The Night Before Leaving...

...and all through the house,
the only one stirring was myself (where's my spouse?)
Ah yes, he was sleeping in bed with no care,
while I fret & worry about our trip there!

Ok - night time has a way of opening up some poetic weirdness for me. Everything in our house is in order - other than a huge batch of receipt scanning I want to get done so it's all ready for filing the income taxes when we return. Then early this morning - uh, make that later this morning - I just need to hop over to the bank to get a bit of US funds, cancel our internet at home for the season, pack the last of the food & toiletries, do a head count (very important when you've got 6 children) and away we go!

We couldn't get any chains in Swift Current for the RV (everybody local has to put them on order), so we will head into Regina first to get some, then top up the propane & head south towards New Mexico. Hopefully we won't have any trouble getting through the US border - that would really put a damper on things. Praying that the

Not sure how well things will go with getting wifi access, though we plan on trying to update at least once a week. Until then, happy trails ahead :)

Tick, Tick, Tick

The clock is ticking and there's so much to do! I'm sure that I'm going to forget something important - that's what I keep telling myself. I've got the passports & birth certificates ready & packed. Have the extra insurance on the RV done.  Benjamin, Zachary & Joel are packed, Nathan is half packed. The girls, Dan & I are next in line.

I've gotten all the spring booking order checks written up & sent off to suppliers for the bike shop. Dan is contacting Canadian Tire & Worker's Comp for funds that they owe him for parts & labor, as well as any other customer who's account isn't current.

We're waiting to hear back from the Watershed Authority for a brochure order that they need to approve so that we can get them printed before we go. I just printed off 30 menus for the local restaurant, 5 months of calendar blanks for the craft shop, and two other clients want Ben to make them business cards before we go. We are suddenly so wanted for printing projects!

So much to do, so little time....

The Countdown Begins

We have an unofficial departure date on November 22th, and the plan was originally to head west to Vancouver to visit my MIL & brother, then hop over to Salt Spring island to see my college buddy Jane, then possibly hop onto Vancouver Island to see many more friends & my folks.

That plan looks like it is going to change though, as a severe storm front that has hit Western Canada & Montana. We'll just have to wait it out & see whether it is safer to head south first or keep to our current plan. Until then, the countdown begins and I've got to get back to organizing this house before we go.

Today I have to get a set of keys cut (accidentally threw my spares into the town's paper recycling bin - don't ask), return everybody's library books & dvds, call the utilities, & clean, clean, clean! My oldest 3 are in town with Dan, helping him with the inventory count at our store. Hope that Dan remembers to get the oil change done. Hmmmm, I think I better phone to make sure!