Tuesday July 31

Today will be our only full day on the island. Renate's family arrived last Thursday. Owen and I slept well and seem mostly over the time difference. We began our day with a nice breakfast. Then we biked over to the nearest place with food so Owen and I could get provisions for the day. Owen was eager to get some European chocolate also. After that we came back to relax. After lunch Owen gave Rahel and Noah the m&ms and the Crayola crayons. Then we headed over to the monkey tree and beach. Owen, Rahel and Andy enjoyed a refreshing swim. As we started biking, the rain clouds came so we stopped at a campground for cover. Then it stopped raining so we went to a park with trampolines, fun swings and a spinning ride. Soon it was time to head home and prepare dinner. Btw- spelled the island wrong yesterday- it is Fehmarn.

Ready or not- here we come!

Today is what I hope will be the start of an amazing vacation with mommy and Owen. (This trip was planned back in January, long before we knew about our big move to Colorado. So we are taking a break from all the stress of relocating 1700 miles and having a little mother/son bonding time.) We will be flying on SAS airlines from Newark to Copenhagen. Our flight leaves at 5:40. We left Denville at 2:00 and since we left plenty of time for traffic or other surprises things went perfectly smooth and we were through security and seating near the gate before 3:00! I have not done international travel since Ireland five years ago but I was very surprised that there was zero wait to get through security. Once we got here we had a lot of time to kill with very little options. So we had a bite to eat at an overpriced Irish pub and we started reading our books. Owen is reading Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka and I am reading The Power by Rhonda Byrne.
Things started off pretty smooth with a quick boarding and prompt take off. Then Owen seemed to catch a bug and he spent much of the plane ride with a barf bag. Thank goodness he gets A++++ for aim and we managed to make it through the flight without too many people knowing what was going on. After clearing customs in Copenhagen we took a ten minute train to the main station. Then we waited about ninety minutes to board our three hour train ride to the island of Fehmarn. My little trooper was trying hard to hang tough but I know it wasn't easy. I created a makeshift bed in a quiet corner of the train station and rested Owen's head on my lap so he could sleep. This left me in an awkward position but there was no way I was going to risk waking him so I sat and enjoyed the people watching. At one point a lady came up to me with a bright smile and a question and I replied that I only know English. She then said Can I buy you a coffee? I think she thought we were down on our luck. I said no thanks. It was enough that she asked.
It was time to board the train. We went down to track 8 and settled into some seats. After a few stops we needed to move because we did not have reservations. I woke Owen up and we settled between cars. Owen quickly fell back asleep... I had no idea he had such hobo tendencies...Then the train split and the front eight cars actually went on the ferry. Once the train was on the ferry we got off the train and walked around the ferry for forty five minutes. Then we all got back on the train and it pulled off the ferry. A few minutes later we arrived at our destination - Puttgarden. I saw a girl with red hair running and wondered if it was Rahel. Then I saw Walter, Renate's father. They had already rented bikes for us and peddled them to the ferry. We got on the bikes and started riding to the house. After about an hour we arrived at the house and Owen finally got time sleeping in a bed that I had been promising. After a short nap I woke him up and he ate a big bowl of rice and a buttered roll. He seemed all better. After dinner the children danced and played UNO. I fought sleep as long as I could but gave in at 7PM.

Final Days of the Adventure Pt One

Thanks to Laurel for her update the other day. I was hoping she would continue with her updates but it looks like you are all back to boring me :). So here is what is new so far. First off, I woke up Sunday morning feeling much better. I think I just did not stay hydrated enough and I had a really bad headache. Yesterday morning we returned to Sandstone Ranch again- one of many parks in Longmont. The children played for hours and I loved the people watching of happy families biking and playing. After that we headed over to our reward for four nights of tent camping far away from the bathrooms- Holiday Inn Express for a day of swimming and laundry and air conditioning. Then we went over to BBQ with the Lary family. It was so much fun to hang with old friends and meet new ones. L&o had fun entertaining the younger crowd.
Today we mostly did chores. I got a few basic cleaning supplies at target and we headed back to our apartment so we could store the car in a garage there. Then we took a lengthy shuttle process to get closer to the airport for our flight tomorrow.
All in all it was a great time with Laurel and Owen. I feel much less scared than I did a week ago- during this time we found somewhere to live for the short term, we know which schools to regster l&o fr and I also heard good news about my license. Not only did I get approved for elementary teacher and k-12 school librarian but I will also be certified to teach high school social studies! But of course it still is not 100% because I am STILL waiting for my fingerprints to be approved. I have no idea why this takes so long but I can assure you my fingerprints have no history and hopefully this means my offer will become official soon.
Most important I am grateful that laurel, Owen and I have ad a great time bonding with many laughs. I do not think we could have picked a better time for this trip if I had actually planned it. They are at a great age for this kind of road trip. The only thing that would have made it better would be if Justin was here with us. But absence makes the heart grow fonder and we all can't wait to hug him at the airport tomorrow night!
So tomorrow we head back to NJ and there will not be much blogging for a couple weeks. I will mostly be packing and catching up with people before we become official residents of Colorado.

Guest Blogger- lkr

Hi everybody! It's laurel. I am blogging today because unfortunately Helen (mom) is sick. Anyway, today we started off our day at the world's biggest farmer's market. (not really. I'm just exaggerating.) It had ice cream, breakfast pizza's, and even giant pretzels! After the farmers market we went to the Nederlands. The ride was amazingly beautiful and other than the fact that mom got lost, it wasn't to long. At the Nederlands, We went on the carousel of happiness. It made everyone happy except for one little girl who didn't feel so good and threw up. Ewwwww!

After the carousel we went to a wonderful all you can eat Indian food buffet. I forget the name though. Sorry.

When we we came home there was a nasty surprise waiting for us. Our stink'n tent had collapsed!!!!! So then, of course I had to climb in that hot bag and rescue all of our stuff. Man was it hot in there!

To end off our day of adventures, we went to Sandstone Ranch park until there was another barfing incident by a 3 year old. Once again, Ewwwww!

Well, there is isn't much more to say then bye! Hope you enjoyed my blog! :)

Sunset Pool

Today we looked around at some possible new neighborhoods to see what we might buy at some point. Then we cooled off at the public library. By one o'clock we headed over to Sunset Pool. This is a wonderful area with a mountain view. Laurel and Owen both enjoyed all the water slides and diving boards. After showering back at the campground we headed over to see a B52's cover band. It was a great day but I really hope I sleep tonight.

Lyons and Estes Park

This morning I got lost a little less than usual.... I am making some progress at figuring out this new area. We went to Kohls so L&O could use a generous gift card from nana. Then we met with my new principal and got a tour of LHS. It is a wonderful facility filled with friendly people. I got a really great feeling being there. After seeing my future workplace, we spent some time exploring our future neighborhoods. We went to the next town over, Lyons. And guess what we found? Another brew pub! Whoever said Bulder County is a micro-brew enthusiast's playground wasn't kidding! We really just wanted a good lunch to reward us for a rough night of camping....and we stumbled on my favorite eatery yet- Oskar Blues Grill and Brew.
Oskar Blues
After lunch we went to Meadowbrook Park so L&O could cool off in a refreshing Colorado river. I will need to find out the name of the river but from the looks on their faces this Colorado heat doesn't do much to heat up the temperature of the rivers!
Next up was a relaxing drive over to Estes Park. We enjoyed a nice stroll along the river and looked at some shops and just enjoyed some laid back time enjoying each other's company.
On our way back to town we stopped in Lyons again to play some pinball. Lyons pinball
This place reminded us a lot of the pinball museum in Asbury Park. Who knows- maybe Justin will join a pinball league :). It was a great place filled with (as always) friendly people. The three of us can't get over how friendly everyone is no matter where we go.
We had one final stop to make before this tired group headed back to camp. We needed to go to target for some basic camping provisions: ice, milk, fruit and a tent that wouldn't blow away! With a little luck now we are set for a much-needed good night's sleep.

Exploring Boulder

We had a nice slow start to the day. Then we checked out of our hotel and went to set up camp for the next five nights. After setting up the tent we drove to Boulder. First we had lunch at Walnut Brewery. Then we walked around Pearl Street Mall, along the creek path and then we headed over to Chautauqua Park. We also drove up a very scenic road- Flagstaff Mountain. When we got back to the campground Owen went birding while Laurel set up the air mattress and sleeping bags. These two are at such a helpful age- whether it is setting up the tent, looking up directions on the iPad or getting the tent all ready for sleeping, it is so nice to have the help. Just as we all started to settle down Owen got stung by a wasp. It happened so fast- all of a sudden all these wasps were around him- luckily only one actually stung him and he toughed it out pretty well. Later we met up with friends at a park and a traveling ice cream bar- kind of like Cherry's in Denville but it travels around like an ice cream truck. So everyone meets up at a park, gets some ice cream and then plays until dark. Then we came back to the campground and took a very long walk to the bathrooms to clean up for the night. On our walk back we saw the biggest bullfrog I have ever seen- not quite as big as the statue below but almost! After a long, busy day we were all set for a good night's sleep but it did not quite turn out that way- the wind started to whip up and for about two hours I was scared either we were going to take off or the tent was going to collapse. So I am writing this entry on way too little sleep!

We made it!

After a short 200 mile drive that lasted about 3.5 hours, we arrived in Longmont! We first walked around downtown and got an early lunch at the Pumphouse Brewery. Then we started scoping out some of the places we had found as possible rentals. As luck would have it, the first place turned out to be just what we needed. It is a little small- two bedroom and two bathroom- but it is right where we hope to buy someday which means we can keep l&o in the same school even after we buy. Laurel and Owen seem to be warming up a little now that they can picture where we will be living. They are especially excited about the fresh cookies that are at the rec area every afternoon when they get off the bus.
We drove around to the other possible homes but we all agreed the first place was best so we went back to give our deposit. So now we have the rest of the week to walk around and see Boulder, Rocky Mountain National Park and get to know Longmont better. The only thing missing is daddy- cant wait to have him part of CO!
Btw- just bought an app that lets me add photos.... Hopefully u can see the cool camper from yesterday! More photos and updates tomorrow.

Day 3

Happy Birthday Ben! This was our longest day (650 miles) but Laurel and Owen once again came shining through with perfect behavior... And I am not just saying that... You all know that I am honest and would tell you how it really is! We left Marion, Iowa at 7:20 in the morning. It is a good thing we got an early start because we did not get to Ogallala, NE until 11 hours later! So here are some thoughts about today: My two favorite road sights for today were the HUGE tires that were on an top of an 18 wheeler flatbed. These tires were scary big. To contrast big with small, we saw the cutest camper being hauled by a motorcycle. It looked like a place for smurfs to camp in. If the photo came out I will add later. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel as a little break. I told L&O that I would give them each ten dollars for an activity for the car. Laurel chose a mind bender book and Owen choose a yo-yo. They had never been to a Cracker Barrel before and they had fun looking at everything and stretching our legs a little. This was the first time we came across 75MPH signs. Unfortunately so much of Rt80 in NE is being paved, much of the time we had to go 55 or slower.... But the newly paved sections were nice. The most common Gas station for this stretch was called Kum and Go. I just could not bring myself to go there and always held out for a familiar BP even if I still am mad at them for the oil spill in the gulf. Well I know this is not very interesting or well written but hopefully now that the hard part of the drive is over I can focus on better blog updates! So excited to arrive in Longmont by lunch today!

7/8 Day 2

We left Ohio at 7:45 but we also gained an hour as we entered the next time zone. It was a pretty uneventful driving day. We stopped for lunch t at Wendy's in Illinois. After driving 450 miles we arrived at Rene and Duda's house north of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was a wonderful visits complete with plenty of trampoline time, walks and bike rides on the beautiful paths and parks and a tasty BBQ, complete with fresh Iowa corn.

7/7 The Journey Begins

The car is packed with all road trip accessories... Playlists, snacks, magazines and an old fashioned map to follow along on. We will be driving Justin's new HondaCRV. After twelve years he traded in his Accord for a new car only to have me take it out to Colorado! The problem is that our Sienna tows the pop-up and I did not quite feel ready to bring the camper all the way out west since I have only ever driven that home from the gas station and that k-turn alone took thirty minutes. (TY JC) Day one stats: Left Denville at 6:19am. I am not kidding when I tell you someone was hungry before we even got on route 80. We made three stops and arrived in Wauseon, OH at about 4pm. We traveled 550 miles and filled up with gas twice. Snacks of choice: Owen-Slim Jim's, Laurel- Sun chips. Both ate bottle caps candy. Activities that kept us busy: Owen watched Men in Black, Laurel read Yikes magazine. We also listened to a lot of music and tried to think of spoof names for fast food restaurants (inspired by mommy's tales of HB's nicknames for places on our VA road trip.) So we came up with Burper King, FatBurper, Taco Hell, Whimpy's and Waffle Mouse. When we arrived at the Best Western it was 103 degrees so we all gladly hopped in the pool for awhile. Then we enjoyed a Mexican Dinner at The Grasshopper. After dinner we watched the documentary titled Happy. It is about just what makes people happy- kind of fits in with this theme of the Robbins Colorado Adventure (we hope!)btw Laurel says hi. All in all it was a perfect first day and L & O both get an A+ for cooperation.

Leap of Faith

These last two weeks have been a whirlwind to say the least. Justin and I went from dreaming about moving to Colorado “someday” to listing the house, buying plane tickets and making this dream a reality. As crazy as it all sounds, this just feels right for our family at this time. Our hope is that Laurel and Owen are at a great age to enjoy more independence with friends and appreciate the best natural playground in the US- Colorado. And even though I must admit the stress level is a little high, I have this feeling that everything is going to work out alright.

So here is a little history: Justin and I have been thinking about where we want to live for awhile. At first we thought about upstate NY or NH but we kept coming back to the Boulder area and decided if we are going to make a change, lets really make it worth our while. In the meantime we researched Longmont, CO and learned that it is somewhat of a hub for software programming jobs. (If you want to see more about our new hometown look here: About Longmont So we started thinking about moving and making a plan. Then one night I was online surfing (Zillow is a dangerous hobby for one looking for a better place to live) and I googled the phrase teaching jobs Colorado. One of the first links brought me to a listing for this opening: LONGMONT HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARIAN!!! I showed it to Justin and asked if I should apply? He said yes…. And the rest is history. Well- not exactly, because in order to get an official offer I need fingerprint clearance and a Colorado Teachers License. While this is hopefully nothing more than a formality, it is not a quick or easy formality so I was faced with a dilemma. Resign from a good paying job with family health benefit and “hope” it all works or stay in Mount Olive and always wonder WHAT IF? Well- for once in my life I decided to take the risky option. Today I gave notice for my job as the Mount Olive High School Librarian. And while it feels scary and stressful and a little bit wreckless- It also feels great because I feel like we are starting a new life in a place that I am really excited about discovering with my family.

So phase one of our adventure begins on Saturday. Laurel and Owen and I will start heading west early on Saturday morning. (Justin needs to stay behind for now for work and to sell the house but he will be joining us soon.) Temporarily this blog will be the Robbins Colorado or Bust Blog. Follow along if you are interested….