Trying out BlogTouch Pro

Testing. This is my current crochet project, which I hope to have finished before we depart. 

Plans

The whole point of this blog is to document our summer adventures as we move from Boise, Idaho, to Brunswick, Georgia. This is quite the undertaking as we have five children and four cats. A is 16, R is 14, D is 11, S is 6 and B will be 3 in just a few weeks.

We're dealing with some hurdles with the property we are planning to buy, so though we've not yet received an offer on our Boise house, we've decided it would be good for one of us to get out there and see it all in person.

I'm going to be driving out with the younger four kids, departing on August 11th. We have an extensive itinerary with camping on the way out and taking our time so our driving days are all only 6-8 hours long. I'm hoping it will keep the kids happier in addition to being healthier for me. I had a cardiac ablation last summer so it's better to keep moving so as to avoid clots. The husband and oldest kiddo are remaining in Boise to deal with that property. A will be helping with the last of the cleaning out of the house and with the cats as they drive out to meet us after Boise house sells. A is thrilled with this plan because it means he won't miss out on nearly as much of the current Destiny 2 campaign as he would if he were spending weeks on the road with us. Additionally, their trip will be completed much faster and their sleep stops will be at hotels, so yay for real beds.

I will be updating this sporadically as we travel, with pictures and stories after we've left an area so as to maintain our safety and privacy.

Right now I'm working on our packing list and food plans. The goal is to be as frugal as possible.

Already have:
Tent
mats
sleeping bags
mallet
cast iron pot and frying pan
oven mitts
cooler
lanterns
one suitcase each for clothes
camping chairs
tarp
rope
utensils

need to purchase:
bug spray/lotion
flashlights
extra batteries
hammocks with mosquito netting - where possible I would like to use these instead of setting up and tearing down the tent. I think it would save a lot of time and energy. Alternatively, I may just get a smaller tent that's faster for single night stops.

Menu:
space will be at a premium so I'm going to get the most variety possible out of the least amount of ingredients.
I think I will make a huge batch of chili in advance and freeze it in smaller portions. We will do chili, chili dogs, chili with rice, chili mac. Lots of pb&j for lunches. Lots of granola bars for breakfasts. It's going to be boring, but cheap and cheap is good. I will have one tote for foodstuffs and of course we can buy more food as we go.
What is your favorite way to reuse leftovers? What is your favorite camping meal?

Creation is hard

Good grief, setting this thing up is taking forever. Finding the perfect image. The perfect colors. I'm not happy with any of it, of course. What are your favorite resources for blog design? There are not nearly enough options on here and the images I keep trying to upload are simply not working.

First

I've never had a Blogger before. I have no idea how this thing works. This should be fun.

Point of this blog? There are so many out there, why create another one?

In four short weeks, we are embarking on an adventure. The plan? Myself and 4 of my five children will be driving from Boise, Idaho, out to Brunswick, Georgia, then down to the Tampa area, back up to Jekyll Island, and then on up to Central New York, where we will rest for a couple of weeks before returning to Georgia, to hopefully move into the house we are buying.

All along the way, we will be camping at primitive, dispersed campsites for free or low cost. That's right! We will be pooping in a bucket this summer. It's going to be amazing. And probably painful. And insane. But mostly amazing. I hope.

So that's what's coming. Stay tuned for such fun posts as my packing lists, meal plans, and the adventures we will undertake.