5 Question Friday

Yeah, I know it's not really Friday...it's really Tuesday...so I'm behind! lol But I've missed answering these and I'm trying to get back into a rythm of what used to be our lives so I'm just doing it to a bit of a different beat these days...one of these days we will seap back into "normal" (whatever that is!) and we won't even realize it happened! Until then, I'll be answering these 5 questions on Tuesday! :)

1. How many pets do you have? two cats, one dog and 5 chickens!

2. If you could switch places with anyone in the world for one day, who would it be? I think it would have to be Oprah...I would love to be able to impact so many people's lives in one day!

3. What is your favorite money saving tip? Use the food you have and try not to waste it! Make it count!

4. What do you want your kids to be when they grow up? I know I should say somethign like "whatever they want to be" but secretly I hope they want to be SAHMs...I'm proud of what I do! Or if they have to have careers...I hope at least one of them is a vet so I can get more animals and be able to afford the vet bills! lol

5. What is your favorite quote? Do Bible scriptures count? Proverbs 3:5-6

Friday Field Trip-Ball of Twine

Now I know, this probably isn't something to jump up and down about...the thought of seeing a big ball of twine but for me it was a thrill when I realized we would be going by it on our journey north! Have you ever seen the movie "Michael" with John Travolta? Well, that's what started this obsession to see the obscure sites our great country has to offer....only this isn't the one in the movie (much to my dismay). The one in the movie happens to be in Minnesota and it was made by one man...whereas the one in Kansas is also the worlds largest but it was made by many people and continues to be added on to still today...

That's right, we got to leave our mark in Kansas! (They measure an weigh the twine and have it available in the gift shop!)

After taking a ton of pictures by this roadside attraction, we wandered across the street to a corner gift shop (it's not well marked but it is there!) where we found a sign stating that the store is closed on Wednesdays (the day we happened to be there) and my heart sank! Then I read, that we could call a number and the owner would come up, or she gave her home address where we could stop by and see the items she had there also! Talk about small town huh? :) As it turned out, the owner was there in the store after all and was nice enough to let us look around! She had a mix of twine souvenirs and antique store items too...we settled on a few postcards to send friends and began our collection of Christmas ornaments for the trip! This wasn't something that we really planned but will make for a fun trip down memory lane when we get them out this holiday season!

All and all, this was one of my favorite stops. It didn't involved anything fancy, no flashing lights or cool rides....but the girls loved it just the same. We stopped and had a rest from the drive, a cup of peaches from Aunt Tish, and lots of pictures to remember the day...

I challenge all of you to find something off the beaten path and take joy in something simple today...we have the good fortune of living in an amazing country (no matter what country you live in- I think there is something amazing about it!) and it's all the little details that make it so great but unfortunately it's also those little details that tend to get over looked....

I so kneaded that!

It's funny the silly little insignificant things you miss when you can't have them...for me it was homemade bread, cloth napkins and my sleep number bed! Ok, I missed other things too (books being at the top of that secondary list) but those three seemed to be the most missed while staying in the trailer....

Today was our first full day without DH, and while it felt good to get back into a schedule...the day also seemed to last a bit longer than usual. Now, that might have something to do with the fact that I got up at 5am with him or maybe it's just because it was a long day without him...it's been awhile since he had a full day of work and his days will be a bit longer here than we are used to anyways. Never-the-less, I'll be glad when he gets home again...


I did manage to get quite a bit done today tho. Two cups of coffee, emails, blog roll, bath and phone call with Mom...all by around 9am! Who knew you could get so much done! lol Oh, and of course we had to go visit the chickens and check for eggs....that's right...you read it...we have chickens!!! It's pretty funny but I knew this house was "the one" when the owner asked if we would be interested in keeping the 4 laying hens and rooster with the house!! The girls were thrilled and have a new love of eating "chicken eggs" as if they are something different than the ones we buy at the store! lol Now hopefully they won't lose interest in checking for eggs, their enthusiasm is so fun!






Back to the things I missed the most...sleep number bed was the first to check off the list...then I unpacked the napkins (including the adorable chicken ones I got in KS)....and today I made bread!!!





I have tried many recipes but this is one of my favorites. I think I found it in an old Taste of Home magazine. Yep, I did! Boy was that easier than typing it all out! I love this recipe because mine actually ends up looking like the one in the magazine! lol


Ok, I guess I really should get to making some dinner to go with that bread...the natives are getting restless! I feel so blessed!

Back to reality...

You'd never believe the journey we've had...I don't even know where to begin! I had hoped to be a "good blogger" and upload pictures each day on our trip and to keep this wonderful log of our journey for all to see and follow along...but then I would have missed out on part of the journey! Wi-Fi was sparse to say the least, and for the last two weeks, it was non-existant all together! It was just yesterday that we finally got reconnected to the world at all...we found that our cell phones don't work in our new location and that it took a week to get a house phone and internet! Weird to be so disconnected but we're appreciating it all the more now that we have it back and we were too busy unpacking to be doing much else anyways...

Since there is no possible way I could ever get caught up on EVERYTHING in this one blog post, I've decided to follow suit with the idea of Field Trip Friday over at Live the Adventure...since it is going to be awhile before we are up for any field trips or our own (another car ride? gasp!) I'll try and share with you the adventures we had in getting here and before long I'm sure we'll be throwing in a few new trips to go with it!

On the road again...

I wish I could say that I "just can't wait to get on the road again" but I'm not feeling all that excited...

Our neighbor left this for us....

We said our last goodbyes to our friends in TX and pulled out of that state a few days ago and I've had this terrible lump in my throat ever since...

Our last night in Texas was so near perfect I don't know if words would do it justice. DH and I loaded up the left over items into the moving truck and then spent the rest of that scorching day running last minute errands and getting the trailer ready for travel. It still amazes me that we got it all done! Later that evening, a few of my very closest friends stopped in for one last visit and the inevitable series of goodbyes...for both moms and kids....we had such a good visit and the kids had so much fun running around. It felt like one of those Americana moments...you know, when neighbors actually knew each other and kids could run freely in their neighborhoods. It was one of those memories...full of laughter and fun...memories captured in pictures before the reality of the time set in and it was time for good byes....or rather, until we meet again...because I know I will see those ladies again. They are my friends, my strength and such a part of me now...we'll meet again someday...

After the friends trickled out, a new set of friends came seeping into the light of our trailer and shelter of our awning...with dinner in hand and good visits to follow. The new friends we have made in this little trailer park have given us so much joy and I feel so lucky to have had this experience and to have met these kindred hearts. I know we have made friends for years to come!

Please don't take offense...but for four yours we've joked that the best view of Texas is in your rearview mirror...lol.. It kept us laughing even if we don't feel like that now...we still had to take this picture for the scrapbook anyways... :)

The day we pulled out of Texas it was a typical TX day....heat so hot you can't stand it and a sun beating down in such intensity the heat feels heavy. It was a good send off as it made us ache for cooler weather. Just as it happened a few years ago, we listened to Bon Jovi ring us out of town singing "Who says you can't go home" and we crossed the border listening to "When you're going thru hell, keeping on moving"...I thought it was a bit poetic....

But now, in the quiet night before we got on to the next leg of this journey...I find myself wanting to drag my feet once again. We are having to say our last goodbyes, this time to family and it feels like a little piece of my heart is breaking...this is the very closest I have ever lived to family and I can't tell you how much we have enjoyed being able to come to Kansas as a little reprieve from Texas and how many memories and laughter have occurred here with aunts and uncles cousins and grandparents...

I have to look forward now, and try to think about the good things coming our way and how the north/west is waiting for us...waiting to welcome us into the next chapter of our lives....

This leap is a bit scary at times but I know that He has a plan and I find so much comfort in that...I know great things are coming our way and that our friends are just a phone call/facebook comment away....

So for now, we're on the road again!!!

Washington or Bust!