Retaining Wall Garden

The side of our yard was a drop off from the drive way to the back yard.  It was dangerous to try and walk down, the kids would just slide down the hill on their butt.  Chris got sick of having to cut the grass on this hill and we were having some problems with the hill eroding into our bottom deck so we decided to get the problem fixed by professionals.  

This is the only before picture I could find.

The workers got the whole project done in 2 days doing the whole thing with just shovels.

After the workers left I quickly went up to the nursery and went crazy buying plants and getting them in the ground.

I still need a lot more plants before I can say it is completely done and the way I want it but they are going to have to wait till spring.

You can see I put the weed tarp down in this picture and the pine straw is sliding down but I will take that any day over having to pull weeds.  The grass to the left is going to be taken out eventually but I wasn’t sure what to plant there and got burnt out so the grass is staying until I get motivated to get out there and work again. 

This is the part we did our selves.  We layed the stone path because it was only $100 for us to buy and do it ourselves versus the contractor doing it for $800.  I plan on planting grass between the rocks and flowers all along the path.  The path flows nicely to the lower deck Chris added. 

Next on the “to do” list, is to put horizontal boards along the bottom of the deck and finish the stone path there. 

Give all these new plants a year or two to establish and fill in and I think we are going to be looking very nice. 

Cardboard box airplane

I have a hard time getting  rid of giant boxes because I see them as so much potential.  I have been hoarding some good size boxes in the basement that are driving Chris crazy because they are taking a lot of space, but I won’t let him throw them away.  So finally,  I got the box cutting knife out and whipped this airplane up for the boys to paint and play in.  The best way to keep paint off clothes is to not wear clothes.  The boys enjoyed the project and will hopefully provide a little bit more fun until it is torn apart.  Next on the Pinterest cardboard box to do list is a space ship or maybe a pirate ship!

We had a play date friend come over and he also enjoyed our plane.

This was the original cardboard box project we did almost 2 years ago for Gates’ 2nd birthday party.

Campmeeting 2013

Last week was Campmeeting and we are worn out from all the fun.  The week consisted of lots of front porch swinging, cooking and eating, playing, and church services. 

Me, trying to learn the secret to making biscuits.

Frying fish.

Aunt Margaret sharing her ice cream with the boys.

Ice cream face.

Summer Fun

Summer seems to be flying by and I don’t even feel like we have had much summer.  It was been raining all summer, and if it’s not raining it’s cloudy and humid.

We have gone to the puppet shows they put on in our town almost every week.   (The Velveteen Rabbit)

We have done lots of indoors stuff like make dinosaur magnets, cookies, put Star Wars stickers all over the place,  read books, watched movies.  As fun as all this might be, we are bored and sick of being stuck inside.

I took Gates to his first real movie theater experience to see Despicable Me 2 in 3D.

This is what our back yard has looked like pretty much all summer.

We have had one good day out on the lake despite the rain.  The boys LOVED the boat and have been talking about it and saying they want to go back for the past couple of weeks, but it’s been raining.

We have surrendered to the fact that the twins will not stay in their cribs any more despite our efforts to keep them in them as long as possible.  They do not go to bed easily any more.  They play for a couple of hours till they pass out or we separate them and put one in Gates bed and then transfer him back to his bed when they both fall asleep.  I have started working on their big boy beds but until I have them ready they are sleeping on their crib mattress on the floor.

Fourth of July was a complete wash out and all of our plans got rained out but there was one firework show by our house that we went and saw in the rain.  Fireworks are another thing that the twins keep talking about and really enjoyed.  They have really started to talk a lot now especially about the things they really like.

Gates was really proud of the cookies he make for our 4th party.

Any chance I have gotten I have taken the boys to my in-laws pool to try and get some swimming in.  They love being in the pool, especially the twins.  Unfortunately, this is another thing that keeps getting rained out.