This is what we've been up to the last little while.

The Friday before Valentine's Day was another fun activity with our ward playgroup. A Valentine Party! Owen and I both had a lot of fun.

Here is Owen decorating his Valentine bag. He loves the markers and stickers.

He got to frost and eat a cookie and a cup cake. Right before lunch. We had a pot luck lunch and everyone brought such good food.

Here is Owen and his bag after delivering his Valentine's to each of the other kids' bags. He loved all the cute Valentines, and the treats too.

That evening, my parents and younger brother came up for a weekend visit. Being the plant lovers my parents are, they wanted to scout out a local plant nursery to see what grows well here. The nursery we found was really actually pretty cool. A big outdoor place with lots of palm trees and tropical/desert plants. My parents wouldn't let us leave empty handed, so they had me pick out a tree, my little yard desperately needed. This is the Australian Bottle Tree I liked best. It stays green with leaves year-round! And looks least like a desert tree.

My dad was a good sport and planted it too.
We were on our way out of the nursery with our new purchase when my mom informed my dad that they sell Gardenia, and it actually survives here. My dad barely hesitated before he was back in there picking one out. He grew up in California where they grew everywhere, and is in love with the smell of the flowers. He said next time he comes to visit, he'll have to buy one for himself to take home and keep in a pot so it won't freeze outside in the harsh Utah winters.


What a nice guy! Thanks Dad!

This is what it should look like this summer:


And then a couple of weeks ago, I did a little repainting. Shortly after we moved in, I decided to paint Owen's room green. I decided I have bad taste in picking paint color, because I didn't like the green I picked. I just wished I figured that our before I finished the job. It was too pale and limey looking. It didn't go with what I had invisioned his finished room to be.


So, I decided to play it safe and be my boring self and paint it brown like the rest of the house. I don't care, I actually like it. And I am glad I did because the bedspread that I've had my eye on at Target for months went on sale - half off! It would have looked terrible with green.

(He's in there napping) Then to complete it, I found a nightstand and dresser I liked at Ikea. I had my parents bring it down with them when they came, as they live 3 minutes from the place.
Project complete!