Mulches, properly used, can help with "weed" suppression. However, given what mulches do, aid in soil moisture retention, aid in supplying soil organic matter, and aid in soil temperature control, in addition to that "weed" suppression mulches can create conditions that are very good for "weed" growth. Mulches create optimal conditions for plant growth and "weeds" are plants.
Many people seem to get the idea that mulches will eliminate "weed" growth instead of the fact that mulches help control "weed" growth. The 5 to 8 sheets of newspaper covered with 2 inches of mulch was adequate for most "weed" control for about a year but not forever.
Some invasive unwanted plants, or "weeds", including some grasses, will find mulches not much of a barrier so they grow rampantly and will need to be dug out.

Weeding isn't a once and for all process. At first you will need to do it often and thoroughly. Later it will be less frequently needed. Hand weeding is not that bad once you get into it. It's quite relaxing. However, more weeds will grow from the seed bank in the soil and occasional in blown seed. The longer you keep up regular weeding the fewer weeds will return. There is an old saying ' One year's seeding makes seven year's weeding', meaning that if weeds have been allowed to seed over one year it takes up to 7 to eliminate all their progeny. Good practice is to keep on top the weeds when they are small - they should never be allowed to get to the stage where the roots get to 2 feet long.

It sounds as if you also had perennial weeds in your ground as well as annual and they really need to be dug out before you even start a flower bed. However much newspaper, cardboard, mulch and even landscape fabric you put down they will eventually reappear. Bindweed especially is brilliant at finding gaps. Many people start beds by covering and mulching but there is really no method better than old fashioned thorough digging and removal of perennial roots.

I know that the weeds will not be gone forever. That would be a dream come true! :)

I have already hand pulled a lot of the weeds out a few weeks ago, and am now in the process of pulling the roots out since the smaller stuff is now growing large.

Since the house was built at least seven years ago and no one lived in it until four years ago, the grass in that area has been allowed to grow crazy and native. I wish that we would have started by removing the top layers of ground cover and start fresh! Lesson learned for next time!

I plan on doing this massive root removal until the whole area is done and then try to pull stuff as it appears, but no less than once a month. I just wanted to make sure that what I was doing was on the right track for a mistake in the first place. LOL I haven't seen any of the weeds go to seed this season yet.

I think y'all are correct about having perennial weeds! I know there is poison something in there (most likely sumac) as I learned another lesson the hard way- wear gloves! I know we do not have the weeds that stick upright with the four strands of seeds at the top (I call them helicopter weeds since they looks like the blades in motion). I have seen what appear to be violets, some type of itty bitty yellow flower (about the size of my pinky fingernail), and something that has long thin seeds that are on needle thin plants. The weed I hate most in our yard is the ones that look like it is in the cactus family. It is spiky, low to the ground, and produces a white/yellow flowerish mass. I have tried Round-up and digging it out with the shovel. The root is thick, white, and extends down really far. Any idea on how to best remove them?

Thanks for your tips though!!!! I will make sure to not weed once a year and to get an earlier start on it next year.