And it begins.

Our big yard renovation has begun!  We have waited since we moved in to be able to do this and here we are 18 months later.  Travis has taken this whole week off and our family and church are helping with labor and some of the finances.  Our church all pitched in and paid for the retaining wall blocks and some plants.  That was a huge relief off our shoulders as things have gotten very tight in our finances. On Monday Steve, Chuck, and Travis got started with tilling the front and back along with the mow strips and built the retaining wall!  Chuck brought one of his dogs with him named Stardust and she was our yard mascot.  The kids got quite the kick out of Stardust and they were allowed to dig anywhere in the yard that they wanted which was , according to Claire, "The best thing ever!"  We still have to take out the horrible "dirt" (Which is actually just gravel) and get the top soil in, get river rock in the mow strips, grade the yard, plant plants, make planter boxes, build another retaining wall around the deck, and seed the new lawn.  It's a long list but I think we can get it done this week and weekend.  It will be so nice to have a yard the kids can play in and we can use for growing veggies and just relaxing in.  At this point we are ahead of schedule but hope to be in that position all week!

A grave experience.

I have a weird fascination with graveyards.  I love really old ones with big beautiful headstones that are falling apart.  I don't know why but I find beauty in them and then feel the need to capture them on film.  I have done this twice now but think that now I am going to have to bring my camera everywhere with me just in case I happen upon a wonderful graveyard.  This is just a sampling of a few of the best shots.

The Birds and the Bees

This year we have seen a few interesting bugs around our house.  We also got to witness a swarm of bees relocating to another more suitable hive. The kids have enjoyed the insect life around here.  Ben in particular loves all animals and bugs.  He just squeals with delight when he spots something and has to share it with everyone he can find.

Today

Today it reached 90 degrees here in sleepy Sandy.  This was a little bit of a shock since 2 days ago it was in the high 50s.  I made the mistake of putting most of the summer clothes away (Clearly a mistake) thinking it was about time plus I am wanting to get things as organized as possible because that is what I do when I am pregnant.  Yes I like to take on lots of projects, especially in the house, because there is nothing like trying to get a lot done in a house with 2 small kids and me, a woman who is starting to grunt while bending down, and has a hard time getting back up.  This is only going to get worse.

Anyway since it was so nice out we decided to get the sprinkler out and let the kids enjoy what little bit of summer was left.  They had a ball playing in the yard and getting wet.  Travis had a wonderful time throwing the kids in the middle of the sprinkler and running away.  We have chalk all over our driveway, porch, retaining wall, and chalk hand prints on one of the cars.  It was a good day overall with a trip to the library and the local farm stand to get some fresh fruit.

It's days like this that make parenting a breeze and make you want to add to your brood.  We are fortunate to have lots of days like this.

Who knew!

Lately I have been keeping track of things I have heard myself say lately.  It has been interesting at best!  I never knew that I would ever say some of the things I have been caught saying.  Here is a few on the list:

"You need to take your big toe out of your brothers ear."

"Why is your arm in the fish tank?"

"At what point did it seem like a good idea to stack pillows on mommy and daddy's bed and try to reach the ceiling fan?!"

"Ben! Stop biting my leg!"

"Your brother's head does not come off!"

"Quit putting your finger up Claire's nose Ben."

"Can you please stop putting animals in my bra?"

"The oven is not a tunnel!"

"You have asked me "Why" 8 times and I don't know how to explain why plants grow anymore."

"Yes I am married!  Why am I arguing with you about this?!"

"No Ben my name is not daddy it's mama.  No really."

"Can someone please send me to my room in a time out?!"

It has been interesting indeed around here with these two kids.  I can't imagine what I will be saying with three kids!  I am taking the time to make a note so that I can look back and just laugh at the things I am saying.  Is anyone else sometimes dumbfounded by what they are saying to their kids?  It will help keep me sane.

Soon to be 5.

Things at our house will soon be changing yet again.  Travis and I are adding a 3rd baby to our busy household!  This baby will be arriving around January 20th.  We are very excited as are Claire and Ben.  We had fun telling our families again this time around telling them at Travis's 30th birthday party.  This time we wanted to tell everyone while they were all together instead as individuals.  Everyone is very excited for us across the board and no one was surprised that another baby was on the way just that when we told them I was 16 weeks along.  They were impressed that we kept it to ourselves for so long.

It was surprisingly easy to keep the secret to ourselves but as the party was getting closer it was getting harder to keep it together when we were around our friends and family.  We did end up telling our very close friends which helped a lot.  I was super sick with this pregnancy which was near impossible to keep quiet but we somehow managed to do it.  We can not wait to welcome our new baby into this world but there is a lot that still needs to be done to prepare for their arrival.  I will be posting pictures soon of the fam and the newest babe that is on the way as soon as we get the 20 week ultrasound done.

Ugh.

Things around here will be changing a little.  We have to run a more efficient and tighter ship.  We have found out that we will be owing the government a sizable chunk this year and will have to, from now on, pay quite a bit quarterly.  This is because Travis is not an employee of the church but an independent contractor which means that you pay $ .15 on every dollar you make.  Yikes!!  We will have to modify our lives to make way for this awful quarterly payment.  No more house phone, less giving to the church, maybe no TV.  That is going to be a hard one for sure if we have to do it.  We are going to lower the heat even more (Not sure how since it is already set at 60 degrees during the day and 55 at night), really watch leaving things on or plugged in when not in use, and lower the food budget.  This is going to be a very tight ship.  I know we can do it but it will be hard and not very fun.  I was hoping that since we are almost 30, have a family, a home, 2 cars and are pretty good with money that we would be done with living like we are still in the college days.  That's life I guess.  We will get through this just like we did a few years ago.  This would be easier if Travis was going to get a raise but there is just no budget for that this year.  The church is very willing to help in other ways like more days off and landscaping our yard.  These things are great and will be a huge help.  What's not to like about more time with family and a yard we can use?