Before and After Pictures

We've been working on getting the lawn and yard cleaned up.  It is coming along really well!  I am making friends down at our IFA and I am learning all kinds of things that I never had to worry about before.

We had the shutters painted right after moving in because they were so faded and broken.  I wish I had the pictures of them before!  The front door got refinished.  We had the trees trimmed and beds weeded, sprayed and composted.  It is looking much better I think!  Hopefully a few lawn treatments will help fill in the lawn too.

This poor Austrian Pine had to be butchered a little bit 

Now we have to tackle the backyard.  It is much better already.  We are enjoying it even if it is pretty wild looking still.  I think in a month it will look amazing.  I am excited to plant but I think that might have to wait until next year.

Courage

I think about this story every so often and decided it is another one that needs to be recorded somewhere.

This is one of those experiences in life that you really find out what you are made of.

 The summer between 8th and 9th grade I spent 8 hours a day babysitting for a family friend (and got paid a whopping $16/day) .  These friends had a big family and were Mexican and sometimes random people would come by when I was babysitting.  There was a language barrier issue.

Anyway, one night I was putting the little baby to sleep when I heard footsteps in the hall.  I was pretty much frozen in place.  Someone was definitely in the house.  I was terrified.  I called out but no one responded.  I sat there for a few minutes just listening.  Still I heard definite movement and footsteps coming from the back bedroom.  I finally got my courage up and flung the bedroom door open.  There in a box in the middle of the room was a giant.. . . Jackrabbit.

About scared me out of my wits.  It was pretty funny though when I saw what it was.  It was HUGE.  Like someone caught it out in the desert and brought it home for some reason.  Maybe it was tomorrow's dinner.  Whatever.  I just think it is funny.  And I really did think that someone was in that room, I guess the hopping sounded like footsteps.  What a random thing to have in the house.  Not sure why I didn't just run out the house with the kids and have someone else investigate later.