The Pièce de résistance

We have been working on a landscaping project in our yard for 2 years. OK, OK, it's only been about 1 month, but it SEEMS like 2 years. Just look at all those damn rocks!

Here is what the area looked like before we started. There were some dead junipers under tree on the left that I pulled out a couple years ago. In the center you can see what was left of some rose bushes. There were 4 when we moved in, it was down to 2 scraggly sticks.

Around this evergreen were a bunch of 'past-their-prime' spireas. We pulled them out (that had to have been quite fun for the neighbors to watch!)
Then we started shoveling out the rocks. That job is a pain in the ass. There is no other way to describe it. It took us over a week to remove them, but they are finally gone!

After the rocks were gone, we pulled up the old weed guard, worked in some new garden soil and reshaped the area a little bit to make it more irregular. I don't do well with uniformity.

Then it was time to buy plants! I got several varieties of shrubs...Hydrangeas, Mock-Oranges, Barberry, Chrysanthemums. I also got a boat-load of perennials...Dianthus, Liatris, Black-Eyed Susan, Coral Bells, Coreopsis.
When it was time to plant, I called in some help. My brother Troy came to give direction. The large rock was the perfect perch for his rear end.
By the time we got it all figured out, Troy was tired and needed to take a break. At least we know I was keeping him hydrated.

With the plants in the ground it was time to mulch. While I worked on the mulch, Troy waited for one of the new apple trees to start producing. I didn't have the heart to tell him...

So...here it is again BEFORE:
And AFTER:

I'm happy with how it turned out and am hoping that everything comes up strong, healthy and pretty in the spring. If I remember, maybe I'll post a picture next year when a few things are flowering. Chances are slim that I'll remember that though.
Thanks Jeff, Aidyn, Nolan and of course Troy for all your help!

Cracked me up!

Here is the opening skit from SNL last Saturday night. I busted a gut watching this. Tina Fey nailed this impersonation of Sarah Palin. Oh, political parody is just too funny!

FYI...

Things I would do for you if you are my friend/family/neighbor:
Cook you dinner
Watch your kids (even if they're brats)
Drive you to the airport
Help you move
Help you paint
Take care of your house while you're out of town
Go buy Pedialyte for your sick kids because you can't go to the store because you're covered in puke
Many other things, actually most anything you can think of...


Things I won't do for you no matter who you are:
Shovel your landscaping rocks

Day 2

Don't worry, this will not be a day by day account of Kindergarten, I just had to get a few pictures this morning. How can you NOT take pictures of this sweet little girl in THIS outfit!?!?! Seriously, is there anything cuter???

Getting on the bus...That is a big bus for such a little girl. Note the bus number...Yikes! Let's pray for a good year on the bus!

And so it begins...

It is a big day at our house. Actually, a HUGE day! Aidyn started Kindergarten and Nolan started Preschool! I will soon be starting therapy for my impending mental breakdown. Both kids were beside themselves with excitement this morning.
Here is my little Kindergartner...
Waiting in the driveway for the school bus.
Here's our preschool star. He informed me yesterday that at Preschool he will be a 'genius'! Sounds like a good goal to me.
I asked Nolan if I could take a picture of him in front of his cubby. He agreed as long as he could be inside the cubby. Whatever works.

Both kids we very happy at the end of their school day, which is a good sign. Aidyn's looking forward to tomorrow so she can ride the bus again (that seems to be the biggest thrill...funny how that same bus ride is the one thing that made her mother breakdown this morning.) I guess it's all perspective.

End of Summer Activities

With summer drawing to a close and the school year about to start we've been busy getting in a few more fun summer activities. 2 weekends ago we finally made it up to visit our friends Corey & Ana. When I say 'made it up to visit' I'm talking about making the grueling 45 minute drive to their house. How sad is that?? Anyway, we had a fun day visiting, eating and tooling around the lake on the pontoon. Nolan & Aidyn were in charge of driving the boat...we eventually made it back to shore safely.
This past weekend we had our fantasy football draft (which I'd like to remind everyone that I won last season!!!) Any-hoo, the day after the draft we headed to the State Fair with our friends Shawn & Bridget. We spent the day cruising the fairgrounds, people watching and eating like pigs. On the list of fair cuisine this year were cheese curds, corn dogs, gyros, strawberries & cream, cookies & milk, mac-n-cheese on a stick and a new intro this year which I thought was quite tasty...homemade tater tots on a stick. They are shredded potatoes mixed with sour cream, cheese, chives & bacon all mixed together, battered and then fried. Great on the taste buds, hell on the arteries.
Here are Nolan & Kya enjoying a stroller ride through the fair.
The kids went on a couple rides. Aidyn picked the roller coaster (the kiddie version). It was their first time on a roller coaster and it went pretty well. Aidyn did have a look of "Oh crap, why did I pick this ride?!?!" But by the end of it, they looked like they were having fun. We were exhausted, filthy and about 80 pounds heavier by the end of the day, but it was another fun adventure to the Sate Fair.

Political Observation

We were watching the DNC last night as Joe Biden gave his acceptance speech. As we were watching Jeff said "He reminds me of that big bird from the muppets." I knew instantly who he was talking about. Sam the Eagle. What do you think??
By the way, we both really like Joe Biden...he just happens to look like a muppet!

Humor and (Painful) Honesty from a 3 year old...

Nolan has been full of wisdom today. Some entertaining, some well... some hit a bit too close to home.

1. A random statement while riding in our car 'Our car is not a helicopter. It's really disappointing that we don't have a helicopter.'

2. While we were at the beach Nolan had to go potty. He was covered (EVERY square inch) in sand. As he pulled his pants down 'Look I have crumbs in my crotch!'

3. While he was rummaging though stuff in our bathroom he came across Jeff's deodorant. 'Sean has this stuff and he put some in my armpit. Sean wears it because he has really stinky armpits.'

4. He came charging into the bathroom just as I was getting into the shower. "Mommy! I don't like to see you naked.'
Me 'Why?'
Nolan (looking me up and down) 'Because THAT (pointing straight at me) is GROSS!'

Ouch.

Steak Marinade from Heaven

I love a good grilled steak but I'm always looking for a yummy marinade or sauce to use with them. I actually love A1 sauce, but I like to try to make my own. And I almost always make mushrooms and onions in a sauce to go with our steak. Tonight, I grilled t-bone steak and I was actually disappointed that I had made the mushrooms to go with because this steak was so darn good on its own, I felt bad for the 'shrooms. I got this recipe from allrecipes.com and here is the link to the original recipe. Recipe Here
But below is my adjusted recipe and let me tell you what, it is DELICIOUS! I mixed up this marinade this morning and put the steaks in so they bathed for about 8 hours before I grilled them. You must try it, your mouth will be so happy you did!


OMG Steak Marinade

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 large clove crushed garlic
a few good splashes hot pepper sauce
a few good splashes A1 sauce
a few good splashes lime juice
Mix together and slather your chunks 'o beef in this goodness. Marinade, grill, eat and pass out.

Last day in Duluth

If it had been up to the kids, we would have spent our entire weekend in the hotel pool. We did go swimming each day, but it just wasn't enough.
Before we left on Sunday we visited the Lake Superior Zoo. We got there in time to watch them feed the bears. They were fed apples and sea-weed. Who knew bears liked sea-weed??
Here is Nolan with a picture of some of his relatives.
Aidyn was intrigued with this snake and got to pet it several times. I had shivers just watching her.

They had also just fed the lions when we got to them. It was some sort of raw meat popsicle. It looked disgusting but I guess if I was a lion it would probably look pretty good, especially when it's 85 degrees out.

We had a nice time at the zoo and had some tired kiddos on the way home. We had lots of fun in Duluth, it is a beautiful city. Even the kids commented on how pretty it is there. They said they wished their grandparents lived there so we could go there to visit more often. Even without grandparents there, we will definitely be going back!

Split Rock Lighthouse

The second day of our visit to Duluth, we drove up to Split Rock Lighthouse. It was a beautiful drive along the shoreline of Lake Superior. The kids kept asking 'Is that STILL the same lake?!?!?' It is amazing how huge of a lake it is.

We spent a lot of time throwing rocks into the lake. Not just pebbles either. Nolan would find the biggest rock he was able to pick up and chuck it into the water. There were a few close calls with people walking by, but luckily no one got a concussion.
After we got back from the lighthouse, we rented a bike and went for a ride around the lake front. The kids said they were tired afterwards which is funny because Jeff and I did all the pedaling!

We also got to see a couple ships come in and out of the harbor. Man those ships are huge!!

Duluth

This past weekend we headed to Duluth. The kids were very excited about our mini-vacation (Jeff & I were too).
We did lots of exploring, eating and shopping. A perfect vacation! :)

Their last night

The last night of their visit we took Kaitlyn & Sean out to a Japanese Steakhouse. The kids worked on their chop stick technique. I have to say I think they did a pretty darn good job.
We had lots of fun with Kaitlyn & Sean. They entertained us and I dare say maybe we entertained them a little bit too. Thanks for coming to visit guys. We love you!!