tiMe tO dECORatE

So we finally decided to start decorating the house! Well we have always decorated, but just haven't actually hung stuff up on the walls! So we took the frames that Taryn, Matt, and Gabriel got me for my birthday and printed up some pictures and put them in the frames and started hanging them up on the wall. WE also FINALLY hung the large scale engagement picture that we had signed at the wedding. Mom and Dad Ray had it framed for us for Christmas. We still have more pictures to hang, I just ran out of wall space! haha! I am nervous to make it look cluttered instead of clean :) I think we did a pretty good job and it of course looks better in person so EVERYONE will have to come visit! We have all this space, and we have the spare bedroom and bath ready to roll :) SO WHOEVER WHENEVER! We miss and love you all! Enjoy the house pic's. OH!! I also went and bought some small accessories like tealight candles and hanging vases (which you will see in the pictures have nothing in them yet! They will though :) ) and when we got home Jux was SUPER excited that we went shopping for her and brought her home some new toys, haha!! Well little did she knwo that the tissue paper that she thought was her new toy, was really the wrapping the vases that her momma had just bought for herself, haha! She loved it anyways!!!

waRm wEatHeR = bRUnCh & maYMonT PaRk

The first beautiful weekend we got here in Richmond (Which happened to be the same week as the snowstorm :)...crazy Richmond weather) we decided to get out and enjoy it. We went out to brunch with Mom and Dad Ray at 3 Monkeys which was delicious and very enjoyable on the covered porch they have. I have a yummy Mimosa and mom had a yummy bloody monkey (aka bloody mary)...the guys decided to stick to the basics, water and coffee :) WE then took off and went over to Maymont park. We took a tour of the house and then just walked the park. We got to see the new Eagle exhibit, check out the bears, see that the entire japanese garden was drained of the water, haha!, and just hang out and enjoy the company and weather. At the very end of the giant walk around the park we decided for some strange reason that the best way to exit the japanese gardens and get back to the main park was to walk up the steepest hill in the park!! haha! Mom about fell backwards once..but dad helped give her a little push :) We really enjoyed the day. Brian was able to even build a house!!!

Richmond Snow Storm...and yes this one was REAL! haha!

Well Richmond saw its biggest dump of snow in 9 years! We have gotten an accumulation of around 7 inches of snow..maybe a little more. Now for most that is a great amount of snow, not crazy BLIZZARD as Richmond folk call it...well seeing as Richmond closes down EVERYTHING with 2 inches of snow...you can only imagine what it is like with 4X that much! haha! They do not have the means to deal with it. So Brian and I both got blessed with a SNOW DAY!!! We also realized that even though we both came from areas of the U.S. that get a decent amount of snow every year...we HAD NO SNOW SHOVEL! SOO...in order to shovel out our drive way and road in the neighborhood...we had to use plastic tote lids! haha! I actually broke one. :) Our neighbors were nice enough to salt our driveway for us too. It was our first snow in the new house and as a married couple. How did we do?? Well we stayed in bed until 10:00 AM...then had some coffee...then dug out our driveway with tote lids...then helped push the neighbors truck up the road...then did some laundry and cleaned the house some...then watched LOST!! We have come to REALLY LIKE that show. We rented it on Netflix to get started with Season 1 and then had to go to Blockbuster to get the rest of the discs for Season 1. We officially finished all of Season 1 in 3 days!! HAHA! WE went to rent Season 2 so we could start it next which added to the beauty of our snow day! It was beautiful too. For someone who loves snow and who looks forward to the couple of snow storms a year to move to Richmond and not get any snow in 2 years...that was a little tough! So YAYY we got snow!! It is so beautiful how it falls. To look up and see giant flakes falling all around you...it is amazing! Well here are some pics of our SNOW DAY!! :) We hope everyone is well!!

Our Lovely Vehicles...all covered in snow!

Our Driveway after we "shoveled" it :)

Our plastic Tote Lids that we used to shovel the drive and road!!

Brian helping to push the neigbors car up our road.

The side of the house going back to the backyard!

Our Deck and Backyard!!

The backyard and neighbors.

The deck!! Our little bird feeder :)

Our flag all frozen and blowing in the wind.

These pictures below are just some fun shots!! The red house is our neighbors. It looked so pretty with all the white snow. We had a female cardinal come up and eat at the feeder and then just hang out on our deck for a while. She was beautiful!! All fluffed up to stay warm :)