Friday, December 30, 2011

Heritage...


The other day I overheard Morgan telling Dane: "You know I'm half Mexican.  Everyone in my family is half Mexican!  Even JERSEY is half Mexican 'cause you know, Chihuahua."

I started laughing and Shane said, "Oh she's been on this kick for awhile now.  She told me all of this the other day."

"What did you tell her?" I asked.

"I told her that she wasn't half Mexican and that the only people in the family that are half Mexican are me and Jersey."

"Did she buy it?" I asked, knowing that Morgan isn't one to back down because she is always so certain of her stance.

Shane said, "She insisted that she likes salsa so she is half Mexican too."

It's hard to argue with logic like that. :)

Friday, December 23, 2011

Wrapping Up the Front Yard...

Want to see what my front yard used to look like yesterday?

Dumpsville.


When we got this house I HATED the front yard, if you can even call it a yard.  I've never been a huge fan of desert landscape, although it can be done well, this was definitely NOT done well.

Although you can't really tell in this picture, most of those shrubs are dead or dying, the rock is obnoxious, and well, you have eyes...it's just ugly.

It bugged me every time I drove up and when people would come inside our house they would go, "Oh! This is really nice!" Not knowing that their enthusiasm was giving away the fact that from the outside they thought it was going to be a "fixer-upper" inside.  

I don't blame them.  I had the exact same reaction when I first met my house.

But now that I know my house, I felt really bad that it was so homely.  It was in desperate need of some curb appeal...someday.

Someday came sooner than I was thinking.

Two days ago Shane told me Santa was coming to give me my Christmas gift.  Santa came in the form of Ron Ponsin...a gruff landscaper that did our backyard over a year ago.

I smiled as soon as he drove up.

I knew what was coming and Santa had never looked so good. (Neither had Shane. :) It's incredibly sexy when a guy knows just what to get you for Christmas and does it without you knowing and works extra weekends to earn the money to pay for such a large gift.)

Shane had me talk to Ron to make sure things were gonna be done the way that I'd like and work was started the next day.

Today (our Christmas Day), my front yard looks like this: 


When our tree gets bigger and actually has leaves and our bushes grow and bloom it will be even better.

I had no idea grass could make me so happy.

I had no idea you could get a front yard for Christmas.

I had no idea my house could look 3000 times better in one day.

I had no idea my husband was so brilliant...okay, actually I did have an idea about that.

For so many reasons this was the best Christmas ever, and it will always be the year I remember getting a front yard for Christmas.