the view from here...

We were able to sit on the concrete decking this morning and enjoy the shade and a different view of our backyard. That line in the middle of the foundation for the garage is where the slope began for the grading of the backyard before we installed the pool. I hated (strong word) that slope from when I first saw it -- before we even moved to this house. It is finally gone, forever! Even without the small details being finished, the backyard is starting to work for us. I feel a happy dance coming on!

$4,000 workout...

If you have this, and...



... the concrete guy wants to charge you $4,000 to put in the pavers that you already have, but, you don't have $4,000 to give the concrete guy to install the pavers that you already have, then...

Take this...

+ 4 hours of this...



+ SEVEN TONS of this, and...



You get this!



We are pooped! :-)

I'll take the supersize...

shovel...



...and, a rock (freshly dug up by the big shovel)



Yes, we're digging up the backyard again. Moving dirt, and pavers, from hither to thither -- that's our favorite thing to do. The fence guy just arrived -- so the fence will be finished today.

Hey, could you throw a few supersize dull moments in with that order?

anticipating an arrival...

Our next door neighbors are patiently waiting for their baby to be born. While they are busy with the chaos of last minute preparations, I am trying to finish this baby block to go along with the blanket I completed last month after a pre-term false labor episode. So, today, is the actual due date. There were some mild contractions going on yesterday, but, as of dinnertime last night -- no baby. I want to applique the initial of the baby's first name on the brown gingham block -- and, I can't do that until...waaaaaa!

5 minutes...

After intermittent tears throughout the day, Sofia has settled down about yesterday morning's tragedy. We buried the little bunny next to the azalea bush in our yard. Sofia thought it inappropriate for the grave to go unmarked -- so this morning she created this endearing little "headstone" from a rock.

In red pen she wrote:

Little Bunny Foo Foo
Birth: ?
Date of Death: August 12, 2009

Her "art" is the outlet for her very deep emotions. It is more than the bunny that affected her yesterday -- she only saw the bunny for about 5 minutes while it was alive. But the fact that it was a little life that had chosen to visit her and made her giggle for that 5 minutes was very important to her. Now it is gone and she can't get it back.

So today, take 5 minutes, and make them important. You'll never have those 5 minutes again.

sad morning...

Here is a picture of the baby bunny that has been living in our yard for the past few days.



Early this morning, we found it... dead. It looked like the death was due to natural causes.

Goodbye, little bunny foo foo.

not far now...

Look at what landed on our lawn this morning! :-)