There is progress on the back yard... and even more exciting: a timeline!
The date for the first blade of grass to break through our dirt in one triumphant song of jubilee will be my birthday, APRIL 22nd, 2013, mark our words come rain or shine! It's a mountain of work but Q and I can't stop salivating over the thought of a finished back yard and the lifestyle it will afford our girls.
The last months have found Q outside before and after work with the spotlights on so he can see the yard. There has been an excessive amount of digging. We even went to the extent of buying HAY and plastic to cover the cement so we could pour even when the weather was below freezing. We are determined. I often wish I could do more to help Q than just bring home the bacon to fund it. The girls and I watch from the window and spur him on with hope in our hearts. At least I see those middle school dollars put to good use before my eyes. On the 12th, we couldn't watch anymore. I suited them both up and we went outside to cheer about the cement up close.
Someone asked me how many batches of cement we had mixed up. Batches? You mean how many truck loads have we poured? Suffice it to say that I may have spent my entire salary last year on cement. In fact,
Annie affectionately refers to all sidewalk as "cement" and will chide anyone who calls it otherwise. We love our cement here at the House of Had.
Much dismay and several stern words passed between us before settling on a distance between the wall and the track that will run around our back yard. Why does every little decision have to be so intense? Well, don't tell him, but Q was right to cut down those five trees in the back corner. I shed a tear but in hindsight, he was right.
It is refreshing to address some of the areas in our yard that have been neglected on the priority list.
We have cleaned up the garden area and our concrete boxes look amazing now. Hopefully we've learned a thing or two before we form up the concrete couches planned for our courtyard. I cannot wait to taste that first tomato!
Remember a few weeks back when we set up the auto for an impromptu family picture? It took us a few tries but we managed 1 or 2 keepers from this bunch. Those of us who are in St. George promise to not take for granted our sunshine and short sleeves in January!
Do you catch yourself praying that your girls will be best friends forever too?
Our chubby baby V is so different from Annie.
Thank heavens she likes the stroller, actually sleeps, and cuddles.
Oh Annie. Today V ate a leaf. It could have been worse. When we were at the park, a boy pulled down his pants and pooped under the slide. We will not be going back to the park. Yard please.
Two Sundays ago I put Annie in one of my dresses. 30 years later and look how cute! She loved the lace ruffles and called it her Valentines clogging dress. Her nursery teachers said she did not stop clogging during class. Annie can name a lot of the steps too. She's got a shuffle, brush, and rock step down pat.
She is certainly a free spirit. So aware. I caught her telling someone only Dad can say "dam-it" but mom does sometimes too.
I can not imagine days without holding her hand or hugging her.
It may be a result of my occupations. As a clogging/tap and middle school teacher I am so used to noise that I realized this week I always have something on at home like the radio or T.V. Even when I don't plan to watch, I find myself turning on the news for background noise. Today I tried to leave everything off and was annoyed at how difficult it was. I don't want MY kids suffering from my background noise addiction. HELP!
...and
THAT, my friends, is our January 2013. Mostly. There was a trip to SLC and DELTA but it was such a blur of lifting the 80 lb car seat in and out in the cold that I may have blocked most of it from memory. Most of it. Annie is another story. She can recount every single detail of
Brian's tuba concert like it was this morning.
