Springtime Makeover, Front Yard

Two weekends ago (week before Easter) we spent the weekend working in our front shrub bed.  We've got a lot of plans for our yard over the next month or so and this was just the first phase.  Our shrub bed had not had any attention since the Spring BEFORE Nicholas was born (pitiful, yes).  

We spent Saturday afternoon trimming back the shrubs and pulling weeds.  Sunday we got up early and went to Lowe's.  We got a couple of hibiscus shrubs, rose bush, and some annuals to plant.  We also got 20 bags of mulch that I think made a huge difference.

Here is the final product!  I'm beyond happy how it turned out!  I LOVE how much lighter and springy it looks.

Nicholas even got into the spirit and mowed the yard for us.  :-)

Providing we have good weather, the next project is a swing set/play area for our sweet boy.  Of course, this monstrosity came in about a million pieces and it is estimated it will take 20 hours to assemble.  Not sure how that is going to go! Ha!

31

Tuesday was my 31st birthday. How in the world am I already 31?! It seems crazy to me that I'm that old (not that it is old at all!). I had a fabulous day and my family and friends at work made sure it was special!  I got to work that morning to find an envelope on my desk from my boss with a spa gift card!  I immediately called him and told him I would keep working for him for another year (kidding...kind of)!  My coworkers brought yummy snacks and a German chocolate cake (my favorite).  They always know how to make my birthday a good day!

Tuesday night we went to dinner with my parents at Chop House and them back to their house for dessert...of more German chocolate cake!!! I am such a lucky girl.  I have been blessed by God with wonderful parents, a great husband, and the biggest blessing of all, my sweet  boy. Michael took these pictures right before we left for dinner and it just made my heart smile (and wonder why in the world my kid's jeans looks so short???).

I always remember on my birthday (honestly, every.single.day of my life) how sad I was those years I was waiting for a baby.  It seemed everyone around me was having a baby and all I was having was another month of disappointment.  It still seems so raw and hard for me when I hear of someone that gets pregnant quickly or without any effort or when I hear someone complain about how they are fertile myrtle.  I spent two birthdays crying the entire day, sad that yet another year had gone and I was getting older and older without a baby of my own.  For some reason Mother's Day and my birthday are the two days a year that I am even more thankful for my sweet baby than any other. I want those of you still waiting to know that I am still praying multiple times a day for you to have the same miracle.

Because He Lives

Easter has always been one of my three favorite holidays.  I love Christmas and Thanksgiving, but I LOVE what Easter is all about.  It means so much to me that I have a Savior that died for us and rose on the 3rd day to be a LIVING savior!  This morning, like any good Southern Baptist girl, I was singing Because He Lives in my head at 7:30 while getting ready for Easter services.  There is no better song to have stuck in your head on Easter!

I felt like there was a really thin line this year on how I dressed my little Southern Boy.  Given the fact that he  is the size of a three year old and has a head full of hair, it looks too old for smocking and shortalls, so I decided to go with the next step of a seersucker suit.  I'm a sucker for a man in seersucker and I DIED at the cuteness of these two sporting there seersucker this morning...

Seriously, I DIE!

 I had a wardrobe malfunction in that my dress from last year (that I love and wanted to wear again this year) had a huge black stain on it.  I pieced this together at the last minute.

The Easter Bunny also came last night! He brought some Fruties, fruit snacks, bubble bath, foam soap, and even a Car's ice pack (yes, I'm a crazy trauma nurse!). 

 My family came over at 2:00 for lunch of ham, pineapple au gratin, potato casserole, deviled eggs, green beans, squash, and even a pink lemonade cake from pinterest!  After lunch, my cousin Lindsey hid eggs for Nicholas and helped him find them.  He loved hunting eggs!

 We all went outside and enjoyed the patio and warm weather.  I am so blessed with an awesome husband and family.

Nana came with my parents.  We can tell a huge difference in her since she has gone to live at her new home. It was wonderful to spend another Easter with her!

 I wasn't blessed with sisters, but I was given two cousins that are close to me.  Lindsey is 5 years younger and Katie is 8 years younger than I am (and we are told a lot that we look alike).

 I just had to show you my centerpiece.  I realized at 1:00 that I forgot to buy flowers for the table, so I ran out to the shrub bed we redid last week and picked a few roses!  It's been a miracle that they have lived for an entire week!  Usually flowers come to my house to die.

Hope everyone had an equally as fabulous Easter as we did!  

Because He Lives
I Can Face Tomorrow
Because He Lives
All Fear Is Gone
Because I Know He Holds The Future
And Life Is Worth The Living
Just Because He Lives