Easter Party

What a great day! Tony and I hosted our families for a belated Easter party. The weather was perfect and our yard was looking good. Everyone had a great time and Tony and really enjoyed showing off the gardens and the improvements we've made to the house. We also had a water balloon fight but unfortunately I was having way too much fun, to stop and take photos.

I purchased a ham from Honey Cuts Farms in Murrieta and it was the best ham I have eve had. They definitely have all my future business. We also had potato salad, fruit salad, chips and dip and cup cakes. Oh, and Tony made Margaritas and lemon aid for the kids. More importantly, we had great company. Everyone enjoyed the sun and fun and I can't wait to have everyone over to the house again.

My brother in law and his "mini me" Noah. No, the diet coke is not for the baby.

Tony's wonderful niece and nephew inspecting the contents of the eggs they found on the egg hunt.

The fruit salad turned out really yummy. I took a 1/2 cup of sugar and blended in some chocolate mint leaves I grew in the back yard and mixed it in with the fruit. So good.

I made jumbo cup cakes and created pastel frosting by adding colored icing to white frosting. I thought I had food coloring and had to use the icing at the last minute. I am super happy that it worked.

These lanterns I found at Pier One look great on the upper level patio cover.

Tony and I found these fabulous chairs at CVS on Friday and they were the perfect pop of color

I found these buckets at Target and painted the kids name on them and stuffed them with goodies.

I never thought I would love gardening so much

Tony's "burt" tree in the ground

Side Garden next to drive way

Back yard roses in bloom

When I was little my mom would drag us to the nursery almost every weekend. I can remember the smells, the warmth and the hours she would spend just walking around calling out plant names. She would pick up the plants in their plastic cans and hold them up to the light. It seemed as if she took the time to get to know the plant before taking it home; wondering if it was the right fit for a certain location.

We would drag our feet behind her wondering how much longer the process would go on. Our impatient attitudes never seem to phase her, she was in a bubble and no one could pop it. My mom obviously loved it so much it became her career, and now as adult with my own yard I truly understand why.

There is a feeling that comes over me when I garden, a sense of peace and happiness that I have never felt before. The idea that you sit in the sun surrounded by beauty waiting for you to remove their plastic cans and place them in a permanent location. Trimming back a rose bush in hopes of creating the perfect rose, come next season or watching a bare tree fill with leaves, is absolutely fantastic.

When we first moved into the house, Tony and I actually fought over who would get to do yard work. Looking back at those first few weeks it's quite funny. It's great that Tony loves it too and we each have our own thing we like to focus on. With Tony, it's trees. Palm tress, maples and the plum tree. He also seems to really enjoy excavation. In the beginning I would wake up and wonder where a certain bush suddenly went or why a certain location seemed suddenly bare. He had a vision and I now see it coming to light. However, I have to say, I am a little palm treed out. We have a running joke that the side garden next to the drive way is obviously mine because it has no palm trees in it.

Cleaning up

Ahh, the house is finally being put back together. We have painted the base boards in the living room and office and move the furniture back in. I will post pics of the rooms soon. Meanwhile, I am getting ready for Easter. I have been making these cute eggs to hang from the plum tree along with pretty lanterns. The koi pond is loving the sun and the fish have come out of winter hibernation.

It's 85 degrees here already, it's going to be a hot summer.