cruel and unusual punishment!!

I am absolutely loving the weather we've been having the past few weeks! It has been so beautiful. I have been able to take the girls outside almost every day. Not only does it make the day go by faster, but the girls eat and sleep better after playing outside. Being outside is great all the way around. (Unless you count the fact that Avie insists on trying to go to the opposite side of the yard from me and Addie, and I spend most of my time chasing her.)

I don't even mind that it rained today. I'm actually glad that it did. I told Addie that it was God's way of cleaning up after spreading all the pollen around. I knew it was supposed to rain today, so while the girls played yesterday afternoon, I used Mr. Wonderful's backpack blower. It is awesome! I am now convinced that a rake is cruel and unusual punishment!! Oh, how I wish I had been brave enough to use it before.

While running almost two tanks of gas out of the blower, all I could think about was when I was younger and my parents made me rake leaves. Now that I am a parent I understand why my dad handed my sisters and I a rake instead of a leaf blower. After all that work you are too tired to argue with each other! I see lots of leaf raking in my girls' future!!

Just kidding. Actually, I was thinking that I probably hated the yard work then, but I'm so glad they made me do it. I love being outside now. I really enjoy working with Adam in the yard, especially since he loves it so much. It's amazing how growing up makes you appreciate the things your parents did when you were younger and how having children of your own makes you understand the things they did. Yeah, I got a little deep with that one....but it is so completely true for me.

When Adam & I moved our house onto this lot, our favorite thing about it was that there was a thick row of trees between us and our neighbors. Then we were expecting Addie, and I started thinking about my sweet little girl playing in the yard so close to all of that mess. I say mess because it wasn't just trees. In fact, most of the trees were almost dead from being choked out by some very stubborn and huge vines. The thick row of trees was no longer my favorite thing, and "we" decided that the trees must go. Don't worry, we will plant new, healthy ones in their place :0) 

It's been over three years since we started our "thick row of trees" removal project and we still have lots to do. It would have been so simple to pay someone to come in with a tractor and clean it all up in a week or two. But honestly, I'm having fun working on it with Mr. Wonderful and watching our hard work pay off. We try to work on it a little every day. We are both suckers for a great DIY project and I think this one is our favorite so far! I know it will have the biggest payoff..........in a few more years!  Until then, I will keep hogging the leaf blower and hand him the rake instead :0)