...literally!

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

2010-01-31T22:54:00.000-05:00

This week the kids and I had a chance to spend the afternoon hiking and exploring one of Southern California's last remaining coastal canyons. We followed one of the canyon trails up to the bluffs, with the scent of sage filling the air the entire time. It's one of the things I absolutely love about this area of California! The park also has a small nature centre where you can learn all about the area and how the land was carved. There's lots to touch... this is always a good thing with the kids! Katie really loved the telescope, Ali loved climbing the rocks and looking for lizards, and Maddy was the master of the scat on this outing...we saw lots of evidence of mule deer and bobcat! The day was filled with sunshine and laughter...and it can't get any better than that!

A Quick Review

2010-01-26T00:27:00.000-05:00

This past week has been a little wild here. As many of you already know we had some crazy weather pass through here. On one day, in the course of one hour it went from storm warning to severe storm warning to possible tornado warning...yikes! One minute the news was warning people in mobile homes to seek alternative shelter...we put on our coats to leave...the next minute they are saying it's too late and to stay where you are and seek shelter in the interior of your home, away from windows, etc...If you've seen our motorhome you know that doesn't leave us with many options! For the next fifteen minutes we hunkered down, watching debris fly past the window. The tornado touched down about fifteen minutes from our place. Most of the week this area experienced high winds, heavy rain, flooding and mudslides. We were pretty lucky and didn't suffer any real consequences. Unfortunately we still ended up at the hospital this week. Madison and Ali both saw the doctor. Maddy is fine, required some antibiotics but is feeling great now. Ali has had two ingrown toenails for awhile and has been struggling with them. The antibiotics got rid of the infection but the ingrown nail was still there, and it ended up infected again an extremely painful for him. So this past week they had to remove the entire toenail. He watched the doctor do it and thought the whole thing was pretty cool! Unfortunately the novelty has worn off and trying to keep a thirteen year old boy tied down for the required ten days while it heals..not so much fun! So far this week....the sun is back!!! Yeah! Looking forward to getting outside and enjoying some normal weather!!

In Your Own Backyard

2010-01-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

As some of you know my drivers license has expired, and we've been working with one vehicle for some time now... and while I feel like we have lost some of the freedom we like, the spontaneity of just going where we please whenever we want, it has also been a blessing in disguise. It's incredible the things you can find in your own backyard. The kids and I have been going for walks in our neighborhood and exploring all the nooks and crannies around us. We walk to the island and explore the shops, we walk to the peninsula to hang out at the beach, we walk to the coffee shop and people watch. For the past week we've been taking the camera and creating a specific task to accomplish while walking. One day it was taking pictures of anything that was a circle. Another day it was circles only found in nature. Katie really loves the shape days because she brings her own camera and just runs along snapping everything she finds...it can be challenging for her too when we pick a shape she may not be as familiar with! While we all have our own camera we seem to have fallen into a routine of one person taking the photos while we all walk and look. These pictures are from a walk along Upper Newport Bay. It's not even ten minutes from our door to get there and you could literally walk the trails around the bay for days. This day we were taking pictures of nature "close up"...with one of the general area to give you an idea of where we were at. The pictures this day were all taken by Maddy!

Our Christmas

2010-01-01T01:15:00.000-05:00

It's been busy, busy,busy for the holidays here! Now that the crowd has cleared in the park we finally have good internet again...it's been crazy trying to upload pictures so I just waited it out. Weather was cool but sunny this year so we spent lots of time outside. It was great to have Dad and Cindy here...makes it seem more like Christmas when there is some family around! The kids were able to spend lots of time with them and Cindy even gave Bill and I some time to have a couple dates! Here's a few photos of our holidays and how we spent them...thanks Cindy for giving me some of these great pictures!

Katie loves her new toys...

Writing a letter for Santa with cookies and carrots for the reindeer...
Maddy's homemade wrapping paper....that's a lot of chocolate wrappers!

Fishing and climbing...

Sharing meals with family...

Loved the lights at the Boat Parade this year...

Katie loved to do the Christmas baking!

Tis The Season

2009-12-10T22:09:00.000-05:00

It will soon be Christmas and we are busy preparing for the big day. I'm almost finished my shopping and that feels really good...no stress! When the kids go back to Barrie next week I will be busy wrapping! Katie will help me with the baking and we'll be done! This past week we went to the lighting of the bay festivities. They had a big fire on the beach with different choirs all singing Christmas songs. It was a cool night so they served chilli, soups and hot chocolate. And of course Santa made an appearance. Katie had already visited with Santa at the mall...she insisted we go to talk to him and she actually sat on his lap(this is a big deal if you know Katie). She didn't want to tell him what she wanted for Christmas...all she wanted to know was where his reindeer were. They took a picture but if it weren't for Santa it would be a great mug shot of her! She took it very seriously! The kids picked out a tree this year and we've set it up outside and the lights are up. It's looking very festive!

Katies First Photo

2009-12-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

What happens when you let your three year old use the "really big camera"? Great things of course! Katie has been wanting to take pictures with mommy's camera for some time now. So the other day I spent some time with her and here is her best shot. She now officially has the photography bug that has bit her siblings. I can't wait to see what else she comes up with.

Swimming with Stingrays

2009-11-24T17:13:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of our trip was swimming with the stingrays...it was something we could all do together. It's hard to believe you are out in the ocean away from everything and there's a huge sand bar with fifty stingrays swimming around. Ali of course was jumping off the boat and gone before the rest of us even had our snorkeling gear on. Katie had no reservations either..she loves being in the water and because the water was so clear she could see everything. Maddy has done some snorkeling before too so she had a great time watching and touching the stingrays. We also did some snorkeling on the reef ...waves were a bit rougher here but lots of fish...and of course Katie and I hung out on the beach for a while.

2009-11-23T15:49:00.000-05:00

Those of you who really know Ali will not be surprised to hear that he took his lizard catching to a whole new level while we were in the Grand Cayman. He happily disappeared for hours looking and catching all types of geckos, lizards and iguanas. The hotel staff were quite happy to have him around, encouraging him to catch everything he found and pointing him in the direction of more. As I was lounging on the beach one afternoon I heard Ali calling me from behind...you could hear the happiness in his voice! This was what he brought to me. Sigh. I am not particularly fond of reptiles, but have always encouraged Ali's passion for them. It was so great to watch him crawl through bushes and up trees to get a glimpse of something he spotted, and to see the true joy he experienced doing it. Thankfully the hotel staff also always seemed to be around to clean his scrapes, cuts and bites he endured during this week!

A Sneak Peak

2009-11-20T01:31:00.000-05:00

We just came home from our holidays in the Grand Cayman. I'm working on getting my photos sorted so I've just got a sneak peak right now...I could fill pages with photos of everything we did...we had such a great time! Here's a few to get started...

The Week in Review

2009-11-10T19:49:00.000-05:00

Wow...time is somehow flying by right now and I can't seem to keep up with the blog these days. Right now the kids and I are sitting in a hotel at LAX waiting to catch a plane tomorrow. YUP...we're going on a holiday! I'm laughing as I type because it seems crazy to say we are taking a holiday when we are travelling the way we do right now. But the truth is, although we move around from place to place, we are still living a regular life when we park it. We still have to clean the house, go grocery shopping, the kids still do the regular activities they always have...it's still real life stuff. So we are going on a real holiday. Tomorrow morning we will get up at a ridiculous time (3am?) and hop on a plane to meet Bill in the Grand Cayman Islands. We are all excited to just hang out and relax...no cooking and cleaning for any of us! That's a real holiday! We're also excited because Gramma and Grampa are coming out to see us all well. We haven't seen them for a long while so it's big anticipation here. We'll also be celebrating Katie's third birthday while we are there! She's getting so tall our little monkey! On Halloween the older kids were telling jokes (found on candy wrappers) so Katie makes one up all by herself...

"Why couldn't the ghost eat dinner?"

"Because he didn't have a fork!"

Ah...to be three!

The kids have been really busy since Halloween. We have joined a group in Long Beach that does historical reenactments...so the kids are learning swording right now. If you know Maddy and Ali, then you know how appropriate this really is. Even Katie is allowed to participate. We've also started regularly attending the DragonTree Homeschool Park Day...they are the largest consistent gathering of unschooling families we've ever seen...at least 20 families are there very week. For the past few weeks there has been a dance instructor giving the kids hip hop lessons at the park. It's been fun and entertaining. Ten days into November and we are at 29 books for our 100 book challenge...yikes...I think I am going to have to pick up the pace a bit on this one... I have also been getting out and meeting new people...I've joined the local knitting group and meet with them every week for chatting and knitting. It's nice to find people who share an obsession! So I guess you can see why the blog is a little neglected these days! It's okay...I love being busy as along as we throw a few quiet, still moments in there for us all to breath!

The one year mark...

2009-11-05T14:07:00.000-05:00

A year ago we traded this:
For this: and we're loving it!

This week we celebrated one year on the road. I have to admit it has gone by very quickly. When I look back at all the places we've been and the people we've met I have no regrets about choosing to do this. It has been such an adventure! And it appears we've come full circle...one year ago we began this journey in California and a year later we are in California again. We've been here six weeks now and the kids are already asking where we are going after California. Interesting that they don't ask if we are going "home" anymore. What we've all come to realize during this year is that "home" really is wherever we are...all of us together. We've come to like that every couple months our back yard changes, and we meet new neighbours, new friends. That certainly doesn't mean that we all don't crave a little more indoor space...the kids would love a bigger room, I'd love a bath tub...but these things don't really compare to what we are experiencing together. How long will we continue? That seems to be the question everyone is asking us these days. And we have no answer. I can't imagine living in a house right now and not being able to just pack up and go whenever we want. This lifestyle suits us still...we are enjoying our freedom and not ready to give that up. Maybe one day...

100 Book Challenge

2009-11-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Tracy and Sharon who led me to this great challenge. You can find it on www.home-grownkids.blogspot.com if you'd like to join us. I love to read...and i will read just about anything! Right now i'm reading The Ten Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer...just finishing it up actually...and I have a ton of books waiting to be read so this challenge should be great for me. What I am excited about is that the kids asked to participate too. While they all enjoy reading, they seem to go through phases where all they do is read, read, read....or they read nothing at all. It seems they are in the reading phase right now! Maddy is reading Twilight, Ali is reading Vampires:The Occult Truth, and Katie is reading Pumpkin Soup. We've decided for this challenge we would limit the picture books that we read with Katie...we could have the 100 done in a week if we included them! Next week we will be going on holidays so we have 8 hours of flight time and a week of relaxing to enjoy some books....now to decide which books to take!

Visiting The Farm

2009-11-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

2009-11-01T10:48:00.001-05:00

2009-10-24T00:13:00.000-04:00

SIGH....

Okay ... we are down another computer...unfortunately it's mine...so I'm at the kids mercy of getting a little "computer time"...they are very generous so it hasn't been a big problem. However all my photos are on my computer and I can't post any pictures on the blog. The good news is how much more we get done in a day without my computer though...who knew! This past week we've done lots of baking, lizard catching, swimming, the beach,tree climbing and just goofing off...we finally made it to the pumpkin patch too. it really was an interesting trip because it was so different than doing it in Ontario...not only did we get great pumpkins, we also picked onions, beans, carrots and radishes! We did the normal corn mazes, hay bale play too but we are not used to being able to pick our own local produce year round...and so close to us! This will probably become a regular activity for us since everyone had a great time and we had some yummy veggies to make with dinner! The kids also got their electric scooters this week and have been zipping around as fast as they possibly can. I must admit I tried them out and can see why they are always on them... I just don't go as fast as them!

2009-10-14T15:14:00.000-04:00

Halloween Crafts

The beginnings of a new garden...

2009-10-09T03:01:00.000-04:00

I normally try to get the blog updated every few days. This has been difficult lately as Ali's computer is in getting fixed...again...did you know Katie now weighs enough to crack the entire keyboard if she stands on a computer?...sigh...So Ali has been using my computer...a lot...thank goodness Bill had the smart idea to get the extra warranty on the kids laptops...we've used it!!

I'm managing to snag a few moments when I can convince him it's absolutely necessary for me to check my emails (and facebook if I can get away with it!). So I will have to get the pictures up later but for now I can update you on our week. Saturday we all went to Huntington Beach...we have an annual pass so we can laze around for the whole day on the uncrowded beach...the kids are always happy to play in the sand and water and Bill dug these huge holes with the kids that had everyone stopping and admiring them. They were deep enough that you couldn't see them when they were inside them! Sunday found us at Camping World...one of our favorite stores of course...I really needed some outdoor lights so we could stay outside longer in the evenings...it gets dark too early for me.

Monday the kids planted a garden. We bought a bunch of pots and soil and the kids all picked out plants and seeds to grow. The big pots have flowers to decorate our yard and the smaller ones have carrot seeds and bean seeds. Katie picked out a tomato plant and they all helped plant some herbs to make a little herb garden. Gardening is one thing I think we all miss about having a permanent home and yard...this should help!

The kids have also been busy making Halloween decorations. This week we put up a giant spider web, some orange lights, ghosts and lots of spiders! More spookiness to come! We will visit the pumpkin patch this weekend so we should have some great pumpkins to add.

Later in the week I went out with the moms from the local homeschooling group. It was nice to meet new people and get the inside scoop for activities the kids can participate in the area. In the next few weeks we will be trying out some new groups and activities and see how it goes. The kids never complain about trying new things that's for sure! On Friday we went to the beach with some new friends. The kids really enjoyed hanging out together and we've already made plans to get together again to do the San Diego Zoo. The beautiful sunshine and sound of the ocean made up for the parking ticket I got....hmmm...something about me and California I guess...hope this is it for the traffic/parking tickets!! Another weekend approaching...at least Bill be driving for the weekend so I'm safe for a couple days!!

2009-10-06T16:34:00.000-04:00

Ali can be found reading just about anywhere these days!

Meeting New Friends

2009-10-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

This week we joined up with the Orange County Unschooling group at an amazing new park near us. I can't believe we never found this park before! It certainly pays to hang with the locals! Katie liked the two story sand box, and doing the crafts that some of the other families brought. Maddy practiced for a while and mastered the stilts, and Ali...well... give the boys something to wield and it's like they've always known each other! It was great just to hang out with like minded people for the afternoon..we look forward to becoming regulars at this park day!

Saving the Seals

2009-09-28T17:53:00.000-04:00

One of the kids favorite places to go near here is the Pacific Marine Mammal Centre. This place really is great...right now they are rehabilitating three elephant seals, eight sea lions and three harbor seal pups. If it's not busy the staff usually will take the children behind the fences and talk to them about the animals and what they do to help them. This week while I was chatting with one of the volunteers she invited the kids and I to come to the releasing of three seals that were fully recovered and ready to re-enter the ocean. What a great opportunity, as this is generally not open to the public. I assured her we would be there! So Sunday morning we left at 7:30 to go to the beach and be part of reuniting the seals with the ocean! It turned out to be an extremely joyous and emotional experience as we watched these little ones scamper across the sand and swim off...we watched them for quite awhile swimming, jumping and just playing! And the three of them stayed together the whole time. This was probably one of the most exciting things we have experienced since being on the road, and we are so thankful to the centre for inviting us!

2009-09-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

We've been in Newport Beach now for one week, and we've slipped into a somewhat familiar pattern...eat, sleep and beach! I'm sure the novelty will where off at some point, but every time we head out to go somewhere the kids all ask "can't we just go to the beach instead?". Can't blame them...

This time around things are a little different for us. Last time we were here in Newport Dunes we were with our travelling partners the Goodman-Caines. This time we are on our own. The kids have already met some people, both new and familiar faces, so they are off playing...but I definitely get to see more of them now. And they are eager to go out...I always have company whether it's the grocery store or a walk. I'm really enjoying that! It's also nice to be close to Bill's work. He's always up and gone early and home early in the day so we have lots of time to enjoy with him. We have started going for walks every evening as a family... it's good exercise and a great time for us all to goof around and laugh!

We arrived in California two months earlier this year so the weather is also different...the Santa Ana winds means temperatures of 90 degrees....most often we are over 100 degrees...we are definitely soaking up the sun! No complaints here!!

On The Way...

2009-09-20T01:37:00.000-04:00

We're four hours from our new home...sure we could have made it in a crazy three days but honestly, I finally just had to call a pit stop. We've been boondocking it since we left... At this point...day three of our forty hour trek across the country (again!)...we are in need of a few things...showers top the list right now! So we are in Vegas staying at the rv park we were going to visit on our previous trip out here but never made it. Funny that they assigned us a site and it was on "California Rd". After showers for everyone we went out for real food...well...not road food anyways and then back to relax before bed. Being so close to California means we can finally get a good nights sleep and leave a little later in the day.
It's been a fairly quiet ride out here. Unlike any of our other long hauls, we've had no rain, no winds, just really nice weather to drive in. I slept though a lot of the mountain driving so my nerves are still intact too! And for once Maddy's ears are not bothering her...yeah! We had some incredible scenery going through Colorado and Utah...enough to keep the drive interesting for everyone. And the weather right now...at 11pm...is HOT! Long day so I'm off to tuck in my kiddos while Bill either wins or loses my fortune at the casino!

Hangin With Family and Friends

2009-09-16T17:53:00.000-04:00

Our last two weeks in Ontario were spent visiting with friends and family as much as possible! Good times!

Anticipation

2009-09-15T22:28:00.000-04:00

Anticipation is building as we prepare to leave our familiar stomping ground of years gone by. The RV is finished with the scheduled maintenance, the wallet is now a bit lighter but the piece of mind is worth it as our journey across the continent for a second time is about to begin. Not sure what route we will take, but I am sure Lisa will have us on a new path, yet to be travelled so that we see new places and things. We are not planning stops or stayovers, the kids want to try and go long and far during the beginning. A case of Red Bull in the fridge and we are ready to roll! This time of year is also a tough one with the two year anniversary of Mom's passing. I am also anxious "to get out of Dodge" before September 25th arrives. Mom continues to enjoy the view from the front windshield so I would rather have her with us on the warm sunny shores of California before the snow flies.

Happy 13th Ali!

2009-09-11T03:00:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Ali is turning 13 today. We are so proud of our "man-child"! As many of you know Ali is our wild and wacky one. He's quick to joke, laugh and doesn't mind making a fool of himself for a laugh! He loves adventure...if there is a snake or lizard he will find it. If there is something to climb he'll climb it. And if there's water around...he's in it! If he can build it or blow it up he's happy! But there is so much more to our Ali. If you are lucky enough to be friends with Ali then you are rewarded with someone who is extremely loyal and protective. He is always there when you need him and he will always have your back. If you are family you are even luckier because you get to witness his free spirit and generous heart. He is passionate about what he believes in and will always give you an honest opinion. His energy is endless, his joy for life evident in everything he does. And thirteen years ago today he gave me the greatest gift imaginable....motherhood.

2009-09-06T16:18:00.000-04:00

It's been a couple weeks since I've been able to even get on the computer. It all started on the Monday when Maddy went to get her braces. She sure looks cute in them! The novelty for her however lasted about six hours...after that it was seven days of torture! Poor thing didn't eat for a week and was extremely uncomfortable...and asked everyday to go back and get them off...by day eight she was back to eating most things. Unfortunately she caught a cold this same week... I'm sure you can imagine what happens when a nasty cold gets into a 500 sq. ft. house with five people in it...yup...everyone was sick. Thankfully for the most part it was quick to pass...I'm the only one left with it and at least I can tolerate it. Just when we thought things were on an upward swing, poor Maddy got a bacterial infection that required antibiotics...which would have been okay except on day six of a seven day treatment she broke out into hives. So she's allergic to the antibiotic and is covered with hives and swelling...itchy and painful. Man I wish I could erase these two weeks for her...

Familiarity

2009-08-26T18:46:00.000-04:00

Life here has taken on a familiar look. We seem to have picked up right where we left off when we left....the kids joining in on the regular homeschooling activities and spending time with family and friends. It's interesting because one of the things I love most about being on the road is the unpredictability of life...that each day is different and we never "plan"...we just do. My kids on the other hand are loving this more "scheduled" life. They like knowing that every Monday we go to the library program, that every Wednesday we go to the homeschooling park day...and the rest of the week they are busy planning what we will do on our usual off days. So often we end up at a friends house, meeting someone for lunch, taking classes...well you get the picture. I find it amusing because when we are on the road they never asked what are we doing tomorrow, or tried to plan anything. Instead they would awake each morning...well okay sometimes afternoon!...and ask each other what what do you want to do today...and off we'd go. Another big difference is that I feel like we are constantly rushed these days....we have to "be" somewhere all the time. On the road we were never in a hurry. In fact most of the time we never even knew what time it was. Being back has made me realize that I prefer to take it a day at a time and just go with the flow of whatever life throws at us. But right now the kids only have a few weeks left to "pack it all in" before we leave...and I see how happy they are doing it all... so I will happily taxi them around to enjoy all the things they are passionate about right now and I will have a smile on my face while I do it!

Happy Birthday Great Grandma!

2009-08-23T21:49:00.000-04:00

2009-08-23T21:43:00.000-04:00

Not sure what to call this picture! We were at Auntie Cindys for a barbecue and the kids played in the sprinkler...this was about as high as it was allowed according to Katie! She's definitely not a water baby!

Busy Weekend!

2009-08-17T15:01:00.000-04:00

What a full weekend we had...and some great weather to enjoy it all!! On Saturday we had a great visit with Auntie Cindy, Lucy and Hazel. It was so great to be able to just sit outside together and soak up the sun! The kids however really never sat down much all day! They started out early in the day doing the craft at the campground...painting pillowcases. Then it was a magic show ...a quick break for lunch and then off for a wagon ride and the chocolate slippery slide...yup...you could slide and snack all in one! The kids loved it! The evening ended with a pyjama party, movie and popcorn in the clubhouse. They sure kept everyone busy and we all slept well Saturday night!

Summer Camp

2009-08-17T14:56:00.000-04:00

A few pictures from the kids week at the OSPCA camp this month.

2009-08-14T21:07:00.000-04:00

Today we made the move closer to Barrie. We are staying at the KOA in Cookstown...this is the same place we did our very first venture into rving around 10 months ago! I can't believe we have been on the road for that long! We were all pretty excited to move again...the kids were getting anxious about being closer to friends, and I am thrilled to finally have internet and a laundry room again. And since it doesn't add any time to Bill's commute we are all happy! We are looking forward to spending the next five weeks doing some regular activities with our homeschooling group, revisiting some of our favorite places, and being in closer proximity to family. I admit I have missed blogging for the past few weeks...so it may get a little crazy here for a bit!!

Nothin' Says Summer Like Watermelon!

2009-08-08T22:04:00.000-04:00

2009-08-04T19:49:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while I add my two cents worth between work, flying, and family time. It's official....our land locked home is sold. July 31 was the closing date and we managed to reach it...barely! Without a doubt we will pay movers next time to ship our remaining belongings (not much left since the purge before our RV journey and the purging leading up to the move) which still filled a 26ft truck but was stackable into a 12x12 office. We went the free office storage root to truly feel liberated to be virtually debt free! I mentioned 'land locked' earlier in that there is no longer a 'house' in the background...its gone (an odd but good feeling)...and now without a doubt our home and house is and remains 500 sq ft of mobility. It is an interesting feeling to know that will our tank full ($350 bucks of diesel) we can range in any direction for up to 1100 KM and have a new backyard...no trailing expenses of the house...no more strings attached... except for family and friends.

Family

2009-08-03T13:31:00.000-04:00

This weekend we were able to get our first visit in to see Gramma and Grammpa...it was a weekend of water balloon fights, making cookies, games, play dough, lots of books, walks, movies, frog catching and laughs! Who could have ever imagined how good a real bed and shower would be (well for those of us who choose to shower and sleep...ahem...Ali?...)

friends

2009-07-24T10:52:00.000-04:00

A Sad Day

2009-07-20T15:52:00.000-04:00

On Saturday Ali's wonderful little guinea pig, Chewy, passed away. He was a delightful little fellow who loved to roam in the grass and burrow under your legs. It was very unexpected and we will all miss him.

The Rockies

2009-07-16T20:14:00.000-04:00

2009-07-14T22:41:00.000-04:00

Well...once again we've made the cross country trek I said we would not do again! With the sale of our house and the three week closing (yikes) we really had to push it to get ourselves back to Ontario. This means our stay in Alberta was brief but we managed to still pack in quite a bit of sightseeing. The most memorable was spending a day in Banff and a day in Lake Louise. The kids were happy to see all the wild life and of course Ali just "had" to fall into Lake Louise! He'll remember that visit for sure!! We also spent a week in Drumheller checking out the hoo doos and all that is dinosaurs!!

Rainforest walk in Pacific Rim National Park

2009-06-20T15:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Grampa! We Miss You!

2009-06-18T01:45:00.000-04:00

When the tide was out we knew where to find our kids....

2009-06-17T13:30:00.000-04:00

Exploring Tofino

2009-06-17T13:13:00.000-04:00

We've been hanging out in Tofino on Vancouver Island. It has been nice to back by the ocean...we've been reluctant to do anything else but spend our time in the sand! The kids have been busy climbing the rocks, exploring tide pools and playing on the beach. It's most relaxing!! Here's a few photos of our new backyard right now and the view from our room.

The Road to Whistler

2009-06-11T19:57:00.000-04:00

Letting loose in the hotel room! It was bigger than our house..lol...

The trip to whistler brought out the sillies in everyone...

Growing up...

2009-06-09T21:50:00.000-04:00

The other night something happened that had me thinking about our journey so far. As I was headed to bed I was giving the kids a kiss good night...I'm usually in bed before them these days...Ali walked over to me to say good night. I looked up at him to give him a good night kiss...that's right...I looked UP...my son is taller than me. Not just a little...noticeably taller. The rest your head on his chest type of taller. How did this happen before my very eyes? Where did my baby go? I lay in bed thinking about my kids growing up so fast. They are in fact becoming teenagers on this trip. And I realize that this journey has provided me with the opportunity to enjoy this time in their lives. We get to spend so much time together and this has just made our bonds stronger. We enjoy being together...but this takes it to a whole new level. How did I get so lucky to be able to spend everyday with three amazing kids who make me smile and laugh, who challenge me to do new things, never judge me and always love me? So everyday I am choosing to celebrate them and the wonderful teenagers they are becoming! And I will enjoy being called "shortie" by my little boy....

Busy, busy, busy!

2009-06-05T15:44:00.000-04:00

I am soooo totally behind in posting! Not sure where the time goes but I do know we have been busy. We moved to our new place a few weeks ago and have settled in nicely. Although it is only a half hour from the previous park it is much more natural and woodsy. The kids are enjoying it...exploring the woods, the "swamp" marsh and walking the trails along the river. Maddy and Katie and I really love being able to walk into the town...we can easily pick up any groceries we need, grab an ice cream cone and walk home! We also like the fact that we can walk to a variety of small museums and the fort in Fort Langley. We've hit a good variety of parks, done some swimming, fishing with Ali's homemade traps, saw the larger than life lantern exhibit at the museum, and took a mini road trip to Whistler. That's a whole separate post as I'm sure we'll have a hard time picking only a few photos to share!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-06-01T14:54:00.000-04:00

Lookin good in his new shirt the kids made for him!!

A Visit to the Alpaca Farm

2009-05-27T18:28:00.000-04:00

A Visit to Bowen Island

2009-05-22T20:43:00.000-04:00

Some photos from our recent trip to Bowen island...Ali and Maddy loved the ferry ride and kayaking with Bill. Although Ali has done some kayaking before, this was the first time sea kayaking...lots of wind and waves! He did a great job managing his own kayak for the three hours out there! Maddy and Bill were first timers for the kayak...it must have been great as Maddy has declared that "on a day like this i don't even need my nintendo!". It was a learning experience for them all especially Bill who learned that it is best to leave the blackberry on land... who knew the kayak could fill with water so easily! Katie and I did a lot of walking on the trails and were lucky enough to see a deer just a few feet from us. It was a full day of outdoor fun!

Sea Kayaking with Dad

2009-05-20T01:21:00.000-04:00

The Long Weekend

2009-05-18T23:26:00.000-04:00

This weekend we decided to celebrate Victoria day by visiting a local historic site here in BC. We headed to Harrison Mills to the Kilby Historic Site, a 1920's Fraser Valley Living History site. It started as a jersey dairy farm that supplied milk to locals and the city of Vancouver. Here we were able to stroll through 14 original and reconstructed buildings belonging to the Kirby family. The kids participated in an ice cream making demo led by a Kirby himself! It took about twenty minutes of cranking but we did eat some really good ice cream! All the kids enjoyed the farm animals and gardens and homemade playground. As we sat under the wisteria Maddy decided that "some of this old stuff is really cool".

2009-05-16T23:29:00.000-04:00

This week I took the kids to the Burnaby Village Museum. It was life in the 1920's...a combination of heritage and replica buildings. The highlight is a 1912 working carousel...the kids and i couldn't resist a ride. One thing we soon found out was that this was not the usual carousel...it was super fast! In 1912 the carousel was built for adults not the kids so they were a lot faster than what we would ride today. Katie was the only one who probably would have preferred it to be a little slower...the rest of us enjoyed the wind blowing our hair!

Deer Lake

2009-05-15T09:12:00.000-04:00

2009-05-14T13:04:00.000-04:00

This week the kids and I went to Stanley Park again...this was the third time for us...but the kids just keep asking to go back. I have a list of parks I was going to take them to, and every time we head out they ask to go back to the same one! I'm not really surprised...the first visit there we did the aquarium, the totem poles and some trail walks. The second visit we did the "touristy" things and then hit the beach. So this time they finally noticed there was an actual playground! So we played! Afterwards we hit the beach again to do some crabbing! Ali could spend the entire day there looking for little creatures!

A Day at the Lake

2009-05-13T01:33:00.000-04:00

The weather isn't great but the scenery is always amazing!

Vancouver Aquarium

2009-05-11T14:58:00.001-04:00

Rainy Days

2009-05-10T22:22:00.000-04:00

We've had so much rain since we've been in Vancouver that the kids and I have decided that enough is enough...we will just have to get wet! There are things we want to do and see, but if we wait for the weather to cooperate we may never get to see them. So this past week we set out to explore. We went to Burnaby Lake Regional Park and Burnaby Mountain Park. And the funny thing was...although we always seem to have fun wherever we go...we had such a blast exploring and playing in the rain! So this weeks forecast of...you guessed it...more rain...is rather exciting for us to look forward too!!

The Capilano Fish Hatchery

2009-05-09T11:54:00.000-04:00

Guess who outgrew the kitchen sink?

2009-05-08T12:41:00.000-04:00

Capilano Suspension Bridge

2009-05-06T00:47:00.000-04:00

On Saturday we joined the Goodman Caines family on a journey through the tree tops at Capilano Suspension Bridge. The kids had a fantastic time running across bridges amongst the trees and learning all about the forest around them.

The road to adventure begins here...

The kids seem so big to me lately, growing up so fast....these pictures remind me they are still my little ones...we are all little in such a majestic forest...

Our sweet Katie always takes time to stop and smell the flowers...

The whole gang...it's amazing that 6 months have already passed!

Day 3

2009-05-01T16:07:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we have a day where we really could be anywhere in the world and not know it. I actually love these days...the ones where i really just get to hang out at home with the kids. The morning was spent indoors with Katie...tidying up, playing lego, making play dough pizza and brushing the cats...well Katie brushed the cats herself, whether they wanted it or not! In the afternoon I had the pleasure of hanging out in the laundry room with all the kids...luckily i had laundry to do! Ali and Lucas played pokemon on their ds's (and patiently answered all Katie's questions each time she interrupted them). Maddy and Matt fluttered in and out asking for help in spelling their signs for their new business...looks like we have another pet watching service in our campground! Then Josh arrived which prompted Katie to immediately ask him to play with her at the table building "mans"...the three of us built people and houses out of our coins from my change bin...until we needed more loonies for the dryer which then created people with no eyes....after laundry it was lunch at the park where we attended a funeral for a worm named Steve that was "fried" earlier in the day. After tons of slide runs and some really funny swing antics Bill took the kids swimming. How to end a really great stress free day?? Order pizza, eat, read and sleep!

Day 2 BC

2009-04-30T13:10:00.000-04:00

Fishing. That's the theme of the day...Ali and Bill picked out a new rod last night so today we must fish!! We headed out to Deer Lake...all of ten minutes from our place! We were all really surprised and pleased to see such a natural outdoorsy setting only fifteen minutes from the city. In fact we were able to sit and view the cityscape from the beach at the lake. When we arrived we choose a location at one end of the lake and thirty feet from us sat a bald eagle. It was totally unexpected and awesome to see up close! For the next couple hours Ali fished, Katie played in the sand and Maddy made friends with the Canada geese.

Day 1 in British Columbia

2009-04-28T16:11:00.000-04:00

Exploring our new backyard...if there is water our boys will find it!

2009-04-23T11:09:00.001-04:00

This week the kids participated in the naturalist workshop at the Austin Nature Centre. Ali and Maddy had fun examing bugs, feathers and plants under the microscope. We were able to really get up close and touch and examine the various plants and animals that are native to Texas. Even Katie got in on the action!

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Artwork ala Maddy

Update

2009-04-21T23:23:00.000-04:00

So...as many of you already know this weekend we will be heading to British Columbia. We are all excited about being back in Canada but i sure wish we could bring the 90 degree temperatures we are having here with us!! I'm not even sure we own enough pants and long sleeves to get us by...and definitely no jackets! Should be interesting!! The kids are looking forward to Tim Hortons (alright I'm totally ready for an iced cap too!) and it will be nice to have some of our "usual" groceries again too. This week we find ourselves packing up and trying to spend as much time outdoors as possible. We have a long drive ahead of us...anyone want to meet us in BC??

Ali and Josh Time

2009-04-19T23:30:00.000-04:00

We Miss You Auntie Cindy!!

2009-04-15T15:08:00.001-04:00

Easter Morning!

2009-04-14T23:45:00.000-04:00

My kids have the greatest bed head! (think we can make it a whole year with no haircuts?) It was a flurry of activity Easter morning as the kids hunted for eggs and chocolate. Katie was happy with two eggs that she carried around with her! The weather was gorgeous and allowed us to be outdoors for most of the day...and evening! The kids had fun doing a scavenger hunt with Lucas, Josh and Matt that had them all laughing... and us too! We enjoyed a great dinner outdoors with Laurie and Jeff and the boys. It was full bellies and sweet treats with family and friends...

2009-04-14T23:16:00.000-04:00

2009-04-13T13:48:00.000-04:00

Hamilton Preserve Pool

2009-04-09T19:50:00.000-04:00

Hamilton Pool Preserve is a historic swimming hole. Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone to create a 50 foot waterfall into the head of a steep box canyon. Unfortunately the dry weather that Texas is experiencing had slowed the waterfall to a light drizzle on the day we visited. It was a nice hike to the canyon...we saw a huge snake by the path and another swimming in the water, and the pool was not that busy...as usual you will notice my kids are the only ones swimming!

Ali's Catch of the Day

2009-04-07T12:16:00.000-04:00

Natural Bridge Caverns

2009-04-03T12:49:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we all went to explore the caves at the Natural Bridge Caverns. I have been wanting to do this for quite awhile...we didn't get to do it in California so I was really excited about this outing. Imagine my shock when ten minutes into the tour I had to hand Katie to Bill and run back out of the caves. Who knew claustrophobia would set in and I would end up hyperventilating and nauseous! Thankfully Ali and Maddy were my photographers for the day and were able to get some great pics for us to enjoy!

Pedernales Falls

2009-04-02T22:56:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday the kids and I headed out to go to Blanco State Park. We decided to take the scenic route so we followed the Texas Hills Trail. This led us up and down the hills and an awful lot of curves! Eventually we found ourselves in the small town of Dripping Springs. It wasn't where we were headed but I just loved the name of the town so I decided to stop at the visitors center. We met a lovely lady who was able to tell us everything about the town, including a state park nearby that she thought the kids would enjoy. So off we went to find Pedernales Falls. After a little hike from the parking lot we arrived at the river. We decided to stay in the area of shallow water...the kids could play easily in the river and I wouldn't have to carry Katie any farther down the trail! It ended up being a great spot...the place was covered with lizards and tons of shells for Katie! There was not another person in sight for the afternoon as we lazed in the sun, played in the water and caught lizards!

Austin Zoo

2009-04-02T22:45:00.000-04:00

It's always a good day when the kids can be around animals!

Exploring at McKinney Falls

2009-03-31T20:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to Maddy!

2009-03-29T11:16:00.000-04:00

This week Maddy turned ten...double digits for our sweet girl!! So here's to our Maddy... She is our animal lover, environmentalist and entrepreneur! She is passionate, curious, energetic, dramatic, sweet, kind, caring, imaginative, enthusiastic, and a really beautiful person! We are lucky to have her in our lives!

The Lone Star State

2009-03-28T00:19:00.000-04:00

We left Arizona for the fifteen hour drive to Texas...well...make that closer to twenty hour drive with all our little pit stops. It can be interesting all the reasons we come up with to stop...considering we already have food/beverages and a washroom right on board. The first day we drove until around 10pm and Bill had finally had enough...this led us to our first experience with boondocking. Basically this means you park your rig without any hook ups for the night...we ended up at a Wal Mart parking lot and were pleasantly surprised to find a lot of others there already settled in for the night. It was so nice to just park, go to bed, get up and go! No hooking up, plugging in, setting up...it was fast and it was free!! This just got us started, as now we realize that boondocking is the way to go for us from now on when we are on route to a new place. The next day we arrived in Austin, Texas around noon. It really was nice to see green grass again! There are lots of trees, shade and wind! The kids have wasted no time getting to know their new home...Ali and Josh have already caught their first snake and Maddy is on a first name basis with the office/store staff! Everyone is excited to start exploring our new city!

How to have the perfect day...Life according to Ali

2009-03-16T21:12:00.000-04:00

First you find some good friends....then you go hunting in the desert for lizards...you find five different varieties and bring them all home...you create a habitat in a big bin and sit and watch the lizards for hours....then you release the lizards back into their environment...

2009-03-16T13:49:00.000-04:00

As we prepare to leave this week we have been taking some pictures of our home...one thing we will miss is the spectacular sunsets. These photos are Ali's from the front of our house...he's such an awesome photographer!!

Mexico??

2009-03-12T13:59:00.000-04:00

Well...i said we should go to Mexico during our journey...somehow i envisioned us parked at a nice sandy white beach with a pina colada in my hand...but that would just be too normal, and after all we've been there and done that too many times. So Friday we headed out for the three hour drive that would take us to the Mexican border town of Nogales. We arrived in the early evening and found a "guarded" parking lot that was clearly not guarded...parked the car and began the walk that would take us into Mexico. This is surprisingly easy and quite common to do here. We literally walked into Mexico without anyone saying a word to us...no asking for passports or reminders of what we couldn't bring into their country..nothing. We wandered the streets listening to the locals cheerfully call us to their shops to show us their goods. It was a fun couple of hours as we all bartered for what we wanted to bring home with us. Ali and Maddy both bought necklaces and Bill negotiated a couple Mexican blankets for us.

The Climb to Mt. Lemmon

2009-03-12T13:33:00.000-04:00

Our trip to Mt Lemmon was filled with ups and downs and twists and turns...literally. As we climbed to 8000 ft we saw breathtaking views all around us. We also felt the chill...and yes ....even though i insisted we would stay away from snow for the duration of our journey we did encounter some of the white stuff!

Exploring Sabino Canyon

2009-03-11T20:54:00.001-04:00

This weekend we spent some time exploring the Sabino Canyon in the Tucson area. It was such a beautiful place to spend some time with our travelling partners the Gooman-Caines. We walked, climbed, relaxed, caught lizards, and some of us were brave enough to put feet in the water! We even spotted a bobcat! A great day with friends!

Native Trails

2009-03-09T13:20:00.000-04:00

On Thursday we went to Scottsdale to see the Native Trails celebration. Native American performers show the variety of dances that represent their culture. There was also Native foods, arts, crafts and jewelry. The kids really enjoyed seeing the vibrant dress and listening to the drumming while the men and women did their dances. We also tried a Navajo taco...it was a big fried flat bread with beans, lettuce, cheese and salsa piled on top.Ali and I quite enjoyed it. Maddy liked the sweet version...same flatbread but sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. After the show we walked into Scottsdale and strolled through some of the art galleries. The kids loved the western paintings and the native sculptures, and collected photographs of their favorites to take with them.

A New Week

2009-03-06T09:02:00.000-05:00

So...we are finally back to normal around here. Everyone in the family has had the stomach bug going around here, except me (fingers crossed), and all seem to be feeling good again. Katie was hit the worse and ended up spending a day in the hospital due to dehydration. I am just thankful to have everyone healthy and happy again! This bout of illness set us back two weeks! That means we only have two weeks left to explore Arizona before we head off to Texas...we think...our travel plan seems to change weekly so who knows where we'll end up! These last two weeks will be filled with , a day trip to Mexico, a little exploring of Tucson, a trip to the top of Mt. Lemmon, and lots of local hikes in the state and national parks around us. If we can fit it in we'd love to go back to the Phoenix Zoo, but we do realize our time is limited now so we'll see what we can. I have to remember to give myself time to pack up as well...that usually takes a couple days. Here's to a busy two weeks!!

2009-02-25T20:43:00.000-05:00

These last few days have been a little crazy...Ali and Katie have both been sick so we've stayed home for the week. I'm hoping no one else will catch this bug...give me some time to get all the laundry done... and we can finally get back outdoors to enjoy this weather! It's been in the 80's all week! I'll update photos this weekend...

Link to see Ali's pictures

2009-02-20T00:45:00.000-05:00

If you'd like to see pictures of some of the little creatures that Ali found on our mountain hike you can check out his blog!
www.alisworldofadventures.blogspot.com