December 14, 2013 - We left.

“How does it feel?” Travis asked as we crossed the Iowa border.  He was wondering how it felt to leave 15250 Nautica Circle, Prior Lake, to embark upon our 6-week journey.  I wasn’t sure how to answer. 

It’s been a month since we made the commitment to put our house on the market while we are RVing for these 6 weeks.  It sounded logical at the time - then we don't have to worry about keeping our house clean for showings, right?  What better time is there to put your house on the market than when you won’t be in it?!

It was jury duty that brought me back to Minnesota after our trip to Cancun, Mexico, mid-November.  Originally my plan was to stay in Oklahoma for the following two weeks until Thanksgiving.  Then Travis’ brother and his wife would join us all in Oklahoma at Jim and Linda's (Trav's parents) house for the holiday.  A call to jury duty changed our plans.  Travis and I flew back to Minnesota while our children remained in Oklahoma with Jim and Linda for those following weeks.  Yes, Jim and Linda had the kids and dog for 3 weeks without us!  (Lord, bless them immensely!!) It made sense that I would use the time I was without kids and dog (as long as I was not on a jury) to prepare our house.

Scott County has a fabulous jury system.  Potential jurors are divided into groups.  They then call in at 4:30 pm and listen to a recording to find out if their group has to show up to court the following morning.  If not, they are required to call in again at 11:30am the next day.  I abided by all the rules and called twice daily.  Never once was I called in!!!  Instead I spent the entire time with my mom (and some with my sister) spackling, painting, and Magic Eraser-ing walls.  We de-cluttered and organized every room…and every closet.  We used Old English or Aulwood on every cabinet door and piece of wood trim.  Windows were washed.  Carpets were cleaned.  I mean, my mom even had a toothbrush and the Resolve scrubbing every stain in the carpet!!!!!  (We got her something extra nice for Christmas.)  The handyman and our favorite cleaning person both came to our house Thursday.  Our children and dog were no longer allowed in our house.  They all stayed at my mom’s house Thursday and Friday nights.   

Our friend Teri came Friday to take pictures of our house.  She sent them to our realtor and the house is now officially listed…for these next 6 weeks.  I could barely handle the small messes Travis and I were making.  I told Travis he couldn’t shower in our bathroom because it has a glass door and I didn’t want water stains on the door.  Can you imagine the toys, clothes, artwork, and school messes?  Mail and meals?  Bathrooms?  And KC’s hair!!!  No thanks.  I will not be able to keep up with it.  We won’t be able to have the house on the market while we are home.  How do people do that?!?! 

Amidst the house preparation we packed the RV for this trip.  I have no idea if I’ve packed everything we need.  I guess we’ll find out as we go.  Besides preparing a house and packing for a 6-week trip, we continued with school.  Both Taite and Calla had their biggest-school-projects-of-the-year due last Tuesday.  There were Christmas preparations for the Wilson’s Christmas and Christmas at school (homeschool school).  Our Christmas card/letter got 50% done (you probably saw the Facebook post or received an email).  And, on top of all of that, there was still MonaVie business to take care of.  I’m stressed out just reading about all this.  I’m sure my health score has dropped a color.  MonaVie just came out with a new herb capsule to manage stress and anxiety.  I learned it works!  As long as I take it. 

"How does it feel?” Travis asked an hour and a half into our drive.  Well, when I saw a for sale sign in my yard Thursday my jaw dropped and I almost cried – I’m not sure if it was tears of sadness or joy.  It all became a tiny bit more real.  Today when we got on Interstate 35 driving south it again became a hair more real.  Just a hair.  Just give me an entire day where I don’t have to plan, prepare, organize, clean, or search for any piece of rogue fuzz and I’ll be in a completely different place.  

Embarking our next adventure,
The Wilson's

 

(Notice the "For Sale" sign in the background.  Yikes!)