Landscaping

We finally found a sunny weekend to do the landscaping we have been planning. We decided to create a mulch bed on the left side of the house this season and do the other side next season. Plans changed slightly. Mitch went out at 6am on Saturday to get muclh, 40 bags!!! Forever the man who calculates everything, Mitch figured this is what we needed by the square footage. And I, forever the cheap chick, was appalled.

After planting the rhododendrons and hydrangera, we realized we had almost 20 bags left. I had already remulched the front. So, a bright idea kicked in to go ahead with the other side this season too. So, we ran out this morning and got a few ever greens and hostas and dug up the side yard on the right. The crepe myrtles will be put in next weekend. Mitch is exhausted and I am achy. But, it is done and looks great. We can't wait to watch everything grow and see them bloom this year.

The Mulch

Mitch hard at work

The first finished sideThe second finished side
The front was done for us by the builder, but we never saw much blooming last summer when we moved in. But, everything is blooming this season.

11 years and counting...

Eleven years ago, in early April, we met at a lacrosse game after party and the rest is history. It is hard to believe we have known one another that long. We were just kids when we met and we (unfortunately, ha, ha) are thriving adults now with jobs and responsiblilties.

So, to celebrate this event we have decided to go to our old local haunt, a chinese retaurant in Centreville and out to a movie at our old movie theatre. Two places we used to frequent when we were carefree adolescence. Happy 11th Anniversary!

Prom 1997

2008

Construction is Complete

This past week we were very happy to come home to newly paved roads in our neighborhood. This meant the end of construction on our street. No more trucks, no more morning banging at 6am (well, that is just for me, bc I do not get up until about 7am), no more weekly street cleaner, and no more construction trash. Of course, as more and more houses are completed, we will lose our favorite passtime-sneaking into almost completed houses to see what other people did.

Happy Birthday to Grace

We headed to Grace's Birthday Party this past Saturday.

Mitch, Mom, Terry, and Jim

Do you think she was having fun?

The Proud Parents

Space Museum and Gardening

We headed to the Space Museum this past weekend to pick up some "space food" for Catherine's space unit at her school. We enjoyed the museum and an IMAX movie "Forces of Nature."
We, also, browsed several nurseries to plan our spring planting.

Mitch in front of the Spy Plane

Catherine in front of the Space Shuttle

Remains fron 9/11
Catherine and the "Top Gun" Plane

Mitch and the Plants

A Night Out and a Sleepover

We joined our good friends, Nicole and Fred for dinner at Rosa Mexicana and a few drinks at the Rocket Bar. We had a great time catching up with them over drinks and Skee ball:) And as always, a sleepover was inevitable.

Rosa Mexicana-Mitch and I

Fred and Nicole

Nicole and I

Rocket Bar

The True Mitch and Fred

Nicole told us to be silly

....and more silliness

Very Sex in the City-esque

Us

The Girls at 3 am

True Friends...

Grace introducing Mitch to the Wiggles Firefighter song

let you live with them for an indefinite amount of time.


Last March, we put our townhouse for sale during a slow market. We figured that would give it sometime to sell while we waited for our home to be done in June. But, as luck would have it-our house sold within the first week on the market. The buyers wanting to close in April. So, we were homeless.

However, our very close friends, rather family, the Barnharts offered to let us live with them. We could have our on room, storage space, and bathroom(well, sharing it with their little princess). What more could you ask for? In return, we would help clean, babysit, cook, and grocery shop.

So, come April we moved in to their home in Herndon and the party began. We would all come home from work and take turns cooking and doing the dishes. We would watch great (or bad depending on who you are) television in the evening. The boys would heckle the girls and the girls would trash the boys. ..especially after they shamelessly came home from a certain fight at the Patriot Center. We fought over silly things, like whether Bon Jovi was amazing or who should win American Idol. We all played in the yard after work with their adorable daughter. And we all shared in taking turns putting Grace to bed and then enjoyed drinking a glass of wine on the deck. We lazily layed by their pool on the weekends. Game nights always ended in hilarity. The running joke was it was like camp. And it really was.

We were eating dinner the other night and began talking about how we missed living with them. Obviously, it is so nice to have your own home and I am sure they love having their home back as well. But, honestly, it was a lot of fun living with another couple. We miss our time living with these amazing friends and are forever greatful that they did not let us go homeless:) We think a sleepover may be in order soon...what do you think Jaime?

Ice Cream with Firefighters

Ball in the yard with Daddy and Mitch
Grace the Firefighter
Mitch gets Dora cupcakes for his birthday

How did you get up there?
Grace and I
Mommy and Grace