Friday Favorites: We Bought Furniture!

We had a fabulous week! The weather has been beautiful and we spent lots of time outside. 



I was up early on Friday to bring Alec to school.  The other boys and I flew through their school work and while we had plans to resume meeting up with our hiking group for some small group hikes it was really cold and windy.  We decided to stay home and I spent a few hours on the phone with my mom catching up instead.  I also got dinner all prepped so we could eat at a reasonable time after working in the evening. 

We headed to the shop at 5 to load up scrap.  When we were done Ian wanted to show me the jet ski and what he had left to do to it.  It doesn't look at all like jet ski he started with! 


All painted and ready for the stickers

Saturday morning Ian and my husband headed to the scrap yard while my mother in law took Alec to karate.  Evan and I enjoyed a quiet morning at home.  By lunchtime everyone was back home and then my husband and I headed out to rake the grates at the hydroelectric plant and cut up the huge tree root he had pulled out of the trash racks last weekend.  

We came back home just long enough to change and get ready for date night.  We ended up at 110 Grill; all the restaurants were packed with  super long wait times but we found 2 seats at the bar.  The food was amazing!  We had never eaten there before but I'm pretty sure we'll be back again one day.  We stopped for some groceries at BJ's on the way home.  

All dressed and ready for a casual date night.


I spent my morning Sunday planning a family vacation with the boys and finishing up my latest novel.  Ian and I also enjoyed watching this bird of prey circling the lake in front of our house trying to catch a fish (or maybe even a duck?).  In between attempts it was found perched in the trees around us.


Around 2 o'clock in the afternoon we went on a nice long 2 hour hike; it was so warm that most of us ended stripping off our sweatshirts and hiked in short sleeves! 







Once home we made dinner-- shrimp carbonara and salad for us with the leftover bacon and some waffles for the younger boys.  Alec happily made the waffles from scratch while my husband cooked up the bacon and I made the carbonara and salad.  It was delicious (even if I did overcook it slightly)! 


It was beautiful out on Monday so as soon as the boys finished their schoolwork Ian headed outside to work on our beach area.  The lake is really down right now (as they drain it in the winter to discourage weed growth) and he raked out all the dead leaves and smoothed out all the sand.  

The waterline is usually up to our firepit so it's a perfect time to clean up all the leaves that would normally be underwater. 

 Evan and I headed out for a nice walk before I headed out to pick up Alec. I swung by the grocery store on our way home and debated about starting in some yardwork but honestly I was sore and tired from our hike yesterday so I decided to sit, watch TV, and work on some blogging instead. 


Tuesday morning I drove Alec to school and Ian headed off to work.  Evan and I worked on a bit of schoolwork and then headed out for another hike.  We found a new trail to try at one of our favorite hiking spots-- the dam.  






It was warm enough after picking Alec up from school that I wore my flip flops when Evan and I headed out on another walk.  


Alec had a virtual day of shop on Wednesday and since he had no assignment I had him bake up a batch of Holly's Applesauce Jumbles.  They were delicious!


The other two boys tackled their schoolwork and then Ian headed out to work on a few of the beaches of a couple of our neighbors who asked him to help get their yards ready for the season.  I took the other two boys out hiking.  We only hiked for 45 minutes because Alec still needed to have lunch before signing in for his afternoon class.  




After lunch Evan and I went on a walk up to get the mail and then I worked in the garden for an hour.  

After dinner my husband, Ian, Evan, and I headed out for another hike.  


Alec had school on Thursday and Ian was heading to work so it was just Evan and I home for the day.  It was rainy and foggy and the lake was so still.



Once we had finished all his schoolwork (by 9:30) so we decided to head out furniture shopping once again.  I tried to find a new living room set in the fall and never found anything but we ordered a new set at the first place we stopped today and while we don't get the pieces until June or even July I just love the set and best of all it was 30% off!  

We got a rocking recliner, the sofa, and the love seat.

We stopped for lunch at Panera to celebrate on our way home.  I tried their Asian chicken salad and it was so good!  We spent a bit of time outside after Alec got home from school.  The sun was out again and it was nearly 70!  We saw a pair of swans that have started coming around this week. 



Linking up with: On the Edge, 









Comments

  1. Enjoy your new couch and living room set! Sounds like a good time all around!

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    1. I can not wait to get them in! Our old set has been breaking more and more each time we go to use it.

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  2. Love getting new furniture. Those applesauce cookies look delicious! Love seeing all the birds coming back. Happy weekend.

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    1. I only ate two or three and had my husband take all the rest of the cookies to work to share with his guys; they were so tiny and easy to down in one bite!

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  3. Love all of the extra hikes already- your trees are definitely blooming there- we should be right behind you-can't wait- YEAH for Applesauce Jumbles- so glad you enjoy them :)

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    1. Yes, we are seeing buds and little blooms starting here and there! The jumbles were a bit hit with everyone-- including my husband's workers.

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  4. That pasta looks so good! Such pretty hiking views.

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  5. The jet ski looks great! We used to have them and loved them!! We'd like to get them again eventually. I didn't realize you had your own beach area. How great is that! That must be amazing in the spring and summer to sit out there by the water. I hope you have a great weekend!

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    1. Yep, we have a small little beach just off our walk out basement that makes it the perfect spot to enjoy summer by the lake!

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  6. I love your nature pictures. I laughed last year because of the pandemic, we walked five times a week and never saw creatures. But this year, we aren't out walking as much and have seen owls, rare birds, and many creatures.

    That shrimp and pasta looked delicious. I love shrimp and pasta together. Might have to make some next week. Have a wonderful weekend, friend.

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    1. We rarely see birds or animals while out hiking-- I think we are much too loud while we're hiking and talking but see them around like crazy when we're home or else I have to zoom WAAY in with my camera when I see something off in the distance.

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  7. I enjoyed looking at all of the pretty nature photos and it's great you get to go on all of those hikes with the kids. The pasta and the cupcakes look great. It's always fun to get out for a date night. I hope you have a nice weekend.

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    1. Thank you so much! Today was just beautiful out... so I dragged Evan on another walk. LOL.

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  8. So much wonderful wildlife you discovered! Love the swans and turtles! Your foggy lake picture looks absolutely stunning, it needs framed!!
    The sofa looks so comfy!

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    1. We were so excited to see swans and turtles this week; it feels like it's been forever since we've seen either of them.

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  9. Yay for a date!!! Joe and I are hoping to get on one this weekend. Love all the bird pictures you are able to capture. So pretty!!

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    1. It was fabulous! It was nice to talk just us.

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  10. I always love your photos and adventures. Love the furniture. We are visiting our daughter and family in Texas and while on a walk through the golf course behind our air bnb, I spotted turtles in the lake.

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  11. I love that misty photo you used at the beginning of the post! Sp pretty with all the soft edges! That warm sunshine must have felt good on your 2-hour hike! I love being out in the woods in the spring. and your shrimp - yum!

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    1. Thank you! I captured that early one morning after I dropped Alec off at school. The warm sunshine has felt wonderful!

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  12. Oh wow! The jet ski looks fab and it sounds like a great date night. I am missing eating out, we're still on lockdown here. It looks like the weather has been lovely. Great for all the walks and work on your beach! You are so lucky to have that on your doorstep. x

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    1. We just heard that most places are opening up to 100% capacity (as long as they have plastic barriers between booths/ seats)!

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  13. Great week! I love the new sofa, it looks very comfy!

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    1. It was; we must have sat on every sofa in the showroom!

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  14. What a great week you've had! I like all the nature photos. Congrats on the new furniture purchase! They look very comfy. Thanks for linking with #WeekendCoffeeShare.

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  15. The applesauce jumbles look good and yay for new furniture, hiking in short sleeves and swans.

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    1. We are just loving this warm weather spell.

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  16. Are those turtles?? My goodness, you live in such a gorgeous area. I love birds of pre, we have them here a lot. And I hope we see the owls again this year. Have you got owls there?

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    1. Yes! We saw turtles this week-- something we haven't seen at all since fall. We do have owls here but I have only seen one in the wild one time.

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  17. What a lovely week you all had! I love all the wildlife pictures. It must be so wonderful to live on a lake.
    Blessings, Dawn

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    1. It really is lovely; though once full summer hits it can be loud and crowded feeling so I tend to enjoy spring and fall on the lake the best.

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  18. Love that couch!! I would buy that! And now I am hungry from seeing that shrimp pasta. LOL

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  19. Great outdoor photos. It looks like you all are living the dream.

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  20. You guys obviously like each other very much - it's lovely to share in a little of your family time. And that shrimp carbonara looks delicious!

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    1. It was soo good! I had never had carbonara that wasn't made with cream before but I really liked it.

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  21. I agree, on the outdoor photos and the shrimp carbonara! Thanks for sharing! Michele Somerville (The Beach Girl Chronicles)

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  22. Hi Joanne - I'm always a little bit jealous of people who live by a lake - it's something we don't have much of in Australia and it just appeals to me for some reason. I love your new lounge suite and all your photos of the hiking you've been doing. Nice that the weather is so good for you.

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    1. It is always so welcome this time of year after our long cold winter.

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  23. Yay for lots of great hikes! We need to get out again as we haven't gone in awhile. And how exciting that you found furniture you love!

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    1. I was so excited to finally purchase a set as we have been looking for furniture since the fall.

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  24. Joanne, I always love your outdoor hiking photos and your food photos! What a wonderful job your son is doing with the jet ski. And I really like your new couch! We are in need of a new one as well but are waiting until we get to the living room makeover...hopefully before the end of summer!

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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    1. Just know that it takes a good 2-3 months to get furniture (at least that's what every furniture store we've been visiting since November have told us).

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  25. I really like your new couch. We need new couches too, but haven't been able to find anything we really like.

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    1. It has taken us several months to find anything!

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  26. New furniture is always exciting! You looked so cute for your date night!

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