Pacific NorthWest Trek Part I

After finishing up the airstream, we packed it up and headed to Murfreesboro for a few days to tie up loose ends and say our goodbyes.

Pip also made his first kill in Beersheba. So proud.

We loved staying with Sam and Kelly Baggett! So grateful for their friendship and love.

On September 30, 2015 we set off on our adventure to Washington! First stop: Arkansas.

We ended up hitting a few snags during that first leg. What should've been a 7 1/2 hour drive turned into a 16 hour drive! But we eventually made it to Fayetteville at 4am!

Pip made fast friends with our hosts' dog, Atlas.

Wes and I treated ourselves to massages, good food, and most importantly, some wonderful time hiking and climbing with our best friends Aaron and Natalie in the Ozarks.

These friends are the people who introduced Wes and I. We love them so dearly and are grateful that we finally got to spend time with them!

After spending 3 nights in Arkansas, we set out to Colorado. 

It's hard taking moving pictures at night. ;)

We stopped in Kansas at a beautiful lakeside campground on Saturday October 3rd. This was my view out of my bedroom window. 

After breakfast, we loaded up and continued our drive to Greeley, CO. Driving through Kansas and Nebraska was loooooong.

We made it to Greeley on Sunday October 4th and stayed with a longtime friend and mentor Deborah and her husband Blaine, and their two awesome kids, Erin and Grady.

We hiked, enjoyed delicious food, and stayed up late catching up with some of my favorite people!

Devil's Backbone hiking trails: 

Staying with the Chastains was a breath of fresh air and we loved hanging with them in CO! 

Next post covers our second half of our trip from Colorado to Washington!

Electric, bed, paint and family!

Due to limited brain space and time, I'm just giving y'all the low down in a nutshell.

Wes got outlets done and electric wiring complete!

The bed frame has been officially made, with lots of storage!

Wes installed the ceiling panel, and we were ready to paint thanks to Wesley's mom Lindy and Granny who came up to help!

Finished paint and floors!

I got to take a quick getaway to see my family one more time before we leave. It was bittersweet but exciting also. 

After getting back to Beersheba, we started the finishing touches on the shower and divider wall. We put lace from one of Granny's table cloths on the plexi glass at the top of the shower, and at the top of the divider wall.

Hot water heater and the kitchen side of the shower wall.

We started applying polyurethane to the counter tops, complete with our AWB signature. :)

Wesley's workspace in Mr Sam's workshop.

Wood shavings for our compost toilet!

Today we install the fridge, toilet, sink, and mattress. Along with some finishing touches here and there.

Our plan is to head out late Saturday night from Beersheba to Murfreesboro, and then early Monday morning from Murfreesboro to Arkansas. Please pray for safe travels and efficient work!

Walls, countertops, primer oh my!

This past week, we have gotten a lot done! With the floors and panels officially installed, we were able to finally get some white primer paint put on the panels. It has already opened the entire airstream up! After the primer, we started to put up the dividing walls.

Starting from left to right, those first two walls will be our closet. Then you have our pantry with drawers and shelves, along with a lot of counterspace and storage underneath! We decided to do butcher block for our countertops again, just like we did in our house. It's a great look, and I can't wait to show the finished product with a pretty stain and finishing polyurethane. 

Finally, you have the fridge all the way to the right, which ended up being much bigger than we expected. Which is a good thing!

 I also learned and mastered the art of replacing screens in the window frames. Like a boss.

Anyway, here is another view from the back of Beatrix (our bedroom) looking on the passenger side. This is the bathroom and shower. Can you make out that retro and awesome bathroom panel? ;)

And another view of the driver side from our bedroom complete with closet, pantry, countertop, and fridge!

Also, Pip and his drinking buddy, Brown.

I'm thankful for this guy. Hard worker, dreamer, explorer, artist, teacher, and a great friend. 

We are both so grateful that we've only been here a week and a half and have already gotten so much done. We are excited and eager to do things well; and to finish up and head out west! 

Contraction Squats - Practicing For A Contraction

Wanting to have a natural birth? If so, it's important to practice your mind-body connection through discomfort. This is key during labor and delivery. Learning that what you are going through is "positive pain" instead of "I can't do this!" or "I'm going to split in half!" is a hard thing to practice and to master. This is why I have my prenatal clients practice "contraction squats". 

After teaching my clients their belly breathing (inhale-push the abdominals outward, exhale-pull the abdominals in and upward), I have them use it during a 1 minute squat hold. This helps them to focus on their breathing, increases their muscular stamina, and teaches them to work through their discomfort with positive reinforcement. It also gives them a very SMALL glimpse into how their mind and body will work together through a contraction. This offers great practice and preparation for the real thing.

Different squats I try with my prenatal clients:

Wall sit

Wall Sit With Ball

Deep Squat

Chair Pose

Practice never makes perfect, but it definitely helps you get better! And that's all you can do, is your best. Getting ready for labor and delivery is hard and can be scary. But getting prepared and strong will not only increase your physical strength, but also your mental and emotional strength as well. Making a strong bond with your mind-body connection is key. This squat is a great way to get that started!