Patriotic Day

Ella has been attending preschool at the Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City, and she absolutely LOVES it. We also love the peace and quiet it affords us in the morning when she is gone (and not fighting with Maiya)!!Here is a photo of Ella's classroom:

The students at her school prepared for "Patriotic Day" by learning a number of Patriotic Songs (Yankee Doodle, Grand Old Flag, etc). They first marched out and around the building, doing a "parade" for the parents who were attending. It just so happens that Ella's class was first, and Ella was the "line leader" for the day. Thus, Ella led the parade!

Ella didn't seem to remember many words (although she seemed to remember quite a few at home), but she enjoyed trying to sing along and doing the simple hand motions the music teacher taught them.

Maiya also enjoyed watching the production. It was so cute that something as simple as this little Patriotic Day production can bring small children so much joy! Ella just took so much pride in performing this quick show...and she beaming all day!

And the winner is....

62% of you voted BOY

25% of you voted GIRL

12% of you voted TWINS

And the majority rules! A boy, it is!!

And we have the ultrasound photo to prove it...but I will spare you looking at a fetus' private parts...trust me...it's a BOY!!

We had a pretty strong feeling it was a boy, in which case I was eager to know this time, so that I could sort through the girls' baby clothes, and pull out our few gender-neutral items that we own. Now we have plenty of preparation time to figure out those details!

And then comes the next question....what the heck do you do with a BOY?!!

BOY or GIRL?

We've always been patient with our previous pregnancies...waiting to find out the baby's gender during that moment of utter confusion/excitement when the baby arrives into the world!

This time...we decided we wanted to know...and we found out yesterday! But before I tell you...you must GUESS!! Take the (above) poll now, so I can spill the beans!!

My Life...

My sister, Lea, just posted a blog about a wonderfully productive day that she had lately. I have to admit that I was jealous!

Ella was home from preschool all last week (What? Schools have a WINTER break?!), which meant more trouble for us at home. We also got 2 very exciting deliveries from Mexico, which meant we had to get work on photo editing for our wholesale product line and catalog that we're *hoping* to release by the end of this month. The time seems to be sloooowly moving along, and yet, suddenly...each day is GONE!a

It's shameful how much work goes into each and every item. I wish I had the money to pay a professional product photographer...but alas...

at least Photoshop lets me turn this:

Into this:

Now, only 80 items to go...

Girly Girls...

This past weekend we visited a consignment store in North Atlanta, to consign some of our jewelry and purses that we have with us! Lucky for us, the girls stayed entertained in the dress-up bin while we were handling the business transaction!

Near the end of our visit, Ella & Maiya began to play dress-up with the fantastic shoes that the store had for sale. They certainly don't see THESE at our house!

Ella definitely handled these heels better than I could have!

Snow in Georgia!

Well, our hopes of experiencing a "warmer" Southern winter have been dashed to pieces.

Ella exclaimed, "But it NEVER snows in Atlanta. Except for 2 times!" Hmm...and we happened to catch them both!

The girls were SOOOO excited to get outside, and play in the snow!
It seems that despite our best efforts, they are not the snow-birds that their parents are!

Ella says, "Mommy...is snow healthy?" "Ummm...sure...as long as it's not yellow!"

Lucky for the girls, their Aunt & Uncle (Lara & Greg) aren't afraid of the cold, and they joined them outside and built a few snowmen with the girls!

Well, at least for kids, that is!

Death of a Craftshow

We had high hopes of exhibiting products at Craft Shows this winter in the Atlanta area, but have had little luck finding fitting shows. Finally, a high school craft show popped up, with a fee of only $30. We thought, "What do we have to lose?"

As it turned out, we were barely able to break even on the $30 investment (plus gas and lunch), and it was pathethic. All of the others potential shows are half a day's drive away (which means you have to invest in a hotel AND keep the kids with us at the shows all day...BAD NEWS!), have MUCH larger entry fees (try $200-$300), and the expense just doesn't seem worth it to us. I think we're just DONE having overhead expenses.

Meanwhile...these purses are on our website (at major discounts), and on ebay (sold 2 yesterday)! Hopefully we can clear this collection down...luckily, it was a consignment arrangement we worked out with the company that I worked for at the Americasmart last month.

We're in the Paper!

About a month ago, a local reporter contacted us via our blog about a month ago when he saw our blog pop up on a Google Newsfeed he had set up for "Peachtree City." He asked if he could send a reporter to do an article on us, and we obliged. I've posted the article below, but you can also find it at the newspaper's website link: http://fayettedailynews.com/article.php?id_news=5032

Despite the writer's lack of notes when meeting with us (we were skeptical), she actually got all of her facts right! Well, except for the part about feeding the ducks at the lake...which we've never done here. But we'd LIKE to! Where can we do that? :)

From Alaska to Mexico with Peachtree City in between	2010-02-04
By Martha Barksdale
Alisa and Jared Lybbert, with daughters Maiya and Ella, are having a good time in Peachtree City this winter. Alisa and Jared Lybbert started out in Kansas and Washington, respectively, met in Alaska, got married and now are moving their growing family to Mexico, with stops in between including a winter-long soujourn in Peachtree City. For most folks, just moving across town is an ordeal, so imagine a trek of more than 5,000 miles. But the Lybberts enjoy the adventure and with daughters Ella, 4, and Maiya, 2, find happiness no matter what their location. Jared and Alisa, married for seven years, met in Skagway, Alaska, a town where cruise lines dock in the summer. Alisa performed in a musical for the tourists, while Jared drove a bus for Grey Line Tours. They fell in love with the town and with each other. The Lybberts returned to Alaska each year to work. Alisa says they loved the town, which has a population of about 700 during the winter months, but balloons to more than 10,000 visitors a day during tourist season. Finally, after Ella was born, Alisa and Jared decided it was time to fulfill a long-time dream and open their own small business. Alisa's mom had long been enamored of Polish pottery, colorful stoneware hand-stamped in more than 200 different patterns, so that's what they sold at first. Gradually, the business, North Star Treasures, grew to include other items, including wood watches. They also began selling over the internet. They Lybberts say they love Skagway, but not enough to brave an Alaska winter. Each fall, they packed up and headed south to visit family and friends in the lower 48. Last year, they decided to rent a house in a town in Mexico they had heard about, Ajijic, near Guadelajara. "There are a lot of American and Canadian retirees there," said Alisa. "National Geographic rated it the second-best climate in the world," Jared pointed out. "The average temperature is in the 70s, and there's no humidity." Alisa and Jared were also impressed with the friendliness of the people, both Mexican and the retirees. Low prices were also a pleasant surprise. "We eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables," Alisa said, "and I went to the market and bought two weeks' worth for about $7." The Lybberts decided it was time for a move. The cruise ship business that once brought so many people to Skagway was beginning to decline. They returned to Skagway in the spring, worked over the summer, then closed their store. They now earn all their money through their online store at www.northstar-treasures.com. Heading south, the family visited friends and relatives in Utah and Kansas. Alisa and Jared even took a side trip to Hawaii. They chose to spend the winter with Alisa's sister and her husband, Lara and Greg Dahl, in Peachtree City. They say they really are enjoying Peachtree City, especially feeding the ducks at the lake and participating in children's activities at the library. The Lybberts plan to stay here until April. Baby number three will make his or her appearance this summer, and then the family will head south of the border where new adventures are sure to await them.

Carnival in Mexico

Okay, so this post is about a year overdue, but we enjoyed this experience so much...it is about time to blog about it!

Last Winter when living in Lake Chapala, we visited Parque La Cristiana to attend a Carnival that was visiting town. It was fantastic, and only cost us perhaps $3 each (and came with a free movie ticket at the local theater)!

Rides for children were purchased separately, but very inexpensive (although now I fail to remember the price), and Ella enjoyed some of the kid-friendly rides. They also had many adult rides, but we did not indulge ourselves!

The only unpleasant thing about the Carnival was the BLASTING music/speaker systems. It was sooo loud that I walked around plugging my ears (and the girls' ears!). Next time, I will take earplugs for all of us!

There were many food choices, including this one (perhaps Carne Asada?). Since we really didn't try much meat in Mexico, we failed to learn the name of this style of cooking. Reminds me of the Brazilian Tucano's Restaurant in Utah, though!

We ended up settling on some cheap hamburguesas for dinner, and I was disgusted that the hamburger actually tasted much like a HOT DOG. How is that possible? I don't know...but I wasn't impressed. It's hard enough for me to like a hamburger...and nearly impossible for me to like a HOT DOG!

We stumped upon the crown jewel of the event by accident. We were walking on the outskirts of the carnival, and saw a large tent (I think it was labeled "Dreams on Ice"), with a few people going inside. We entered, and found some fun bleachers (skinny boards held together with ropes!), and sat ourselves down...waiting (painfully) for something. Anything. Heck--we didn't know WHAT we were waiting for. But the crowds grew, so we assumed it had to be something worth waiting for!

Finally, the lights dimmed, and the show began. Out came jugglers, clowns, and even "dancers" on "ice skates." Please keep in mind these girls were certainly not on real ice (in Mexico?! Outdoors? Hah!)...it is some special synthetic flooring that doesn't look nearly as smooth! I feel particularly bad for the girl on the front left...she must have been new?...

There was also a fantastic balancing act done by a gentleman, and an assistant who I think was his sister (again--limited Spanish--who knows?). If you don't have patience to watch it all...at least fast-forward through it to see his crazy stunts!

And my personal favorite, a girl whose talent was dancing with hula-hoops! Very impressive!

Ode to a Turtle

We purchased these 2 lovely turtles in Tonala, a town near Guadalajara, just over 1 year ago. They have been with us along our long journeys from Mexico to Alaska, and then down to Georgia. This past summer, they were guest residents at the local Daycare in Skagway, and provided entertainment for the kiddos when they bothered to peer in through their murky water.

A few months ago, when making the drive from Utah to Georgia, we stopped in Topeka, Kansas for the night. We always take our turtles in for the night, but on this particular night, we forgot. When we woke in the morning, Jared went to the car to get something, and found our turtles frozen in 2 inches of solid ice on the bottom of their "tank" (we travel with minimal water in there--due to splashing issues when driving!). Oh no!! We took them inside, and placed the tank inside a bathtub of hot water. Slowly, the ice began to thaw, and we patiently poured warm water into the bowl, as well. We had little hope that they would survive...but alas...as the ice thawed, so did the turtles! Within a few hours, they seemed to be back to normal, and were happily swimming around! That was CLOSE!



This past weekend, before going to bed, I peered on the the turtles, and noticed one of them floating unusually in the corner of the large tank we now have them ($4 Walmart clear tupperware). After closer inspection, it became evident that this particular turtle had left this world, and passed on to Turtle Heaven. We had noticed him becoming sluggish lately (especially when compared to his active companion in the bowl), and so we suppose it was just his time. He always seemed the "old fogey" of the pair...relaxing on the top of the rock, while the other loved to swim lap after lap.

Now that I think about it...who am I to call him a "him?" I don't even know what gender these turtles are, nor have I ever done the research to find out!

So, little turtle (whether you be a him or a her), may you rest in peace, and enjoy the endless lakes, ponds, and cilantro (your favorite) in Turtle Heaven. You were a good, effortless pet.

:)