daily

Day 5: Clean clothes and a hitch from Rich.

Why haven’t we started sight-seeing yet? We’ve become homebodies. I think the stress of planning this trip with all the other things that led up to us being here did a number on us. So we are in relaxation mode right now. And that is alright.

I was just peeking at some old posts on this blog and on the one I keep for the girls. Life just goes by way too fast. Ava has changed so much since our last trip to Tucson. So! Much! I keep asking her if she remembers places we are revisiting. Like the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. And she keeps answering that this is her first time here. But at the same time, she keeps asking why David and Carrie are not here (our travel companions from our last trip here). Strange. So I am okay with being a homebody at the moment. Enjoying my kids. Staring at my kid stare. Reach baby, reach! Oh boy. We need to get out. Now.
planning her attack.

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By marlene, ago

Day 4: Rain has finally caught up to us.

We woke up Sunday morning to the sound of rain falling on the aluminum skin of the Airstream. It is actually quite a comforting sound if you can believe it. LA had been getting the brunt of the storm and we got out of there just in time.

Stuck inside because of the rain

Ava woke up bright and early but could not play outside because of the rain so she decided to have a tea party with Woody, Jesse, Buzz and Bullseye. Oh yeah, and her baby duckling.

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By Dan, ago

Day 2: Phoenix to Tucson, in the midst of the Gem Show.

We woke up Friday morning in the parking lot of the Walmart in Tempe, AZ. We searched last night for a safe place in Phoenix before a drive to Tucson the next day. Since we had wanted to stop by Picacho, AZ on the way to Tucson, we decided we did not want to make the drive at night.

Glad we have the guard rails

This is how Ava ended up in the morning in her new ‘Big Girl Bed’. She no longer sleeps in the tent bed on the floor. We had to jury rig the gaucho seat so this guard rail can be fitted. We are glad we did. Now on to our exciting day…

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By Dan, ago

A Rainy Saratoga.

Just a week before we set out on a cross country trip, we headed up the opposite direction towards northern California for a shakedown trip and to visit my mom and brother one last time.

This is how our girls look in the back of the van all packed in.

P1170691

As usual, we chose to drive after their bed time so they can sleep in the van during the long haul. It is a good 300 miles from our house so we had close to 6 hours of road ahead of us.

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By Dan, ago

One week to go before push off…

Happy third birthday to my little Ava! Hope you had a good one!

Today is Ava’s 3rd birthday. It is also the start of our last full week at home before we head out on my long awaited journey.

Ava's 3rd Birthday at Golf and Stuff
Ava and Grace at Golf and Stuff on her 3rd birthday

Even though we are not officially headed eastward until February, we have a trip planned in Northern California. We wanted to spend some time with my family who lives in the Bay Area before we take off on this adventure, so we decided to pack up and head up to San Jose for a week or so before swooping back through Southern California one last time. This trip will be a good way for us to figure out if we packed everything we will need for the trip. Whatever we forget to bring, we will have one last chance to come back to get it. Like-wise with items we feel that we will not need to lug around with us, we can drop it back off at home during the drive through.

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By Dan, ago

Checked one off of the list.

We made the tiniest dent on our to-do list today. We successfully crossed off item #5 by signing up for a mail forwarding service. A mail forwarding service basically collects all of your mail for you and keeps it until you are ready for it. And when you are ready Read more…

By marlene, ago

The countdown is on!!!!

So… the rumors are true… we are hitting the road!

In less than a month!!

And we haven’t done jack shit yet!!!

AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, that’s a little white lie. We did do one thing. We made a “to-do list”. It’s 25 items long. And it’s 25 items long not because that is all we need to do. But because we ran out of room on the white board! Sad. I know.

planning for our trip...

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By marlene, ago