A Gift from Grandma and Grandpa

Grandma and Grandpa came over and Grandpa tilled our old "garden" and planted grass.  He also moved dirt from our weed box (it was probably a garden with the previous owner) into our small concrete pool of leaves (we're not really sure what it is).  Mae helped...more or less. -T

I don't know how to describe this thing - it's basically our leaf collector.  Lindsey has wanted dirt in it for about 4 years now

Oh good for you Mae, going out to help!

Oh.

We appreciate the girls' grandparents

Lindsey was right - it does look better with dirt rather than leaves

Grass instead of weeds WILL look better

At least she's not distracting or in the way

I mean...at least she's not in the way.

I mean...at least she's cute.

A Vacation From My Problems!

I decided with basketball season approaching, a time when things never get done, as well as needing time away from everything and everyone at the office, that I would take a week off. So, I made a big list of things to get done. The project I knew would take the most time, as well as the biggest toll on my body was clearing out the area around our pine tree. When I started, I didn't think if I took the entire year off that I could get it done, but with some help from Lindsey and absolutely no help from Mae, it got done! My hands and hamstrings were also done. -T

Total disaster...and this is AFTER I spent a few hours on it already moving the logs that were on the edge of it

I wish I would have taken a picture before I moved all the logs because it made it that much more overwhelming

Better perspective here of what we were dealing with

Meanwhile, at our own personal pumpkin patch...Mae was getting her fun on

Careful...those leaves are sharp!

Better than waiting for brush pickup day

Still enyjoing herself...for now

We really are excited that we got pumpkins to grow

Mae seems to really love them

Mae: "Hey Mom! Look how funny I am!"

"Mom! I'm funnier than you are!"

(Mom searches around to prove Mae is NOT funnier...this picture BARELY shows what Mom will do next)

Mom: "Who's the funniest in the family, Mae!?"

Mom: "That's right...Mom is! Who's laughing now!"

Okay, so that's not TOTALLY what happened. Mae was actually the one who found a rotten tomato and Mae was actually the one who squirted her face with it...Mom, unfortunately, didn't think this was funny at all. That's actually not true...she thought it was funny enough to take a couple pictures of it.

Back to the other side of the yard (Lindsey was able to help with it by the way, she didn't spend the ENTIRE project taking pictures)

The green left in the front are hostas - not weeds

The green in the back is on the other side of the fence

Satisfying

Bigger Growths

In the midst of moving rocks, we found out that our watermelon has continued to grow (see post: Growths)! -T

It doesn't look like it here...

...but it does here!

Rockin' the Back Yard Again

We continued with building rock paths. We bordered some new places like where next year's garden will be. We also redid some areas where the borders were messy. -T

We now have a pathway through the landscaping (done previously), a path behind our current garden (done previously), and now a path behind next year's garden (done on this day).

Next year's garden - access from in front, behind, and stepping stones (not really in place yet) for in between!

Rocks are cool (and really hurt when you get your finger smashed in between them)

I thought I would need Tommy John surgery at the end of the day (surprisingly my back was fine).

We like it!

Growths

When it came to tomatoes and beans we had good success this summer. As for other things, not so much. Some things, however, did show signs of life. -T

Cherry Tomatoes

We've only eaten 2, 1 for each of us, but hey, it was somethin' and tasted great!

Watermelon anyone?
The watermelon plant just grows all over!

Our garden with the new rock path behind.

Rockin' the Back Yard

We have a lot of unorganized rocks in our backyard. I like to organize things, sooo....

Unorganized + Like to Organized = Newly Organized

Lindsey, bless her heart, was very active in collecting rocks (no heavy lifting by pregnant people was included in this project). We have wanted to make rock paths through our landscaping in the back, so we did. -T

Okay...she always takes pictures of me like this, it's almost like she WANTS me to make "comments."

Lindsey's bucket - she did so great!

The path was built so we could walk behind our current garden.

Wide enough for wheelbarrel traffic...

...and simple pedestrian use.

It looks even better in the light...and with her in it.

Like it...

...even with a pile of compost next to it.

Finally Not Green Tomatoes

Despite having questionable sunlight in our backyard, we have been able to enjoy some things (not watermelon) from it. Our latest - tomatoes! -T

"Celery, broccoli, gotta be..." It even looks like Bob the Tomato slightly!

"Honey, hold it up." I don't think she was expecting to be in the picture, but she looks so cute all the time!