Our lazy Saturday

For the first time in long time, we had a Saturday that just felt free. I'm not sure if we've been busy all our Saturdays lately but it just has felt like we haven't had one off in a long time. This might have all been an illusion and the only real difference was the sunshine and warmish temp, but today felt gloriously empty.

So, what do you do with a free Saturday.

First, if you are me, you lay in bed for quite awhile and then get ready as slow as possible. If you are Kevin, you are up early and at it, dismantling a section of the fence before your wife even makes it outdoors. By 11, when I finally strolled outside, the fence alongside my garden was gone and hope that we might actually (fingers crossed!) replace our fence this summer was born. At that point Kevin decided a dump run was necessary (didn't think the nail-y, rotty boards where good for a backyard where the girls have free range) and he took off to accomplish that.

The girls, who had been pretty good troopers while daddy dismantled the fence, were now tired of each other. I was debating some TV time (nothing brings sisters together like a bit of Word Girl!) when Kevin, as he was driving off, mentioned that it was our town's Earth Day. Instead of being a lazy mom (as I had been all morning), I took the girls down the street to the post office where all the fun was. It wasn't very elaborate, but there was sidewalk chalk art, a turtle lady (serious) and free hot dogs! We also heard mentioned fire truck rides. We would have totally just gone with the hot dogs, but they were temporarily out so we ventured on to the fire station. Good call!

(slightly bad picture-sorry)

Kevin joined us (still a bit stinky from all his outdoor/dump work, but we didn't mind). The girls got fire hats, ate Red Vines and, finally, we got to go on a ride! Highlight of the Earth Day. Hannah rode shotgun and got to press the buttons that made the sirens go. Abby sat wide eyed on Kevin's lap, not speaking till the last few minutes of the ride. Kevin and I enjoyed the scenic trip around Electric City. All were happy.

After that, we found the hot dog stand fully stocked, ate the most delicious hot dogs ever (notice how much better food is when you are really hungry for it?) and went home.

After supplementing our meal of hot dogs with some fruit and vegetables, we then headed back out for a walk (really, such gorgeous weather demanded it). I could give you a blow by blow of the walk, but instead I'll just list it off the highlights for you:

1) dropped off Kevin's work computer to be fixed

2) toured an AMAZING kitchen and got some good ideas should we redo ours

3) door bell ditched some May Day flowers (yeah, a day early)

4) visited awhile with some amazing church members

5) admired some horses

6) saw Hannah's friend's new house

7) dropped Hannah off at friend's house

8) checked out landscaping at pretty much every house we walked by

9) picked up Kevin's work computer, now perfectly fixed

10) wondered why our walk was 2 plus hours

We wrapped up the day with the week's grocery shopping, enjoyed a yummy dinner prepared by Kevin and had girls bathnight. Oh, and the girls were asleep by 7:30.

Wow. I feel like my lazy day counted.

Easter girls

I thought about doing an Easter post exclusively devoted to cute dresses (and trust me--the dresses this year are cute enough that they deserve it!), but I also knew that you two blog readers are also facebook friends and probably saw all that Easter cuteness.

Instead I thought I'd comment on a blessing I found while going through my pictures.

I don't think where we live is always the easiest. Our closes family is 6 hours away, with another chunk a good 3 hour plane ride away. We have no Target, no Starbucks and no YMCA to provide dance or gymnastic classes. I feel sometimes like we are an hour past the middle of nowhere.

But. But! We are blessed. We have a supportive church community that is so kind and understanding of not just Kevin, but the rest of us. We've got good friends who encourage and challenge us. And we've got teenagers. That is what we refer to them at our house--"the teenagers" (stopped calling them the big girls when Hannah said, "but I'm a big girl too!"). Pictured here are two of them, but there are more. These two young ladies in particular have had such a sweet impact on our girls. For two years now I've got evidence of our blessing. Above Katelynn walks with Abby around the Easter Egg hunt while Kaydi helps Hannah find just one more egg so that Hannah can have "enough." Below Katelynn and Hannah search through tulips for an egg while Kaydi does craft time with Abby.

These "teenagers" are such a blessing to both me and my girls. Every kid should have themselves a pair of teens!

Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised that Abby declared on Easter morning that when she was big, she "wanted to be an Easter girl!" When I asked what that meant, she explained that it was the big girls who hid the Easter eggs (and then helped Abby find them).

Recipe for the perfect sleepover

Take two friends and 1 little sister


Add some pizza making


A little popcorn and a movie



A bit of homemade ice cream



A dash of dance party




Mix well and pray for sleep!

Hardest working (green) school item

In honor of Earth Day I thought I'd do a post on my favorite school item, which also happens to be extremely earth-friendly.

I'll admit, I really over thought the whole lunchbox question (in typical, Alisa-ish fashion). I wanted something cute (really, that was for both me and Hannah), functional and green. It needed to be easy enough for Hannah to master independently and simple to clean. Although our family has been using reusable baggies for years and my lunch is an assortment of mismatched containers, I really wanted to use the compartment system for Hannah because I thought it would just be easier for her. By compartment system I mean that the lunch box has a bunch of fitted container or compartments that the food goes into so that no baggies or such are needed.



My first choice was the PlanetBox, which is a stainless steel, one piece, compartment lunchbox. The thing is just amazing. It also comes in around $60, which was a bit steep, especially when I wasn't sure Hannah wouldn't lose it on the first day.

However, after some Internet research, I was able to find a slightly more affordable option that had both the functionality needed and plenty of cuteness. By using the Laptop Lunch System Hannah has not once used any sort of baggie in her lunch this year. Her drink does not go in the provided water bottle, but her Honest Kids drink pouch is recycled at our school, so her lunch is completely waste free. And my worries of her losing her lunch box? Completely unfounded. One day she forgot it at school in her classroom, all the rest it has made it safely home.
Did I over think the whole lunchbox? Of course I did. Am I glad that I found such an awesome lunchbox that meets my green sensibilities? Absolutely.





(will I some day cave and buy the PlanetBox? maybe.)

Parenting across racial lines

I found this article both intriguing and slightly lacking of anything concrete as a different approach to parenting a child from a different racial background. Kevin and I have spent quite a bit of time talking about this challenge, first with the prospect of adopting a child from China and then as we switched to domestic adoption and a child from any race. I do feel fortunate to have two wonderful friends from church who have experience parenting children from a different racial background.

The Rainforest *picture heavy post!*

After our marriage conference, Kevin and I took a mini (very mini) vacation to the Olympic Peninsula, home of three temperate rainforests. Having lived in Washington for now 7 years of my life, I thought it was about time I visit this scenic location. We also called our trip a "scouting mission" for future family vacations. Although the sun did not grace us once with its presence, that did not detract from the visit.

Our lodging -- isn't it lovely? From the lodge, looking down. Yes, it was that gray the ENTIRE time we were there (all 24 hours)

Close up of the lawn. I think this is a spot you MUST bring a good book because the scenery demands it! Main room of the lodge. It was, at all times, filled with people playing games, reading books or something of the like.

a hiking trail

Literally dripping with moss

Can you tell how drenched I am?? Soaked through my jacket. Must come better prepared next time!

Hanging around

Looking down at a waterfall (on bridge)... Looking up at same waterfall....

World's largest Spruce tree

Kevin in front of aforementioned tree... (Cali bias--Yosemite has trees that would eat this tree for breakfast)

Although that seemed like a lot of pictures, I held back. This was the most amazing place and we left planning when we can get back there next with the girls. There are so many hiking trails suitable for children (and wimps like me), plus this spot is ridiculously close to the ocean and tide pools. We could definitely stay awhile!

The Movies, fancy like

Part of our weekend included a "date night." Kevin, ever the smart boy, knows what I like--dinner and a movie (easy to please, right?) so he planned accordingly. Dinner at a delicious Italian place and a movie. However, the local movie theater was like none other I have ever seen before.

Gold Class Cinema is like VIP movie going. Leather seats with plenty of leg room. A "concession" stand that looks like a high class bar, and serves a variety of adult drinks. If we had gone for the "expensive" seats we would have had recliners and a waiter.


You can buy red vines here, along with popcorn, but most people were going for something more high class then that.




Our seats--super comfy!

Not sure I would always like to go to the movies like this, but it was nice this one time!?

Weekend to Remember

This past weekend Kevin and I did something we've always said we would do but just never got around to do-- we went to a marriage conference.

FamilyLife puts on "weekends to remember" all over the country. This past weekend they had 7 going on. We went to one in Redmond, WA (basically Bellevue).

I could go into a lot of detail on the conference, but I won't. Instead let me just say how amazing and refreshing it was for Kevin and I. This conference is perfect for couples coming from all backgrounds. There were young, newly married sitting alongside couples with 30 years under their belt. Couples struggling to make it work and ones like us who just wanted some time to slow down and focus on their relationship. I strongly feel any couple could gain something valuable from the conference.

Nice bonus-pastor couples don't pay for registration. Makes it very affordable.



The hotel and area-no need for the car. Redmond Town Center has it all! We loved spending our breaks just wandering the area and enjoying being in a city.




We will be back! Not next year, but sometime soon. We need a break from the busyness of raising young kids so that we can give our relationship the time it deserves.

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