I have a yard!!!!

I'm happy to let it be known to all mankind (or just my two faithful readers) that I have a back yard!!! And it is so wonderful and so beautiful. Its is everything I've always wanted and MORE! Fenced, play structure, garden beds, grass, fire pit, swing, patio furniture and flowers!! I am so excited, I spend more time making my yard tidy than I do my house these days. I can't take much of the credit except for planting the flowers and washing windows. I was happy to sit back with my lemonade and watch the hired help sweat it out this time. I have laid sod before and it is not easy work. Dan did alot of the sweat labor as well but the company that is responsible for this beautiful work is Rusty Riggs' Capital R Construction. http://www.capitalrinc.com/ It only took them about two weeks total. The workers were very polite and hardworking people. I would definetly recommend them for any thing. So here are the pictures:

This is a garden box, in the shadows. We planted all sorts of seeds. This is somewhat of an experiment for us. We've never planted a garden in the desert so we'll see what pops up in the next few weeks here. The tree on the left is an Australian bottle nose which we chose because it will keep leaves year long. The tree on the right is navel orange.

Dang those shadows. This play set, Dan took 4 days to set up. The kids were just bouncing off the walls with excitement. Thank heavens it was done right on time for the start of fall break!

I let the girls help plant the petunias and snapdragons. They'll be on a fool proof watering drip system so hopefully even I won't kill them.

We did hotdogs and marshmellows last night for fun. This little firepit was left behind by the previous owners, so we were happy to put it to use.

Dan and Rusty thought it would be a good idea to transplant some of the palm trees out front and put them beside the flower box. It looks so grand, I love it!

I've been wanting to do petunias in pedestals since I saw them at my sister's house in Canada last summer. I thought it just looked so beautiful, so I went to Lowes and bought the pedestals and filled them up. I hope they catch enough sun during the day.

We were so glad to have the rose curbing installed around the sod. I think the loopy look is really clever.

So there it is!

House Updates

We've been so busy with house and yard renovations that we just haven't had time for anything else. This is my kitchen with the new shiny black sink and bigger island deck. We also replaced a countertop with a burn beside the stove.

Dan installed this cherry wood laminate floor. We took out the carpet which was literally saturated with dog or cat pee. It was so nice to tear that out. Dan worked very hard on this , he did an excellent job.

This is my office. I painted it blue and Dan installed the cherry wood floor in here as well. Actually I helped install quite a bit as well, and I will vouch to say that it is back breaking work, but worth the effort! I think its beautiful. :)

This is the project that has taken the most time and effort. Rusty Riggs and his Capital R construction crew have worked hard to get the yard even to this point. They had to rip out dead palm trees, alot of weeds and some dead grass, and move rocks to the fence. Dan helped out considerably to install this underground watering system. I'll be so thrilled to see it when all the sod is laid. They are also installing rose curbing to match the fence, two garden boxes and navel orange trees!

Future site of a large and beautiful play structure, complete with monkey bars!! The kids can't stand waiting so they enjoy playing in the pea gravel. I have a feeling once the structure is all set up, they'll still spend more time playing in the rocks anyway. Such is life.

General Conference

I think everyone loves general conference. We have the privilege of being spiritually uplifted and edified and instructed for two whole days. One talk today that kept ringing in my mind was that of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. His testimony of the Book of Mormon affected me deeply and seemed to reach out to the hearts of many other listeners today. I could feel the power of it coming right out of the speakers. So I would like to add the quote from his talk that I felt was simple yet brilliant, peaceful.. yet overwhelmingly powerful. This is what he said of the Book of Mormon: (This is only a small fraction of what he said today)

Quote- Jeffrey R. Holland

"For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history, perhaps like no other book in any religious history and still IT STANDS!! Failed theories about its origins have been born, parroted and DIED. From Ethan Smith to Soloman Spalding to deranged, paranoid, to cunning genius. None of these, frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer. Than the one Joseph gave as its young, unlearned translator........
Now.... I did not sail with the brother of Jared in crossing an ocean and settling in a new world. I did not hear King Benjamin speak his angelically delivered sermon. I did not proselyte with Alma and Amulek nor witness the fiery death of innocent believers. I was not among the Nephite crowd who touched the wounds of the Resurrected Lord, nor did I weep with Mormon and Moroni over the destruction of an entire civilization. But my testimony of this record and the peace it brings to the human heart is as binding and unequivocal as was theirs. Like them, I give my name unto the world, to witness to the world that that which I have seen and like them I LIE NOT! God bearing witness of it. I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies given today under my oath and my office be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven....." end of quote

One Dream

This is the newest Sarah McLachlan song rumored to be a theme for 2010 Vancouver Canada Olympics. My sister showed me it today! We love Sarah!