Christmas is here!

I can't believe it....

I finished Christmas shopping a while ago, but for some reason, I find myself going back into the madness to get stupid things like tape, glue and groceries. We are staying in TN this year. Unfortunately, Blake only gets Christmas day off. I, on the other hand, got 5 days and have enjoyed every minute of it...even though it has mostly been alone time. I've got a lot of things done at the house that I've wanted to for a while.
We have already done the family Christmas with Blake's brother & sister-in-law...that was nice. I got a painting, jewelry box and a financial book that I've been wanting for a while. Blake got a video game and controller for his Mac. He hasn't been able to peel himself away from the TV at night. Blake is on a 2 week break from school and has savored each minute!
This Christmas we are going to be doing a lot of family-filled gatherings...tomorrow night we are the "designated" family to light the candle at the Christmas Eve Candlelite Service...so that should be nice.

Hope everyone is doing well. Merry Christmas! We love you all.

Tree Removal

We finally got the tree removed! There is a big mound of tree trunk debris and dirt, which has settled a lot in the 2 weeks that has been there. Once it settles to ground level, we are going to cover with lyme and nitrogen, which will kill off the roots, etc that wasn't removed, then cover with grass seed.
It's been a fun adventure - glad it's over!

We actually got a 2-for-1. Our neighbor wanted a tree removed on the other side of our property, which was also dead. Turns out it was 2 foot over in her yard, so we BARELY missed having to pay for it. She removed it...so now I guess we are going to plant some more in the Spring.

Black Friday

Our Black Friday turned out rather nice. Blake worked in the morning while my mom and I tried to find stunning deals. I woke up early and made heart pancakes for Blake. I was rather impressed and decided to capture it! When Blake got home, he laughed at my $30 artifical tree I got from Lowe's (which was well deserved). When we went to take it back and find something decent, we decided to get a real tree. Blake has never had a real tree, and we thought it would be perfect for our first married Christmas. It was quite an adventure shoving it in Blake's little car and getting it into the house. Now our house is smelled with the sweet Christmas tree scent. So far, we both love it! We are still trying to keep Taylor out of drinking the water and hitting the bulbs.

Hope ya'll had a fantastic Black Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.

We had a lovely lunch / dinner with the fam!

Hope you did the same :0)

Now...it's time for shopping :0)

Weekend in Florence, AL

We went to Florence this weekend for a friend's wedding. We stayed at Jordan & Keishun's house (thanks guys!). We had to take Taylor with us and when we got to their house, we realized they had 2 HUGE dogs (Bull Mastiffs). One was 7 months old and really hyper...the other was 3 years and was used to being around small dogs. He looked really intimidating but was as gentle as could be with Taylor. They played and laid on the couch together and became good friends. I wish I got a picture of them but unfortunately, I didn't.

We are ready for Thanksgiving! I can't wait for a break from work AND some delicious food!

Another project ... I'm on a roll!

I've pulled up the flowers that died with the first frost and replanted with Pansies. They will stay in bloom throughout the whole winter and THEY ARE PURPLE! They are looking a little pathetic right now so hopefully with a little TLC they will make it.

My new favorite plant in our bed is the Burning Bush. It is gorgeous with the changing of seasons. I really like the red color.

Hope ya'll had a great weekend. We did!

Project # 3 Update

Project #3:
BEFORE & AFTER Pictures.
Blake finished clearing out the back. I cannot take any of the credit for this one. He did it mainly during the day and it took him about the month. We decided to not clear it all out because we enjoyed the privacy. We have enjoyed a bon fire and love the seclusion in our back yard.

Looks like all of yard work is completed this year! Woohoo!