Category: Traveling as a family

What exactly is stored under the kids seats?

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Sprinter DIY, Traveling as a family

We removed the second row in our Sprinter but left the third. The kids sit there.

So, what did we keep under their seats when we traveled last summer?

These are just the right size for under the back seat.

Under Grace’s seat we kept two collapsible canvas bins. The first one pushed back so that the second one would fit as well.

The first one had six swimsuits and two pair of goggles.

This may seem like an odd choice but we have been to splash pads in nearly every State and Province that we have driven through. I even had an idea to make a splash pad locator app for parents traveling with kids. I didn’t follow through when I realized that other parents may not be as excited about having wet kids in the car on and off day after day. In any case, it didn’t take long for us to see the benefits of accessible kids swimwear.

The Sprinter acts as a mobile changing room. When they are motivated by a splash pad, the kids can get their suits on in under two minutes flat. After the fun, they can just slip their clothes back on and hang the wet suits on our make shift Sprinter clothes line.

One of the earlier ones. A good example of why we pack readily accessible swimwear. This was more of a fountain that a splash pad and not too many people in Aspen were into playing there. We liked it! Sprinter DIY
Passing through Salt Lake City on a super hot day. Sprinter DIY

The second bin contained sunscreen and towels.

The middle row held the trash can. CD made it out of re-purposed heavy duty cardboard. It was just the right size and height.

There were also two bins under HB’s seat. The bin farthest back contained playing cards, dice, and travel board games. I added Racko to the mix last year but the kids lost interest once they found out that it was my favorite.

The second bin had a mix of drawing pads, notebooks, pencils, and pens. These got a fair amount of use both on the road and when we were stopped. HB made a fairly elaborate picture journal on our way out of Yellowstone last year.

In true CD style, all of the bins and the garbage can were held in place by a bungee cord and 3 mm accessory cord. They never slid forward when we braked so I guess this technique worked.

We will definitely continue to use the bins and garbage can but I imagine that the contents will evolve over time. I hope we stick with swimsuits and towels. Prioritizing such non-practical items just seems like a sign of a family that is out for a spontaneous and carefree good time!

Since my splash pad app never took off, here is non-comprehensive list of great splash pads we have found.

  • North Carolina (Ashville)
  • Florida (Marco Island)
  • Minnesota (Sauk Centre)
  • Ontario (Wiarton, Grand Bend, Bayfield, Port Elgin)
  • Michigan (Millennium Park; Sparta)
  • Colorado (Aspen)
  • Oregon (Corvallis)
  • British Columbia (Kelowna)
  • Alberta
  • Utah (Salt Lake City)

Christmas Break Finale.

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Miscellaneous, Traveling as a family

The past three days have been a blur. The neighborhood kids descended on the street and yards. They played outside together through lunch and well past sunset. Some of us finally got in on the action with dinner and Euchre last night.

In a last ditch effort to have a productive Christmas break, I tore apart our master bathroom. The wall paper is mostly down and our tooth brushes are on my night stand.

Despite this, we hopped in the Sprinter for “Sunday Fun-Day”. We headed to the only hike we could think of that was on the way to Home Depot but far enough to justify driving the Sprinter and close enough that we usually don’t go there.

Jackson Frazier Wetlands. Sprinter DIY

I hadn’t been there in three years. It had changed. Much of it looked more like a farmer’s field than a wetland. There were signs explaining that a “emergency restoration” was in progress. Apparently this includes removing invasive species and modifying water drainage.

It was a nice day in Oregon for a hike on a boardwalk. We found two geo-caches, got plenty of mud on our boots, and had snacks in our van.

While I am on the topic of invasive species, I will pause to mention my current least favorite invasive species.

Have you heard of Phragmites? Have you seen the videos on our media page? Of all the invasive species that I have battled, these are by far the most impressive. Here is a quick video from Lake Huron. This was part of the lake but now it is a field of Phragmite.

What is our favorite kid’s carrier for hiking?

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Recreational equipment reviews, Traveling as a family

Thankfully, we no longer need a full inventory of kids carriers. Due to having generous and adventurous friends, we have tried nearly every backpack kid carrier on the market.

It was too long ago for me to confidently compare and contrast each. I will say, however, that I never found one to love. I could take or leave any of them.

Three or four years ago we were out for a hike with the kids and came across a family with a standing child carrier. The parents looked so happy.

CD was inspired to build one. A few weeks later I got impatient and bought one. The kids are a bit big for it now and we have barely used it during the past year. For whatever reason, Grace asked to use it yesterday. So we did. It was great!

Check it out!

The Piggyback Rider Scout Carrier. The kids can see. My neck and back felt great! As long as the kiddo is awake, this is by far my favorite! Click on the pic above to find out more about the product.

Sprinter DIY
Sprinter DIY

Child Carrier For Hiking: Our Recommendation

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in hiking, Miscellaneous, Products we love., Recreational equipment reviews, Traveling as a family

We have tried nearly every backpack child carrier on the market. Each one has pros and cons but mostly cons. My shoulders and back ache. Each one is bulky, awkward, and inconvenient to wear when the kids want to walk.

Then, one day we saw the <a href="http:// “>Piggyback Rider standing child carrier. In that moment our kid’s carrier hiking problems were solved!

Standing Child Carrier

Check it out!

Pros:

1. Kids like the Piggyback Rider Standing Child Carrier!

They feel engaged. We can talk to each other easily. They can see things, answer questions, ask questions, and feel more like a kid than a baby.

2. The Piggyback Rider Child Carrier is relaxing.

All of us can relax! My back and neck feel great. When they are young, there is a safety strap that prevents falling and when they are older, then can just hold onto the straps.

3. It packs small.

The Piggyback Rider stores either on a peg board in our garage or in our car. The size is minimal. It is light to carry and even the kids will carry it when we are not using it.

Piggyback Rider

4. The Piggyback Rider Child Carrier is easy to use.

Take it out of the carrying case and put it on. It is that simple. The safety strap is also easy to attach. Our kids hop on and off often in a single hike; the transition is quick and painless. Nobody cries.

Cons:

1. Price.

While just over $100, the price is in line with other similar hiking products.

2. The Piggyback Rider packs small.

It packs small enough that we have occasionally forgotten where we put it. This is really the our fault more than that of the carrier. I assure you that this never happens with a backpack carrier.

3. I sometimes get mud from shoes on my jacket.

This happens with every carrier and it is just part of going outside with kids I guess!

4. It doesn’t have the storage of backpack kids carriers.

I will gladly pack light, carry a shoulder bag, or do just about anything to avoid carrying a heavy backpack carrier, so this doesn’t bother me!

The Piggyback Rider Standing Child Carrier saved our hike many times. I envy their view from up there!

don’t forget your child carrier!

Disclosure: Please note that this post contains affiliate links. This means that we may get a small commission if you click a link and purchase something that we recommend. Clicking these links will not cost you extra money but will help us grow our website. Thank you for your support!

Bring on a new year of Sprinter adventures. Sprinter DIY: Alsea Falls.

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Traveling as a family

Today was a good day. We jumped in our Sprinter and headed out for a hike. A few minutes into the drive, HB said: “It feels good to be in the Sprinter.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Alsea Falls was our destination. It is on BLM land in the southern part of the Willamette Valley. The scenery is classic for this part of Oregon. The trees are covered with lichen and moss. The ground is covered in mud.

The falls are a short walk from the parking lot. We ended our hike there.
The picture is fuzzy but so was the woods. Sprinter DIY
We don’t go anywhere without our Inter-agency pass. No camping at the day use area but there were plenty of campsites all around.

It was raining and not all that warm. Twenty minutes into the drive, I realized that I had forgotten our jackets. CD packed rain jackets and pants for the kids and himself but couldn’t find mine.

When we parked and headed out for our hike, he offered me a beach towel to keep me dry. I typically would have laughed and declined but recently the kids have made a point to let me know that I embarrass them. Wrapping myself in a beach towel while hiking seemed like a perfect opportunity to really be ridiculous. They laughed at first but soon forgot about it. I was stuck carrying a beach towel for the next hour or so.

Classic Willamette Valley sign. The weather is tough on signs and bridges and benches and houses.

We headed towards Green Peak Falls. The trail was nice and easy to follow. There were plenty of other hikers ringing in 2020. We got side tracked to the river and through the woods a few times and this ended up being our turn around point.

Another classic sign for this part of Oregon.
An amazing long table, obviously made from a single tree.

It seemed like McBee Park may have seen better days. There were outhouses but all seemed to be in a state of dis-repair. I expect that by the time the rainy season is over, things will be looking better again. There were tons of BLM campsites along the river here.

Despite the nearly constant winter rain of the Willamette, I really prefer dry campsites. I may come back and camp here in the spring when the rains slows but wasn’t tempted to camp there today. These campsites are likely popular in the summer as they are on the river, huge, and easily accessible from the road.

Back at the Sprinter, we took off our boots and settled in to some snacks. The kids didn’t waste any time getting comfortable on the bed. CD was happy to use his new gadget. The Camp Chef Mountain Series Striker was tasked with the job of whipping up hot cocoa. I was so proud of CD for moving beyond his back packing mind- set and getting excited about such a luxury. It really was much faster and easier than boiling a pan of water on our camp stove! It was so fast that the kids even had two cups each.

It worked! The kids and CD were happy. I have a feeling there will be a lot more Ramen, Cup of Soup, and Hot Cocoa in my future!

The mom in me asked CD to stop refilling propane bottles. He picked these up and we are all happy for now. He is just humoring me until we decide to start carrying a much larger propane tank and cut out these less earth friendly items.

Just as we were about the fire up the Little Buddy Heater, another family stopped by to chat. They had a Sprinter 170 passenger van camping conversion. They were well beyond us regarding the extent of their conversion.

They admired our idea of putting the kids in the third row instead of the second and were going to do that themselves in the future. That was about all we had to offer them. They gave us tons of tips regarding exchanging windows to improve air flow, adding insulation, and even removing the rear AC to make space for a large solar panel. They personally knew many of the people that CD had already spoken with on the phone regarding modifications and supplies. They gave us their number and invited to stop by and see their Sprinter.

They validated our path with our Sprinter so far. They were able to share our vision and bring back the “fun” in the Sprinter DIY dream.

In talking to them we felt hopeful, inspired, and energized! With that, we head into 2020! Cheers!

Happy New Year!

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Miscellaneous, Traveling as a family

On the eve of 2020, I think back to New Year’s Eve 2000. A few of us headed out on the second annual trip to Tom’s Lake Cabin.

Our destination was North of Manistique and South of Munising at a forest service cabin in Hiawatha National Forest. The road to the cabin was not plowed but we could get fairly close by truck, if I remember correctly.

We came prepared with nordic skis, snow shoes, a camping stove, headlamps, propane lamps, food for days, and plenty to drink.

Occasionally we would hear a snowmobile buzz by but otherwise the woods were quiet. The nights were dark. We didn’t have running water but I couldn’t tell you how far it was to the outhouse. I assume it wasn’t far. I think there was a moon some nights but can’t remember for sure.

We wore our nordic ski boots to the local snowmobile restaurant and bar. We didn’t exactly fit in but everyone was nice and it seems like the chili was especially good.

Most of our time was spent mulling around in the snow, drinking blackberry brandy, and stoking the fire. By this time, I don’t remember thinking much about Y2K.

We stopped by a bar in Munising on New Year’s Eve. While I had spent a fair amount of time exploring small town bars around the country, this was the first time I walked in to a pot luck. Even without a dish to pass, they welcomed us. They gave us homemade food, party blowers, hats, and champagne. We joined in the singing and hugging at midnight.

The next morning, back at Tom’s cabin, we still didn’t have indoor plumbing, electricity, or gas. We stoked the fire. As we packed up to leave, I wondered if any computers out there had been devastated by Y2K. We hadn’t noticed any problems.

That was the last time our group went to Tom’s Lake Cabin. I hadn’t thought much about it until right now.

A favorite quote hangs in the spare bedroom of some of our kindest Colorado friends. It reads:

“Travel light in life

Take only what you need:

A loving family, good friends, simple pleasures, someone to love and someone to love you, something to eat, enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink for thirst is a dangerous thing.”

On the eve of a new decade, I wish everyone simplicity and peace.

Happy New Year and all the best adventures in 2020.

Part II: We went on a road trip without the Sprinter and …

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Traveling as a family

We went on a road trip without the Sprinter and it was enlightening.

We drove from Oregon to Big White to Whistler and back.

Would the Sprinter have made it? Yes.

Would I have been nervous? Maybe. Abbotsford to Kelowna on the way there was dark and snowy. Visibility wasn’t great. I was a bit nervous anyway. The Sprinter would have done fine.

What was it like traveling in a minivan again?

  • Dramatic. With two kids that have been spoiled by The Luggable Loo, this was a good reminder that most people think ahead when traveling. On several occasions, we drove five miles away from a gas station or restaurant to hear Grace say: “I have to go potty”! Her usual announcement goes like this: “I have to go. Its an emergency. I have to go in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, …”
  • Combative. The kids feet and arms could reach each other. Enough said.
  • Wet. We didn’t have anywhere to hang our clothesline.
  • Cross fit for an out-of-shape mom. I pick up a kid while CD pulls the boots off, puts snow pants on, and puts the boots back on. Repeat.
  • Spendy and Gluttonous. Snacks started out fine but after ten days on the road, the food situation regressed. Here is the common scenario: The kids are desperately hungry and can’t possibly wait to eat. None of the available snacks are acceptable. We look for restaurants. We don’t have cell service or chose not to use cellular data. We drive around. We find one but it is just a brewery with frozen pizzas. We drive around more. We find another one. We run in and order $40 worth of food. The kids color in coloring books. We ask them to eat. They get up and walk around the table. We tell them to eat. They eat two bites each. CD and I eat two meals each. We get in the car. The kids say they are hungry. They eat popcorn. *Repeat every 2-4 hours.
“The Zephyr” in Squamish. CD and I ate a Zephyr salad, a bowl of veggie chili, a cup of Mexican Chicken soup, a falafel wrap, and a bunch of corn chips. It was good. It may be worth mentioning that this was a bit after brunch where CD and I ate 2 eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, 2 orders of hashbrowns, and eggs benny. The kids ate popcorn in the car.
  • Confusing. I couldn’t find anything in the back seat or front seat. CD was in charge of the back door and seemed to keep everything in its place. The kids and I didn’t do as well.
I should be too embarrassed to post this but just in case anyone feels like their car is a mess, this should help you feel better! Here is the scene in our back seat as we rolled back into Oregon. Yikes!

CD’s take on the situation: “20 days on the road comes much sooner in a mini-van than a Sprinter”. Shortly after CD said this, the mini-van alert popped up and asked: “Would you like to take a break?” Ha!

Advice? Get a 4 x 4 Sprinter if you can. If not, stay true to your rear wheel drive Sprinter. Invest in good winter tires, be flexible with your schedule, and stay committed to #vanlife.

If you have to take your mini-van, stay positive. Its not that bad. In fact, it is probably helpful in providing perspective and reminding everyone how to wait patiently while looking for a restaurant, a hotel, or a potty.

Family Ski Vacation: Whoopin’ it up at Big White.

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Recreational equipment reviews, Traveling as a family

“Today’s Parent” rated Big White the number 1 ski resort for families in Canada. Do I agree? Yes, Yes, YES

I have skied at over 30 resorts in North America. Most of these were before I was a mom. I was more informed about Apres-ski conditions than kid’s activities and green runs. Times have changed!

Big White offered a long list of activities for kids. This included arts and crafts at Happy Valley, a Saturday night carnival, Santa’s workshop, ornament painting, pictures with Loose Moose, tubing, ice climbing, horse drawn sleigh rides, ice skating, a scavenger hunt, snow shoeing, fireworks, a glow stick parade, and a free gondola.

Not a great picture but this was the scene at the carnival: complete with cotton candy, games, prizes
Saturday night fireworks.

Are these activities the reason I think Big White may actually be the best family resort? Not really, although it doesn’t hurt.

Between skiing, sitting in the hot tub, going in the plunge pool, and building a luge track next to the condo, we didn’t even get to half of the activities above.

What was so great about Big White?

  • The base area was just right. There were enough but not too many services. The main base area included a hand full of restaurants, the lodge and coffee shop, a candy store, a ski shop, a market and liquor store, a gondola to Happy Valley, and a ski run down to three chair lifts.
  • Green runs were everywhere. We did our obligatory run on the magic carpet and then headed up to the Plaza Chair. The Plaza Chair provided access to a hand full of green runs and some kid friendly trees. Hummingbird to Woodcutter was our main route to the Plaza Chair. Two other chairs provided access to other green runs. We quickly realized that we could save the base area traverse to our condo by skiing a green cruiser from the Ridge Rocket Express. The other option was a cat-walk to Happy Valley and Lara’s gondola back up. This got us 50% closer to our condo door. Either way, the walk from the Plaza Chair to our ski lockers was less than 100 yards.
  • There was tons of un-tracked powder. In-bounds was less crowded than out-of-bounds at many resorts I have skied. CD and I were with only a handful of people on the T-Bar. We were alone on the way down. After a bit, one other skier came by and asked us if he was going the right way to catch the Powder Chair. We didn’t really know and we didn’t see him again. Big White has more acreage and fifty percent less skiers than the resort where CD and I met. This was obvious as I was making fresh tracks after just being told “last chair”. Even CD let out a “whoo-hoo” now and then!. Skiing at Big White was super fun!
  • Our accommodations were perfect! Stone Bridge, building 2, was a lucky find. While pretty much all of the condos advertise ski-in, ski-out access, ours had ski-in, ski-out access for kids under 10. That is hard to find. We also had a hot tub on our deck, a plunge pool nearby, ski lockers, and a big snowy hill just off our patio! The nearest run was approximately 10 yards downhill and delivered us right to the Bullet Express. The main base area and Plaza Chair green runs were less than 100 yards away and by the third day, the kids could nearly get there on their own.
Main lodge.
The hill by our patio. It later developed in to a luge track. The kids did it more like the skeleton than the luge, however.
Outside our condo. Every time I went out after dinner, there were moms and dads and kids playing on these hill slides or in the snow by the lodge. Everyone was loving it!
  • Christmas Eve was magical! Evening activities included a photo booth, live music, books with Santa, reindeer food, a visit by the Grinch, a glow stick parade, and an impressive fireworks display.
Christmas Eve fireworks. Our condo is to the left and we are at the main lodge looking up the run.
  • The scenery was beautiful. It was sunny at the bottom and occasionally towards the top.

How long would I recommend staying at Big White? At least a month, or two weeks, or as long as you can. I am not sure how long we would have needed to stay in order to find time for ice climbing or Nordic skiing, or ice skating but I want to go back and do it all!

What other tips may be helpful?

  • Costco and IGA are both on the route out of town from Kelowna to Big White. I recommend stocking up at both but also checking out the Big White market for fun.
  • If you happen to forget your boots, the rental shop staff are super nice. I went there after dinner and was the only one there. I took advantage of having rentals and tried three different pairs on the last day. The staff was nearly as interested to hear what I thought about each one as I was to ski them. I paid $11 more to have get access to better quality skis and I think it was worth it.
  • Saturday night fireworks may not be easy to see. If you happen to stay at Stone Bridge, take a hard left after the BullWheel. You will have a perfect view!
  • Skip the chicken parm poutine at the Happy Valley Lodge. What was I thinking?
  • Check out the BullWheel.
  • Head to the candy shop on the lower level of the main lodge for all of your bulk candy needs.
  • Bring the big bottle of Bailey’s.
  • The market carries Egg Nog, just in case.
  • Duck into the trees on the way to Plaza Chair. The kids will find it hilarious.
  • Bring a sled.
  • Ride the T-bar.
  • Drop off your live Christmas Tree at the transfer station on your way out of town. Don’t worry if yours is the first tree there. They assured me that there will be a pile of trees there by the end of the week.

We went on a road trip without our Sprinter and here are a few of the things we forgot to pack …

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Traveling as a family

We went on a road trip without our Sprinter. We keep the Sprinter stocked and ready to hit the road at a moments notice. Consequently, it also serves as a storage locker for our most important travel items.

Here are a few of the things we forgot to pack.

  • Solar panel
  • Portable battery charger (This was a huge fail for us)
  • Sunscreen
  • Plates
  • Cups
  • Shoes (An entire box full of spare shoes)
  • Board games
  • BC map
  • Rain jackets
  • Tea
  • Hiking poles
  • Spare pens
  • My ski boots (This was a miscommunication more than the fault of a vehicle change, however)

Here is a partial list of items we packed.

  • Christmas tree stand
  • 2 strings of Christmas tree lights
  • Box of Christmas ornaments
  • Ingredients for reindeer food
  • Knives, spoons, forks, sporks. Cutting board
  • Hot cocoa
  • Gloves (Equal numbers of rights and lefts but not matching)
  • Embroidered red flannel Christmas hats
  • Power strip
  • Tins of cookies (As gifts, not for eating)
  • 4 pairs of Holiday Specs glasses
  • Mexican blanket
  • Karo Syrup (For making ginger bread house icing. CD gets credit for this one)
  • 3 Jackets per person (Only CD had a rain jacket)
  • 2 swimsuits per person
  • Work clothes and dress jacket (For Molly’s 2 hour meeting at the bar)
  • Neck warmers, scarves, hats
  • Flip flops, sandals
  • Slippers and flannel PJs
  • A gift wrapped used DVD (For re-gifting)

Here are a few things we picked up along the way.

  • 2 winter jackets
  • Icing sugar (The first store was sold out)
  • An edgie wedgie
  • Advent calendar (I thought they would be on sale by December 21st, but they weren’t)
  • An elf on the shelf (HB wanted one and we put it in the condo. Grace cried because it is creepy. She doesn’t want it watching her. I agree, it is creepy)
  • 2 sets of Karate pads
  • A baby doll car seat
  • Rental skis and boots (Ha!)
  • Cheese puffs
  • “Winter Jack”
  • Christmas tree
  • A gallon of organic local cider
  • 18 frozen spring rolls. 4 frozen pizzas. 36 eggs.

Just in case you wonder how our tree fared. Here it is.

It didn’t fit in the parking garage
It was a tight fit in the elevator
A mere hour later, here it is.

I tend to make packing lists, give ideas, and load suitcases. CD tends to be in charge of packing the van. We check out of Big White on the 26th. He thinks he can get everything back in the car if he starts on the 24th.

CD’s shirt today. I think he is suggesting ideas for future packing.

I have been fishing for ideas as to how to dispose of our Christmas tree. I wonder if Big White has a plan for this.

Maybe we can re-gift it …

En route to Big White …

by Molly O'Rourke, posted in Recreational equipment reviews, Traveling as a family

We made it from Vernon to Kelowna and are now basically waiting to check into the condo at Big White.

It snowed last night. Huge awesome snow flakes. CD picked me up from my meeting at the Tree Brewery. The drive back to the hotel was reminiscent of drives in Summit County. I was disappointed to wake up to rain.

CD’s parents arrived last night and Grace had them in the pool by ten. Two hours later they were just getting dried off. I think I made a snack plate for lunch but honestly can’t remember if I fed them lunch or not.

The last few weeks have been busy. I wasn’t ready for Christmas at all. At home, I pulled out our boxes of Christmas tree ornaments, looked at them, and packed them directly in the car.

So, here we are in Kelowna with all our of Christmas decorations packed under ski boots, jackets, and hats.

Well, I am pretty sure everyone was skeptical of my plan but today was the day to cut our Christmas tree. I called every place that popped up on my internet search. One answered the phone.

It was pouring rain but we put on our boots and drove 7 kilometers to the edge of town to K & J Pacific Peaches (and tree farm, I guess). They looked surprised when we pulled in but quickly welcomed us with fresh hot cocoa. We were told that trees to the left were $30 and trees to the right were $40. They all looked the same to me.

These trees were different than any I have seen. As we walked around we came up with tons of theories as to why the trees were so unusual.

This is how pretty much every tree looked: A perfect Christmas tree shape on the bottom, a long bare spot and then another little mini Christmas tree shaped spot.

In any case, we chose a six foot tree with all of the characteristics specific to this tree farm. I gave them the $30 and they gave me twine and two bags of apples. Apparently each tree comes with one free bag of apples but since we were the only people there that day, they just gave us two bags.

It was still pouring rain. We dropped the kids off and changed to dry jackets. We still had to do most of our Christmas shopping. CD, the tree, and I went all over town. I realized later that it may have been funny to take a picture of each place we went with the tree on our car. The list included two sporting goods stores, a martial arts school, Walmart, Toys R Us, two bike stores, the mall, and a fancy restaurant for dinner.

Later the same day: CD and the tree pulling up to the sidewalk to get me. #vanlife

Tomorrow, CD, his parents, the kids, the tree, and I will go to Safeway, Costco, and then finally to Big White. I hope to have the tree up, a fire on, and an Irish coffee in hand by dinner time. We will see how it goes!