Time with Family, Part 3

My last blog post was over two months ago, and what a busy couple of months we've had.  I've been behind on blogging for a solid six months (I really need to work on that), so this post is about my mom and dad coming to visit TWICE this past Spring.  Lucky us!  :)

During one of my parents' visits, their dear friends, The Griffiths and Fabulous Ms. Martha were vacationing on Hilton Head Island so we had the pleasure of spending quality time with them, too!  Our friends, Kendra and Clint, were in town in for a house-hunting trip at the same time so here's a pic of the whole gang at Captain Woody's for dinner.  Martha ordered everyone a special blue martini in honor of her alma mater, Kentucky.  What an entertaining group of people!!  We laughed a lot that night. :)

One of the projects that has been on our to do list since Kevin and I moved to SC was refinishing our guest bedroom chest of drawers.  My dad graciously agreed to help me tackle this project, and here are the before and after pics.

Before

Instead of spending a lot of time sanding off the existing stain, we tried a product I read about on a blog called BIN primer.  You just paint it directly on the wood and then after it dries, you apply your paint.  We think it worked really well.

During

After

Eventually I might replace the knobs with different ones that are more fun and interesting, but for now I think the chest of drawers looks a million times better in the purple guest bedroom.

Since we moved into our house in early 2011, it has bothered me that the shrubs in our big flowerbed were not evenly spaced by the builder-contracted landscaper.  I know that might sound tedious to some people, but to me it was quite annoying.  So, I did a little research to find out when the best time to transplant would be and Spring seemed to be the optimum time.  Kevin and my dad moved the middle shrub and a perennial (that looked out of place after we moved the shrub), and suddenly everything looked nice and balanced throughout our main flowerbed.  Well, not really because my shrubs and perennials are growing at different rates but whatever...these changes were vast improvements!

So so happy that I was able to spend Mother's Day with my incredible and loving mom!  My dad, Kevin and I celebrated my mom that morning by having a delicious breakfast at Palmetto Bluff.

I am slightly obsessed with the trees and Spanish Moss around here!

The purple character in one of the above pics is Flat Stanley.  My cousin's daughter, Bekah, sent him to us for a school project, so we carried him around all week and took photos that we could send back to Bekah's class.  Flat Stanley got to do something I've never done...he flew in the Hornet with Kevin! :)

The biggest project of the week was painting the living room and dining room.  My awesome dad spent countless hours taping and painting, and I am incredibly grateful for his hard work.  The newly painted walls are a richer neutral color, and they look soooo much richer now.

As you can tell from this post, my parents are such hardworking people by nature, and they are incredible giving and selfless parents.  Whenever they visit us, they are eager to help us tackle any and every household task, issue or project.  I am very grateful for their willingness to lend a hand, and we learn so much from them...especially as first time homeowners.  During one of their visits, I'm really glad we managed to spend some time relaxing at the beach.

My mom helped me accomplish a long overdue task while in town - choosing pillow fabric for our living room sofa.  I searched for pillows for about a year, and I could not find any that were the right colors, size and style for our space.  So I finally decided I needed to order fabric and have some made.  My mom and I looked through hundreds of swatches one afternoon, but I ultimately chose this fabric in the pic below and I just love it.  The back side and the welting were made with a solid, less expensive fabric, which is an easy way to save money if you're having custom pillows made.

Mom and Dad, thanks again for coming to see us!  We always love having you!

Sweet Jen & Adorable Athan visit!

This post is several months overdue, but I want to publicly thank my dear friend, Jen, for visiting me in South Carolina while Kevin was deployed.  Flying is not her favorite thing to do, yet she did it anyway with her sweet one year old in tow...all because she cares for me.  I'm so blessed to call her one of my closest friends!  Here are a few snapshots of our weekend together.

Cutest turtle ever!

Jen, I truly appreciate your love and support!  Visits from my family and friends were just what I needed to get through this first deployment, and those who made the effort to come hold a very special place in my heart!

Two Fabulous Friends

Kimmy and Amanda came all the way from Oklahoma and Texas to visit at the end of April/beginning of May!  We had a whirlwind couple of days together seeing downtown Savannah, relaxing at a beach on Hilton Head Island, shopping the outlets and of course, chatting nonstop about life, love, and everything else along the way.  We have been close friends for so many years (about 16 years now!), and I have to say that the comfort found in old friends is such a rich blessing. 

I did not carry my big ol' camera around while we explored, but thankfully Amanda brought her camera so we have some photos to remember this fun girls' weekend.  K & A, thank you again for taking the time and making the effort to come here!  It was such a treat to have you in our home.

(Note: You can click on each photo to see a larger version of the photo.)

One of my favorite pics - I love these girls and those trees are so beautiful!

Kimmy's impromptu commercial shoot at B&D Burgers during lunch - this was right up her alley!  I'm still waiting to see the finished product on FB or TV.

Had to take a photo in this square. :)

Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons Restaurant

Kimmy and I making pretty difficult decisions. ;)

Had to take a pic in this unusual tree on our way to Coligny Beach.

The beach is just the perfect place to relax.