Seattle Bound: Day 1 & 2

Northeastern Illinois

Twilight over Illinois. Can you spot Venus?

I'm in awe every time I see it...

Geocaching along Route 66

Crazy rock walls in Arkansas!

One of two groups of skydivers we saw during our travels

We've had great weather so far. We had some rain in Tulsa this morning for a very brief time but it's been blue skies ever since. I just wanted to share a couple of photos from our trip thus far. We've spent the majority of the time in the car so besides the pic of the girls, I've taken all of them from a moving vehicle!

Look for more pictures as the week goes on!

Wordless Wednesday: Play Ball!

Getting Organized

We're getting ready for the big trip and one of the things that I thought might help was some vehicular organization. The packing for this trip is much different than our usual outings, so I've had to re-think how and what I pack. I ordered one of these "Backseat Valets" that are made especially for SUV's and bigger vehicles. It should keep a lot of those pesky, smaller items off the floor, giving us more room for our suitcases and a cooler.

 I also ordered an organizer/storage bin that fits between the girls two car-seats. It actually clips into the unused middle seatbelt so that it can't slide off. It can hold drinks, snacks, coloring supplies, books, etc. and the top zips closed and has raised sides to hold crayons and other items in place. I think it will work perfectly!

The weather is also going to be issue, since we are going as far South as Oklahoma and as far North as Calgary, Alberta (Canada). Did you know they are over 1700 miles apart?  In fact, we'll be traveling almost 6,000 miles round-trip, not including our time in Seattle and other jaunts off the main itinerary. Let's hope our Yukon XL is up to the challange!

Anyway, most of our travel will be during the Summer months so the temps should be more consistent, but you never know! We have to pack swimming gear, hot weather gear, hiking gear, rain gear, cool weather layers, etc. and all for a 17 day trip! Hopefully we'll be able to find some laundry facilities along the way! :) This is going to be interesting, to say the least.....

Going Commercial

Personalized Official Geocacher Doormat

"A high-tech version of hide -and- seek, Geocaching is fun for all ages. Players use a GPS (Global Positioning System) to hide and find containers ("caches") anywhere in the world. If you're into this hot new sport or know someone who is, you've just found the perfect doormat. May be personalized with any navigational code; supply the ZIP code and we'll do the rest. Mat is durable 100% Olefin with synthetic jute backing, 27" x 18". Made in USA" 

When looking through one of my favorite catalogs today, I was shocked to see this item emblazoned on its pages. It marks the first time that I have seen something specifically made for Geocachers in a gift catalog not intended specifically for those interested in the sport. How cool is that?!!!

It's going on my wish-list...  :)

*Be sure to check out Signals for unique gifts that support Public Television...

When in doubt, Tile it!

Kitchen 1 year ago...

Kitchen today!

Our mess last year...

No mess now!

Close view of the tile work...

Putting up a tile backsplash in the kitchen was on the original list of things to be accomplished when we first bought this house. Unfortunetly, it's taken us over a year to complete. I vacillated between subway tile, natural stone, glass, ceramic, porcelain...you name it. I would see something I liked and think, "Yes, that's what I want!" only to change my mind moments later. 

Mike and I finally ended up at The Tile Shop where we had more tile to chose from than jelly beans at Easter! That place was insane, but we honed in on the Travertine tile right away, and this mosaic style really caught our eye. I had brought our paint and cabinet samples with us, and letting Christian (who was helping us in the store) see the color of our walls, he went in search of the perfect glass tile to accent the room. 

I had fun putting up the tile while Mike did the measuring and cutting. We both grouted and rinsed (which was a total pain with the tight quarters and multi-dimensional tile). It took us 3 days to complete and we're so pleased with the results. 

Now the kitchen is almost complete. We just have the grid of ceiling panels to take down so that we can install recessed lighting and some pendants over the island. Maybe another day...I'm all tuckered out!

Pictures in the Park

We took advantage of this beautiful day and went over to Leslie E. Tassell Park in Cascade to play in the water fountains. The girls love exploring in this delightful park! We splashed in the water, walked on the rocks to the island, tried to catch butterflies and "danced" in the circle with the other "sculptured" kids.

We had a riot and by the time we left, there were over a dozen kids on the splash/fountain pad area. I think we'll try to get over there at least once a week and if you haven't taken your tots there, I highly recommend it! The park is beautiful in so many ways and you can walk to the ice cream shop after you're done at the park...bonus!