We officially have a home of our own in Washington!  While I did not particularly enjoy the shopping for a home part of the process, the end result of our hard work was worth it.  I mean, seriously, check out this floor plan!  It’s just perfect for us and we love it.  Every other apartment we looked at had good things and bad things about it.  This apartment only has awesome things about it.  Let me tell you about it:

1. It has a loft!  Which means two floors!  Which means it feels huge!
2. Lot’s of sunlight!
3. Closets!  A lot of cheaper apartments are stripped down and don’t have any nooks and crannies.  This one has just the right amount of nook and cranny space for storage of little things.
4. It has a deck that’s actually square (rather than the all too common long and skinny) and the deck faces the water.
5. Washer & Dryer is included.  I loved this floor plan from the moment I saw the diagram, but the website said no W/D and that was pretty much a deal breaker for this girl.  But lo and behold, they are putting in a W/D in the apartment before we move in.
6. The layout is well-designed and makes sense.  Some apartment layouts are just crazy.
7. The apartment buildings themselves are all only two levels and you enter from the outside, to they sort of feel like town homes rather than apartments.  Love this!
8. It’s actually under our price range.

My absolute favorite thing: I’m loving the loft is because Bryan and I really wanted a second bedroom so we’d have space to create.  For Bryan to create music and for myself to write and sew and knit and plan and all that jazz.  But having a loft instead of the second bedroom means we get the space of a bedroom, without the confining-four-walls-and-one-tiny-window feel of a bedroom.  When I walked up to the loft, I was in love.  I felt like I could create there.  AND there is plenty of room up there to throw a mattress down and have guests (I’M TALKING TO YOU IOWANS!), so purchase your plane tickets to Seattle now.

Anyway, I’m a happy camper, and excited to move into our new home sometime at the end of May/beginning of June.

On our way home from our first community group…

Lisagrace: Bryan, Lauren was wearing Layla’s shoes.
Bryan: What are you talking about?
Lisagrace: Lauren had the exact same shoes as Layla…and they aren’t very common shoes.  I’ve never seen them except on Layla’s feet.  It was like God was saying, “you can be friends with these people.”
Bryan: You’re weird.

We’ve settled on a church here (solely based on the shoe thing…just kidding).  I think it’s finally official that we live here now.  We have a bank account here, washington driver’s licenses and license plates, the works.  And now we have a new church.  Our church in Iowa will always have a piece of us.  After all, family is always family.  But God has us here.

We go to Mars Hill Church in Federal Way, WA.  We go to community group in Auburn, WA.  I go to a women’s bible study in Federal Way, WA.  We’re apart of a church.  God is good.

An old friend/mentor, Anna Chang and her husband Noah host our community group.  Anna is the sister of Lydia, who plays violin for Adoleo, Bryan’s old band through Veritas.  Anna was also my Junior High Small Group leader when she was in college and I was in, well, junior high.  How sweet is that?  God really provided some instant community through them.

We went to their community group and some of the first people that walked in were from Iowa.  Yep, that’s right.  Actually, Lauren is canadian, but she went to Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, IA.  And, more importantly, she had Layla’s shoes on.  So I knew we could probably be friends.

We know we’re supposed to be here and God graciously continues to confirm that.  We’re starting to feel at home, starting to make friends and get connected, and starting to put down roots.

I’ve been getting really excited to move into our own place.  Do I enjoy living with Bryan’s parents and not paying rent?  Yes and YES, but it keeps me from feeling settled.

We looked at an apartment on Sunday that was a stone’s throw away from my office.  The apartment was decent, rather small, poor lighting, but in good shape.  And I dreamed of being able to walk to work instead of buying a second car right away.

We’re trying not to rush though.  This is the one time we have a chance to be picky about where we live as we have no lease that’s about to be up.  So we didn’t move forward on the apartment.  Back to square one.

The apartment we’re looking at tomorrow is in Des Moines, WA.  It’s so weird.  I wouldn’t even consider looking there at first.  What’s worse, is that I found out Washintonians pronounce the “s” on the end of “Moines.”  If we move there, I’m going to make it my personal mission to pronounce Des Moines correctly (Deh Moyn) until everyone in Washington also pronounces it correctly.  All I’m saying that if everyone in Iowa pronounces their capitol city one way, it’s probably the right way.  (And this is why I’m going to have no friends here.  Sorry, Washington, but you’re wrong on this one)

Anyway, I really wish my friend Gig could just come here and find me an adorable, affordable apartment with good light and lots of wood trim and we’d be set.

I’ll keep you updated, friends, if you keep me in your prayers.  I really hate apartment shopping.

come find me at www.alsberries.com

(the posts on this blog will end up there eventually anyway.)

My baby brother Adam turned 21 today. He’s one of those people who could have been 21 a long time ago. In fact, he’s been known to have a glass of whiskey on occasion since he was 16 or 17. My parents got a little relaxed by the time their 5^th kid was a teenager, obviously. But seriously, what 17 year old kid enjoys straight whiskey in moderation?! My little brother, that’s who. Most people that know him would agree that one day he was a kid, and the next we was a man. It happened that fast.

All of a sudden he was over 6 feet tall, his baby chub was gone, he had a sense of style and his hair was under control.

The truly amazing thing…well, one of them…is that I literally can’t remember ever fighting with him growing up. And that speaks much more of his character than mine, trust me. A little less than 3 years younger than me, I remember a little boy who did everything I ever asked him to do. And he remembers not my laziness and tyranny (which is what it was), but me spoiling him and giving him money to do said things (I was usually sitting on a pile of babysitting money back in my hay day).

This is the Adam I grew up with and the Adam the remained until that day he became a man. He was extremely loyal, and did as others influenced him-it got him into trouble sometimes. But then something changed. His faith and walk with Christ became very real to Him. And he started to live by the beat of his own drum. As his walk with Jesus grew, he only became more loved by all who know him. If you have even heard of Adam Duvick, you want to be friends with him.

So, happy birthday, Adam. You are truly one of favorite people ever, I’m so blessed that you’re my brother as well. Bryan and I are so proud of who you’ve become and who Christ is shaping you to be.

I think I heard that Boeing really wants to hire you when you graduate…just sayin.’

There’s something beautiful to me about starting new. I’ve always loved change. I like to re-arrange, re-organize, re-shake up my life. It’s hard in many ways, to adjust to a new normal, but I love the adjusting period. It causes me to consider the things that truly matter in life, the things that I want to hold on to amidst all the change.

Bryan and I moved to Washington state in early March. We had three weeks to move from Iowa to Washington. Our solution to this was to sell almost everything we own, and that we did. What we didn’t sell, we donated, gave away and consigned. We ended up moving with 13 boxes and some change (as in, my wedding dress, sewing machine and Bryan’s musical instruments shoved into every crevasse in our cars). It was strange to see what filled those boxes. When we really surveyed the final packing job, the boxes were filled with:

• DVD’s
• Records (Vinyls)
• CD’s
• Video Games
• Books
• Crafts
• Board Games
• Kitchen Utensils & Kitchen Ware
• Clothing

Really, there wasn’t much else we brought with us.

It’s refreshing to start over. I get to re-arrange, re-organize, re-think everything about our little home and life here. I love the idea that I have our whole future life here in front of me. And I get to paint it whatever color I want.

so far, seattle is pretty great. the other morning i got to look at a beautiful mountain range on my way to work. i don’t expect to get tired of that view.