Sprucing up the nest

I’ve been such a bad blogger that I didn’t even blog Aleks’ and Kat’s graduating in June.  So here’s a quick remedy for that:

We now have four – count ‘em, FOUR – college graduates!  Not including saving for the whole thing, that was a ten year adventure from when Elisabeth started at Cal (9/02) to when Aleks and Kat graduated from UW (6/12). Phew!

Like many recent graduates, Aleks and Kat moved home and got to work looking for jobs.  Kat is making a great go of her new photography business (weddings, portraits, etc… hire her!) while also working at a wonderful local restaurant and Aleks has landed a very cool internship with an organization that appeals to all his passions in government, political science, and international relations. But for now they’re both living at home – which is just fine with us!

Prompted by our nest re-filling a bit, we made some big changes to the house.  Aleks’ room, with the furniture we bought for him soon after he graduated from a crib, has always been right across the hall from ours.

Once he moved back home, he decided to move downstairs into Peter’s old room next to Kat, which had been recently turned into a guest room.

Once he did that, Kat and I got to work completely updating Aleks’ old room and turning it into a new office.  She and I painted the walls a warm sage green and Tom built new window casings and a window sill, and now we have an updated and much bigger office, which I love!

We were even able to revitalize an old futon that my mom and dad made us way back in the early ‘80’s:

But my favorite part of our new office is the closet-turned-workspace:

The previous office had been in this small room…

…which we renovated into a new guest room.  I love the new bed!

We even filled the bookshelf with books that guests might want to read.  (And yeah, which didn’t fit into our other bookshelves…)

There was a time when six of us were squeezed into this house.  Fortunately, all four kids had their own rooms, but there were no extra rooms for guests and no dedicated office space.  Once Aleks and Kat move out, we’ll potentially have three guest rooms and a home office.  Who needs THREE guest rooms?  Unless, of course, you consider doing something like this… which I have!  Especially since our town is quickly becoming quite the wine tasting destination!

Anyone have experience with Airbnb or a similar organization or have any suggestions?  I’m all ears!

Yakima from the rear view mirror

In June, 2011, six months after graduating from Washington State, Peter landed a job in Yakima, a town on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, about two and a half hours from the lush greenery of Seattle.  Peter has lots to say about Yakima, probably the kindest being that it’s “not Seattle.”  Let’s just say that his year in Yakima wasn’t the happiest of his life and he worked hard to find his way back to Seattle, where his heart is (and where Michaela, who shares his heart, also is).

At the end of May, Peter landed a great job in Seattle and began to make plans to move back.  Then, two weeks ago, he found an apartment in the heart of Fremont, one of Seattle’s most desirable neighborhoods for young professionals. So he paid his dues in Yakima for a year and finally last weekend Tom and I helped him move back!

This is the shot he talked about for months -- Yakima out of the rear view mirror:

Granted, it’s not the most beautiful place on earth, but just a few miles from the town of Yakima is Yakima Canyon – which is, I swear, one of the most beautiful places on earth!  (In a very non-Seattle way, of course…)

Come join us, won’t you?

Wide open road and the bright blue skies…

…and lots of rock!

See those teeny-tiny specs in the water?  Those are people on inner tubes and small rafts, spending all day floating leisurely down the river, soaking up the sunshine!  I’ve decided that this is something that I must do!

Look!  A deer!

We must be getting closer to cloudy, gray Seattle…

I don’t think Peter will ever head back to Yakima, but someday I just might!  Floating down the river in the middle of the beautiful Yakima Canyon is definitely something I’d spend a day doing.

But yeah, a full year out there really would be a bit much.

(With apologies to Lorenne!)