Yesterday she brought over her sweet baby for some newborn pictures and, my goodness, was he perfect! Here's one of my favorites from our session, but you should really go check out the rest! :)
Happy Friday!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Foto Friday!
I blog about Cari a lot. Well, probably more than any other one person out there. But you know, not incessantly.
Yesterday she brought over her sweet baby for some newborn pictures and, my goodness, was he perfect! Here's one of my favorites from our session, but you should really go check out the rest! :)
Happy Friday!
Yesterday she brought over her sweet baby for some newborn pictures and, my goodness, was he perfect! Here's one of my favorites from our session, but you should really go check out the rest! :)
Happy Friday!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Blame It On The Pregnancy
Yesterday was a bad day. And when I say bad, I mean, like....REALLY bad. And when I say REALLY bad....I mean, yes, of course it would pale in comparison to anyone living in a third-world country, anyone who has recently lost a loved one, or anyone who has any number of serious problems to deal with. But for me and my comfortable American way of living....it was bad.
I was hardly functional. Like, if there was such a thing as pre-partum depression and if this state of mind lasted for more than a week, I'd consider drugs. The legal kind, of course. But, be things as they are, I'm pretty sure I can just chalk this one up to the pregnancy.
I'm not really sure what the deal was, to be honest. I was processing some news I had recently learned about from a friend (really terrible news, mind you), realizing that I have absolutely nothing ready for this baby whenever he or she makes her entrance (all the while knowing full well that babies don't really need anything), thanking the Lord that my work schedule is almost complete for this summer (but wondering what I'll actually do with my time until I pick back up this fall), and dealing with a lot of screaming children....and little sleep on both my part AND theirs. And my feet were swollen. I hate that feeling.
It was a bad day.
When my husband got home, I told him I was sure I was on the verge of some sort of emotional breakdown. Not that I'm entirely sure what an emotional breakdown actually is. But I was sure.
And as we were tag-teaming dinner, the tears began to flow. I normally lock myself away somewhere so my children don't have to wonder "what's wrong with Mommy" but yesterday I just didn't have the energy to move. I cried in the middle of the living room floor. Then next to the Kleenex box. Then in the kitchen.
My middle child, Sienna, was thankfully the only one who seemed to notice.
"Mommy?"
"Mommy?"
"Mommy?"
....she kept saying with a very concerned look on her face. I couldn't bear to respond because, honestly, I had no idea how to sum up into words what was actually wrong. Finally at the dinner table, she got out, "Why were you sad, Mommy?" at which point I still didn't really know, so I just asked her to finish her dinner.
It's hard explaining things to kids. It really is. Especially when you're having a bad day.
As I was getting ready for bed last night, I read the daily Proverb, chapter 29. As I oftentimes am when reading the book of Proverbs, I was struck with how straightforward (and truthful) the writer is.
"A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back." (v 11)
"A child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother." (v 15)
"When a wicked man rules, people groan." (v 2)
And the selfishness of the day came back to me. Is it okay to have a bad day? Sure, sometimes it's unavoidable. Is it okay to cry in front of your kids? Hey, sometimes it happens. But feeling overwhelmed is simply a lack of trust in God. And yesterday, I was seriously lacking in that area. So today my verse to remember is this:
Philippians 4.6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I was hardly functional. Like, if there was such a thing as pre-partum depression and if this state of mind lasted for more than a week, I'd consider drugs. The legal kind, of course. But, be things as they are, I'm pretty sure I can just chalk this one up to the pregnancy.
I'm not really sure what the deal was, to be honest. I was processing some news I had recently learned about from a friend (really terrible news, mind you), realizing that I have absolutely nothing ready for this baby whenever he or she makes her entrance (all the while knowing full well that babies don't really need anything), thanking the Lord that my work schedule is almost complete for this summer (but wondering what I'll actually do with my time until I pick back up this fall), and dealing with a lot of screaming children....and little sleep on both my part AND theirs. And my feet were swollen. I hate that feeling.
It was a bad day.
When my husband got home, I told him I was sure I was on the verge of some sort of emotional breakdown. Not that I'm entirely sure what an emotional breakdown actually is. But I was sure.
And as we were tag-teaming dinner, the tears began to flow. I normally lock myself away somewhere so my children don't have to wonder "what's wrong with Mommy" but yesterday I just didn't have the energy to move. I cried in the middle of the living room floor. Then next to the Kleenex box. Then in the kitchen.
My middle child, Sienna, was thankfully the only one who seemed to notice.
"Mommy?"
"Mommy?"
"Mommy?"
....she kept saying with a very concerned look on her face. I couldn't bear to respond because, honestly, I had no idea how to sum up into words what was actually wrong. Finally at the dinner table, she got out, "Why were you sad, Mommy?" at which point I still didn't really know, so I just asked her to finish her dinner.
It's hard explaining things to kids. It really is. Especially when you're having a bad day.
As I was getting ready for bed last night, I read the daily Proverb, chapter 29. As I oftentimes am when reading the book of Proverbs, I was struck with how straightforward (and truthful) the writer is.
"A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back." (v 11)
"A child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother." (v 15)
"When a wicked man rules, people groan." (v 2)
And the selfishness of the day came back to me. Is it okay to have a bad day? Sure, sometimes it's unavoidable. Is it okay to cry in front of your kids? Hey, sometimes it happens. But feeling overwhelmed is simply a lack of trust in God. And yesterday, I was seriously lacking in that area. So today my verse to remember is this:
Philippians 4.6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tasty Tuesday - Homemade No-Bake Cheesecake
Some people ONLY like baked cheesecake. Some ONLY like what I prefer to call cream cheese pie - which is technically unbaked cheesecake. I happen to be a fan of both. But there is one particular restaurant who has a cheesecake that I just absolutely LOVE. Fortunately for my figure, the restaurant is located where my parents live and not here in Indy. Nevertheless, I've been wondering for years what sort of recipe they use for their cheesecake.
While browsing cheesecake recipes the other day (why yes, that is my idea of fun), I discovered this one.
Oh. My. Goodness.
This is almost identical to the restaurant cheesecake that I love so dearly except for one tiny discrepancy. I think this one is actually a little bit better. Yes, better!
It's easy, it's delicious, and it's oh so fattening! So give it a try. I bet you'll love it! (Even my husband who doesn't care much for unbaked cheesecake thought this stuff was amazing.)
10-lb Cheesecake
- 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until well blended and smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Pour filling into crust and smooth the top.
- Refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
Man, now I really wish I had some cream cheese in the house....
Monday, July 27, 2009
"Not Me!" Monday
(And, sidenote: While we're talking about MckMama, please pray for her son Stellan. I've posted about him in the past and the 'Pray for Stellan' button in my sidebar is devoted to him. He has been out of the hospital for a few months now but went back in for some experimental drug treatment since the combination of drugs he has been on doesn't seem to be working any longer. Since being admitted, his condition has gone downhill. Way downhill. Please pray for him and his family. You can find details on his mommy's blog.)
Ok, now back to "Not Me!" Monday....
After spending the morning at the park one day and doing laundry the next, I most certainly did not find a small pile of pebbles at the bottom of my washing machine. My children would never steal rocks from the park and then keep them in their pockets for me to later find in the washer.
I definitely did not burst out laughing when my son exclaimed yesterday on the way home from church, "Hey, look at those hot dogs growing over there!" while pointing at the cattails in a nearby ditch. I would never harm my child's self-esteem by laughing directly in front of them at something they don't know about yet.
I did not fret and hide my left hand all weekend (or be sure to explain the situation to all within hearing range) because I was sure I looked like a statistic (single pregnant mom) everywhere I went without my rings on. While dropping them off at the jeweler's to get a new layer of rhodium (shiny stuff) on them, I did not consider asking the jeweler why they don't offer one-size-bigger-than-normal "loaners" to pregnant moms, so they could still appear married even if their fingers were each the size of a small boulder. Or if they just wanted to send their rings in to get shiny-ized again. I am not that concerned about my image!
My husband and I certainly did not take advantage of my mom's babysitting offer and leave the kids with her all day long on Saturday. Just because we could. We also did not go out to lunch, then get ice cream at Coldstone, and then buy popcorn and soda for our movie because we are not gluttons. We always stop eating as soon as we are full and never spend money on "date food" three times in one day. That would just be wasteful! And speaking of wasteful, we definitely didn't stop and get more popcorn on the way out of the theater just because there were free refills. And even if we had, we certainly would have eaten it all right away and not left it on our counter for 2 days until it got stale.
While stopping by Motherhood Maternity the other day and attempting to purchase a few nursing bras before the baby actually arrives, when the very young, obviously-never-had-children attendant asked how they fit, I did not go into a lengthy dissortation about how frustrating it is that bra companies can't seem to figure out that you can't use the same pattern for a size A cup as you can for a size E cup. I did not feel the need to tell her that making the pattern bigger is not the answer but rather making an entirely different cut might solve the problem. I never offer my full range of thoughts on issues when asked a simple question because I know there are boundaries. And therefore, the very young, obviously-never-had-children attendant who was now looking rather sheepish did not feel the need to mention that another woman said she had found a better bra at Walmart. (Go figure.)
And finally... there is no way I completely forgot to attend a party for a friend of mine who is in town from Brazil for a few weeks. I am always tack sharp when it comes to things like that! Oh, and did I mention that I always write everything on my calendar? Yep, cuz I don't want to miss a thing!
Normally, this is where I'd link you over to MckMama's "Not Me!" Monday post but considering she is spending time in the hospital with her sweet baby right now, I don't know if she'll be posting an edition this week or not. But you can always check here and if I see a post, I'll link to it later.
Happy Monday, everyone!
Absolutely Nothing
Nothing but laundry and cleaning and feeding my children, that is. That's what's on the agenda for today.
After spending last week dropping my two older kids off at VBS every single day, running various errands every single day, going out on a date with my hubby on Saturday (thanks, Mom!), going to church yesterday, and working 2 days last week...I am utterly wiped.
Last night I was so tired I cried. Just from being tired. I told my husband I was so glad this is my last week of working until the baby comes. I honestly have no idea how people work a full-time job until their due date. Maybe they're superwoman. Or maybe they don't already have 3 toddlers at home. Either way, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am SO blessed to be able to stay at home with my children.
So today, in honor of me, I'm doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Nothing but laundry and cleaning and feeding my children, that is. You know, the normal we're-staying-home-and-not-going-anywhere-because-the-weekend-just-ended kind of Monday.
And I'm very happy.
After spending last week dropping my two older kids off at VBS every single day, running various errands every single day, going out on a date with my hubby on Saturday (thanks, Mom!), going to church yesterday, and working 2 days last week...I am utterly wiped.
Last night I was so tired I cried. Just from being tired. I told my husband I was so glad this is my last week of working until the baby comes. I honestly have no idea how people work a full-time job until their due date. Maybe they're superwoman. Or maybe they don't already have 3 toddlers at home. Either way, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am SO blessed to be able to stay at home with my children.
So today, in honor of me, I'm doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Nothing but laundry and cleaning and feeding my children, that is. You know, the normal we're-staying-home-and-not-going-anywhere-because-the-weekend-just-ended kind of Monday.
And I'm very happy.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Foto Friday!
I know I've been touch and go on Foto Friday as of late, but since I had a super sweet little newborn in here this week, I really want to show him off. I know I already put a plug in for him earlier this week, but hey...I'm a sucker for the little guys. What can I say?
In Anticipation Of Something Great
I'd like to proudly announce that it took me less than the anticipated 4-6 weeks for all of the wedding photos from my last wedding to be sorted, processed, resized, and uploaded to an online gallery. Perhaps your wedding photographer had your pictures to you in three days and you're, like, totally unimpressed. Perhaps your photographer took something more like three months and you, like, can't believe how fast I am. Either way you look at it, for a frazzled mom with (almost) 4 kids under 5...personally, I'm impressed.
So there.
I'd also like to proudly announce that I made it to the grocery store this morning! I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that the last time I went grocery shopping was (gulp) on July 3rd. Yes, the July 3rd that was X'd off the calendar a whopping THREE weeks ago. But I am so thankful that we are capable of keeping, and do keep our home fairly well stocked with the essentials.
So no, my children were not living on Raman noodles and Kraft mac 'n cheese. And no, we weren't drinking powdered milk and Tang.
It's extremely rare that I make it to the grocery store midweek in the morning, but when I do, I love how many markdowns I find. I also get a kick out of the fact that they call all that nearly expired stuff the "Manager's Special". I mean, really. We all know the only reason it's "special" is because if nobody buys it today, it's going to go into the trash.
Anyway, I scored some yummy OJ and some organic yogurts for a pretty sweet price. So I was happy about that. And while I'm talking about good deals, let me just rant and rave for one tiny second about something that is NOT a good deal.
DIAPERS.
Who does Huggies think they are kidding?? Like I'm not going to notice the fact that there are now 36 diapers per package instead of 42?? Oh, and also the fact that the price has not gone down, not stayed the same, but has actually risen?? Oh man, don't even get me started!!
Seriously. I don't want to talk about it. So drop it already.
Moving on....
Tomorrow is Friday and I'm very happy about that. I know lots of people love Saturdays, but I think I must just thrive on the anticipation of something great - or something like that - because I love knowing that Fridays bring about the anticipation of Saturday. Once we actually reach a Saturday, I can no longer be anticipatory because thinking of Sunday only leads me to think of Monday. And well, I'm not a big Monday fan. I mean, I don't use the word "hate" too often, but...if I did....well, I'm just sayin'.
ANYWAY....
Fridays are good. And if you didn't follow anything I just said in that last paragraph, go back and read it again. Eh, you know what? Nevermind. Don't even bother. It probably doesn't make a lick of sense anyway.
Happy (almost) Friday, everyone!
So there.
I'd also like to proudly announce that I made it to the grocery store this morning! I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that the last time I went grocery shopping was (gulp) on July 3rd. Yes, the July 3rd that was X'd off the calendar a whopping THREE weeks ago. But I am so thankful that we are capable of keeping, and do keep our home fairly well stocked with the essentials.
So no, my children were not living on Raman noodles and Kraft mac 'n cheese. And no, we weren't drinking powdered milk and Tang.
It's extremely rare that I make it to the grocery store midweek in the morning, but when I do, I love how many markdowns I find. I also get a kick out of the fact that they call all that nearly expired stuff the "Manager's Special". I mean, really. We all know the only reason it's "special" is because if nobody buys it today, it's going to go into the trash.
Anyway, I scored some yummy OJ and some organic yogurts for a pretty sweet price. So I was happy about that. And while I'm talking about good deals, let me just rant and rave for one tiny second about something that is NOT a good deal.
DIAPERS.
Who does Huggies think they are kidding?? Like I'm not going to notice the fact that there are now 36 diapers per package instead of 42?? Oh, and also the fact that the price has not gone down, not stayed the same, but has actually risen?? Oh man, don't even get me started!!
Seriously. I don't want to talk about it. So drop it already.
Moving on....
Tomorrow is Friday and I'm very happy about that. I know lots of people love Saturdays, but I think I must just thrive on the anticipation of something great - or something like that - because I love knowing that Fridays bring about the anticipation of Saturday. Once we actually reach a Saturday, I can no longer be anticipatory because thinking of Sunday only leads me to think of Monday. And well, I'm not a big Monday fan. I mean, I don't use the word "hate" too often, but...if I did....well, I'm just sayin'.
ANYWAY....
Fridays are good. And if you didn't follow anything I just said in that last paragraph, go back and read it again. Eh, you know what? Nevermind. Don't even bother. It probably doesn't make a lick of sense anyway.
Happy (almost) Friday, everyone!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Only 8 Weeks To Go
My goodness, is it Wednesday already??
I'm totally slacking in the blogosphere right now. I have a whole slew of post ideas but none of them seem to be at the top of my priority list. In real life, I'm in the midst of processing lots of pictures and picture orders, keeping my house clean, helping organize a school supply drive, trying to keep my children in their rooms at naptime, watching our new grass grow, being kicked in the cervix, cleaning my kitchen five times a day, taking my kids to VBS every morning this week, and you know...all that other normal stuff.
I'm pretty wiped out and am definitely feeling very pregnant. My mom is visiting this week, so that's offering me a nice break from doing all the kid things. But there are still things I have to get done. Namely, grocery shopping. UGH.
I had great intentions of making a lot of freezer meals before this little one arrived, but I just don't know if I'm going to have the energy for that. I hardly have the energy to make one meal for each day of the week. How on earth would I have the energy to make 4 or 5 at a time??
If you're bored and would like something to do, you should really go look at Gretchen's adorable baby boy over on my photography blog. I took his newborn pictures this week and he was so precious and cute and squishy! So you should go look at them. It'll make you smile. I promise.
I'm totally slacking in the blogosphere right now. I have a whole slew of post ideas but none of them seem to be at the top of my priority list. In real life, I'm in the midst of processing lots of pictures and picture orders, keeping my house clean, helping organize a school supply drive, trying to keep my children in their rooms at naptime, watching our new grass grow, being kicked in the cervix, cleaning my kitchen five times a day, taking my kids to VBS every morning this week, and you know...all that other normal stuff.
I'm pretty wiped out and am definitely feeling very pregnant. My mom is visiting this week, so that's offering me a nice break from doing all the kid things. But there are still things I have to get done. Namely, grocery shopping. UGH.
I had great intentions of making a lot of freezer meals before this little one arrived, but I just don't know if I'm going to have the energy for that. I hardly have the energy to make one meal for each day of the week. How on earth would I have the energy to make 4 or 5 at a time??
If you're bored and would like something to do, you should really go look at Gretchen's adorable baby boy over on my photography blog. I took his newborn pictures this week and he was so precious and cute and squishy! So you should go look at them. It'll make you smile. I promise.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Sucker Punched
Warning: Graphic pregnancy speech ahead.
There's a weird phenomenon that takes place after you've gotten pregnant and had a child...and specifically after you've done those things multiple times. Your personal life becomes not so personal and you share things with people that the average un-pregnant person would never share. Like for instance, the details of and goings-on which occur near your cervix.
If you've never been pregnant, you'll absolutely in no way be able to understand what I'm about to say.
I hate being punched, kicked, and prodded....in my cervix. I mean, I know the kid can't help it, but come on.
Early on in the pregnancy it's just kind of a strange feeling but as I near the end, I can't help but wonder what the heck that child is thinking! I literally expect to feel the warm sensation of amniotic fluid running down my legs every time I get sucker punched down there. It's highly uncomfortable and always leaves me wondering when it was that I had all that caffeine. Because surely these things don't just happen.
I have 7 weeks left before I am considered full-term (or 6, in some areas) but I sure feel like I could deliver this child at any moment. I know I've probably said this over and over again, but I seriously feel like I've been pregnant for all of about 12 months. It's totally ridiculous.
I know the baby is not "fully cooked" yet, so I'm trying to be patient, but it would be a whole lot easier if this little one could just stop with the rampant kicking and punching down there.
I'm just sayin'.
There's a weird phenomenon that takes place after you've gotten pregnant and had a child...and specifically after you've done those things multiple times. Your personal life becomes not so personal and you share things with people that the average un-pregnant person would never share. Like for instance, the details of and goings-on which occur near your cervix.
If you've never been pregnant, you'll absolutely in no way be able to understand what I'm about to say.
I hate being punched, kicked, and prodded....in my cervix. I mean, I know the kid can't help it, but come on.
Early on in the pregnancy it's just kind of a strange feeling but as I near the end, I can't help but wonder what the heck that child is thinking! I literally expect to feel the warm sensation of amniotic fluid running down my legs every time I get sucker punched down there. It's highly uncomfortable and always leaves me wondering when it was that I had all that caffeine. Because surely these things don't just happen.
I have 7 weeks left before I am considered full-term (or 6, in some areas) but I sure feel like I could deliver this child at any moment. I know I've probably said this over and over again, but I seriously feel like I've been pregnant for all of about 12 months. It's totally ridiculous.
I know the baby is not "fully cooked" yet, so I'm trying to be patient, but it would be a whole lot easier if this little one could just stop with the rampant kicking and punching down there.
I'm just sayin'.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
More Than We Bargained For
Yesterday morning while my kids were reading in their rooms, I decided to hop in the shower while I had the chance. When I got out of the shower, I clothed myself in my bath robe and went to my bedroom window to open the blinds. Since our backyard is fairly private and since I typically dress in the bathroom, I generally open the blinds early in the morning. But when I peeked out the window as I began to open them, I saw four men with their backs to me staring into my backyard.
It took me a second to gather my thoughts before I realized that I recognized one of the men as my last bride's father. He's a local landscaper and we bargained a sweet deal for her wedding. He would do some yardwork for us. I would shoot the wedding for about half price.
You see, we'd been wanting to clear our some of the brush behind our lawn for quite some time. In fact, my husband had butchered it several times with his machete, but it kept growing back. Apparently bushes do that sort of thing if they aren't properly dug up.
The land isn't actually ours. It is part of our neighborhood's "protected tree area". But thankfully that area doesn't include protecting bushes, so we decided tearing them out would be a great way to give us a bit more space in the backyard. And also, to keep them from taking over our lawn.
So back to yesterday. The kids and I really enjoyed watching the bushes being dug up, torn down, and pushed aside, the seed being spread, and the - uhh...cover? - being put on top of the seed to help it grow. The area looked relatively larger than I had anticipated, but that was okay with me.
When my husband got home, we had dinner, put the kids to bed, and decided to wander out to the backyard since neither of us had actually been back there to fully evaluate the whole situation. As we walked, the yard seemed to stretch further and further back. I honestly can't believe how much room there is!
As we tried to figure out how we managed to get such a wide open space that was so much larger than we had originally thought it would be, we came to the following conclusion: There was somewhat of a clearing behind some of the bushes. Our theory is that when our landscaper reached the clearing, he just kept pushing the bushes further back so we could use that clearing as part of our yard.
Whether or not that is actually the case, we absolutely can't believe the space back there! "It's like a park," my husband said. And I conquer.
We didn't break any rules, but we sure hope the neighborhood association doesn't mind this extra large clearing in our "backyard". I can't wait for the grass to grow and for the kids to be able to have shade to play in during the day! Our yard is pretty sunny until late in the afternoon, so morning play has always been fairly restrictive due to the risk of sunburn that runs so high in our family. But now we will have an open space, a space to run, a space to live. It's so beautiful.
Oh, what? You can't picture this? Is that what you're saying, Katy? Well, just for you...here are some pictures. (Even though you could totally just run over and view it for yourself.) :)
It took me a second to gather my thoughts before I realized that I recognized one of the men as my last bride's father. He's a local landscaper and we bargained a sweet deal for her wedding. He would do some yardwork for us. I would shoot the wedding for about half price.
You see, we'd been wanting to clear our some of the brush behind our lawn for quite some time. In fact, my husband had butchered it several times with his machete, but it kept growing back. Apparently bushes do that sort of thing if they aren't properly dug up.
The land isn't actually ours. It is part of our neighborhood's "protected tree area". But thankfully that area doesn't include protecting bushes, so we decided tearing them out would be a great way to give us a bit more space in the backyard. And also, to keep them from taking over our lawn.
So back to yesterday. The kids and I really enjoyed watching the bushes being dug up, torn down, and pushed aside, the seed being spread, and the - uhh...cover? - being put on top of the seed to help it grow. The area looked relatively larger than I had anticipated, but that was okay with me.
When my husband got home, we had dinner, put the kids to bed, and decided to wander out to the backyard since neither of us had actually been back there to fully evaluate the whole situation. As we walked, the yard seemed to stretch further and further back. I honestly can't believe how much room there is!
As we tried to figure out how we managed to get such a wide open space that was so much larger than we had originally thought it would be, we came to the following conclusion: There was somewhat of a clearing behind some of the bushes. Our theory is that when our landscaper reached the clearing, he just kept pushing the bushes further back so we could use that clearing as part of our yard.
Whether or not that is actually the case, we absolutely can't believe the space back there! "It's like a park," my husband said. And I conquer.
We didn't break any rules, but we sure hope the neighborhood association doesn't mind this extra large clearing in our "backyard". I can't wait for the grass to grow and for the kids to be able to have shade to play in during the day! Our yard is pretty sunny until late in the afternoon, so morning play has always been fairly restrictive due to the risk of sunburn that runs so high in our family. But now we will have an open space, a space to run, a space to live. It's so beautiful.
Oh, what? You can't picture this? Is that what you're saying, Katy? Well, just for you...here are some pictures. (Even though you could totally just run over and view it for yourself.) :)
Here's what our yard looked like shortly after the landscaper arrived yesterday:
And here is what it looks like today:
And here is what it looks like today:
(And to be fair....the picture really doesn't do it justice. We gained about 10-15 feet of space from our lawn to the big tree in the middle and then at least 25 feet beyond the tree.)
Now grow, grass! Grow!
Now grow, grass! Grow!
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