Rocks

So AJ's college has a free rock museum.  So we went to college and looked at rocks.  I wish I could give you all the fun facts like Adam can, for instance there was a whole room of glowing rocks, except they werent really glowing just bouncing something off the black lights.  We found a place in Montana where we can dig for our own crystals, next spring for sure.  Overall the children had a negative attitude.....but me rocks......its raining on me.......I did not say wain instead of rain.  But we learned a valuable lesson.  If you arent having fun lie to mom anyway.....

We also went to Fairmont Hot Springs.  Finally a pool warm enough for me to get in.  The attitudes at the pool were much better.  It was difficult to contain their excitement especially asher as he waited patiently for his handful of goldfish.

College

I dropped AJ at college.  He is in a temporary dorm, as his is still under construction.  So there wasn't a ton of things to do.   Alek doesn't understand how I can be happy and sad at the same time.  I am so incredible proud of AJ and totally amazed that it has been 18 years.  So there it is.  I tear up every few minutes.  Then I  remind myself that I will see him tomorrow.  So it is on to mothering the ones that are still here, that still need me to remind them to shower and make sure they eat vegetables.  Well AJ will still need me to remind him about the vegatables, but that is what unlimited texting is for right??  His last parting words "mom, it's just weird that I live here now."  Yep Yep it is.

Blogging

So as a part of their education each child has to write a blog.  It can be about anything they want.  We have a cooking blog, a mine craft blog, a hot rod blog, and an I can't believe my mother is making me go on this trip blog.  All in all so far it is a success.  We just started them, but I love reading what their writing and I feel fairly certain their future employers and wives will like it too.  Below is a picture of Asher working on hos first post.  They are very meticulous about spelling. 
I am getting to know such amazing things about my own children. 

Black and White

So I took almost no pictures the whole week we were boon docking.  What a relaxing week it was.  There is something oddly satisfying about getting back to basics.  Hand washing dishes in a creek.  Washing clothes without electricity and hanging them to dry and sleeping until the sun wakes you up each morning.  There of course are things I cherish more now that we have full hookups.  A long hot shower being at the top of the list.  I miss boon docking with the same intensity that I love an rv park with a full hookup. Where I can buy an ice cream at the little store or swap a book in their book exchange.  I love chatting with neighbors from Texas, Missouri, and California. There are not as many board games this week and the boys opted to watch a movie last night instead of reading.  Each situation gives us opportunities for growth.   A fun time and exciting memories.  We have g on from one extreme to the other and loved them both.  I wonder if each new spot will bring its own adventure? 

Life without convenience

Well we are boondocking or as the National Forest likes to call it dispersed camping.  I got sunburn, bit by a thousand mosquitos, and I have to drive ten miles for cell service.  It is not my favorite place but we are having fun.  Overall without my husband managing the behind the scenes I would probably hate boondocking as a way of life.  I did it for a night here and there on my other trip.  But with my husband managing things it is fairly tolerable. I miss my tv, cell phone, randomly perusing the internet.  However I love daily board games with the kids,  reading alot, and generally waking up to silence...... he has a plan to make sure we get internet, cell phone service, and more electricity.  That plan requires more money.  Something that can be a tad bit scarce these days.  So we play games instead of watching a movie.  We turn in early and get plenty of rest, and we put on amazing amounts of homemade bug spray.  Just a few more days and we take AJ to college and then we are coming back hanging out until duke and his leg are completely healed.  Maybe stashing some money away.  Someday our adventure will really begin but for now we enjoy the lull.

Boondocking

We moved and are officially boondocking. After almost overheating the car we found wisdom in the words "set up a base camp and explore to find the perfect camp"  we found a pretty decent site considering our 26 foot camper and off we went to find the perfect place.  Well after two hours of searching we decided the place we were despite the lack of cell reception was a close to heaven as we could get.  There is water across the street a nice campfire ring, plenty of shade for a hammock and sun for the solar.  I like that the dogs don't bark at neighbors at the crack of dawn, I like the peace and quiet, I like it.  Much to my surprise I like it.  Now if we could just enjoy it and not have to run to town everyday. We are looking at campsite hosting next.  A full hookup would  be  a nice change of pace.  Watching a movie at the end of day to relax.  But then again I rather enjoy reading to the boys each night.  There are tradeoffs for sure, and maybe that is exactly what we will do...tradeoff. 
Now about the kids.  In between playing in the creek, playing board games, eating, and teaching the dog new tricks they complain endlessly about how awful this is.  But I must admit the complaints are getting fewer and farther in between.

Rain

I have successfully maneuvered our first thunderstorm.  We were a little worried about the kids because they were off at the lake when the thunder started, but they returned before the storm hit and we got everything put away.  As an added bonus we got the campsite cleaned up for tomorrows pullout.  During the storm I read to the kids (we are currently reading the hunger games), cleaned, and prepared dinner.  Now I know you must think that wasn't that long, but I am in a trailer with five to seven boys.  There are no 10 second tidies in this neck of the woods.  So we are prepared to take off tomorrow for the most part, my husband is fascinated with boondocking so tomorrow we go au natural.  Hoping to find a great little spot off the beaten path, settling for national forest service campground if we must.  Another adventure.  My kids keep singing a song that I can only surmise is either rap or hip-hop and I find it funny because every last one of the kids whines and complains about leaving kalispell (and who can blame them it is amazing here) but the song Yolo/you only live once by some artist I don't know goes into great detail about making the most of your life.  We have only one life to live don't waste it.  I find the irony of the situation almost to funny to restrain myself.  My children want me to make the most of life by never leaving our bubble.  So I am still hoping someday they see how amazing this adventure is going to be for each of them individually and for us as a family.  We are making dreams, memories.  We are not wasting thos one life we have to live.

Alone

Well, my husband comes back tomorrow!!!! I don't think I have ever been more excited.  Now I know I did all this last year with just a couple of strapping teenage boys, but holy Hannah I miss my man.  He gets up and takes care of the dogs, makes sure things are running smoothly, takes care of the solar, the water heater, and general maintenance choirs and somehow still has time to do his schoolwork, and tag along for adventures.  After one week of doing both my jobs and his jobs, I bow deeply to the single parent hero's, I am not that strong. 
I am ready to turn over to him all his duties and even some of mine.  I mean, I should have more time for reading shouldn't I?  Well even if I can't manage that I sure would like an occasional nap.  So many places to go.  So many opportunities i am ready for them as long as Tony is tagging along.

Myth #1

So I had this idea in my head that now finally my husband would always be here to fix every problem that arises.....not so.  I am sitting in a fairly dark trailer because apparantly all the batteries we have been testing for the last few months are bad.  Where is my husband you ask, after all we live in 300 square feet of familial bliss. He is at scout camp with one of my boys.  He will be back saturday, in the meantime I get to walk the dogs, make the food, fill the water, take the car to the shop, and figure out this solar situation.  I am not so sure i am ready for this week.

Living on the road week 1

Week One and my dear husband has already abandoned me.....just kidding.  He is off with Adam on a scout camp for the week so I am in charge.  So far this week we have replaced one battery, got new tires for the car, and replaced the brakes.  I am absolutely sure we had the vehicle checked out before we left, but not right before.  We were expecting the tires but everything else not so much.  Tell me how all three of your batteries go bad at once?  Aren't they supposed to last several years??  We met some awesome families who are out on the road as well, giving my kids a glimmer of hope that their social calendars aren't completely useless.  Had a great 4th.  Now a week of exploring glacier, and then we are off.  Where I still don't know, but it should be fun!

Sad

So sad today my son Aaron has decided to stay in town with a family we know and not come on our grand adventure.  I will miss him so much.  He has always been such a great kid its no wonder he has families chomping at the bit to have him stay.  I really am going to miss him but there is a time to let go of all our fabulous kids and this is the time for this one. 
It is funny how one family member can change the dynamics of the whole trip.  We will only be traveling with half our children now.  Hard to believe I am down to half. 
We will still have fun and adventure and I can't say this is completely unexpected.  But I miss him already.

Surprise surprise surprise

So when people ask me about how hard having eight kids is, I always say that its not that difficult because they entertain themselves.  There is no entertaining factor.  Well guess what?  When you live in an RV all the time they want you to entertain them no matter how many there are.  This may be a most difficult year. We did have a great first morning though.  In this picture look a little to the right.  Thats a very beautiful deer laying right behind him.  We went on a six mile bike ride, while two of the boys went fishing. I still haven't figured out what my husband did but I think he had fun too.

We made it!!

We made it!!  We are settled into our first night using our rv as an actual home.  Things could have gone smoother, but we made it.  I still have a ton of stuff to organize, straighten, and generally clean up.  I am living in my RV!!! We are not far from home, but it is so exciting to think of the whole world as my backyard.  Tomorrow we are going to get wood so we can have a fire....National Park rules are specific as to where you can pick up even dead wood.  After that maybe a bike ride and a leisurely stroll.  I am so excited!

THE DAY

Today is the day we pull out.  We are officially without a sticks and bricks house.  We take off into the great unknown and I have purged an amazing amount of stuff.  But I still have too much.  There is so much stuff.  Most of the extra we have are consumables, they won't last long.  I decided to keep the food because I wasn't sure what extra expenses we would run into and needed to save the extra grocery money.  So I have a couple of boxes sitting out without a place to be.
I feel incredibly anxious as starting this adventure as well as incredibly excited.  We are heading to glacier national park, where we will finish up appointments and activities in town.  My husband is taking off to scout camp with one of our boys, our teenagers are staying in town with some friends so they can work and say good bye, before college.  I am looking at it as kind of a easement into a new lifestyle.  We will be cooking over an open flame and  relaxing the day away as well as coming to town to finish off obligations.
We are hanging around town for several reasons besides finishing up obligations.  One is if we forgot something major we wanted to be in an area that we were familiar, and two we have a son going to college August 1, so we wanted to be able to drop him off.  So we will spend a month doing our favorite local things and rediscovering our home town, and then we are off. So many amazing adventures lie ahead....