Front Yard Face Lift

Before (this is how it looked when we first moved in last year)

After

To celebrate one year of homeownership, Scott spent the day revitalizing our front yard. He placed rocks and flagstone, picked weeds and laid mulch. Flowers are still to come. Doesn't it look fantastic?

I know I have been lame about posting lately, which is doubly bad since you all have to bother to log in every time you visit. And since Ian and Lesley are visiting grandparents in CA for the next few weeks, it may only get worse while we are extra distracted. But don't give up on us. Yet.

Girls' Night

It has been a year since we closed on our very first home! And I can honestly say that we couldn't live in a better place. There is a lot to love about the awesome housing prices and spending a mild winter enjoying the outdoors, but my most favorite part about this area is that so many great people have settled here too. I have met some of my favorite people in the last year and am often amazed at the concentrated population of really neat people in our immediate area, many of them who are my age and with children Ian's age. As a young mother it is invaluable to be around so many other women in the midst of childrearing who are ready to swap babysitting and to commiserate about teething/immunizations/potty training/etc. I have learned a lot from these women and it has been really fun. No one is ever allowed to move away, got it?

Last night several of us ladies met at Chocolata Cocoa Bar for some dessert and girl talk, sans men and children (get the Dark Chocolate Cake, it's humongous and amazing). As we chatted and indulged, I was reminded that I am so lucky to live here and to know all these great gals. Can you believe more than half of those lovely ladies pictured have two children? Dang, we make motherhood look good!