Yum Yum

After a long, hard day of spring cleaning I made a decision. And not just to rearange the living room furniture.(which looks great if I say so!). I decided to give in to what my mind was telling my body it REALLY wanted.

Say hello to the new love of my life!

This is how our living room looks now. Now if only I could decide on paint colors I could finish completely.

Birthday Parties and Flowers oh My!

Valerie is the big 2!

We spent the WHOLE afternoon outside because that's where she loves to be.

I think the breeze carried the infectious giggles of a curly headed 2yr old all the way to the sun!

Below are some of the highlights of her party...

The sandbox is a wonderful place!

It's "Mouse" as Val calls Minnie!

She loves her baby dolls.

I LOVE this sweet little 2 year old and can't wait to celebrate TONS more birthdays with her!

This weekend I also made it a mission to start working on my flower gardens again. I was able to buy some beautiful daisys and tulips at the greenhouse. Even though I had to take a break to wait for some muscle to help dig up some overgrown bushes, I never gave up.

I do have an ambitious goal for the front yard this year though...I want to dig up the largest flower bed, thats under our front window, and lay down a patio. I want there to be a place where we can put a couple of nice chairs and be able to just sit outside and enjoy life. Some People think I'm crazy to want to pull this off, but hey who cares? It's my house! Now all I have to do is finalize how I want it to look and then the fun part begins...picking out stones and of course NEW FURNITURE!

Here is a look at what I accomplished this weekend.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE weekends filled with Sunshine!

**20 Things About Me**

1. I am a compulsive reader. Anything and everything, it doesn't matter.
2. I love pasta and can literally go through a large box of elbow macaroni in less than a week.
3. I grew up swimming competitively and wouldn't change a minute of it. If I could still compete, I would.
4. I got my first, and only, tattoo at 2o and successfully hid it from my father for 2 1/2 years. Its a lizard on my right foot.
5. I severely dislike winter. Not just the snow part, all the other parts too.
6. I am not the tidiest person on Earth. Not that we live in filth, I just don't see the need to spend every free minute racing after those darn dust bunnies.
7. I LOVE driving a convertible again and will always own one if I can help it.
8. I wish I was a more outspoken person.
9. I grew up as an only child so I would like at least 2 kids someday.
10. I love painting but sometimes find it difficult to translate what I'm thinking/feeling onto canvas.
11. I hate when people say bad things about marriage. Just because you had problems in yours, doesn't mean I will, or that I care. I LOVE being married!
12. I have a hard time taking compliments at work. The things I do at work are either my job, or to make my job easier.
13. I want to vacation in Hawaii for the whole winter. (See #5)
14. I am terrified of the dentist, but have only ever had 2 cavitities.
15. I highlight(foil) my own hair, to the amazement of most people I know.
16. I love having a flower garden but don't always take the time to keep them looking good. I WILL try harder this spring.
17. I LOVE snacking on fruits and veggies. My fav's are strawberries, grapes, cucumbers, and tomatos. I will usually choose these options over sweets anyday.
18. I like to watch tv. And yes it's on pretty much all the time when I'm home, but I rarely ever sit down and just watch tv.
19. I want to travel the world.
20.I tend to get my feelings hurt quite easily and don't often forget things that have happened or things that have been said to me.

Homeade and Delicious

Ok so if you ask anyone that knows me, they'll say that I'm probably not the greatest cook out there. Its not really that I can't cook, its more like I get bored cooking the same thing all the time. This usually results in whipping up something quick, usually from a box. Most of the time, if I don't know what to make, or if Dan's working, I'll just make a cup of macaroni and cheese and call it good.

I know Dan gets tired of this, so every once in a while I try to make it up to him. Thats why I'm glad its getting warmer outside. This means we can grill outside and I can make some of my favorite foods. Although, I must admit that I only recently started "craving" meat again. The difference has been this steak seasoning my mom bought us for Christmas. This stuff is magic!

So in an effort to cook something that my husband will really like, and that doesn't include a bowl of macaroni, this is what's for dinner tonight at the Carter table...
Steak, homeade mashed potatoes, and corn. And of course all great dinners must have dessert. This one wouldn't be complete without some angel food cake and fresh strawberries... fat free whipped cream included! Gosh am I going to be stuffed after eating all this! But its worth it...now if Dan would hurry up and get home so I could eat it all.