Progress in the back yard!

Over the weekend, Jeff Riddle got started on our backyard and it looks great so far!  Actually, Aaron & I didn't help very much at all since we had friends in town that morning & we went to a wedding in the afternoon, so Jeff & Matt did almost all the work themselves!  I must say, I married into a great family.  :)

This was the backyard before

Before

Before

Aaron sprayed round up (doesn't he look like a Ghost Buster?!) 

Eliza gave moral support from the deck.  :)

Then Jeff & Matt got there and started tilling dirt, forming
the natural areas, & placing plants in the right places. 

Matt

Jeff

Aaron

After:  Looks a lot better!

After

After

After

After

After:  This is the new water spicket Aaron installed so we can
finally hook a hose up in the backyard!

After

After

After

Plants & veggies that still need a home.  :)

Our pile of dirt is shrinking.  

So happy with how the yard is looking!  :)

Christmas in June!

For Christmas (2010), my great-aunt Shirley gave Aaron a stove as his gift!  We were so excited!  At that time, we thought we'd be closing any-day-now on the house and would be able to actually go pick one out in January.  However... things took a little longer than anticipated.  :)  But we were able to finally go pick out our stove a few days ago and we're so excited about it... it was like a Christmas in June and just in time for Aaron's birthday!  

Here's the stove we picked out.  :)

The inside is a fun blue color.

THANKS Aunt Shirley!  What an awesome gift... and an awesome Aunt!!  She's also periodically stopped by Harvard to bring us dinners & vegetables & just to check out our progress chaos.  :)  We're so thankful for her!

Happy birthday Aaron Davis!

Today is my husband's 26th birthday!!  He's an amazing husband & I adore him.  :)  I just wanted to take the chance to tell him Happy Birthday and let him know that he's very loved.  We went to dinner at Ruth's Chris last night with his family to celebrate his birth & the birth of his twin brother Matt.  Here are some pictures.  :)

So glad Aaron & Matt were born & for the way Jeff & Marla raised them!

Matt, Garrett, & Aaron 

Adorable  :)  (Aaron's on the right)

Grandmama & Papa played a huge role in their lives, too  :)

They've always been stylish!  :)

So thankful for these twins!

I've known Aaron for 15 of his 26 years... so blessed!

All grown up!

Going to dinner to celebrate Aaron & Matt's birthday!

Happy 26th! 

Matt & Melissa  :) 

Birthday desserts... mmm!

xoxo

Aaron's main birthday gift  :)

I'm not gonna lie... Aaron's a great cook, and I'm super
excited about him getting to put this grill to good use!  

I'm so thankful to be your wife, Aaron!  

Painting the kitchen cabinets

Because we're moving the kitchen to a different room, we're starting from scratch.  Since I knew I wanted white cabinets, we bought unfinished oak ones & now I'm working on the laborious task of painting them white.  Whew, what a longggg process!  Thankfully I've had some lots of help! 

This is the plan for one wall in the new kitchen.
(Sorry, ignore my numbers) 

And this is the wall on the opposite side, with all the windows.

These are the cabinets in unfinished oak.  Lots to paint!

Step 1: Remove doors from cabinets & label all parts

Step 2:  Remove all drawers from cabinets.

Steps 1 and 2:  Done.

Step 3a: Sand cabinets.  Thanks Eliza!

Step 3b: Sand the doors.

Thanks to the little birdie who left me a present on my cabinet door! 

Step 3a: Done.

Step 3b: Done.

Step 4: Prime cabinet doors with Kilz.

Thanks to Allie Donovan who let me borrow her paint sprayer!  Much faster!

Spraying the doors.

Step 4: Done.

Step 5: Prime the cabinets with Kilz.  

Step 5: Done. 

Step 6: Paint doors with paint color.
I went with Alabaster from Sherwin Williams.  Aka, white.  :)

Step 7:  Find a cute little brother to help you carry all the doors upstairs
in your parents house to let them dry overnight.   :)

Step 8:  Find a not-as-cute little brother to help you paint the cabinets Alabaster.  :)

See what I mean?  Not as cute.  Just kidding.  :)

OK, better.

So glad I've had help!  

Once we finish up the plumbing and our friend Jake does the electrical, hopefully we'll be able to get this room put together.  :)