It was fun waking up in the van this morning. We were both so excited to get a feel for spending time in the van and it really felt like our own little cabin, complete with a Christmas tree! Last night was our first real night in the van, even if it was still parked in the driveway and plugged in to the garage via extension cords running through the passenger window. While the van is far from finished, we slept in our bed, had a heat source and lights, and the dogs were with us. That’s pretty much the real deal! We slept great. We were a little worried that the bed would not be long enough for me or wide enough for both of us, but it was great. It was definitely not as soft as it felt in Ikea – I suspect so many people try out the mattress toppers there they get worn down – but was still quite comfortable. At most we might add another layer of thin egg crate foam to soften the top.
The temperature during the night was great. We had the electric heater going and our fan venting on low speed. With our down comforter Sara actually complained she was too warm in the morning. The heater was blowing more in her direction, but I think she was exaggerating. The temperature difference between the bed (36″ up in the air) and the floor was pretty significant. Good thing the dogs have thick fur coats and comfy beds to keep them warm. One thing we definitely learned is the importance of finishing the toilet cabinet. Someone, and as a gentleman I won’t say who, needed to make a pit stop in the middle of the night. Good thing the yard was so close by!
As you can see, it kept snowing overnight and we woke up to a few more inches of white Christmas.
We had a nice family morning opening some presents and having breakfast. I have always wanted a Jetboil because they are made near where I worked in Manchester, NH, and my dad got us one for Christmas. It could come in handy in the van if our electricity ever fails and we want something hot for breakfast. We also got some other van related gifts – outdoor blankets, some gift certificates, and some more solar accessories. Thanks to everyone for the gifts!
In the early afternoon we went out for a family Christmas snowshoe.
Poor Kenai gets major snowballs (snowboobs?) when he plows through fresh powder.
Kenai never not working. He found us this delicious(?) rabbit. We don’t think he caught it, but he retrieved it like a champ anyway. Hopefully the hawks or coyotes will enjoy the Christmas dinner we left for them.
2017 Family Christmas Photo in the van!
