I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. It's amazing how three consecutive days off can feel so much more like a vacation, rather than just a weekend! What did you do to pass the time?
David and I hosted our second annual Fireworks & Fireflies party yesterday to commemorate the holiday. Last year's party was a huge success despite the weather. This year, the day started out rainy, but cleared up just in time for the festivities to begin. I'm afraid David and I were too busy playing the roles of host & hostess to take any photos during the actual celebration, but I thought I would share some of the prep work we did around the house to prepare for our 50+ guests.
Earlier last week, we finally decided to put in the flagstone patio I have been wanting under our pergola. Owen & Hannah were real troopers and decided to pull up their sleeves (and pant legs) and *dig* in to help David with the task of removing all the sod. A special soft memory embraced my heart as I got to see the three of them working together like that. These two are developing into such thoughtful, helpful, passionate little people. Sometimes I almost feel as though I will burst with the pride I feel as they show signs of growing up. Do any of you identify with that with your own children?
After a few days of effort & hard work we had completed one more project to make our house *our* home. This pergola, complete with swing, was a little project David designed & built for me last year. Ever since I was a little girl I had dreamed of having a swing like this, dripping with lavender-colored wisteria blossoms. As you can see, the wisteria is coming along quite nicely, and now that the patio is complete, I am perfectly content with my favorite tea sipping-star gazing-slow swinging spot.
The first night it was finished, David walked out to enjoy the peacefulness of our new spot with me. The stars filled the sky in all their wonder, hundreds of lightening bugs flashed off an on throughout our yard and the forest, the crickets chirped their early summer song all while David held my hand. We were swaying in slow motion with the quiet, rhythmic creak of the swing, going back & forth, back & forth, all while barefoot and completely blissfully happy. I know I have something special when I still feel like a teenager in love even after ten years.
While David was completing his *assignment* of a shot of the pergola for this post, he took a few more shots from around the yard that I thought I would share. I am hopelessly in love with adirondack chairs. Probably because they remind me of my home state of Maine so much. We have these two sitting near the pergola garden. I love to sit here to take in some sun and still keep an eye on the kids playing in the yard. There is just something about sitting in these that instantly brings relaxation to your soul. Potted pink geraniums sit between the two, just because one can never, ever have too many flowers to surround themselves with (especially pink ones)!
Just in time for the Memorial Day bash, we also put in a new horseshoe pit area. David built some decking that holds the horseshoes when not in use and it also provides the perfect place to set a bucket full of ice cold beverages to have on hand to help beat the heat while the menfolk play so intently. Oh, would you look at that... I wonder how those potted flowers got in the *manly-man* area of the yard? *wink* (well, at least they're not pink!)
We put in another small flagstone path through the garden off of our screen porch. It leads to a little firepit area that the kids love to spend a lot of time at in the summer evenings roasting marshmallows. The path will ensure that they no longer walk ON my flowers, just through them! I love little stone paths. They kind of invite you, in a warm and cozy way, to follow along and see where they take you. There may be a just a few other places around the property where we'll have to add some more of these beauties! (Don't tell David that I am already adding more things to his Honey-Do List!)
And one last parting shot, our annual patriotic front porch decor. Nothing like the red, white & blue taking center stage!
Thanks for letting me share a bit of my life outside of paper crafting with you today! Once again, I hope you all had a wonderfully rejuvinating weekend!
