The first half of this was typed as we drove across the country. Once we arrived in Connecticut, we had much to do and ended up writing the rest a week after our arrival. All the photos are included in this gallery. Only 217 of them! Mouse over for controls. Enjoy!
We left Logan, UT at 7:32 am on Saturday, March 17th (St Patrick's Day - all of us sporting green temporary tattoos for the journey). We lovingly said goodbye to the only hometown that our children have known, and good bye to the majestic mountains of Logan canyon and the beautiful bit of snow on the mountain tops. My patience started to wane a few miles into the canyon (... Uh- oh... ) as the children were already needing a lot of help with the cd and tape players that were purchased from the DI to keep them occupied. Hopefully it's just a learning curve thing, and things will go more smoothly as we go... I hope.
We stopped by Martin's Cove in WY, which gave some context to the movie "17 Miracles" that we watched recently as a family. We didn't have time, unfortunately, to walk to the actual cove (3 hours walking), but we did learn a little more about some of our ancestors (Jens and Ane Petersen and their 6 children, all of whom survived the trek to Utah). We had visited the grave of Jen's and Ane a couple of weeks ago in the Logan Cemetery.
Shortly after that we stopped at Independence Rock. Despite the powerful winds, the climb to the top was a welcome break from sitting in the car. The girls loved climbing. I remember doing the same thing when I was a kid. Good times!
We filled up the tank again and ate a late lunch in Casper, WY. We had listened to a lot of music, eaten snacks, the girls have completed little maze books and are working on dot-to-dots. They watched Singin' In The Rain, did some homework, and wrote in their journals.
After Casper, there was a loooong stretch of driving. The girls got to hand in more "travel tickets" (something they got to do every half hour or so) in exchange for some prize or activity that I had been collecting for a few months. The also watched Whale Rider. After a while we came upon the monument to Crazy Horse - a work in progress - which is to be the largest monument ever to be carved out of stone. We could see the silhouette of the face, and the beginnings of what would be his arm pointing outward as he sat on his horse. It was massive and impressive. We later purchased a book about him so that the girls would understand why they would spend so many years (over 20 and counting) working on this American Indian hero.
Some time after that, we arrived at Mt. Rushmore. We hadn't planned on actually seeing it until the next morning, but luckily, it was still light outside, so we hopped out of the car, and headed up to see the four giant heads of those great presidents. Adam and I babbled out some history about the presidents, which we are sure was either permanently absorbed by our ever-attentive children, or lost in the wind as we walked up to the viewing point - one of those two things, not sure which.
All in all, we would say that day 1 of this crazy moving adventure vacation was a success! We found a cheap but clean place to sleep over looking Rapid City (Big Sky Lodge), and fell asleep exhausted. Just to keep thing interesting, little Ruby managed to get herself super sick. We couldn't figure out what caused it because we all ate the same things. She threw up pretty much every hour on the hour for eight hours during the night. Yikes and yuck! The poor kid was super pale and had nothing left in her. She was a trooper and didn't cry about it (very much). We had flashbacks about our experience in Moab, UT last year. We were also incredible grateful that we didn't have baby Sonoma with us (thank you, mom and dad!). Things could have been much worse, but I'm sure the smell in our room couldn't... *shudder*. We got a later start than we originally thought we would, and took off from Rapid City, SD the next morning at about 8 am.
There is not much to say about day 2 of the trip. It was a day full of driving. There was only one residual vomit incident in the car that made it into a plastic bag, whew. Our behinds began to ache from sitting all day, and road trip food began taking a toll on our bodies. Adam and I decided that there is nothing like a road trip to make you feel fat. You inevitably eat junk, your belly seems to pop out and hang over the seatbelt, your thighs are looking large against the seat of the car, and any time you actually manage to fall asleep for a few minutes, your mouth falls open to reveal a most-flattering drop-jaw and double-chin look. Ah well.
Filled up in south Sioux City, Nebraska. We decided to deviate off course about a half mile so that we could cross a bridge into NB, just so that we could say that we had been there.
We drove until nearly 8pm and made it to Oskaloosa, IA. We stayed at a Comfort Inn. Our requirements for that choice: a laundry machine for articles of clothing that fell victim to last nights vomiting (the ones we didn't already throw away, that is), and a swimming pool so that the kids could do something physical. Happily, it was a quiet place, and we all slept until we got back on the road, Nauvoo, IL bound, at 7 am.
Nauvoo was quiet, peaceful, with the perfect temperature, and a light breeze that brought the fragrance of the beautifully blooming magnolia trees right to us. It was as if we walked into springtime, and it was glorious! We walked around the temple, then went to the visitor’s center where the kids enjoyed walking in a statue garden dedicated to women. Then we went to the brickyard where we learned that you only need sand, clay, and water to make bricks. The girls were given a brick as a souvenir. As it turns out, the man giving the tour was an old soccer coach of Adam's. We also went to a blacksmith where we learned how wagon wheels for handcarts were made. The girls were given "prairie diamond rings" or nails that had been pounded into a circle to fit on your finger.
We made our way up north while watching "The Music Man" because we thought the girls would like singing the song "Gary Indiana" as we passed through Gary Indiana. It was a big hit. So much so that we got very sick of that song when the kids got loopy later that night and couldn't stop singing it! While in Gary, we thought it would be worth the 5-minute detour to see the birthplace of Michael Jackson. We listened to some classic MJ hits and went for it. The neighborhood turned out to be quite intimidating. We feared for our lives just a little bit. The house was as humble as we had heard it would be. ... And since Gary, IN was such a cool place, we decided to take another brief detour so that we could say we had been to Lake Michigan. Luckily, the beach there was lovely with soft sand. Freezing cold water, but soft sand. Finally, we got back on the road and drove to Toledo, OH to sleep.
Our first stop the next morning was in Cleveland for breakfast and a quick look at Lake Erie. The water's edge was very rocky. Olivia likes to live on the edge, which is what she was doing when she slipped on the slimy moss and fell, just a little, into the lake. A change of clothes later and we were back on the road.
Previously mentioned travel tickets were no longer given out freely at the beginning of each day. They now had to be earned by doing acts of kindness, or by keeping your space clean - a decidedly better strategy. Also, no movies were allowed until homework had been completed. Other activities that helped the kids stay busy included weaving a hot pad (a store bought activity kit), paper dolls, stickers, flashlights, pipe cleaners, tin foil creations, tape, finger puppets, beading necklaces, reading, coloring books, dot to dots, mazes, etc., etc., etc.
We were almost to New York when we realized that we would be close to Niagara Falls! So, naturally, we went. The GPS took us to the Canadian border where the border patrol guy correctly informed us that the falls were better experienced from the Canadian side. We told him that we didn't have our passports, just drivers’ licenses, and nothing for the kids. He didn't think that was a problem, so off we went. We quickly found a place to stay, and took off on foot. The falls were breathtaking. There was so much spray coming up from the falls that we could feel a mist on our faces even at the top. I'm baffled that anyone even went over the edge and lived to tell about it. I think they must have been lying. The falls were surprisingly grandiose, and there were so many other unexpected attractions for the children. It was like a big permanent carnival. We rode on a giant ferris wheel, went to a "fun house", which was over-priced and pathetic to Adam and I, but simply amazing to the kids. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe, and went to the fudge factory for dessert. It was a full-blown binaries vacation wrapped up in one evening. The next morning Adam got up early to go for a run then I went on a walk. When it is dark, you can hear the falls and there was a lot of fog. It was beautiful and ominous. We were there during the off-season, so there weren't a lot of people around. It was wonderful.
The next stop was in Palmyra, NY. We saw the Hill Cumorah, the Sacred Grove, the temple, and the place where the Smith family lived. It was a bit hot (80 degrees), but beautiful countryside. I think all of us would say that our favorite part was the Sacred Grove. It was very peaceful.
We were almost there, just one more day of driving. We were worried that by the end we would be so miserable after driving for so long that we would never want to do it again (we plan on heading back west for visits, but plane tickets and car rentals are too expensive – so driving is our best option), but thankfully, we actually enjoyed the trip. Granted, we didn’t have our youngest with us, and we had the luxury of making the drive slower that we normally will, but still.
We continued on towards our new home, hoping to at least see it before dark. Eventually the major highways we were on turned into narrow windy roads that were nearly swallowed up in tunnels of trees. It was nearing darkness when we actually arrived at our new place. We could not stay there that night. The landlords (who are wonderful people, by the way) were there painting and cleaning, but had said that we could come see it and drop off a few things. The moving van would arrive two days later. My first thought was that the house was as beautiful as it looked in the video that Adam had sent me in Utah, and that it was also as big as it looked.
We walked around the home and around the 2.5 acres that slope behind it, and we could feel that we would be happy here.
We stayed in a hotel for the next two nights. We spent the next day in NYC stopping at Time Square, visiting the M&M store as well as Toys R Us, riding a ferry by the Statue of Liberty, playing at a park, riding the subway, and finally heading to JFK to pick up my mom and our youngest daughter, Sonoma. It was a sweet reunion. We were all beaming with the joy of being together again. The next morning was move in day – the start of a new chapter in life.
I will call the rest of the story: Mark Twain in our Midst, because, he is. For anyone who doesn’t know, we are living in Mark Twain’s old carriage house. All the land around us and some of the homes were once owned by him. There is a wonderful little Mark Twain Library just down the street. It is an area rich with history, and we love it. Our sweet next-door neighbors even came by to introduce themselves, and give us a print of a painting that she had done of Mark Twain. She is the neighborhood historian as well as a successful artist, whose work can be seen at www.susandurkee.com.
The good, the bad, and the beautiful of our house: (include photos and walk-through video)
The views are AMAZING! I LOVE looking out the window, any window of our house. We could be in the middle of a state park. I love opening my eyes in the morning and see the view from my bed. It is peace to my soul. All this, and spring hasn’t really sprung yet – but it’s started and I’m so excited! The yard is huge with wonderful trees for swings, a fire pit, and a border with 160+ acres of nature reserve complete with trails and wildlife. We have had a few deer sightings as well as wild turkeys and squirrels so far. The kids are very entertained out there, and we love the idea that their imaginations can run wild for hours as they play here in safety. Well, relative safety. We have heard from so many people that due to the warm winter, the ticks will be crazy bad this year. They say it is just common to get Lyme’s disease, and that I should just expect it. Grrreeeeaaaaaat. We’ll look forward to that (shake head in fear). Hey, you know what?, everything is a give and take. You want the views, and the land, you take the ticks. It is what it is.
Okay, because this house used to be a carriage house, it has been added onto and worked on a few times. It’s like a patch-work house, so the layout is a little odd. It has all of the quirkiness of an old house from poor insulation to inconvenient (or no) lighting to no dishwasher – that’s right, we wash everything by hand, it’s part of our nightly routine and the girls enjoy helping (for now, but I’m not holding my breath). There is a lot of hand-done, built-in woodwork, which is beautiful, but can also make the place feel darker than it is. The main floor is basically a mother-in-law apartment which is perfect for guests (come one, come all!… call first), but we actually do most of our living upstairs. Basically, it feels like we live in a cabin in the middle of Pooh’s 100 acre wood,… because we do.
A funny story (now) is that on a cold day, our heat stopped working. We didn’t notice it until the evening because we were unpacking and such. We contacted our landlord, he came over with a neighbor and they tried, unsuccessfully, to fix it. I was nervous because I was already feeling chilly, and if you know anything about me, you know that I hate being cold. I just don’t do cold well at all. I’m a big wimp, and that’s just the way it is, so the idea of a freezing cold night was a source of anxiety for me. Our landlord brought over three space heaters and said that he’d call someone to come look at it in the morning. In the end, the oil tank – everything is heated with oil out here – was empty. They tested it for leaks, and then determined that the people who were renting before us needed to fill it back up. I’m just grateful to have it all figured out and to have heat again!
So, my mom came out to bring my daughter and to help us settle in. Let me just take this opportunity to say how INCREDIBLE she has been and what a huge help it has been to have her here! I hate to think of what it would have been like without her help! The children are more at ease with her around. She has been a wonderful distraction for them when I’ve been organizing and unpacking. She has had so many great ideas about how to do things and where to put things. She has done laundry and dishes as well. Adam got right to work after we unloaded to truck, so it has been wonderful to have another adult around to chat with. I seriously don’t want her to leave!
Olivia, our 6 yr-old, started school soon after we got here. We thought she would start sooner than she did, but sheesh, the school here is tougher than we thought to get into! We assumed she would need to show her immunization records. We did not expect to have to have a notarized copy of our lease agreement, show her original birth certificate or passport, and have a complete physical among other things, to be allowed into the school. I mean really, she is in 1st grade, is all of that necessary? Well apparently, yes, yes it is. Anyway, she loves it! (Whew! Huge sigh of relief!) She (and therefore we) was so worried about going to a new school and making new friends. Happily, the school is wonderful, she made new friends easily, and all is well. She was happy to move from a class in UT with mostly boys in it, to a class here with mostly girls. Another bonus for her here is that she gets to ride the bus to school, a first for her. She LOVES riding the bus. The only thing is that because we live on a tiny lane, the bus can’t come up to or near our house. It is a seven-minute walk to the bus stop. At the moment, the walk is pleasant, fragrant, and beautiful. We enjoy the alone time together as we talk and walk. I do worry, however, about the infamous ice storms that are prone to appear during New England Winters and what the walks will be like then. Instead of worry about that, I’ll just choose to live in the present, because for now, it is pretty great. Anyway, she has been working on a shelter project for her school. She chose to make a house on stilts.
As with any move, we have had to make several trips to the store to get seemingly endless odds and ends and food and whatnot. One such outing was to IKEA, about an hour away. Sonoma threw up on the drive there. Maybe it was the winding roads? But really, I thinking we’ve had enough of that, eh?
We have also managed to make the 30 minute drive to the beach, or as they call it here, “the sound”. It was really nice and warmish on the first two days that we got here, but since then it has been quite cold, windy, and sometimes rainy. There was no sun bathing, but there were good times at the nearby playground and along the shore collecting shells. The next day we drove 15 minutes in the other direction to the nearest mall. It is a nice mall with a 2-story merry-go-round – obviously a huge hit with the kids. After that we went to a grocery store called Stew Leonard’s. It is not your average grocery store. It is designed for you to have to walk through every section of the store (sort of like IKEA), so there aren’t isles or anything like that. It also has little attractions for children up high (like a singing bear, singing and moving dairy products, a singing Chiquita banana, etc. The kids loved that as well.
The Mark Twain Library that I mentioned earlier really is a fantastic place. I had been given a heads up on the free age-appropriate story times available there, so I signed up all three children for their respective story times. They are so great! I love them because the kids love them, and I get to meet other moms and kids in the area. I also joined their book club in the hopes that I will be motivated and find time to read and be involved with other adults in the area. The library also offers a range of activities throughout the year (including a lego day that we just went to) as well as free and discounted passes to museums, aquariums, and that sort of thing in the surrounding area. So cool! While Redding, CT does not have a grocery store to speak of (that’s right, we drive to the next town over), the library is wonderful.
So, that wraps up what’s been happening over the past 2 weeks. Pretty crazy, but we’re very excited to be here and look forward to everyone coming to visit! J
Us at our new digs.
So, yeah, it was Spring Break. Before the break, I had lofty ideas about taking the kids to the Bronx Zoo and going to a museum and a bunch of other outings that were going to be well-planned, memorable, and awesome. Money is tight, so I was really going to have to plan (Bronx Zoo is free on Wednesdays, by the way), but I was determined to do it. But then... I didn't. I didn't go through with any of it, actually. The good news is that Spring Break was memorable and awesome. The kids had a blast everyday, and I didn't have to go to all the trouble of planning or spend any money. The truth is, my kids don't need lavish Spring break trips or events or outings to keep themselves happy (thank goodness!). They were thrilled to just stay up late, sleep in, play together all day, and do things like write letters, make crackers, run in the sprinklers, color in coloring books, have dance parties, watch movies, go to the library, and even do homework. It was glorious, and I was thrilled to let them play and not teach them that having fun always has to equal going out and spending money. 
Another activity that kept us busy this week has been clearing an area in our backyard for a playground. This process starts with Adam clearing a section of weeds during his morning workout. Later on the girls and I go to the wood chip pile in the brush, fill up a bucket, and bring it over to the clearing. We also look around for rocks to be a border and a buffer between the grass and the wood chips. I love that we are working together as a family on a project that they will use, appreciate, and be proud of. They have worked hard on it. They have also been really helpful in collecting sticks around the yard (there were tons of them) to be burned. And with helping get our garden started. It is so fun to be outside working together! By the way, our garden is a bunch of pots on our balcony. We decided not to fight the animals here and just play it safe by keeping the garden out of their reach. Pots and dirt were easier and cheaper to get than clearing a section of grass, fencing it, and starting from there. 
We have also gotten to know the people who lived in this house before us. They are fabulous and very kind and generous. They have helped us out quite a bit with so many things. We had dinner at their place the other night, and our kids played well together. We may even inherit a cat from them that has been hanging around their property. I'm a wimp, but I'm scared to have a pet.
