Our first cold and rainy day since the monsoons of Arizona. We had a window of time to play a little soccer with Skylar at the dog park, then waited in the car for Elijah to return from his grand adventure in Canada. When it was time for Eli to cross back over, Ernie and I walked up and stood in bright yellow rain gear at the border to welcome our ecstatically happy son back with open arms. Before Elijah came through, the border guard watching us came out several times to say that we could just tell Eli to follow the sidewalk to Blaine, and then to suggest that maybe we were waiting at the wrong crossing altogether. We thought he might be trying to get rid of us because Ernie was showing me a tap dance at one point, and the guard didn’t want us to confuse and dumbfound the passenger cars passing through. One elderly gentleman pulled up in his truck, thought we were somehow part of the border guard and said “Boy, things sure have changed since I was last here!”

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#gigglesattheborder

#mysonisbackinAmerica

#gratefulbeyondwords

An Easy Day In Paradise

Today was a peaceful, easy, quiet day in paradise. We slept late, visited a fabulous dog park in Blaine, picked blackberries, ate by the bay, and just to keep things interesting, decided to take a hike as the sun was setting. Tatiana is a true nature girl and excellent navigator, so getting back in the dark was a cake walk for her, and actually a bit thrilling for us all.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#birchbayhappiness

#hikingatdusk

#slowdaysareablessing

#lovehikingwithmydaughter

So I dropped my son off in CANADA yesterday! (Deep breath, mama, deep breath). After days of searching for labs with the right kind of rapid Covid test, discovering that all ferries and bus service between countries were suspended due to Covid, and looking for any Airbnb or room still available on Vancouver Island; the pieces miraculously came together and I literally drove Elijah to the border and dropped him off for a 3 day adventure in Canada (something he has been looking forward to for a long time). A kind Canadian friend offered to pick him up on the other side. I couldn’t find a place to drop him off so I prayed and just kept driving until the GPS suddenly said “Welcome to Canada”. Yikes. I pulled up to the border patrol and said “Hi, I’m just here to drop my son off”. The guard was kind, confused, and mildly amused. I had to show my passport, roll down all the windows so he could look inside the car, and answer lots of questions until he was convinced that I really was just a clueless mom on a crazy road trip wanting to help make her kid’s dreams come true. We made it to the tippy top NW corner of our gorgeous country and Ernie, Tatiana and I are camping at beautiful Birch Bay on this side of the border while Elijah finally gets to see Canada, and then it is homeward bound! This whole journey is so surreal and crazy and wonderful!

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#canadiansarereallynice

#adventureattheborder

#thethingswedoforourkids

#thebeautifulpacificnorthwest

8/15/21 Lunch in Portland with our dear friend, beautiful artist, and daughter by choice, Iulia Ionescu, and then a gorgeous ride through Washington up to the Seattle area. Did I mention how much fun it is to travel with Elijah in the car? He reads books, reenacts musicals, and appreciates the scenery all along the way. Right now he is reading “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”

For some reason, Instagram is refusing to post for me, so Facebook it is! Onward and upward!

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#lovingthejourney

#ourfamilybychoice

#gorgeouscountry

Friday the 13th was a day of pure beauty! We visited the Trees of Mystery in the Redwood National Forest, and this 1st tree, they believe, is 3000 years old! It began its life in 900 B.C. and has lived through history and seen the coming and going of men and women through the ages. We rode a gondola to the tops of these giant trees, walked on the canopy trails spanning high in the tree tops, and felt incredibly small and deeply inspired. Today, Saturday, we drove all day through the Redwoods and mountains on our way through Oregon headed toward Seattle and then on to Vancouver. This country is so beautiful and vast and filled with surprises at every turn.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#redwoodsnationalpark

#treesofmystery

#lifeisfullofsurprises

#beautyeverywhere

#forevergrateful

Early Morning Walk with the pups. I was scared to follow the trail into the woods because of bears and elk and my overactive imagination, but Ernie said “let’s go just a little further”. We walked down a wooded trail that opened onto the most beautiful and peaceful river beside a huge opening. No houses. Nothing there but a shack up in the woods and a giant swing set in the middle of nowhere by a river. The dogs went swimming. We were surrounded by beauty. I am discovering that often it is good to push past my imaginary fears to discover the glory that lies just on the other side.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#pushingpastimaginaryfear

#lifeisfullofsurprises

#sohappytobealive

“POEMS WERE MADE BY FOOLS LIKE ME, BUT ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE”

– Joyce Kilmer

My mother loved trees and would frequently quote that poem to me, and yesterday I understood my mama’s heart and zeal for living in a new way. We drove for hours through the Redwood Forests of Northern CA, and Eli and I stopped to drive through and stand inside of a 2400 yr old tree. 2400 years! It is 21 ft in diameter, 315 feet high, and continues to provide beauty, strength, and mystery to countless individuals who stop to witness this magnificence. I wept with gratitude…for my mother, for this trip, for these gentle giants, and for the indescribable beauty of this world.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#thechandeliertree

#redwoodnationalforest

#cryingwithhappiness

#gratefulformymom

A Beautiful Day With Family!

Such a wonderful day visiting with my brother, Ron, and sister-in-law, Joanne, in their lovely home amidst the vineyards and hills of Sonoma County. They showered us with gifts and welcomed us with so much love! As we walked and talked, the years that have past since we were last together fell away, and it was as if we had never been apart. Love is funny that way. I am so grateful for my beloveds!

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#loveisforever

#mamabwassmilingtoday

#generosityandmetta

#ilovemyfamily

#reunionsaresweet

Ear licking and laughter at the Golden Gate Bridge!

Today we bid farewell to San Francisco and got some parting photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, which was actually visible today. It was cold and windy at the bridge, then it got hot and sunny again as we drove north through beautiful hills and farmland up to the coastal town of Bodega Bay. My deepest gratitude to my sweet brother, Ron, and sister-in-law, Joanne, for finding us a wonderful place to stay in the Bodega Bay RV Park. (Places to camp are not so easy to come by up here). Quiet. Cool. Peaceful. Next to a national forest. Walking distance to the ocean. Never would I have guessed that having a full hook up in our own little home on wheels would feel like such a luxury.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#ilovemyfamily

#northerncaliforniacoast

#peaceandquietinthewoods

#takenothingforgranted

#gratefulbeyondwords

A Molasses Kind Of Day

Today felt like we were moving through molasses. We were tired. Even our pups wanted to simply lie down under a picnic bench and rest. By 5:30 we surrendered, booked a hotel, ordered a pizza, and watched a movie. Just what the doctor ordered! Tomorrow we head into San Francisco.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#veggingout

#takingabreak

#doingnothingissomething