Sunwashed Linen

Let’s Look At…The College Years

Posted on March 16, 2022March 16, 2022 by Lauren Lane

It’s ”Let’s Look” day, where I share a little peek into a random part of our life. I’m linking up today with two of my favorite blogs (Shay @ Mix and Match Mama and Erika @ A Little Bit of Everything), to share a “look” into some little aspect of my life.

Last month, I shared what we ate in a week.

This month, we’re sharing a bit about our high school and college years. I loved this prompt. It took me down a happy rabbit hole of looking at pictures, and thinking about the Lauren of college and how much I’ve changed.

Technically this prompt was let’s look at the high school and college years…but it’s pretty clear looking back at my Amazon Cloud drive that I failed to save very many high school pictures/they’re probably all printed pictures that never got scanned into digital format.

I went to college at a small liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan called Hope College. Undergraduate population of 3,000 students right off of Lake Michigan. It was the most fun four years of my life. I met some of my very closest friends to this day, and I’m forever grateful to the education I received and the genuinely good and kind people I met at Hope.

Easter Baskets for Little Kids

Posted on March 15, 2022March 14, 2022 by Lauren Lane

As soon as Valentine’s Day is over, my mind moves to Easter baskets and birthdays. Harrison’s birthday is always around Easter, so it’s double duty for gift season for us! Whenever I start thinking about Easter baskets, I pick out things that they will need for the spring and summer, replacing well-worn art supplies, and lastly fun little games or toys that are perfect for road trips, as we usually head up to South Dakota to visit my parents over the summer.

Here are the things I’ve picked up for the boys’ Easter baskets so far!

Friday Favorites {03.11.22}

Posted on March 11, 2022March 9, 2022 by Lauren Lane

I’ve got my fingers crossed that this Saturday is our last super cold day of this season. I’m eager to get back outside with the boys and go on walks, go to the zoo, and all of those other fun activities we’ve missed this winter!

We had such a great week. It started off going back to in-person church for the first time in almost two years. Harrison was so pleased to be dressed up ”handsome,” and several kind ladies at church commented on his cute-ness, which sent him into the ultimate combination of shy-ness and admiration, and it’s ending with a little self-care for myself. I’m going to get a massage to start the weekend off right!

If I decorate for spring, it will surely come to stay. It was time to put away my ’winter’ decor, and refresh with faux stems, colorful accents, and a new spring doormat. I picked up this one from my local garden nursery, but there’s a similar one HERE.

My Pool Bag Essentials!

Posted on March 9, 2022March 9, 2022 by Lauren Lane

It’s that time of year where I start re-stocking my pool bag in preparation for the summer months ahead. Here’s a peek of my must-haves in my pool bag every year!

Pool bag: When carrying towels, snacks, and toys for four people, a massive pool bag is a must. This one is going on year 2 at the Lane household and has held up perfectly to the wear and tear of being hauled and dragged over concrete at the pool.

Sunscreen: You know what’s the most painful part of getting to the pool? Getting the sunscreen on the kids. I always, always, always try to put sunscreen on the boys before heading out the door to the pool, so that way they can jump right in as soon as we get to there! Stick sunscreen is one of the greatest parent friendly inventions in this day and age for their little faces. This spray sunscreen smells incredible, and I’ve loved the past few years!

Lanes Lately {March 2022}

Posted on March 8, 2022March 9, 2022 by Lauren Lane

Sharing what one might call a ”photo dump” on the gram…but all in one blog post. Things I didn’t post, forgot to post, and little pieces of life I want to hold on to forever.

Life looks a hectic running around after this little one…

Jonathan is in full blown destructor mode. His favorite toys are objects around the house and our master bathtub’s water. He has his usual go-to kitchen drawers. I find this particularly fascinating, because they are not the same kitchen drawers that Harrison used to like. Harrison was more of a measuring cup drawer fan. Jonathan enjoys dad’s grill tools and loaf and muffin tins drawers.

Friday Favorites {03.04.22}

Posted on March 4, 2022March 3, 2022 by Lauren Lane

Work was busier this week than it’s been the last few, but getting outside for a walk a couple times this week in the beautiful weather really made it all seem very bearable! Nathan and I finished the Yellowstone prequel mini-series, 1883, this week. It was really good! And we’re already looking forward to the next mini-series they are doing about the Duttons. The boys had a great week, too. Playing outside after daycare with neighbors made everyone happier, and more eager to welcome in spring. I’ve gathered up some of my favorites from this week. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Let me tell you a story about our oldest. Nathan got home late from work one evening last week, and while he was having some dinner, I entertained the boys playing hide and seek. Harrison tends to hide in the same places over and over again, so I didn’t pay much attention as he ran off in the direction of our bedroom to hide as I started to count.

And then Baby J and I started “seeking”…all the normal spots. Still seeking, still playing along. At some point, Nathan finished his dinner, and says, “you can’t find Harrison?”

After ten minutes, no. I still couldn’t find Harrison anywhere. Nathan couldn’t find Harrison anywhere. Finally, out of desperation and it being way past bath time, I said, “Harrison. I can’t find you. Come out and I’ll give you a Reese’s.”

And a little voice from our bedroom yelled, “I can’t get out! I’m stuck! But I still want a Reese’s!” We ran in there and found him in the bottom drawer of my dresser, smiling so pleased with himself.

“That was a good hiding place, right?”

Sitting in the In Between

Posted on March 2, 2022March 2, 2022 by Lauren Lane

I’ve sat down to write about our process for deciding what to do with our house at least four times. I end up paralyzed by the fact that we haven’t made a decision, and I find myself rightly or wrongly wondering, “what’s the point in sharing when you don’t even have the end result yet?” But the processing of what we want to do is hard. It feels like we’ve analyzed and re-analyzed, and then analyzed some more exploring every possibility, and nothing feels quite right. For two people making a big life decision, we both don’t like it when something doesn’t feel right. That gut feeling of “yes! This is it!” guides so much of our decision making. We’re still just waiting for direction of something feeling truly right.

And yet, we know we need to do something related to our house. So here’s some of the backstory…

Our Denver Trip! (And Harrison’s First Time Skiing)

Posted on March 1, 2022February 28, 2022 by Lauren Lane

A couple of weeks ago, Nathan and Harrison headed out to drive across the state of Kansas to Colorado for their very first ski trip. I packed them a lunch to eat in the car, and they were off for the mountains! Harrison was a level 12 out of 10 excited for this trip. All of the good one-on-one time with his Dad and beautiful setting was a perfect father/son trip.

After a couple of days, Jonathan and I packed up and flew out to Denver to meet the boys back in the city and spend a couple of days with Nathan’s parents, the boys’ Gigi and Pops.

The boys rented a small studio apartment in the village at Breckenridge. Harrison was SO EXCITED to get fitted his first day of ski school.

Friday Favorites {02.25.22}

Posted on February 25, 2022February 24, 2022 by Lauren Lane

The world feels heavy again today. I find myself going from shocked and disbelief at what is happening in Ukraine. I think often about how scary it must be to be there right now. To one day be going about your every day business, and the next to be living in fear. It’s heart breaking. Maddening. And just wrong. I pray for the world’s response now.

I had written these Friday Favorites earlier this week. Before all of the madness happening in eastern Europe started. I do want to share them, as they have brought me joy this past week. But it felt wrong to not speak to the immeasurable pain happening now in Ukraine, and how helpless and sad it’s making me feel today.

Have a good weekend, friends. Hopefully one that looks a bit brighter than things do right now.

We celebrated two birthdays in our family last weekend: Nathan’s and my mom’s. The boys looooove birthdays. The singing, the cake, the presents that they rip open to help. What’s not to like??

What’s Up Wednesday {02.23.22}

Posted on February 23, 2022February 23, 2022 by Lauren Lane

It’s the last Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time for our monthly link up to share a little peak into our lives this past month. A little bit of food, a little bit of nostalgia, fashion, what we’re looking forward to all in one place!

As always, I’m linking up with Shay and Sheaffer to share with you what’s going on in our life!

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK:

Friday: Nathan and I went out for dinner to celebrate his birthday in combination with the Eric Church concert!
Saturday: We did take out and cake with the boys to celebrate our favorite Dad
Sunday: Steak dinner at Mimi and Papa’s to celebrate our February birthdays
Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs. Yum! It’s a family favorite.
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Zuppa Toscana soup with salad and ciabatta bread
Thursday: Leftovers again

2: WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

Last year at this time, I have so many cute pictures of Baby J in his helmet…