As usual, there is a "project" going on at the house. The kitchen is on indefinite hold- our cabinet guy could be awarded biggest flake of the year. We did have another cabinet maker give us an estimate, but it was twice as much!!! We figure we can deal with some flakiness for that amount of money. Another, and probably the actual reason for the kitchen being put on the back burner is we've undertaken some major landscaping projects. We had a landscape architect come and draw up 'the master plan' for all two acres that are ours. We cannot afford the $80,000 price tag (and that doesn't include any of the actual plants, trees, or bushes or the huge garage we need to build.) in one big chunk. Our top priorities are the entryway and getting a fence in. The entryway is what has been bugging Scott the most while I have been wanting a fence in desperately to separate us from the neighbors horses. EVERYONE assumes that they are our horses because of how their corral sits right next to our drive. It makes me feel really bad people think the horses are ours because these horses are in a TINY corral they can barely make a full circle in, have no shade for all of the 90-100 degree days in the summer, no shelter in the freezing winter, are actually taken out and ridden once or twice a year, and I wonder how often they even get water. I don' want anyone to think we could treat another living creature that way. The fence will remove that whole assumption.
The two colums of bricks will have a brick wall that curves out from them and ends at another column. I was so excited they were able to match the brick from our house so well!
We'll put some lanterns on top of the columns when it's all done. The columns are built so that some day we can add an iron gate - but if we ever actually do get a gate, it will be in the far distant future.
Asher, and the other boys, too, LOVE riding with Scott on the big equipment. Scott is in all his glory!
Scott is always out offering to help out the contractors with anything he can do. He feels so manly driving the big equipment around.
I think the big equipment that's been here for the past few weeks has been the highlight of the summer for all four boys in the family!
One of the greatest result of the entryway being redone is the amount of dirt that is having to be removed to flatten out the front flower bed. The dirt is being placed on our neighbor's field where they are hoping to level it out some day. Eli is taking full advantage of the dirt hills. Watching him out playing today reminded me of the hours we passed playing on the dirt hill behind our house. We grew up in a neighborhood where a lot of new homes were being built. All of the dirt that was scooped out to make the basements was piled up and seemed to be calling every child in the neighborhoods name. The favorite activity was pulling our Big Wheel to the top and flying back down. We'd stick our legs straight out to the side so the pedals wouldn't rip our feet off and go warp speed to the bottom of the hill. I'm sure we hit speeds of at least 100 m.p.h. It's a wonder no long-term bodily injury occurred. The other favorite activity resulting from all of the new construction was the leftover pieces of sheet rock we could find inside of the houses. Of course these were the days before sidewalk chalk, so we used the sheet rock to make bike trails all over our cul-de-sac. We made a path to ride our bike in with stops like a gas station, park, library, store, etc. to drive to. The benefit of living in a cul-de-sac and having minimal traffic, I rode my bright blue bike with the banana seat covered with a rainbow and butterfly (How's that for a 70's look?!?!) all day on the "sheet rock trail."
It's nice to see that there are still some of the real joys I enjoyed that my children are able to enjoy, too. Dirt- the fun is timeless!
The two colums of bricks will have a brick wall that curves out from them and ends at another column. I was so excited they were able to match the brick from our house so well!
We'll put some lanterns on top of the columns when it's all done. The columns are built so that some day we can add an iron gate - but if we ever actually do get a gate, it will be in the far distant future.
Asher, and the other boys, too, LOVE riding with Scott on the big equipment. Scott is in all his glory!
Scott is always out offering to help out the contractors with anything he can do. He feels so manly driving the big equipment around.
I think the big equipment that's been here for the past few weeks has been the highlight of the summer for all four boys in the family!