Backyard project

We have a enormous yard....11,000 square feet to be exact. The front yard was sodded as part of the standard package when we moved in. The sides and back were seeded. Because our yard slopes down towards the back, we needed the sides to be sodded due to massive erosion. Kevin and I have toyed with plans for the backyard since we moved in and well with a little push from Santa we decided to get in gear. Santa brought a playground set for the kids. We have not been able to put it up because there is a 4 foot gradual slope from the back of the house to the end of the yard. We finally felt comfortable moving forward with a plan and started yard work today. The top half of the yard will be level...with a gradual drop of 1 foot. Then we will have a retaining wall built. The lower half will be level and house the playground set and our garden. Here are pictures of the yard before the workers arrived.

Yard work as it begins.

The lower half of the yard, cleared and with some retaining wall blocks.

Back view of the yard and house.

Working on the foundation for the retaining wall.

Summer garden #2

For those that have followed our blog, you know we did a garden when we lived in NW Florida. It was a bountiful garden, producing tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and red and green bell peppers. We were able to eat some things and found out that the birds really enjoyed our tomatoes and peppers, and so did Lisa. She was very fond of the garden and was the reason why we built a fence. Aaaahhh, Lisa, how I miss her. So at our new home in North Carolina, Kevin has been wanting to do a garden. I find many pieces of scrap paper with drawings of raised garden beds and herb boxes. He often talks about plans for the garden....of course this is while he is building all of his woodworking projects. He is too funny. We finally got a plan together for the backyard. Our landscaper was kind enough to get the garden area prepared for me and will till it tomorrow. I will then plant the seeds and hope it grows. Here are pictures of our garden plot in the early stages. And this time a fence will be needed for deer, rabbits and squirrels.

And did I mention I did this all by myself....seven months pregnant. Kevin is a lucky, lucky, lucky man.

Springtime family get-a-away

We decided to take a quick family get-a-away and explore some of the areas in our backyard....Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. So last weekend we ventured up north and got a hotel for the weekend. We really could have just gotten a hotel down the road if we were trying to make the boys happy because the LOVE going to hotels. Strange, but hotels are the big hit in our family for them. On Saturday we went to the Museum of Life and Sciences in Durham. This children's museum is ranked fourth in the nation for children's museums and after spending an afternoon there I can see why. We spent FIVE hours there and did not once venture inside for any of the indoor exhibits. We saw dinosaurs, butterflies, bugs and insects of all kinds, bears, wolves, sailed sailboats and road on the train. It was a fun filled and high energy day for all of us. If you are ever in the Durham area check out the museum. It is well worth it. Here are some pictures from our day. And, if you have kids keep coming back to this post because I am sure they will like seeing the dinosaur over and over and over.

Digging for fossils.

Playing the bells and drums.

Recipe blog

I think I have posted about how my friend, Mandy, and I are doing a recipe blog. You can find a link for it on the left side of the blog....it is A Taste Of My Home To Yours. So anyway, I just updated it with a childhood family favorite and the story behind my need for this recipe. Success has occurred once again and I am thankful for it....and more for the silence at the dinner table!!

The best dressed gal

The doorbell rang today and the Fed-ex guy came bearing gifts from Aunt Sara! And boy did she provide the gifts. The box was so heavy that the Fed-ex carrier offered to carry it into the house!!!!!! Our baby girl is going to be the best dressed girl in town! Her closet has gone from barren to having little room for clothes....and Auntie Sara says this is just the beginning. I feel like we could open our own Carter's store. She said it was time to move out the samples for next season so if she didn't give them away they would have to throw them away. Besides all of it is free for her. Gotta love that she works for Carter's! We are so blessed to have Aunt Sara in our lives....not just for clothes....but for everything else she provides us with (stories, love, and really, baby girl clothes). We love you Aunt Sara....THANK YOU!!!!!

Homeownship pride

Have I said how much I like this new side of Kevin.....homeowner-ship? I never got to experience this before because he never lived in the first house we owned. He just visited the house during his leave times. So to have him take pride in our home and do projects around it is great! I love that he has taken to woodworking and really enjoys building things....and as my Aunt would have said..."he has the best tools in town". His latest project is a pull out draw for my pots and pans. The draw looks so nice....like the cabinet people made it. And it works even better. He is planning on making me an upper one too. Here are some pics of my drawer with our version of Vanna White. Paul's modeling skills need to improve, but at least he is cute to look at.

Book Club

So I guess Mandy and I are going to start reading the same books....our own little book club. I will still go to the other one for fun, but not read the books. They are almost finished with the Pat Conroy's anyways. We are going to start with The Time Traveler's Wife. If you have read it, let me know your thoughts, but don't give away the story. I am starting it tomorrow.