Route 66 to Nouvelle Vie

We left Ontario, CA June 14th and followed Route 66 most of the way to Mt Sterling, IL.  Since we just came from Cars Land in Disney's California Adventure I could picture how this route and landscape inspired filmmaker John Lasseter.  Our first stop was Flagstaff where we took the afternoon and visited the Grand Canyon.

We walked the South Rim and finally found the lodges and the restaurant.  We were hungry!  We had hamburgers, visited the gift shop, took pictures and admired the historic lodges.  The girls bought souvenirs: hats, t-shirts, keychains, and postcards.  I actually received my souvenir today, on Father's Day, from Zoie.  A Grand Canyon travel mug!  I love it!  We stayed to watch the sunset and then traveled back to Flagstaff seeing multiple elk on the way home.  We traveled to Tucumcari, NM the next night and then through Texas, the Panhandle of Oklahoma, to Wichita Kansas for our last night at a hotel for awhile.  We rated our hotel experience based on the bed and breakfast experience so far its...

1.  Ayres - Ontario, CA
2.  Holiday Inn, Wichita, KS
3.  Rodeway Inn Tumcumcari, NM
4.  Days Inn - Flagstaff, AZ
5.  Ramada - Redding, CA

On Wednesday we crossed the Missouri and Mississippi River and arrived in the small town of Mt. Sterling, IL to visit Grandma and Grandpa Bunfill.  Lonnie and Sherri, April's folks, were also visiting.  It was a great time seeing the old homestead and farms where Lonnie grew up and Lonnie and Sherri's first home.  I found myself thankful that they took a faith trip across country to Oregon when they were young unless April and I may never have found each other.  Good food and great conversations with Grandma and Grandpa.  We felt very loved.  We had lunch on Friday on the flooded Illinois River at the Boatel.  Lonnie even sprung for the frog legs!  Not bad, tastes like chicken.

On Saturday we drove to Winona Lake, Indiana to join the crew of the movie Nouvelle Vie.  Cheri Murphy, an associate producer, and her friend Lynn greeted us on the porch overlooking the canal of Winona Lake.  They were as excited as we were to show us the house.  They decorated, furnished and supplied it themselves!  New towels, comforters, recliners etc.  They even had friends donate toys for the playroom.  They even bought new DVDs for the girls.  It feels like a vacation house on the lake.  It's been three weeks since we moved out of our house and this is our first place that is our home.  It may be for only four weeks but it's ours and we are excited to serve the crew of Nouvelle Vie with our talents and skills.  Next week stay tuned for my video of Week #1 Behind the Scenes of Nouvelle Vie!

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On the road! - Hello Oregon

It has begun!  We moved out of our house in Lacey, WA last Sunday May 31st and put our stuff in storage in Sherwood, OR so we can travel light for the next year of movie production!  The first night in Oregon I was flooded with images and story for the sequel of Perfect Swing.  Which tells me God has big plans for Perfect Swing if He is already preparing me for a sequel.  I wrote the outline and shared in with my partners and if I find myself with 2 weeks downtime this summer perhaps I will write the screenplay.  But first Summer Vacation!

This week in Oregon has been with our parents and visiting with old friends.

We spent the first half of the week in Sherwood and the second half in Hillsboro.  Last night we celebrated my Dad's 65th Birthday!

It's been a great week to rest from our emotional move.  Tomorrow we drive to Redding, CA to see friends and get filled up at Bethel Church as well as celebrate Zoie's 9th Birthday on Sunday!  The last time I was at Bethel for a Heaven in Business Conference last August we experienced breakthrough for Perfect Swing.  I am excited for my girls to experience Bethel, we already listen to their worship as a family and April and I never miss a podcast.  We always get encouraged by the ministries of Bethel.  I am excited to see what God has for us this weekend!

Next week we will be celebrating my brother's graduation as he receives his Phd.  My folks are treating us to Disneyland!

Stay tuned for a new blog from a new state next week, as we make our way to Winona Lake, Indiana to join the movie crew of Nouvelle Vie!

New Life - Goodbye Washington

This is not how I would have imagined leaving our home in Olympia.  Today we sign the final documents and move out this Sunday.  It's been a mixture of emotions.  It's sad to say goodbye to friends and a little scary to move to an unknown part of the country yet the energy of excitement from my wife and four kids as we pack and clean is pure joy.  The enemy wants me to feel like I have failed them by moving them out of their home.  But a friend of mine told me this week that our name, "Himes", means "Home".  The truth is our family together is home, wherever that may be.  

This morning I was asked what we prefer for our accommodations while working on the movie Nouvelle Vie in Indiana, a hotel with a pool or a house near the lake.  We unanimously chose the house near the lake!  Jesus pointed out to me that it's no coincidence that our first project after our move is called Nouvelle Vie, which is french for, New Life.  We have been preparing for this New Life that's been a promise in our hearts for decades, to make "Movies With Life", which is the tag line and vision of our company Highwater Entertainment.  

April and I ran our first 5k last Saturday from our house to Meconis Subs! #WillRunForFood =)  We have been training for 8 weeks and for the first time in my life I ran for 30 minutes straight, hey I am a big guy.  =)  The training is complete, physically, mentally and spiritually and it's time step into this New Life.  Next week I will be blogging from a new state!  Stay tuned!  Join the prayer team for Perfect Swing Movie and receive a weekly email with prayer points!