Changing...

First off, my garden is sprouting.

 I love seeing the green popping up when I look outside.

 My potatoes have grown over twice the size since this picture.

 All of the rain has done such amazing things to my gardens and flower beds.

 I love sitting in my porch and looking into a lush flower bed.  

My Mary garden is growing and green.

Who knew all I had to do was plant on this side of the house?

 We thought a lot about where we would put the chicken coop.

And finally decided to make it part of my garden shed.  

 I wanted it close to a water source, easily heated, and near the compost.

All of those things happen to be right where my garden shed is:)

We put them in their new home and are going to be making a door 

out the back to the pen.  

Since we don't need nesting boxes until fall, 

we omitted that in the first construction. 

Thank goodness, I have a carpenter at my disposal!

Falling...

 What happens when it's beautiful outside at my house?

Things start to get torn apart:) 

 It was unbelievably easy to take off the porch going into our house. 

Oscar got a lesson on how to NOT build a deck:)

The kiddos and I had too much fun hauling and riding on the four wheeler.  

 We got it taken down and did some landscaping since this picture. 

 It's exciting!

The air is cool and crisp, 

the leaves are turning, 

 the sounds of crows and leaves blowing are the only sounds,

and by far,

 this is my favorite time of year.

Fresh...

 Here is the glider that I just inherited from 

my mom and dad that was my grandparents. 

 It is my newest addition to my screen porch.

 My dad repainted this for my mom,

but it reminded me of a school bus a bit:)

I wanted to go with a more vintage look.

 Zach worked hard grinding off the excess flakes and rust.

Eventually, we will get it sand blasted to get all the rust removed.

 This is the color I picked out...fresh guacamole!

I had to take a picture of some of the other colors on here.

The other green color is when my grandmother had it and 

one that I remember...it was a bit more pea green.

 Zach and I got everything prepped and started in.

 I told Zach he looks so happy to be painting:)

Isn't that what a wife is suppose to do...

stop the hard working man

and tell him to smile.  

 It was fun painting...

 We did a second coat on the front and

here it is!  

I am so thankful to my mom and dad for handing it down and

so thankful to my husband for doing everything he does for me,

including dropping everything and smiling:)

Flying High....

on happiness today.  I can't contain it!

We just heard from the cardiologist that we don't 

need to head back for another appointment for four months...AUGUST!

That's incredible- 

the Doctor is happy with her blood pressures and 

only needs me to keep track once a week....

I don't need to call unless there is an increase.

Although, I'll miss my weekly chats with Dixie(the nurse).

We are putting off the next echo for a while as well, 

which means unless there is regressions as far as bp and pulses,

we don't need to even think about the 'possible' surgery come fall. 

Not that it's off the table for good,

but we are at a whole better outlook than we were a few months ago.

Here are a couple of pictures from the last week:

 Day off for Holy Week:

Forts made from quilts that I made ore was handed down.

 Milk jugs filled with sap for maple syrup-

my car never looked so good.

 Cooking away and waiting for 219!

 Things are popping up in my flower bed...

And I love to see green instead of white in the Spring!

 My husband hard at work keeping this mama happy.

 Building me a small porch for my soon-to-be glider!

 What an amazing husband I have-

he stops working to push the kiddos on the swing...oh, how I love this man!

 Sometimes, I just can't look!

 We had a little camera fun and put the kiddos in the holes Zach dug out.

 Oscar's getting tall.

They thought it was pretty fun.

 Don't worry Grandmas...we explained to the kiddos that they were not to go 

NEAR a hole unless mom and dad were there.

Have a blessed Holy Week Everyone!

Projects, projects, projects...

Here is the kiddos playhouse.

They have been working hard.

 They absolutely love it

and frequently ask about having meals in there.

 One of the favorite things is the mail box we put in. 

They get to pass notes between the kiddos and parents.

 Here is the upstairs of the playhouse

with it's own skylight!

We even have a ladder going to the upstairs. 

That's not the only thing that we've been working on...

 I needed a new stand for deer hunting

so my wonderful husband went straight to work.

 It's so nice and comfortable...

All I have to say is look out deer!

Garden Oasis

"What do you think of this, honey?", asks Zach.

"I'm sure I will love it, but it looks like more work then just putting down mulch." I said.

"But it will look better," said Zach.

"Yes, it will," said this eye-rolling mama.

 

 

Well, two weeks later we went to work.

These are the before pictures...

 

We started with a edging around our back yard.



 

The kiddos, of course, helped.

Especially, Our Big Girl serenading us as we worked.

 

Zach and I worked at the littlest part first,

then worked toward the garden boxes.





 

Then we went up to picked up the concrete to use as pavers

to use around the garden boxes.

 

Zach did all the digging and I did the placing.

 

Here is the after pictures with the edging and mulch...

 

(Hopefully our grass plugs work and our sand turns to grass)

It turned out great and

I told Zach he built me a 'garden oasis'.

We sat down on the porch and enjoyed the view.

 



Meanwhile, the kids de-clothed and

My Big Girl had a sack race with herself.

Life doesn't get any better than this!