The Beginning

Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Woke this morning to frost on my windshield. Made for a quick dash to the outhouse before leaving for school. These past two weeks have been a busy blur of action and exploration. We arrived two Sundays ago, on the eve of my beginning nursing school. Home is now a 24 foot travel trailer parked in our "Draw;" an underground spring-fed meadow down the hill and South of our building site. Generators run our power and water is limited to what we can bring in a 40 gallon tank, as the well down here has already seemed to run it's course. Did I mention we have an outhouse??? It's a funny mix of pioneer and modern life. Our travel trailer lacks rustic charm, but daily life is no longer as easy as turning a switch for lights or flushing the toilet thoughtlessly. Much more planning goes into our week, but yet we are not without the ease of a propane stove or the occasional movie outside in our tented "living room." Unfortunately I am also tied to technology as school seems to now exist online rather than in the classroom. Part of me is ready to pull all electrical plugs and enjoy the absolute quiet.

The kids seem to enjoy this life. Spent together for the most part, sleeping close to one another, and spending the greatest portion of our time outside. Kendyl loves going down the driveway and saying hi to all the "Moos," (cows) while Bear corrects her that they are in fact "Yee-Haws" (Horses). Bear has found a love of hiking, especially up any mountainside, which are many. Cam blazed a circular trail around and through the draw, and that is a particular favorite of Bear's as well. His first blood was drawn after a particularly rough day I had at school. Pulling a bungee with all his stength led to a short lived red gyser from his head. It was not a good day and we were happy to move on to the next one. Nevertheless, all parties lived.

Water, power, and a shop are on our horizon. I am settling into school, and Cam is holding down the fort with his usual positive nature. I am lucky to have a partner in him, and at the end of the day it's very exciting to be on this adventure.


Monday, October 6, 2014
Finished packing up our Loomis Trail house yesterday. Took the whole weekend and a lot of help. It was a bit bittersweet saying goodbye to the house that Cam built. I remain grateful for such a good home to raise my kids in for the first few years of their lives. We had many good times amongst those walls, but the most important things are those that would be coming with us; the feelings we share, the memories we have together, and Team Brown love. Breakfast was great at Grams as well, but hard to say goodbye to those two. Lots to say about that, but don't know if I'm ready for that on a Monday morning!

The truck was loaded down on the drive over, and all parties (except the driver of course) had good naps. Didn't get home until after dark and it was a mad dash to get a few things in order before all of us zonked for the night. I was up at five am and off to the coffee shop in Omak to finish some homework online before class. School is a bit of an adjustment. Being away from the kids, meeting new people, and staying on top of the work load. I'm ready to feel a little more comfortable and settled, but the only way to do that is keep on chugging. It seems like the stakes are high right now; we have such high expectations for our life here; now we are fighting with all we have to make it a reality.