A Wonderful Parental Visit

Sometimes I think I take for granted just how amazing my parents are and how blessed I've been to have them. As they creep toward 70, I notice them slowing down and having more health issues, but I'm always amazed at how much they continue to give and give and give. In the moments when I've asked Dad how he's able to give non-stop to others, he always says that the greatest joy he gets is by serving others. If only I could adopt his same attitude to the manner of which he has it!

My parents arrived about 6:30pm last night (Monday) and before the sun gave way, Dad unloaded all his "goodies" and we got under way. I'd spent the day pulling weeds, planting a few flowers, cutting back bushes, and organizing the yard/patio a bit. So Dad and I walked the yard and I pointed out the areas for spraying, and Dad got to work with the first application. I can't remember the last time I've used a weed-eater and I'm not going to lie, it was pretty fun edging the lawn and chopping down the grass that the mower hasn't been able to get to in the two years I've lived here! 

Once I got my section of the yard duty done for the night, I headed in to get started on dinner. I threw together a salad and got the seasonings started for the boil, while Mom helped prep the veggies and helped peel the shrimp. While I'd definitely increase the spices next time (I should know at this point to double every spice recipe!), it was a ton of fun creating a different type of meal for my parents and everyone was satisfied with the shrimp, corn, and red potatoes. (Have I mentioned Mom is gluten-intolerant and pre-diabetic and Dad can't eat high-oxalate foods? I don't eat most meat and M doesn't eat tomatoes.... Hahaha) Between the boil and the salad, there was something for everyone and with only enough left overs for the dogs to get a couple potatoes and Lady got two shrimp ;)

After dinner (at 9pm), the evening entertainment was watching Dad (with a lil help from M) hang my sign in the living room. My father is a perfectionist, so it was going to be done right, although he did compromise on a few matters (and learned that I'm missing some tools that he wished I had) :)

The day itself had been H-O-T (87 with no breeze) so after we sat around enjoying my living room for a bit, we were all pretty ready to get into bed.

In the morning we were up and at 'em. Dad finished spraying round two on the weeds, while I ran up to my aunt's to borrow the tiny tiller. Both beds were tilled by 10am:

Then Dad couldn't help himself and he had to mow my lawn, while we waited for Mom to get back from the fabric store and I worked on planting my starts in the boxes. Dad and I ran the tiller back up to my aunt's and visited for a few. Then we came back and both devised a potential plan for how to replace a section of my falling down fence (on the cheap and mainly reusing various wood) and discussed moving some of the bushes out front. And then Mom got home and whipped up some awesome new burlap curtains for my off-the-kitchen area:

  

They look great! (Another pinterest-to-real life idea!) Then the two of them loaded up and I cut some peonies for my mother. (I'd also gifted her a potted pansy set for this upcoming Mother's Day (using a gift card my parents ironically had given me!))

Then I had them pose for a picture: 

Seriously, seriously blessed.

Looking forward to them coming back in a couple weeks for the next visit!