More Daily Life

We've got lots going on over the next month and half.  Two big vacations and two little ones.  We are really blessed to be able to do so many fun things this summer with lots of people that we love!  I'll post more about all of that later.  For now here is just more daily life.

Just goofing around.  She is such a ham!  I love love love this little girl.  She cracks me up on a daily basis.

She loves looking for airplanes and gets really excited when she has spotted one.  Which is what  you are seeing here.  

Just waking up from a nap.  This is classic Leland to me.  Snuggling her little blankie with her binkie.  So sweet.

She also loves brushing her teeth.  

Garden Life

So Here is our backyard!  I've so been looking forward to having a yard and a garden.  We've still got lots to do before it's the way I want it, but gardening is a lot about trial and error and for my first year, I think it looks pretty good.  I'm keeping a little notebook of what worked and what didn't and I'm writing some ideas down for next year.  I'd love to have some raised beds on casters that I can move around the back patio area with lettuce and strawberries next year.  I'd also like to start a compost pile.  This is it for now though.  You should come join us for some margaritas and a bbq!  

So our garden adventure began when we removed aaalllllll of these rocks by had from our garden.  Six straight hours worth of work, but it had to be done, much to Stephen's dismay.

The only plant that was in the garden was a peony bush.  Just like the kind that were in my wedding bouquet.

This is the midway point.  After the rocks were removed, but before we planted anything.  I really do enjoy gardening.  I just love being outside.

This is a little container garden I have going with some veggies and herbs.  Some of it got frostbite, so we'll see how things turn out.

Here is a more complete picture of the backyard.  There use to be grass all along the right side of the fence which Stephen dug out for me so we cold plant more flowers.  Lots of the usual suspects for a Michigan garden.  hosta, lilies, hydrangea, butterfly bushes, a lilac bush, iris' and some dahlia's.  Stephen and Leland like to cloud watch. 

Just a few pics

Here are some recent pics in no particular oder.

Easter morning. Leland enjoyed her Easter egg hunt and a few goodies hidden in her room.

She loooves ritz crackers.

Looking for eggs. It's more of just an Easter egg gather when they are this small. :-)

So the night before Easter Leland was playing outside and fell right on her face. It doesn't really look that bad. It look much, much worse once it scabbed over. Anytime we went somewhere strangers would say to her , "Oh! Look at the boo boo on you little face!" Then Leland would point to her nose and make this little noise like poor me. She really knew how to milk the attention. What a goofball.

Getting a closer look at her eggs.

A little playful moment in her room.

A VERY RARE quiet moment on the couch where she actually let me put a blanket on her and she sat there for probably 10 minutes or so. Literally she never ever ever ever ever does that. EVER.

We also had to buy a new garage door and garage door opener. The joys of home ownership.

This is Leland having the run of the Henry Ford Museum. It's a great place. I'll post more about that later.

Winter... Sort of

Has anyone else had difficulty getting motivated lately? The warm weather was great for my motivation. Now it's kinda cold again and I'm feeling lazy... again. But I'm trying to over come that by blogging.

It snowed only twice this winter where there was actually enough snow to shovel. Once was a Saturday morning. Leland and I stayed cozy inside watching Stephen do all the work from our living room window.

Leland waving to her dad.

This is our little neighborhood with a fresh inch or two of snow. I actually didn't really miss not having snow.

When we purchased our house this is how I envisioned life. Me inside making dinner and enjoying some wine while Leland plays outside with her dad until it's time to eat. I love it!

Gato Negro Chardonnay is my favorite. Meijer always has it on sale for $4 a bottle!

That is our new Ford Freestyle in the garage. Who knew driving a station wagon would be so fun. Whenever we drive somewhere now we say we're "freestylin' " Get it?

And this is what a typical dinner in our house looks like.

Phew...

We made it through the move and the holidays! Been feeling really grateful lately. Here are lots of pictures from all that has been going on. Excuse the poor quality, not in the mood to edit and color correct tonight. We've all been sick with colds and I'm glad I even found the motivation to do this instead of sitting on our new couch, curled up under a blanket reading Harry Potter.

Here we go...

At Leland's 15 mo. check up she needed four separate shots. It was the first time I got a little teary watching her have to get those needles poked in her little legs. Too bad she can't appreciate the neon colored bandages.

Leland really enjoyed eating all the various Thanksgiving foods. This is at my parent's house.

This is at my aunt and uncles in Saginaw the day after Thanksgiving.

Various cousins, their children and pets the day after Thanksgiving. Very warm weather for that time of year.

Leland did NOT enjoy her first meeting with Santa as you can see.

This is our livingn room/dining room in our new house before we had the floors redone.

Down the hallway to the bedrooms and bathroom.

Moving day! Those first few days are always so overwhelming. Luckily we had lots of help.

Leland rocking for the first time in her new room.

Christmas morning in our new house. It was nice.

I just put up a tiny little tree. Can't have Christmas morning without a tree.

Leland on our front porch all dolled up.

Posing for a Christmas pic and my parents house later that day.

She got this wagon from my parents, and it's been so warm I've already been able to take her on a few short walks with it.

Stephen got this really cool travel mug which he totally loves.

Shelby and I.

My grandma turned 90 on the 30th! Here she is blowing out her candles at her party.

Christmas in Farwell! Leland with her cousins.

Opening presents.

Leland enjoyed mimi's lasagna so much she had three helping and licked her plate clean.

The girls coloring this really fun club house Cassie got for Christmas.

Now the decorating of our house can begin!!! I've been waiting to decorate a house for a looong time! I'll be blogging about that for sure.