It's Gardening Season!

It's been very busy around here lately! Hunny is starting a new job in a week and his old job paid him out for his last two weeks so he's been at home! It's kinda like he has had a two week vacation! It's been so nice spending all this time together! We really haven't had any time off together since we got married in October. Everyday he has had off has been because of something like an appointment or a major holiday. We've been able to start to landscaping and getting the vegetable garden put together!

We first tackled the front lawn. The previous owners had planted a hodgepodge of plants in front of the porch...it didn't make sense and looked horrible...like the two DEAD rose bushes...they were dead before we even moved in...

We had already removed the dead rose bushes when I remembered to take pictures. It's just a mess of weird bushes, overgrown ground covering plants and a vine that I'm pretty sure was a weed that they gave a trellis to! I haven't taken an after picture because I'm waiting to finish it. We planted a lilac bush on either side and I need to decide on what else to plant there...I'm leaning towards gladiolus and dahlias...we'll see! We still need to take out the holly bushes on either side of the sidewalk...they are pretty big and I'm not looking forward to it! Our sidewalk needs to be replaced, bad, but that'll have to wait until next year...I'll update once I finish the front lawn.

 I also started some of my flowers, tomatoes, peppers and broccoli indoors! So far, just about everything has started to sprout!

 My lilacs, that are now planted in the front lawn, and my little rhubarb plant that I need to find a home for...

 Hunny and I decided to just buy a couple raised bed kits instead of making our own from scratch. We picked these up from Home Depot. They were super easy to put together.

 I put a layer of paper bags under each bed to kill the grass and weeds...it will decompose and feed the soil.

 First finished bed kit.

Finish product! We still need to build a raised bed for my strawberries and we are going to till up a strip of ground for sweet corn, sunflowers and pumpkins!

 I cleared out the retaining wall in the alley, too. It was the same mess as the front lawn, only the rose bush is alive and well! Of course I didn't take a picture of the before, because I forgot...We are planning on transplanting another rose bush from the backyard to this flower bed and I'm going to plant Hollyhocks, Foxgloves, Lupines, and Bells of Ireland back there as well as the Irises I planted back there the other day!

We also hand tilled up these to areas for flower beds! I can't wait to plant these bad boys!
I kinda remembered to do before and after on these! :)

I'm so happy it is Gardening Season and I hope you all enjoy reading about my adventures and looking at my pictures! More to come soon!

My trip!

I'm back! I had an amazing three week trip! I spent time with friends and family and I am now happy to be back in the swing of things at the house. I was suppose to be gone for two weeks but the day I was suppose to fly home I started feeling a little blue. I felt like I was pulled apart in every direction while on my trip, visiting a friend here, dinner there, a night out with so-n-so, a weekend with my brother and sister-in-law, etc. So, once explaining my feelings to my amazing hubby, he offered to change my ticket and have me stay another week to just kickback and enjoy spending time with my family. By the end of the third week I was ready to go home. I missed my husband, my kitty cats, my house and my life here in New Hampshire. Here's a little run down of my visit home:

The first weekend I got to Iowa, I was whisked away to a surprise party for one of my good friends. She had no idea I was going to be there and she was genuinely surprised about the party and it took her a minute to realize I was there! It was a good time! After the weekend I made a two hour journey to see an old friend of mine, Morgan and her family. I first met her at summer camp when I was nine years old! My aunt was her camp counselor and my aunt asked me to be her friend because she didn't have any! LOL! We are the best of friends to this day!

I was greeted by her new puppy, Roxy! I love love love her!

I was able to steal her away from her family for a night on the town!

My niece had the whole week off from school for Spring Break. With her parents working, I volunteered to watch her for a few days. I tell ya what! She is a busy bee! Everyday, we played games, colored, baked/cooked, went for walks in the near by park, went shopping, etc. I was exhausted by bedtime!

I love this picture of my niece because she just got done complaining about how our walk made her knee hurt and she immediately perked up and posed for a picture! What a ham!

Easter weekend my dad and I drove down to Arkansas and I got to meet my sweet little nephew, Noah! It is such a funny thing to watch my gruff brother just melt when he interacts with this precious baby! I love it!

Introducing my nephew, Noah!

My brother, Steven and little Noah!

Of course, no trip back to Iowa is complete without a trip to Twin County Dairy in Kalona. I love cheese, especially, cheese curds. I love going here and sampling the cheese and watching them make it through the windows! After going here, my mom and I drove to the Amish country store and spent a long time looking at all the bulk groceries and little trinkets. We love driving around out there and marveling at the cute Amish farms. 

Making cheese!

 I did a little shopping while back as well...I love love love thrift shops and could go everyday, but I know that's how people end up on Hoarders, so I try to contain myself! My parents live about two blocks from a Goodwill so my mom and I went there a few times...I found some amazing Pyrex dishes, some milk glass bowls and vases, little knick knacks and the beautiful dress in the picture below. I also went antiquing with my bestie, Heather (aka Boo or Beast depending on my mood). It was cold and raining the whole time, but so much fun spending the day with my girl!

I can't wait to rework this dress! I want to remove the belt and add either a white or black belt a little higher for a more flattering look on me.

My family loves when I cook and bake for them when I'm home so I made a couple meals every week and baked a loaf of honey oat bread. They loved it!

I had some down time while I was visiting. A couple hours everyday and a few uneventful nights. I was able to finish my book while there. I always feel like a champ when I finish a book, I don't know about you!

Finished! All 689 pages!

I was so happy to be back and visit my friends and family! I wish I would have taken more pictures, I'm horrible at that! But, I'm glad to be home! The hubby and I staked out our vegetable garden on Sunday! We decided to make two raised beds instead of one big one...more of that to come because I believe that we are starting it this weekend! I'll try to blog about it next week or so!

One last thing...today was the Boston Marathon, just down the road from me. As you may know, there was a bombing at the finish line...It makes me sick that someone(s) did that! When I flew home on Saturday, my connecting flight from Detroit to Boston was full of marathon runners and I sat by two who were so excited to check the marathon off their bucket lists...I hope that they are okay and safe! Please, keep Boston and all the marathon runners and their families in your prayers or good thoughts!