Yard has a Purpose!

Hello All!!
We have really been struggling with out backyard. It's been so difficult to decide what to do with it all and where things should go. We have been through several ideas but nothing has really stuck but yesterday it really started to shape up. Preston and my Dad cut down a bunch of trees. We are winning the war against the Poison Ivy and English Ivy (sorry to those that love this stuff but we have come to despise it!) The kids "playground" is finally set and looks great. It may look like just a pile of fallen trees and well..... it is..... but it's so much fun for the kids!

Also Preston has been amazing at clearing out a great spot for our garden. He used the cut down trees to terrace the side of the backyard. It's really exciting to see it all come together. It was funny to move the logs. I actually got to help some (oh yeah, for those of you that don't know, we are expecting a baby in January and I have had a few interesting things come up) and it was fun especially since watching all of those Discovery Channel Shows about building the pyramids and bridges helped. We actually moved the logs by pushing it over smaller logs just like the Egyptians. It was kind of funny but worked out great.

It will be great to start the garden and actually have something growing instead of dying in the front yard. The garden is unfortunately not working well in the front yard. So hopefully it will be get better. The children love playing in all the mud that is being created. Enjoy our pictures!

So far we have had a really fun but busy summer. It started off with us heading down to Houston to visit family since Lindsey got back from her mission and was talking on Sunday. We went by way for Montgomery for the State Softball Championship which Pisgah won!!! It was a really good and exciting game. Of course they did so good because Preston was there to help. Fun thing for me is that he gets a big championship ring so I don't have to buy a new wedding band for him! HeHe. We had a great trip to Houston (that is a really long drive though. On the way home, we did get to hear an all new scream level from Emma who apparently hates to travel in a car) But it was so much for the see the Carlson's new house and all the family. Kari looked so good and it was so nice to see everyone. We got to go to the beach, the Alamo, go swimming, sit and do nothing, and visit lots of family. It was a great trip. When we got back we have been busy piecing together our house and yard. Anna and Ben had fun getting started on the summer Reading at the Library where the kick off event was a guy who brought a bunch of animals to show them. The yard has been a never ending work project. To celebrate the 4th of July, Preston and Dad got fun tools together and cut down two huge trees in the back yard. Fortunatly, no one got hurt and the house is still together. The kids have been loving playing on the tree branches now. It's the best and cheapest play ground ever!!
So now you are all up to date with life at our crazy house. We will write little fun stuff the kids have done tomorrow. So have a great night! love to all from us!!!

Kindergarten Play

Anna was a Hawiian Girl/Pineapple Princess for the school play. She did such a good job and had a great time. The whole theme was a FantaSea with lots of beach and underwater scenes. I got to help A LOT with the sets and props. I know my family was ready for it to be done today. We had a hard time getting parents involved but I really had a great time getting to know the teachers and PTO people. It's to bad we will be at a different school next year. The Beach scene was the easiest to do but oh the ocean scene. We did everything in flourscent colors and it was done in black light. It was so cute to see the different costumes under the black light though. They had a couple of kids be jelly fish and they held white umberellas with bubble wrap hanging down! It was so cute!!! The lobsters had a strob light on them and they just went crazy jumping up and down on the stage. It was quite a production but it looked so good. We even had a parent make two clams that opened and closed with two little girls sitting inside being pearls. Another dad made a boat that looked so real and I thought it would be heavy but he used some kind of strofoam so it was so lite!!!! The kids had a really great time. Unfortunatly due to the bad weather, they are rescheduling the parent night performance. I was really glad I was able to go this morning to see it. The fun part is the local Power Board records it and shows it on TV later. I can't wait to see it. I hope you enjoy the video and hopefully it works

Our house and yard

Okay I didn't realize it had been so long since my last posting until Jamie sent me an email reminding me to do something with it. So a lot has happened to us. We officially have a new house and are moved in. It's wonderful! The inside is just great for the kids to have room to play and me to have a room to play in too. Plus Preston has a room (the garage) to play too!

We are waging war with the English and Poison Ivy in the back yard right now. We had to laugh when we saw Wal-Mart selling Ivy in pots for $2. We just couldn't believe someone would want to buy it. We have thought about selling it. I don't think that I will ever look at those Ivy wreathes again and think they are pretty (my apologes to anyone who has one or likes Ivy) It's great to have when it hasn't taken over your yard. But the front yard looks so beautiful now. We actually set out a large flower bed covering the front of the house. Removed all the Ivy (of course) and a big dying bush that looked really strange where it was. I tried to save a rose bush that we found but Ben and Preston had other ideas and it ended up in the trash. But since it's the only plant Anna wants we are going to get another one.
The kids and I planted some herbs and flowers in the front. Emma tried hard to help but ended up just pulling up the first plant we put in. I was surprised that it has actually survived since we had to plant it three times before sending Emma onto the porch with chalk. The kids have really enjoyed picking out plants and helping with the care of them.
Preston cut down two trees the other day and only one landed on the roof. We thought it might be good to wait for assistance to cut the others down. But at least we are building up a good supply of wood for the winter (did I mention our house has a wood burning stove.... I said it was a great house didn't I) We mapped out a great spot of a play ground and sand box. We are now waiting for the government to send us our bribe money... sorry I think it's called an economic stimulus check... but anyway, we thought we'd help the economy by getting a swing set!! Yeah for the government.
I have to put Emma to bed now but enjoy the pictures and I do promise Jamie to write more tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

So apparently I did not get Emma into the bath quick enough and she decided to get in herself. I just hadn't gotten her clothes off yet! She loves bath time and is so funny with Ben. The two of them love to blow bubbles and wow!!! They can splash!!! I finally had to ban the three kids from taking a bath together after they splashed water all the way out into the hall. I never knew water could travel that far. At least it dries. I have the cutest kids though.
Oh, and if anyone knows how to put videos on this, I would appreciate the help.

Got a new House!!1

Hello Family! Well we finally have a new house. We will be closing at the end of the month and hopefully if remodeling goes well we will move in the first of April. The kitchen needs to be updated. The appliances are original to the house and I did not know stove tops came with buttons to push instead of knobs. We are hoping to refinish the cabinets, add new appliances and counter tops and flooring. Aren't we ambitous? Thankfully there are a lot of people who can help us with it all. (thanks mum) Anyway, Anna is loving Kindergaden and reading well. She and her best friend Colin just figured out that his great-grandmother is our next door neighbor! He got to come home with Anna on Friday after school. They had so much fun