InstaFriday

let's instafriday!  even if i haven't been the best blogger lately, i have continued to instagram.  so, why not a little update.

last weekend we had some friends over for dessert.  i wanted to make something summery and fruity.  i found this recipe (on pinterest of course), and it was easy and yummy and only about 140 calories.  now, we did add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, but that didn't hurt.  much...

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one of my best friend's baby turned 6 this past weekend.  no longer a baby, i guess.  but she was the first baby in our close group of friends.  i didn't get any pictures of the birthday girl (boo jade), but i did a couple at the party.

 C tried relay water games for the first time.  she did good.  only "helped" another team once...

 cupcakes and red faces.  summer has begun! 

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after the party, the hubs and i dropped C off at my mom's and headed to maple hill manor!

i'm not kidding friends - you need to go to this place.  the owners are great, the property is quiet, and it's the perfect place to relax with the hubs.

it's a llama and alpaca farm, and we love it. =)

historic bardstown is only about 20 min. away, so we hung out there too.  looking at antiques, walking around and just hanging out.

the blue chest i WANTED.  why are some amazing antiques so much?  $450?  boo....  but the yellow pepsi tray did make home with me.  and i love it.  lots.

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when we got home on saturday, C was still napping at my mom's.  so, we took the energy we regained at the B&B to do a little DIY.

on monday i instagrammed a tease of our brick patio, then i blogged about it here.

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then we got really crazy!  we finally decided, when driving back from our little overnight, that we wanted to take a vacation this summer.  so when we got home we did some research.  we got super lucky because a place on the beach had a cancellation.  so... we booked it!

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i am really trying hard to find healthy recipes to make for dinner.  i found a chicken and spinach lasagna recipe and it was good.  and, it was actually my first lasagna ever.  i was kind of proud...

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yesterday was my 2nd day of Couch to 5k.

i don't know why i decided to start it, i just did.  maybe vacation.  maybe the fact that i've gained 10lbs since last time this year.  whatever the reason, i'm doing it.  alone.  i think that's been my favorite part so far.  don't get me wrong, i love pushing C in a stroller, but i don't get to use headphones.  yesterday i cranked up adele and felt great!


so, now we are ready to start another weekend.  there is so much going on and i am excited!  i get to see some family and friends and just be with my little family.  maybe even go to the pool for the first time this year.

have a safe memorial day weekend friends.  summer has begun!!

a brick patio

when we moved into this house 2 years ago, we knew it would be a constant work in progress.  and we love that.  we love making this place our own and learning new things along the way.

one of the things that drew us to this house was our back porch.  it's right off the kitchen and completely covered.  i blogged about it last spring in this post.  it's like another room.

we haven't done much to the porch since we've moved in.  added furniture, strung some lights and that's about it.

to the far right of the porch, there are steps that lead down to our backyard.  as soon as we moved in, we new this area was going to need some work.

exhibit A which i blogged about here:

every time you went into the back yard, you had to duck.  there were these random beams that prevented you from easily getting into the back yard.

we quickly realized that this section of the deck served no structural purpose, so we knew it had to go.

bye bye!

next problem to address?  safety.  we needed a hand rail.

done.

now, the lack of grass and appeal when you went down the stairs.  when ever it rained, this area became a mud pit.  so, last fall, the hubs laid first brick patio.

as you may have noticed, i've got myself a pretty handy man!!  =)

we used it some last fall.  roasting marshmallows and grilling.  but we couldn't wait until this spring when we could really take advantage of it!

as soon as i could, i planted some flowers and shaun got me some awesome green adirondack chairs for mother's day! we moved the grill and i added a random pallet in it's place for more flowers.

such an improvement, right???

we are probably outside everyday that it doesn't rain.  we love it out here.

but i felt like it was still missing something....

we were given this rod iron table and chairs a few years ago by shaun's dad.  it's a great set.  and very neutral...

it's just blends in with the brick patio.  so, the cooks got daring!

 

 

and i'm OBSESSED!!!

it's called peacock blue.  it's made by valspar and it's their outdoor, no rust spray paint.

i also made some pillows today too with some fabric i already had.  

i couldn't believe how well it matched.  i had to make pillows, right?!?!

i LOVE our back yard now.  i can't believe how far it's come in just 2 years.  (and yes, we added this playset this year too).  

from this...

to this...

we even added more lights.  we had some strung around the covered porch, but now they are hang over the brick patio too!

isn't it lovely?  

and see that swing on the porch?  2 things.  1 - i'm blogging from there right now.  and 2 - it got a little make-over too.

it used to be just brown wood.  no treatment, nothing fancy, just a brown wood swing.

so yesterday when we were at lowes, i found a quart of mis-tint paint for $2.50.  what do you think?

i've only put 1 coat on so far, and i think i like it...

kind of rustic, right?  i don't think i want a really "finished" look, but i'm also kind of worried it looks like i'm only half way finished.

be honest - what do you think??

SO - do you want to come over for a party???  we love to grill out and can't wait to be outside even more this summer!

it even smells good here!  i planted a gardenia bush this spring and love everything about it.

awwwww.  the smell of DIY!!  ;)

right now i am....

i love the spring.  the desire to get out of the house and do something.  we have been working in our yard a lot and just playing outside.  unfortunately that means blogging has taken a back seat on my priorities.  even reading blogs....

but i always love blogging because it's recording our everyday lives.  pictures and events that can easily be forgotten.  but i don't want to forget.  blogging is an amazing family journal.

so, i'm going to do a little right now update.  meg and kimberlee have done these, and i completely stole this from them.  but it makes for such a good update, it thought, why not?

right now i am.....

watching:  prison break.  have you seen it?  we are watching it on hulu plus and are a little obsessed.  i go back and forth on whether i want to continue to watch it because it can be so violent.  but right when i say that, something happens to drag me back in.  plus, michael scofield is pretty fun to look at!  ;)

drinking:  water.  trying really hard to drink more water. 

wearing:  i got the new mason crew t-shirt from the gap and am totally obsessed with it.  i figure you can have a least 2 of the same shirts in different colors without going overboard, but i would get one in every color if i could.  

eating:  kimberlee's corn salad/salsa.  the hubs made it last night for a family dinner (per my instructions) and it was so good.  i couldn't stop eating it.  i'll have some for lunch today too!

 listening:  to needtobreathe radio on pandora. 

avoiding:  getting up.  we had a busy fun weekend, and now i'm tired.  plus it's raining.  i'm very content sitting here being "lazy"...

wishing:  i could get really serious about eating good again.  last year this time i was doing so well.  but i had motivation (my brother's wedding).  i need some motivation...

feeling:  torn.  we made a decision this weekend that i feel good about, but today i'm a little back and forth.  i know the decision is ultimately the best and only temporary, but i still feel a little torn.

missing:  my best friend cam.  she had her 3rd baby a few weeks ago and i am ready to go see them.  we just need to find some time that works for all us.

thankful: for my amazing husband and daughter.  we had the perfect mother's day weekend.  i've even had a mother's day month with little gifts here and there.  i can't believe how blessed i am sometimes.  he is too good to me.

craving:  donuts.  i probably crave donuts all the time.  i just had some saturday, but donuts are good anytime, right?

wondering: what book i should read next.  i just finished a series and always love/hate when that happens.  the hubs just finished love does.  i want to read it too, but he only has it on his ipad.  i need something i can read outside.  any suggestions? 

praying:  for our little family.  we have so much on the horizon.  i'm praying that God leads us in his direction and that we are good listeners to what he is telling us.

needing:  some time away with the hubs.  we are getting away this coming weekend and i am so excited!

thinking:  i need to blog more.  i miss this...

dreaming:  about this weekend.  maple hill manor bed and breakfast here we come!  it's such a wonderful little place.  we went here last year and said we would try to come back every year.  we love the owners and the area.  i can't WAIT to go back!!

 

loving:  the little girl my baby is turning into.  she is so helpful and sweet and ornery.  she is becoming more outgoing and is a little sponge.  she surprises me everyday with how smart she is.  she loves to dance and swing.  she knows what she wants, but is learning to be patient.  she has a sweet love and is so caring.  she is the best of her daddyboy and me and i am loving her little personality more everyday.

 well, there you go!


i hope every mom out there was spoiled like i was!  =)