Reason 72 to love Sacramento

Every time we visit family and friends in Washington, I come back to Sacramento a bit homesick. And then Sacramento reminds me why we love it here. Case in point, we come home after Thanksgiving and I'm majorly missing family and my favorite city, Portland.

Then I took Bounce on a walk on this Sunday morning and my homesickness subsided. Sixty degrees, blue skies, the sound of soccer fans cheering and piles and piles of dry, crisp fall leaves blanketing the ground. And let's not forget, this is in DECEMBER. Yep, Sacramento, you reminded me that I do love it here. 

Case in point:

Come on over!

Well it's about time, but we finally got patio furniture so we can truly enjoy the wonderful weather we have in Sacramento. When we moved here last summer we were super excited about our backyard and the lack of humidity (remember we came from hot, humid Knoxville, TN). So the first thing we bought was a BBQ. In fact, I was so excited about the grill that I ordered it online during our cross country drive so it would arrive as soon as we got into town. We bought a Weber soley because I was obsessed with their commercials. Proof that marketing does work!




Did you watch it? We got the one that the cute old lady and the red head were dancing in front of. And yes, we have as much fun grilling as they do in the video. And now we can have even more because we now have outdoor dining furniture!

Last summer we searched and searched and couldn't find any outdoor furniture we liked for less than $1,000. We thought it was because it was late in the summer so there were slim pickings in the stores. Then this spring we started shopping around again and still didn't love anything in our price range. Turns out we are just picky. But we finally settled on a set and are thrilled with it. The table is exactly what we pictured. And while we didn't think we wanted wicker chairs, the ones we got look pretty sharp and are actually very comfortable.

Bounce is keeping an eye on the new dining set.

Ugh. Can't get this picture to turn upright. Please just tilt your head to the left to view properly.

So now we're ready for guests. This was a much needed addition to our home here because our kitchen table is crammed in a corner and can only seat three people. We foresee using this practically all year with the cool breeze we get on hot summer evenings, the long Summer nights and almost year-round sunshine we have in good old Sacto.

Beautiful day in the neighborhood

Well it seems with all the rain we had earlier this month, we earned the sun-filled days we've had lately. The change that takes place from Winter to Spring puts a smile on my face every year. This week especially as I enjoyed the perfect weather to bike the short 2 mile commute into work and came home to my favorite flowers blooming in our front yard: tulips!

I love the surprise of tulips popping up. We had no idea they were there and I was literally jumping for joy when I saw them. And still remain giddy when I walk towards the front door and see them there. I guess I'm starting to see why people enjoy gardening. But I've got to say, this was even better since it required no work on my part. (As renters, I am far to lazy to actually plant anything myself.)