School is out!

The kids have finished school at Xavier. Calvin had his birthday last week. Eleanor's is today!

The adventure has begun!

I feel the excited and nervous. It's hard to believe that it's really beginning. I've been imagining this for a long time!

Matt has checked a bunch of travel books out from the library. We chuckled when we discovered that we're still "Let's Go" travelers (rather than a guidebook for adults). I got some folders and the kids labeled them, one for each of our stops. We've already started putting notes in them with ideas for good places to eat or see or tour. Reading about the places we'll be going, especially the ones we've never been to, is really fun. For example, I hadn't really thought about what to expect of the sliver of New Hampshire that we'll pass through between Vermont and Maine. Now I know that there is a fabulous gorge. However, I refuse to pay $34 to see a natural wonder in a state park! Anyway, even with that, it is fun to read about things.