August 2-3

If you have 5 kids and a free hubby (DONE DONE DONE his contracts) what should you do? Well if you are a homeschooling family… you start like you did the day before – breakfast and then right into the review books and letters to the people who have stepped up to be our pen pals. Right now they don’t really understand how much work they WON’T be doing once we get all the first letters out but we are working down out list quite doggedly. Some even people the boys have never met before!!

Hard at work at a letter/picture (Gavin)

Now with the schooling out of the way, the kids dressed and the husband not tied to the computer beyond his morning’s job hunt (go Ken go!!) what to do? Well there was this promised LONG awaited outing… Victoria Secret and my first proper bra fitting and purchase of a proper NON nursing bra in over 9 years!! We had coupons that had come to the house in the mail recently and I ended up SAVING 120.00 while spending well under 100 and within the allotted budget… how so? Well we ended up with close enough to the target amount to get this really nice travel bag… which is also ALL of Lisa’s Secrets you will see… Victoria lets hers all hang out, me… not so much!

The bag!

In front of the store. All Trinity wanted was the bag it all came in!

After VS it was time to drive around and keep an eye peeled for MORE garage sales… check back at an old haunt and show the kids more of the beauty of the area. I have decided that next week or so we shall start collecting pictures of interesting street signs… trust me there are some REAL giggles. 

So now I have TWO new books to read… AND a list of suggestions (I had already read some but so neat how Barnes and Nobles does that!).

The two newest acquisitions

Suggestions

We had to make a stop off at a gaming store we remembered from years back that had moved to a NEW location that was HUGE so that the kids could each get a die. They do love having dice around! At 1.50 a piece certainly no hardship. Oh but don’t forget about lunch – TACO BELL!

Taco Bell

YUM!

This marked the beginning of our solo weekend. Nana and Baba headed off with Ken’s brother Joe and his family to camp for the weekend. We opted to stick around here so that we could work on some discipline issues, enjoy each other’s company and sort through a few more items we have laying around. Ken’s folks picked up some storage for our bedroom so I was able to further organize… and everyone knows how happy that makes me!!! 

Echo checking out from the inside out

We had a slow start to Friday as I finally have a more minor version of the rest of the family’s cold. But we did get out the door in the afternoon… for the ever magic garage sales (more squinkies and a spelling boardgame) and then the main attraction for the day – once we found it (two parks named the same on different streets in the same town???) – Andrew’s baseball game. The first of the tournament.

Andrew action shot

Another very hot day so the kids were a little fussy but we had a blast! Ken took pictures, Echo played with her Anthony and the boys played at the park. We always have fun with the Novaks. 

Watching from some shade

Echo and her Anthony

Andrew’s team won! And on that positive note we said see you LATER (that still brings a smile to my face) and headed off down the backroads home. We lucked out on our travels and came across ANOTHER garage sale… this one with everything for 25cents!! I picked up a zipper up sweater (just needed a wash), a push/ride car that we had up north and sold (seriously a QUARTER!) and a car that came with dominoes that turned out to be a gem. You fill the car and then let it go and it sets dominoes in a line!!!

She was so excited she wouldn’t let me put her pj’s on before she got onto it!

Don’t forget a stop off at Sam’s Club and an attempt at Slurpee in the form of a Coke flavoured Icee… head’s up… it is NOT the same thing!!!

Not quite

In the end the kids were pleased, we got to spend the day with friends and that night Ken and I sat around and did nothing! I just hope the rest of the family is having as much fun camping!!!

Cheering for our best boys!

July 18-19

And here is where I come through on my promise… Wednesday did not only mark the celebration of my nephew’s birthday BUT it is also the beginning of our biggest adventure yet as a family. We are officially on our way south to Minnesota for a 2 year or so stint as permanent residents in the United States of America! Yup, you read that right, we have left the familiarity of Alberta for Ken’s home state of Minnesota. 

This is not a decision we came to lightly or with little thought but after another month of disappointment in the rental search (seriously HUGE places turning us down on the basis of it being “too small” for our family… yah right), a sudden contract issue (no fault of Ken’s or the supervisor but the world happens) and the feeling really that this is the direction we should take led to our finally making the move. The plan was swift to implement as it has been a backup plan since Ken first moved up here and we definitely didn’t tarry. Thus the run to the passport office, the garage sale and downsizing… all the clues were there right?

We started out for the states right from Drumheller after our final good byes at the party. The plan was to drive on through with naps when needed and did we ever! We made AMAZING time. And since we had the iPad that can pick up any and all free Wifi we did periodic check ins from every place we could via Facebook. A good thing as  well before the border our cell stopped working (payfor does not like changing areas of service). As my Aunty Becky joked – the kids must have figured that the drive down to Minnesota simply came down to a string of fast food restaurants! 

Some beautiful Alberta scenery

We did have one scare Wednesday night, a deer decided to attempt suicide using our van as the vehicle of choice. It actually was across the highway when we saw it and started to slow and then decided to turn back around and run AT us! Thankfully we got away with just a dent in our sliding door and a rather adrenaline pumped Kenny. 

Poor van

After Saskatchewan at night and Manitoba in the wee hours of the morning it was the border crossing. It was our simplest border crossing yet with next to no questions and only one car ahead of us! What a relief. I always feel anxiety at border crossings, I swear Ken eggs them on subconsciously. 

Saskatchewan rest stop

Note the van is PARKED

After that it was North Dakota with a hilariously WRONG Canadian bacon related sign…

What, so now we are all pirates??? eh???

A Minnesota rest stop all full of sun, heat and HUMIDITY

And then onto Minnesota and our end destination – Nana and Baba’s and our next two years in sight. We were welcomed by Nana and Baba and our niece Gabriella and nephew Zachary…

Gabriella and Trinity

So starts a brand new page in our life… Minnesota and all the ups and downs that go with it. Note the sad lack of slurpees… but I WILL survive!!! And to end this epic trip… a few of our location marking pictures…

Sunset in Saskatchewan

My last slurpee from Macs in Winnipeg…

Our first meal in the states… Arby’s for lunch

July 16-17

But wait, I can’t spill THAT yet!! So Monday… Well we figured the kids needed a down day as did the adults. And the morning weather was NOT conducive to splash parking anyway. Time instead to start the laundry and packing process… Oh and to have a last movie night with Sharon. (a definite must).

We had plans for a leisurely Tuesday that would end with the not too long drive to Karyn’s for the girls and Kristen and Fydo’s for the boys… But as with all Reinsch-Johnson plans… They change and change drastically.

Instead we had to cram Tuesday’s plans into Monday to make Monday a day of further travel due to unavoidable Ken type stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I got my movie night… We were determined on that one. Have you ever seen The Proposal? I can now say I have!

My time with Sharon has been so much fun! Her plans corresponded with ours only she left Tuesday afternoon and we scooted out in the morning, after we let the kids have some special playtime. Emma was a total sweetheart and gave Emanuel a penguin plushy he had fallen in love with.

Trinity and Logan

Zander and “his Emma”

Gavin, Ethan and Emanuel and a DS

We packed up our van, said goodbye and headed to the city one last time. After a successful errand it was time for a celebratory lunch at McDonalds. The last errand on the list really. Hard to believe we had worked through most everything we needed to get done in a mere two weeks!! But we did!

Echo playing with Trinity’s hair… more like back combing it with her hands!

My babies

So after the lunch it was time to head back to town and meet up with Chris and Chris for our dinner plans – homemade stew with good friends. A final hurrah before our big adventure.

Sunny hot day

Duke and Echo

With the Chrises

After supper we got in some visiting but Echo made it very clear that she was TIRED!! So back to our bedtime destinations… and for us girls some girly visiting time and a run out for a forgotten item or two for Karyn.

Note the HUGE Pepsi slurpee late at night, in my defense they had no smaller cups there… seriously! It has been hot!

Trinity and her special Aunty

And that was our evening. We had a great but rushed day and were packed and ready to go for the rest of our week. Echo had a rough evening – teething and growing pains… but we managed. And by managed I mean I slept in a single bed with BOTH girls… but that was ok too. After all we had a DOUBLE adventure to face the next day!!! Check back to read more! 

Echo saying bubye