The Crib has been Ordered!

This was one of the many cribs I was eyeing, but couldn't decide on one specific crib. Then I was on Amazon the other day, and they made the decision for me :-) They were running a sale with 50% off one of my crib selections, so I had to hop on it! I originally saw it at Babies R Us, but the brand is sold at other locations. I only purchased the crib, for I 'm not sure the route I want to go with for the dresser and other furniture yet.

According to the tracking number, it should be at my doorstep today!! :-)

Merry Christmas!! 2010 (pics will be posted soon)

I don't know where I got this hosting trait. It must be from my grandmother. It's both a blessing a curse I swear! I LOVE to host & plan parties. I don't mind the pre-planning work, but when it's all said and done it seems to take forever to get my house back to the way it was prior to the party!

It was my idea to host Christmas, and I'm so glad that we did. I had a blast, and it was fun spending time with both Darnells side & my side of the family. It was also nice not having to go from house to house making sure we see everyone. I started planning for this dinner probably 3-4 weeks prior by making the menu, and asking some folks to bring dishes. I knew that it would be WAY too much for me to cook all of that food, and I also knew that somethings are just not my speciality.

It is also a tradition that my family and I participate in Meals on Wheels on Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year we just did Christmas, and even though we have to get up early it is always WELL WORTH it!! Delivering to seniors citizens that may not be getting a meal on the holiday & the excitement on their faces when someone comes to visit them is priceless. I would encourage everyone to take the time out throughout the year, but especially during the holiday seasons to spread the joy & love that you are receiving from your loved ones to someone else that may not be getting it in their life. You never know what difference you could be making in their life.

Anyway, I knew that I would be busy Christmas morning, so I prepared a lot of the food the day before. Cleaned the greens, made the red velvet cake, set the table, put out the serving dishes, etc. That all made a huge difference when the big day came around. Dinner was scheduled to begin at 4p, but it didn't start until about 5:30p, and the festivities ended around 1:30a. Today is Tuesay 12/28/10, and the house is still not back to normal...LOL!! That's ok because it's almost time for the next event...New Years Eve!!! Then, I'll be hosting a "Game" party. Finally after almost two years the TV show, The Game, is returning, and I decided to host a party to show the launch of the new season...I told you I love to host :-)

Week 22 - Baby Bump

Yes, I am in a dressing room :-)

My mom, sister, and I went shopping to try and spend our holiday gift cards, but we all were unsuccessful. I tried on this sweater at Macy's, and all I could hear is my stylist (shout out to BoBo!) saying "you always get those types of sweaters!" That is indeed a true statement, BUT if you've read previous post I've stated that this was going to be my easy prego look! Long sweaters with leggings, boots, and keep it moving! :-)

Anyway, here is my 22 week baby bump. Is it still a bump? Looks more like a hill now!?!??!

Creamy Chicken/Shrimp Pasta Dish

I haven't really placed any food dishes on this blog, but since this particular dish has become a staple in our weekly rotation I thought I'd share :-)

I got his recipe from a blog that I frequent called, My Happy Meals. This blog is a spin off from another blog that I frequent by Molly called My Happy House. Both sites are extremely useful, and provides awesome ideas on different delish recipes & ways to improve the work flow of your home. I actually "met" Molly through a message board that I also frequent called The Nest (spin off of The Knot). Molly's nickname on The Nest is Martha Stewart because she is so domestic & makes things seem so super easy!

Anyway, I tried this recipe, and Darnell & I just fell in love with it. It's SUPER easy, and SUPER fast to make. I've actually shared this recipe with numerous friends and co-workers and they all seem to love it. One thing that Darnell & I discovered is that this dish actually taste better on day 2!!! If you try it, leave a comment and let me know what you think!

This pic below is actually when I experimented one time with Darnell's dish and used shrimp instead of chicken. However, he said that he liked the chicken better. With mine I just use vegetable stock instead of the chicken, and eliminate the chicken pieces and add more spinach and tomatoes...yummy!

Want to try it? Here is the recipe.

Week 21 - Baby Bump

Ok here is another cute baby bump pic! :-) 21 weeks, and fresh off the dance floor! Hubby and I had just came back home from OZ's 30th Anniversary Banquet, so what a better time to take the 21 week pic! Below is the pic & HERE is the link to all the pics from the banquet. We had so much fun. It was so nice to see all of my OZ Sorors...there was so much love in the room!

Week 20 - Baby Bump

Yet another pic that I don't like, but oh well. I hope you have seen worse. So, I'm half way and still feeling A OK! I'm definitely getting bigger, but it seems to bs just belly. I can still fit most of my pants with the help of the belly band, but don't really go that route because the band always rises up & it is so annoying!!!

Woodward

Well, it finally did it! I finally snowed! Like that real nasty, thick, causing problems, not going anywhere type snow!! On Sunday, it came down & it came down hard! Darnell & I still decided to go to chuch, but other than that I was in the house for the rest of the day! Of course that didn't stop me from having to go to work! Working in a hospital means it's always open!! Ugh!

Part of my route includes taking Woodward, which I should have avoided!! They never clear off Woodward! Its always a mess & this day was no different! OMG is was so scary driving that I ended up turning off on a side street and finding Coolige to take!

Christmas Lights are up

Well, hubby & I decided we wanted to put Christmas light up outside so we took a trip to Target to get the supplies & Hubby put them up a few days later. We also purchased a light up animated reindeer, but it was not setup when this pic was taken. I think this is a good start. Maybe next year we will have more outside, but for now this will do. Notice who's in the door while this pic was taken :-)

Bored at work

It was Friday afternoon, I wasn't feeling well, and was ready to just go home!!! After lunch I decided to have a little photo shoot, and display how huge I've become! I look super big in this pic! I'm hoping it's just the angle...lol...oh yeah keep in mind that I just had lunch so my stomach has also a lot of food in it! LOL!

3rd & Probably the Last Ultrasound :-(

12/7/10 was the date of my third ultrasound. I was happy & excited to see the baby again, but sad because I don't think we will get to see the baby again until they make their appearance into the world. I didn't meet with the Dr., but the ultrasound tech stated that women normally just get 2 ultrasounds where I've received 3 already! I'll confirm with my Dr., but I do believe when I asked her before she said the same thing.

Below is the best pic out of the three they gave us. I must admit, the ultrasound at Beaumont was much better than the one at my Dr's office. We only got a chance to see a profile of the baby for once again, he/she was all over the place doing all types of flips, and turns. The pic below looks like it is sucking it's thumb, but we were not really sure since 1/2 second later the hand was back down! LOL.

We told the tech that we didn't want to know the sex, so she focused on the upper portion of the body, and when it was time to go low she told us to look away. I must admit...it was hard!! I wanted to sneak a peak, but I didn't...I stayed strong! When we did see a full body, the baby had it's back towards us, so I never really got a chance to see anything.

After the tech informed us we can look again, Darnell stated that she referred to the baby as a "he", but I don't recall that. I'm going to say that I think I'm carrying a girl for a couple of reasons 1) EVERYBODY thinks it's a boy!!! Since everyone thinks one way...I think it's going to turn out the opposite. 2) The quick few times I did see front of the baby...I didn't see anything extra to indicate it was boy. Oh well, my feeling still remain the same...I don't care if it's a boy or a girl...as long as my baby is healthy.

So, for right now the only ones that know the sex of our baby is God, the Doc, and the Tech.

Week 19 - Baby Bump

So, this is the 19 week bump. I don't really care for this pic due to the angle, but this is the result of hubby not wanting to get off the couch while watching football! LOL!

Biff with Santa

Biff's Vet sent out information to us regarding their annual photo sessions they offer with Santa. All the proceeds go to the Dogs for the Blind organization. So, Sunday morning I took Biff to the vet where it was SUPER crowded, and waited to meet the big guy. Biff was one of the smallest dogs there, but he did good...just sat in his moms lap until they called our name...sat perfectly for Santa, and even received a gift bag on the way out!

Here is his pic with Santa!!

The Turner Children

Below is a picture of my best friends children. This picture was taken on Thanksgiving. Mya was 10 months, and Anthony (my Godson) was 2 years old. Aren't they adorable. Almost every picture that I have of them, Anthony has his arm around or on his sister...SO cute!!

OMG this baby is moving & I can feel it!!

Well, I do believe it is official...I am starting to feel this baby move! It's actually great because I've been trying to feel him/her for the longest, but now that the time is here it feels weird!! Yesterday evening, and all today I have been feeling movements in my lower belly.

What are you doing in there little acrobat?? I'm even more excited to see the next ultrasound that is coming up on Tuesday!!

Week 18 - Baby Bump

I can't believe I actually have a real bump now!! It seems like it kind of happened overnight!! I'm 18 weeks now, and still feeling great! I can't feel anything yet, at least I don't think so. I felt a slight "jump" last week, and some small flutters this week, but I can't tell if that's gas or not! LOL!

I still have heartburn out of this world! Ugh! I've come to the conclusion that I can't eat any foods with tomato sauce without getting heartburn. However, last night I sure did chow down on pizza! Yummy!!! Then it happened...about 2:30p I woke up to some serious heartburn. It feels like my chest is on fire, and I need water to put it out! Ha...that doesn't work! I popped a Tums, and it took most of the pain away almost immediately!

I am also starting to have a hard time sleeping. Over the last week or so, I find myself tossing and turning all through the night! I cannot get comfortable for anything! Ugh!! However, I will take the heartburn and flip flops during the night if that means I won't go back to the awful feelings of my first trimester!

So, here is the 18 week bump!!

It didn't look that big on the lot!!

On the way home from Darnell's basketball game we passed the location where he purchased our Christmas tree from last year (Shrine HS). We decided that we might as well pick it up since we were driving by. We picked the below tree, and I swear it didn't look as big on the lot. When we got it into the house were were like, OMG this thing is huge!! LOL!

Here is a pic of my sister next to the tree. Next step...decorate!!!

Mongolian BBQ

I've always loved Mongolian BBQ. I am a vegetarian that loves stir-fry, so why wouldn't I love this place. The bad thing is, I do believe I am alone in liking this restaurant. For the most part, none of my friends or family enjoys going there, so there was a point in time where I hadn't seen the inside of Mongolian in about a year! Then I discovered the unthinkable...I CAN GO BY MYSELF!!! LOL!

Since then there has been no stopping me! I kindly walk in and seat myself at the bar, and enjoy the wonderful meal that I love so!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hubby, Cherie, and I headed to Darnell's grandparents house for the Thanksgiving holiday. My mom stayed in MD, and my aunts & uncles did their own thing as well. So, we spent the holiday at the Lambs which was full of fun, food, laughter, and love!

Dinner was potluck style, so I was asked to make pasta salad and bring rolls. NO PROBLEM! My pasta salad came out so pretty that I had to take a pic of it!! LOL :-) Yummy!

Week 17 - Baby Bump

17 weeks, and counting. So far, I think this is my cutest baby bump pic! I thought I looked so cute that I sent it to all my friends, and even posted it on facebook! LOL! Someone is full of themselves I know! Sorry, but lately I just have felt like I've been looking too hot, so when this pic came about I was excited knowing that I didn't loose all my cuteness! hehe! My legs look super skinny in this pic! I just love leggings. I wish I could wear them everyday!!!!! I think legging, jeggings, skinny jeans, and dresses will be my pregnant look for the next few months :-)

I've gained about 2 lbs so far (since week 1). I called my Dr last week asking if I should be worried with the lack of weight gain, and she said "well you weren't all that thin to begin with" :-0 Ok, I don't remember her EXACT words, but it honestly was something along those lines! Umph!

Minor Project - Coat Closet

Now that it is getting colder I am forced to face an organizing project that was VERY neglected during the warmer months. I am actually ashamed to show you the before picture of our coat closet! Anyway, after having to go through a pile of accessories in order to find the right scarf or hat I decided today at work that I must tackle this closet as soon as I got home!

After work I stopped at Target to get a shoe rack for us to be able to place our boots, or other Winter shoes, and also was able to use some baskets that I got a while back, but never really had a need for. Now all of our scarves, hats, and gloves have a home! Lastly, I unified the hangers.

So here is the before picture...

...and here is the after. I hope to place index cards on each box attached by ribbon on each basket labeled "Scarves", "Hats", and "Gloves".

Week 16 - Baby Bump

I dislike this picture of me a great deal, but here is my 16 week baby bump picture. I still don't think I've gotten that big, but it's is surely something there! :-)

On this day, I also went nursery shopping with Cherie and Makeda. I saw some items that I liked, but the furniture I think we will go with will have to be ordered offline.

You may be wondering why the father wasn't on this shopping journey. Well, he decided that the best time to start preparing for the baby is during month 6!!! MEN! :-) So, I totally respect his thoughts, and told him to let me know when he is ready to hear all the updates! LOL!

Week 15 - Baby Bump

Here is the 15 week baby bump. To me is seems like it's been the same size for a while, but it must be getting bigger because more and more people are looking at me with the confused look..."is she pregnant, or just getting a guy?!?!" LOL!!

Pretty much, none of my pants fit me anymore, so I've either been using a Belly Band, or wearing leggings a lot! LOL. I'll probably get some more maternity pants for work, and try to wear dresses for a while. The Belly Band is ok, but it rolls up my back a lot, and I have to keep pulling it down!!!

Week 15 has been a good week. No real sickness, and only been tired like a day. Other than that, I've been operating as usual.

Guest Bedroom Remodel in the Making

Now that I have most of my energy back, I decided it was time to start back getting the house in order. Hubby was out of town for the weekend, so I wanted to surprise him with my small project of remodeling the guest bedroom.

We haven't put any attention into that room yet since we moved in. We just kind of place our old bedroom fur

niture (which was too big for that room) into the guest room. Below is the before picture. As you can see, it was also used a extra clothing storage...lol.

Before:

Here are the after pictures. As you can see I removed the large furniture, purchased new end tables, lamps, and some artwork. I'd like to maybe get a plant to put in the corner on the left, and a rug by the bed. Other than that, I think I'm pretty much done.

Bedroom Almost Complete

Hubby & I completed majority of the master bedroom a few months back, but I am just now getting around to posting some pictures. When we first moved in, this room with bright orange walls, and bright yellow ceiling. We toned it down a lot, and painted the walls warmer colors.

We also, decided to make our own headboard. I picked out the fabric, which wasn't easy, and hubby assembled the entire board. I must say it looks awesome!! We love it!

Here are the before pictures.

Here is a current picture of the room that includes the headboard that we made. I hope to get another pillow or two on the bed, and maybe some artwork on the walls. I will try to get a better after picture that shows the entire room.

Cherie Celebrates in Chicago!!

My little sister turned 21 last week, and she decided to celebrate in Chicago for the weekend. Her, one of her friends, hubby, Stephanie, Sarah, Tisha, and I all boarded the Megabus on Friday morning 10/22 at at 6:30a to enjoy a few days in the Windy City.

When we arrived, we went to lunch at Weber Grill where we all had mixed reviews about our food, but I think over all we enjoyed it. After lunch we had some time to spare before the next activity which was dinner. Some took naps, some shopped, and some just kind of chilled around the hotel. I left out closer to dinner, to get some cupcakes for Cherie. I asked the concierge where was there a nearby bakery that sold good cakes/cupcakes, and they suggested Sprinkles. I took off on foot to find Sprinkles, and to my surprise the place was off the hook!! It was a line out the door! Apparently, Sprinkles is a famous cupcake establishment that is all over like Dallas, NYC, Washington D.C., and more! So, I stood in the long line, and got a dozen cupcakes...I must admit, those were some good cupcakes :-)

We went to dinner later that evening at The Cheesecake Factory, then off to a comedy show at Jokes & Notes. After the show, I surprised Cherie with a limo. She was almost in tears! We got in the limo, and was off to the first club, The Green Dolphin. We got there, everyone had a drink, and did some dancing then left to go to the next spot which was Shrine. Overall, we all had a great time that evening until the end. Let's just say that the night ended at 1:30p with Cherie's friend yelling out the window to the Police wanting to file a report against the club, and screaming for justice, Stephanie telling everyone to both be quite, and to get hype, Tisha going off on CJ's friend due to the reason she was yelling at the Police, CJ sitting in the limo in total shock of what was going on, and Darnell was on the phone with Southwest Airlines trying to get a flight back home. I just had to go to the bathroom. Let's just say, that everyone had a few too many drinks! LOL!

The next morning, was a new day! For most of the day we went shopping, and dinner that night at a Seafood restaurant that Darnell choose. Lather that night everyone, but Tisha and I went out to a club. We decided to just call it a night. The next morning we had to get up early to make the bus back home.

I'm PREGNANT!!!! The Cat is Out of the Bag

Well, I am now at week 13 & 3 days, and the pretty much everyone knows. We told all of our family, and close friends a couple of weeks ago after the second ultrasound. Today, I told my co-workers, and they all seem to be very excited and happy for us. Some of them said they had a feeling I was pregnant since my belly was starting to pop out. Ha! Here is a picture of the ultrasound picture at 12 weeks.

Darnell, and I now call the baby "our little acrobat" since during the ultrasound the baby was all over the place doing numerous turns and flips. The ultrasound tech could barely get still pictures of him/her.

Now that I am in the second trimester, I am actually starting to feel a lot better thank God!!! The first trimester was extremely rough for me. As the previous post states, I was always sick, scared to eat anything, and could sleep all day everyday!! Now, I am starting to feel more like myself. I can now eat pretty much anything now, and can go throughout the day without a nap!!

Week 12 - Baby Bump

This is my 12 week belly baby bump! It was actually taken in the dressing room at Pea in a Pod during my visit to Chicago. There, I purchased my first pair of maternity jeans :-)

Week 12 was a pretty good week. Not that tired, and able to eat normal. Thank God!

Baby Sister is now 21!!

Well, my sister is now grown! I can't believe it! Today she turned 21, and decided to kick off her celebrations with the family. She wanted to go to Southern Fires for dinner, so the hubby, my father, aunt Deborah, Aunt Charlester, Uncle B, Mizell, and I all went to help her celebrate.

Here are some pics of the dinner.

The Cake!

Cherie Blowing out her Candles!!!

The Birthday Girl!

My Aunt and Uncle!

My father & Sister

My Cousin & Aunt

Mary J. Blige Concert

So, my BFF, and I are huge fans of Mary J. Blige. When I heard she was coming into town I knew we had to go see her. We searched high and low for some good seats that didn't cost us an arm & a leg, and finally found some awesome seats on Greatest Tickets Online.com

Here is a picture of us at Makeda's house before the concert.

Toronto Getaway!

Thanks to our great friends Mondraea, and Donnie who recently went to Toronto for their anniversary, and came back raving how much fun they had, we too decided it was time for a weekend getaway!!

I am still trying rebuild my time off from when we went on the cruise, so I knew we couldn't go too far. A four hour drive seemed perfect! I told Darnell about the idea, and once I got him on board I started booking the hotel, and bought tickets to shows ASAP!

We ended up having a later than planned departure from Detroit, so we didn't arrive in Toronto until around 3p. We stayed at the Marriott Eaton Centre downtown, and I would recommend that hotel hands down!!! The staff there was wonderful, and as usual the rooms were amazing.
As soon as we checked in it was time to eat! We ended up trying a restaurant that the Calvin's also recommend, which was called Marche. It was like a large gourmet cafeteria/market. They had a lot of different stations where you can choose your meal, and they make it right there in front of you. Darnell liked his meal, but I wasn't impressed with my selection...the risk of being a vegetarian :-)

We then decided to do some walking around for a while to get a feel of the city. We ended up stopping to see some street talent where Darnell volunteered to be a part of one of the performances! It was a lot of fun. We then went back to the room to get ready for the Second City show that started at 8p.
I honestly didn't know what to expect from this show. I know there are Second City locations all over including Detroit, but I never really hear anything about them so I was a little nervous! As soon as the show began I started laughing so hard, and didn't stop until it was over!! OMG!! I do believe that was the highlight of the trip!!

The next day we got a late start again, but still wanted to find a good place for breakfast. We reached out to our Concierge who was absolutely amazing!! Penn was his name, and he was an older gentleman who gave us some awesome suggestions the entire trip. Every place he recommended for us to go was A+!! It was around 11:30a, and he recommended that we check out a place called The Pickle Barrel.

We arrived at this huge bi-level restaurant that seemed to go on for days!! We received our menu, which Darnell joked and called it a catalog for it was so thick! I loved it because there was such a large selection for me! I could have breakfast, numerous types of sandwiches, pasta, stir-fry, and the list went on and on! I ended up getting the veggie burger which was delish! It was so big that I could only eat half. Darnell went with breakfast, and enjoyed his waffle, eggs & turkey sausage. The place was so good that we went back the same day for lunch, and I got take-out breakfast from there before we got on the road!!!!Yummy!!!

That evening we went back to our BFF for the weekend (Penn) to ask him for an awesome seafood restaurant. He again didn't let us down, for he recommended Mediterra. He made the reservations for us, and off we went that evening before our show! Darnell is the seafood eater not me, but I was still able to find a few selections on the menu that would satisfy my vegetarian lifestyle. Needless to say, Penn didn't let us down again!! We both left there with full bellies from some wonderful food!!!

Next, it was time to head over to the Cirque du Soleil show! Now this was the show I was looking forward to the most, but was were I was most disappointed :-( Banana Shpeel was showing during the time we were there, so I just assumed it would be great since the other Cirque show we saw in Vegas was AMAZING! I feel asleep throughout the show, but Darnell seemed to enjoy it. I still want to see Ka and O, and I think I'll be all set with he Cirque shows :-)

After the show we hooked up with one of Darnell's friends, and his wife. They were so nice, and took us to an Asian restaurant lounge. It was really nice!! We order a table full of appetizers that were all AMAZING! I must say the food in Toronto is good good good!!! We didn't go wrong when it came to the food!!

Overall, I would totally recommend Toronto to everyone! We had a blast, and would love to go back anytime (preferably not the Winter). We didn't get a chance to do any tourist activities, so that will be next time around!!

Week 10 - Baby Bump

7 week & 4 days!!

I fell like crap! The thought of everything makes me sick!! What really makes me want to puke is mozzarella cheese balls. I bought some last week because I was going to make the cheese basil and tomato on a stick, but I am SO grossed out by it I threw it out this morning!!

At first I just wanted veggies, but no thanks now!! I then would eat pickles which are still cool to eat, I then was cool with Subway...ewwwwww!!!! Spaghetti was a cool item on the list, now....ewwww!!! Today I had hash browns and an english muffin for breakfast, and had fries for lunch. I'm hoping that my taste for tacos doesn't change because that is what I'm having for dinner!!

Second Dr's Appointment

Boy was that the longest 2 weeks ever!! Luckily we had the Labor Day BBQ to keep us busy and our minds off of waiting for the ultrasound. Finally September 7th arrived and so did the nausea!! All of this time I was feeling just find with no symptoms. I even asked some of my friends that are moms when did they start "feeling pregnant".

I arrived at the Dr's, signed in, and the first thing I asked was, "Do you have any crackers?" OMG, to my surprise the Dr's/OBGYN office had NO crackers! What type of OBGYN office is this?? LOL! Let me just say that I LOVE my Dr...she is awesome!! Luckily, hubby had stopped at Olga's prior to the appointment for lunch, and bought me some soup and break crackers. When I got back to the room he had it for me after going out to the car. Thank God!! I needed that!!

We sat in the room waint for the Dr when the lights began to flicker. Eventually, the lights went out for good, and hubby and I were sitting there in the dark! I'm not going to lie, it was kind of scary!! LOL. Come to find out, due to the high winds, the power was out around most of the area. Anyway, the Dr came in and directed us to her office that was very well lit with the natural day light. We chatted about the pregnancy stuff then left out with having to go back soon for lab/blood work due to the power outage.

Hello Week 7!!!

Hello week 7!!!

Week 7 of what you ask?? Yes, we are expecting a little chica or chico!! Needless to say, we are very excited!! We found out at week 4, and had a Dr's appointment a few days after. My Dr. stated that since I was so early that we would have to wait to have an ultrasound. It was basically a confirmation appointment, do's and don'ts, and she wanted me back in two weeks for the ultrasound and blood work.

More to come!

Pre-Labor Day/Welcome to our home BBQ Outcome

Well the Pre-Labor Day/Welcome to our home BBQ was a success.  The weather was a disappointment though.  It was in the 60s as a high, clody, and windy!!  We had a lot of activites outside, but other than the kids in the bouncer, mostly everyone stayed inside causing it to turn into a house party!!  Oh well, I think other than the weather everyone enjoyed themselves, ad had a good time!  

Here is a link to the pictures of the party!!

Week 7 - Baby Bump

Here is a picture of me at week 7. I don't really have a bump here, but I am sure that what you see is pure fat!!! LOL!

6 week ultrasound

Below is our very first ultrasound of Baby Young. This was taken at 6 weeks, and the only thing we could do is see the heart beat, and we weren't really sure what we were looking at exactly...LOL

Pre-Labor Day/Welcome to our Home Party

We will be hosting a Pre-Labor Day/Welcome to our home party on Saturday. Below is the pic we used for the invitation. My sister took this pic of us outside the house one Sunday afternoon...good job Rie!

So, we are trying to get the house together for the party, and get all the food so we can be prepared when Saturday comes. The menu is as follows:

Chicken Wings
Hamburgers/Turkey burgers/Veggie burgers
Hot dogs
Potato Salad
Mac & Cheese
Cheesy potatoes
Baked Beans
Fried Corn
Cake

We will have plenty of activities for the kids like:
Bouncer/Moonwalk
Bubbles
Pin the tale on the donkey
Piñata
Balls/Jump ropes

We will also have activities for the adults:
Corn hole
Cards
Dominos

Overall we are just praying for good weather, and an awesome time with family and friends!!

Front is almost complete

Well, I ended up digging up two of my hostas, and both of my coral bells. When I did I could tell that the roots didn't look to good, and found a cutworm in the dirt also. So, I headed to Home Depot and purchased some spray for whatever other bugs may be in the dirt and possibly damaging my plants!! I did leave my two other hostas in the ground since they seemed to be growing back.



I ended up purchasing two replacement hostas, and planted those when I returned as well as put down the mulch. My day lilies are not doing so well, but today (after ALL THIS TIME) I finally saw some a few bloomed. That really made my day!

There is Hope!!!

Well, even though I am still disappointed about the way the plants turned out, I don't think that I killed them totally. That night I went outside to cut off the dead leaves, but to my surprise there was no need to cut anything! The leaves just came out all by themselves & were no longer even rooted into the ground! I was so hurt! Only one of the hostas had a middle stem still hanging on...the rest of the were gone! Needless to say I was very sad for the rest of the night.

Anyway, that next morning I went outside and was able to see that there were little nubs sticking out of the ground that that gave me hope!!!! I really do hope that they do well the rest of the season, and for years to come!

Hubby planted the Japanese Maple tree the other day too, and I am very nervous about the future of this tree. I've heard so many horror stories about how folks have had the tree for years and then it just died on them! I would be so hurt!

I'll take some pics this weekend and try to post how the front of the yard looks now.

Visit to See the Twins!

I had the pleasure of meeting my Soror's Kujanna's two newborn twins. OMG they were so cute and precious! The two handsome boys names are Myles and Myron. Below are some pics I took while over there visiting.

Mommy & Son
The two boys & their close up picture!

I Managed to kill them!!

Hubby and I went to the Eastern Market the beginning of July to pick out some plants for the front of the house. I already had 4 hostas, and 2 coral bells, so we ended up getting 2 potted flowers, 4 day lily's, 2 bushes, and a Japanese Maple tree. An old co-worker was nice enough to come over and help me with the design for I had no idea what I was doing!!

Unfortunately, we bought and planted during the weeks of 90+ weather. I was told by several to make sure that I keep it watered during this heat, so I started watering it almost everyday. Come to find out I was killing my poor plants!

The hostas started turning yellow, and one of the coral bells haven't even made it off the ground yet!! I've always been told that hostas are very hard to kill, so leave it up to me!

Hopefully there is still hope for my plants for we put a lot of work (and $$) into them. I guess you live and learn!

Below are some pics of how they look today!

This is a pic of one of the potted flower pots This hosta is actally the best looking out of all four. The Coral Bell is flat on the ground!

Poor poor hostas!!

The best looking coral bell out of the two! Sad I know!

Another sad hosta...