Parties Galore

Our dear sweet friends are so very graciously throwing a going away part for us, this is the hilarious invitation Jessica made.

Our actual going away has been postponed by a couple weeks due to the new windows but it's not too big of a setback. In fact it relieves a little of the pressure we've been feeling.

The painting starts tomorrow, the furniture is done, we'll pick it up tomorrow and try to find someplace to stash it. I made the curtains for the smaller windows but thankfully my mother-in-law, Liliane, has volunteered (been roped in) to sew the curtains for the main windows!

We played hookey today to cheer on some friends at the Ironman which we always enjoy. The kids are now zombies: we got up at 5:00am to watch the swim and then after some rest and cooking at home, we went to a lovely bbq at Phil and Bretta's Resort City Inn (the best motel in CdA!) I had to send Robb on his own tonight to represent us and cheer at the finish line.

Summer Begins

Nothing says summer like a lemonade stand. The kids were in front of our house for a while until Daddy caved to their entrepreneurial spirit and took them to the office building. The Car d'Alene was in full swing and the kids were very successful!

Jillian; less charmed by the business, struck up her own deal with Grandma Liliane. She would nap in the car while Grandma drove around looking at properties.

They are busy counting their profits now, Jamie is saving for spending money for the trip and Bobby is investing in silver. (No, I'm not joking.)

School's Out for Summer

I can't get Alice Cooper out of my head.

The school year is over and the kids are officially under our tutelage for the next year. (Technically more than a year Bobby quickly pointed out when I said as much this afternoon.)

It will probably get a little stressful as we realize the things that need to be accomplished before we embark, but for tonight, it feels magical.

Field Trips and Visitors

We have had an amazing week and it's only Wednesday. The kids' school year officially ended last Friday and this week is set aside for activities the class decide on together, they make a huge brainstormed list and vote for their favorite choices.

Monday: We went to the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. After some spectacular team work which moved a large tree that was blocking the road, we hiked and picnicked in an old growth forest. There were butterflies so sweet and mellow they landed on the kids' fingers and posed for the good parents who brought their cameras (I have been promised copies.) Then we found a dusty muddy part of the river where the parents sat in the sunshine, while digging and wading and general laundry making took place all around.
Tuesday: We drove 3 1/2 hours to Republic, WA to the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Eocene Fossil Center where the kids took hammers and chisels to rock to find fossils, mostly plant and insect. Big hit.
Today the kids were at the school house with free reign to do whatever they liked best.
Thursday we'll visit a dam and play on the beach at Round Lake. Friday we have a bike ride scheduled.
It has been an awesome year and I could not imagine a better way to celebrate all the hard work and wonderful experiences of the school year!

Our other excitement has come from our visitors!

Aunt Katie and Uncle Ted stopped by Coeur d'Alene on their way to Alaska! We spent a wonderful morning showing off our town and catching up and then hoodwinked them into staying an extra night so we could enjoy some more time together a meal out at Moon Time!
We enjoyed getting caught up on the family news and the chance for the kids to get to know 'Grandpa's big brother' and Aunt Katie!'
Here we are hanging out at their Lazy Daze getting ideas for our own adventure.



The bus progress continues, more rot under the kitchen, , the bunks are almost completed,the inevitability of new windows, the upholstery is progressing.... up and down, up and down....

A Day in the Life

Jillian reminded us this morning that sometimes a girl has got to stop and read the funnies. The funnier image was her getting herself up on the swing. We are consumed by the bus right now but trying hard, every day, to remember the reason why we're doing all this and to truly appreciate the journey. The whole journey.



That being said, there is an enormous amount of work to be done, so the kids and I do what we can. (The four of us physically at the bus while Robb and the guys are working, while educational and wonderful for the kids' sense of ownership and responsibility, is not the picture of productivity.) One of our current projects is the hardware for all the cabinets and drawers. We're cleaning it first with old toothbrushes, as the Nethercotts know, we have plenty of those. Then we need to figure out how to make them look pretty.

Jamie will resume her helpful roll but right now is engrossed in a project she came up with. She has written a book of poetry and is currently working on the covers. Our debate of whether she sells them at school (her brain child) or gives them as gifts (my preference) is still up in the air.

Oh bla di!

Whose Idea Was This?

Oh my.

Here are some pictures of the current state of the bus. There are a few more drawers out thanks to Bobby and the electric screwdriver. He spent 4 hours on Sunday removing screws and hardware with a manual screwdriver and after some pretty shrewd negotiating he has graduated to his first power tool.

It looks like the shower might come out too, then it's just a matter of removing lights and fixtures and then we begin the building phase, the wood portion of the sub floor and the welding of the bottom are first on the list.

I did get to pick out furniture fabric and interior paint colors today, it gave me a glimmer of hope because... well look at the pictures.

The Journey is Sweet

Jillian played with her dollies and sang Kandi by One Eskimo to me while I removed hardware and cabinet faces (she only knows the part that goes "he called me baby, baby, baby, all night long" and just repeats it over and over.)

Robb was working with our carpenter in the front and when they started using the loud, sparking tools we closed the door which has a mirror on the back. I'd like to think that the rest of Jillian's concert and subsequent dance recital was as much for my benefit as for her reflection's.

However this turns out it has already been completely worth it.

Besides; there's no turning back now!

We have started digging and stripping and we have a bloody mess.
I'll try to get some pictures this weekend.

We've found a bit of wood rot here, a bit of rust there, but nothing too surprising or unrepairable.
The dinette is out, the barrel chairs are out, the beds are out, the cabinet doors are half way removed, floors are out and whatever else happened after I left to meet the kids after school.

We have it in a garage/storage bay where we can work on it which is great because the pouring rain is not showing any signs of stopping. It's quite cozy really, though I think we need some music to work by, I'll work on that for tomorrow.

I compared 379 different shades of white today, they all looked the same. I'm going with the white the gentleman at the paint store just used on his grandson's bedroom furniture. He said it looked great; works for me!