Staycation miscellany
We have just experienced something amazingly rare and equally fabulous. Two whole weeks of vacation time at home!
Bliss.
Well, mostly. We still had children waking up in the middle of the night (thankfully, their colds that were to blame are much better!), on and off grumpy parents, and (for me) a headache that has lasted the better part of a week! Life's not perfect, is it?! But we make the most of what we have and appreciate everyday, all-sufficient, God-given grace that covers us.
Here's a little of what we've been up to:
Portland! We started our vacation time with a quick trip south to Portland. With so many amazing places within driving distance of our new home, it's hard to choose where to go. But Portland is one of those places you just have to see, I suppose. I will admit, I wasn't super impressed. Maybe that was partly due to the rainy days or partly because artsy town and Halloween make for a creepy and not-so-family-friendly combo! Regardless, we had a good time, experienced fun memories of all FOUR of us sleeping in the hotel bed at one point (thankfully, a king-sized bed!), and managed to see a breathtaking waterfall and get some hiking in, so all in all it was a good trip!
Girls night. One side perk of my husband taking leave is that it is sort of a vacation for me, too! I was able to go grocery shopping by myself, kick off my half-marathon training with some solo runs, and enjoy watching my sweet husband play with our precious boys! To top it off, a girl's night was planned! Have I mentioned how blessed I am to have two fabulous friends in town? We go way back to days in Charleston and to husbands being friends and thankfully, these girls are spectacular and we happen to all get along as well! We did the artsy thing for our time together-- sipping coffee, chatting, and painting the Seattle skyline with Mt. Ranier in the background.
Halloween. i'm so not a fan, in case you were wondering. what i am a fan of is seeing my little ones all dressed up!
Projects. What's a staycation without some house projects to mark off the list? Boy, did we have a list! With my husband taking the lead and providing the motivation, we got quite a bit done! Almost six months in our house and I can say-- with more confidence than I could two weeks ago-- that I feel mostly settled!
Museum. With all our housework to accomplish, we decided a fun day out was a must. We visited our local children's museum and had a blast watching out little guys play in the water tables, crawl around an indoor ship, paint, and have fun with lights and shapes and balls! What a great indoor activity!
Running. I mentioned the training. One week down and going strong! One small confession: I actually enjoy running in the rain. Hey, if you can't beat it, you better embrace it!
Impromptu date night. Oh, so necessary. And so not expensive, so we are all without excuse. A stay date, let's call it. For ours, we got the kids in bed, made some homemade kettle corn (my new favorite obsession), and played board games. So, we're 65, but who cares? I loved every minute of spending some uninterrupted, care-free time with my husband!
Bliss.
Well, mostly. We still had children waking up in the middle of the night (thankfully, their colds that were to blame are much better!), on and off grumpy parents, and (for me) a headache that has lasted the better part of a week! Life's not perfect, is it?! But we make the most of what we have and appreciate everyday, all-sufficient, God-given grace that covers us.
Here's a little of what we've been up to:
Portland! We started our vacation time with a quick trip south to Portland. With so many amazing places within driving distance of our new home, it's hard to choose where to go. But Portland is one of those places you just have to see, I suppose. I will admit, I wasn't super impressed. Maybe that was partly due to the rainy days or partly because artsy town and Halloween make for a creepy and not-so-family-friendly combo! Regardless, we had a good time, experienced fun memories of all FOUR of us sleeping in the hotel bed at one point (thankfully, a king-sized bed!), and managed to see a breathtaking waterfall and get some hiking in, so all in all it was a good trip!
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| scenic WA, en route to Portland (please excuse window glare) |
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| my sweet boys |
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| moose! |
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| i love fun bridges! |
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| Multnomah Falls |
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| taking it easy in the hotel room, sipping his (empty!) coffee cup and working hard on...something. such an entertainer! |
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| voodoo donuts. his first and only bite, ha! |
Girls night. One side perk of my husband taking leave is that it is sort of a vacation for me, too! I was able to go grocery shopping by myself, kick off my half-marathon training with some solo runs, and enjoy watching my sweet husband play with our precious boys! To top it off, a girl's night was planned! Have I mentioned how blessed I am to have two fabulous friends in town? We go way back to days in Charleston and to husbands being friends and thankfully, these girls are spectacular and we happen to all get along as well! We did the artsy thing for our time together-- sipping coffee, chatting, and painting the Seattle skyline with Mt. Ranier in the background.
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| blessed to know these terrific ladies! |
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| so proud of my painting...now, where to hang it? |
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| i am Buzz Alien. i come in peace. |
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| my cute little alien |
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| ok, so we all had fun with the silly hat! |
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| first time trick-or-treater, at our neighborhood event |
Projects. What's a staycation without some house projects to mark off the list? Boy, did we have a list! With my husband taking the lead and providing the motivation, we got quite a bit done! Almost six months in our house and I can say-- with more confidence than I could two weeks ago-- that I feel mostly settled!
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| never too young to learn how to shine your shoes |
Museum. With all our housework to accomplish, we decided a fun day out was a must. We visited our local children's museum and had a blast watching out little guys play in the water tables, crawl around an indoor ship, paint, and have fun with lights and shapes and balls! What a great indoor activity!
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| happy boy! |
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| Levi is ready to play, too! |
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| the artist at work |
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| lights! |
Running. I mentioned the training. One week down and going strong! One small confession: I actually enjoy running in the rain. Hey, if you can't beat it, you better embrace it!
Impromptu date night. Oh, so necessary. And so not expensive, so we are all without excuse. A stay date, let's call it. For ours, we got the kids in bed, made some homemade kettle corn (my new favorite obsession), and played board games. So, we're 65, but who cares? I loved every minute of spending some uninterrupted, care-free time with my husband!
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| loving the music table |
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| out-take #1 |
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| out-take #2 |
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| there we go! ethan and his turkey! |
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| reading with daddy |
linking up with carissa
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