Some more of our projects

Well here are a few more pictures of our projects. first here are our little girls. :)

We got our last can of paint for the kitchen. We have one coat left, but it is almost done. :) !!! It has taken a little while to get use to the red, but we like it. I can't wait to get everything done in the kitchen. the curtains, the decorations etc.

Our water softener. We got it at Costco for a great price. it's a 40,000 grain.

Also our new dishwasher! Our dishes come out clean and not gritty! :)

we have been getting a lot of rain, so here is our backyard. Lots of weeds, and as you can see our tree, like most of the plants in the area, think it is spring. :)

our yard!

Well here we are once again. :) So Daniel's Birthday was Tuesday, we had a lot of fun. I did some balloons downstairs, and I saved the paper ones I did last year and put them up in the bedroom.

I upgraded Daniel's phone for him and got him a fedora. :) I also made him a cake, and we went out to dinner at Texas Road House. (Our favorite place besides sushi)

My avocado plant has taken off!! It has several new inches of growth! It is getting tall!

So is the Basil. I need to pinch it back again and dry more of the leaves.

So with some of our tax refund, we did some work on the front yard. To kill two birds with one stone, all of the dirt we dug up we used to back fill around the house. We also need to re-grade it too. So here is the side yard......

1 cubic yard of mulch for $10!!! wahoooo ( we bought 2 @ $20.00)

So along the front yard by the side walk we are planting hedges, so we dug out some dirt, laid weed barrier and filled it with mulch.

we also did it around our tree.

Daniel working hard. :)

So this is how far we got on Friday. Friday morning I went to class, Daniel finished installing the water softener, and started the front yard just as I got home. Then i did home work, and we worked outside the rest of the day.

We are going to make a gap in the bushes with the stepping stone for the utility box, so the people don't have to walk around our bushes, through our yard and there. Now it is still simple.

Day two: All day Saturday we worked on the side of the yard. with the roots from the trees, we couldn't use the roto-tiller... so it was all by hand.

Then we laid the weed barrier and the mulch. We bought 2 cubic yards of mulch, we are a little short, and need to get some more... but it was great. we are so excited to have the physical labor again. :)

And here is the finished product of two days of work! :)

(Though we are waiting on our bushes to get here and then they need planted)

So all we have left for the front yard is a little extension to the drive way, plant bushes, re-sod, make raised flower bed in front of window and plant Chinese roses aka hibiscus.Then we will be all done with that. Though then we have the left strip to do, but...... :) )

So we are doing well and having fun. We have been working on the yard, and the house. it has been great! Take care all!

Looky

Well here is a few more updates. Here are the dogs... being silly as always.

Before

After! Yes we bought a new door bell and Daniel installed it for us!

A while back I bought a bunch of yarn, and started this blanket for Daniel, I finally finished it!

A while back, i decided it was way past time to move these to separate pots, the avocado plant was tall and skinny, and the basil plant was just every where. So I transplanted the basil, and a while latter the Avocado plant is much more full and the basil plant is producing and growing like crazy again.

Everything new

alright. So we decided to celebrate Christmas observing Italian traditions. Italians celebrate Christmas from dec. 24 to jan 6 the end of the roman calendar. During which time they do a lot of eating. they believe the more food you eat, the more wealth you will receive in the coming year. Well with work I had been unable to do a lot of this dinner stuff.. so on jan 6, the last day I didn't have to work and did some good dinner to celebrate.

We had salad, garlic mashed potatoes, blackened Tillapia, and Gnocchi soup. Which all turned out excellent!

I also made an apple pie.
Nova was winning for a while being in the back, but once she realized she could see out the window this is how she was for our whole trip to get shots. smile and look out the window.

We were given a metal bed frame and box springs from a friend, so our bed is no longer on the floor, and nova dislikes this. she can't get up without help now. So she LOVES being on the bed when she gets to be. But she is getting big, and can almost jump up on it now. she is now a little older than 3 months. :) and almost as big as propane!

Nova has dug a nice hole in the sand, she either lays there, by the ac unit(that also has a hole), or in a little dip by the sliding door. She likes to be in squashed places. we thinks it's because she was in a litter of 9 and was use to it. It's her comfort thing.

Here are boxes from our many computer part purchases. We would watch newegg and when things went on sale that's when we bought them. we got really good parts and saved a lot of money!
oh, yea... more boxes
This is part way through putting together my computer. My first computer! (well that i built) Daniel taught me and helped me through it!

Nova LOVES being under the bed. she naps under the bed all of the time. She's almost too big now.. not much longer until she can't fit. I hope in the stage between fitting and not fitting she doesn't get stuck...

For our anniversary, we both took Monday off, and we bought our computer chairs at Costco, bought a can of grey paint, and painted the kitchen. well the walls that are grey.

we also played with the dogs and then we went to dinner.

For dinner we went to Francesca's at sunset, my work. I tried to get a pic of the sunset, but it doesn't do it justice. My manager took care of the meal, so we just paid the tip. :)we had 4 courses.

Drinks: bottled water, (we just said tap, but we are very close at work and they took good care of us), soda and lemon aid

bread and butter: cornbread(in the shape of an ear of corn) and a jalapeno biscuit.

i forget what it's called but the chef always does something different each day.. ours was a piece of goat cheese with a strawberry and a drizzle of balsamic something. It was good.

side note: to be a 4 or 5 diamond(we are 4 right now) you have to "give away" or give for free to the customer 2 things. we do this one before the appetizers and a dessert thingy at the end of the meal.

appetizer: Jess: BBQ sea scallops (one of my more favorite appetizers, i know who would have thought)

Daniel: foie gras (said foe gra. it's goose, or duck liver chopped up mixed with seasonings, compressed and garnished. I thought it was TERRIBLE, Daniel loved it.)

Soup/Salad: Jess: Butternut squash soup with lobster. ( very rich and creamy, my fav.)

Daniel: pear and water cress salad

Entree: jess: ribye (it had a strawberry and mushroom chutney)

Daniel: the stake Diane, aka antelope filet( our fav)

Dessert: strawberry tart and German chocolate cheesecake.

we were very full. but it was great to relax, talk about all we have done, remember our favorite things,etc. So it was a great 2nd year anniversary. we did a lot and got to spend a whole day together... the day before school started and I lost my life and allllllll spare time. :)

which, i have done my first week of school.... and i'm alive... :)

I'm taking intro to computer programming, which I love! and calc I. which seeing as how it has been almost 5 years since i last took it, i know barely anything i should right now from previous courses, and have a ton of review to do when I'm not doing homework.

I also worked 4 days this week, but until i say otherwise i'll be doing 3. My manager wants me to get to 5, he is hiring another hostess due to changes, and wants me to be the main hostess. so we'll see how things go though. Maybe when i get into the routine, and get caught back up in calc. :)

Daniel, keeps busy when i'm at work, playing with teh dogs, doing various projects etc. and He is so amazing and helps me with my calc reviewing. He remembers sooooooo much more than I do. unfourtuently the book is crap, and is no help, other than giving me practice problems. yipee.

well love you all and take care!

Jess and Daniel