Why the Veranda Comes in Handy...

to have parties of course! Sunday night we hosted a diapers and wipes shower for the Acrees, and everybody hung out on the veranda (even though it was a tad warm out there).  There is really nothing else like a good old fashioned Sunday night fellowship with church friends. I love all these guys so much and we are so thankful for their friendships.

And I know how much Owen Hill loves dirt, and I'm pretty sure he found this patch in the yard. LOL!

Our Latest Project: The Veranda

During the past six weeks, we have been renovating our back yard. A couple of years ago, we pour a concrete patio out back and added a door from the kitchen, and we have really enjoyed using it. But we didn't have any shade and pretty much had to go inside when it got dark (if you didn't, the bugs would carry you off)! So we decided to build a screened-in porch out back. I like to call it the veranda because it sounds like something that would be in Southern Living. 

So we had our friend Donny Carmical come out and get started on the project. In addition to the veranda, he built me a raised flower bed around the outside of it and also put in french drains around it as well. We still have water issues from the drainage ditch in the back, but those are currently being addressed with the city.

This was what it looked like before the siding went up. I know we are really going to enjoy this for a long time. We've already had dinner out there several times and if I had a hammock, I would have taken a nap last Saturday.

My gernaniums are looking so good! Oh and this is my spray-paint project.

This side is what I like to call my "Southern Living" garden. I have a rose bush, gardenia plant, azalea, and hydrangea all lined up with hostas in between. When I'm in the kitchen, I can see the hydrandgea, which is supposed to be blue, but it's turning pinkish/purpleish. Still pretty though.  These plants are low drama, but they are still going to be pretty when everything blooms.

My vegetable garden consists of tomatoes, squash, okra, bell pepper, cilantro, and basil. I was so excited to have all of this area to grow a garden, but I am so afraid that I'm not going to do something right and it will all die. I come from a long line of master gardners, so I thought surely out of all of these plants, something will live. I also must say that digging the holes for all of this was HARD WORK! I have also purchased some gardening gloves, tools, and miracle grow.

And ta-da!!!  Things have actually started to grow. I look at it and just laugh because it has been relatively easy since I planted. Just water and mircale grow. There's a few okra plants that may not make it, but all of my tomato plants are looking good. I staked them yesterday, so hopefully they will grow straight and not fall over. I also love the smell of the tomato plant. I know that sounds weird, but that smell brings me back to my childhood when I would go out to the garden with my mom and grandparents.  If I can get this garden to be successful this year, I may plant more stuff next year.

It's growing!

Here's the inside of the patio. We still have some painting to do and have got to purchase and hang some blinds this weekend. (The afternoon sun is very hot, so some bamboo shades should help with that). We also have light fixtures on the fans, which are an absolute must for a southern Veranda. I'd love to do some more decorating, but that will have to wait until the outdoor items go on sale at the end of the season.

And here's the finished project. At some point we will probably paint the boards between the screens, and we also are going to paint the concrete. I'm sure we'll try that marriage builder when it's 100 degrees outside. 

 

I also feel the need to apologize for being a horrible blogger. Our school activities were over at the first of May, and we have really enjoyed going home right after work and eating dinner together and watching TV and/or hanging out on the veranda. Last weekend we went to Josh Farmer's law school graduation and I just realized that I deleted the pictures I took before I could download them to my computer. Oh I am just SICK! I will have to get some from my sister or dad and show him in his regalia. Next weekend is my sister's graduation from dental school, and I am already getting verclempt thinking about it. I can't believe she has completed four years of professional school and will be Dr. Farmer. Technically she already is Dr. Farmer because she passed her boards and is just finishing up some course work. She and Josh will live in Memphis for another two years while she completes a pediatric dentist residency. There will definitely be pictures from next weekend, so stay tuned.

All of that to say (back to my original thought) is that I haven't felt like blogging lately. I haven't even felt like facebooking much either, and I actually deleted my myspace account yesterday. I guess I'm trying to cut back on my online time since I spend all day at work on a computer, I don't really want to do that for the rest of the evening. I also want to start my summer reading soon too.

Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend. And if you need me, I'll be on the veranda.

Did I Mention We've Been Busy?

Well, here's what we've been doing:

Being cute in the pillow case dress my mom made!

Playing with the "talk"...aka sidewalk chalk

Taking a bath in the big tub and playing with letters.

Going to Home Depot to drive the car and buy paint supplies.

Photo shoot with LaLa by her flowers

Cheese!

Giving sugar to Bubba, whose whiskers tickle.

Visiting the Old State House

Another photo shoot in the flowers outside at the Old State House.

In the Whistle Stop Room at the Old State House. LaLa may be more excited than Caitlin.

Playing dress up.

Watching the ducks at the Peabody.

Going to the Museum of Discovery

Bubba likes the cow as much as Caitlin...probably because he knows a good steak when he sees one.

Playing at the museum..and doing bear crawls.

In the light house with Lala, who also found the fog horn.

Eating macaroni and cheese like a bandit outside at Boscos! Yum Yum!

We had a good time last week, but on Friday they had to get back on the "airpane" and go back to Arizona. I was so glad they got out before the bad weather hit (and let me tell you it was B-A-D on Friday and Saturday nights).  Our visit with Caitlin was a lot of fun, and now that she is talking a whole bunch, it's even funnier. I have some videos that show just how funny, and I'll post those soon.

This week is slated to be super duper busy for us. Unfortunately, Brent is sick with a sore throat right now, and he's trying to finish up school work for the semester. Tonight is the last night of class, and then on Wednesday is our big leadership conference at work. Which also means tomorrow afternoon I will be setting up for it, so that pretty much leaves Thursday for any kind of real work. Because Friday Lamona and I are going to a spa day - and that's how all weeks should end.