SandBox Fun

Spring has finally come to Denver, along with some crazy winds. We spent the day doing some yard work and then put up a sandbox for the kids. I power raked the front and back lawns with the rider and then mowed up the dead thatch. Mike hand raked under the tree in our front yard. It was amazing to see how much stuff came up. I think we could probably get a ton more thatch up if we hand raked, but that isn't about to happen since our yards our big. We wanted to pull out the blower and blow out all the dead leaves under our bushes and gardens, but time ran out so we will have to do that next weekend before we dye Easter eggs.

The kids have been dying for a sandbox again. The sand in our old sandbox, the plastic pool that we had for two summers and started to crack from the weather, is sitting in a bucket and every time the kids went outside they ended up playing in it. Finally last week Mike and I took the kids to Costco to buy the sandbox. It has a UV canopy plus all around seating, to bucket/tub things, two storage compartments and a mesh cover to keep the pets and weather out. Before Mike could fill it with sand completely Mordecai was already in it. They played in it for a good two and half hours until I made them come in for baths and dinner. I think this will help my sanity this summer.

Before & Afters

So there has been a lot going on to day in the home project department. First, the railing in the front yard. It has bugged me ever since we moved into this house that there is this nice size patio in the front of the house, BUT you can't use it because the dumb builders of the house put a railing in the center of it almost. So at the end of the summer last year I asked Mike about ripping it out, he said we probably could do that. So early this morning we did just that and ripped it out. I think it looks so much better and spacious. Mike and I plan on buying to small cafe size chairs and a table, so that when the kids are in bed we can enjoy being outside in the cool summer evenings/nights.

Before: After:

Next, the basement stairwell. Almost a year ago I sanded down the blue stairs and painted them a brown/tan color. Today we painted the walls. I have decided you really can't tell from the pictures, but I posted them anyway. We just need to paint the ceiling white, and replace the door to a white six panel door and we will be all set.

Before :

After :

Yard Work

This weekend we did a lot of yard work...well I should say that I did a lot of yard work. Wednesday night Mike and I mowed the yard, me with the rider and him with the push mower. Then after I trimmed the edge with the weed eater while Mike did something else that I can't think of, oh yeah he was trying to turn our sprinklers on. Then the 4 bushes under our kitchen bay window were infested with bees all summer long. I know that bees are good for pollinating, but I am not a big fan of them so close to the house, so I began the process of ripping them out on Thursday. I clipped all of the branches I could with our electric trimmer, and then about 10:00 Lexy showed up with their saws all so then we sawed of the monster branches. I am to weak to pull the actual bush itself out of ground so Mike will have to do that some time soon. I hope to plant some stuff there, but I need to go down to an actual nursery with a printed layout of the area so they can give me some ideas of what to put in there.

Saturday morning we had Westminster City pride day. Our ward volunteered, so we were assigned to clean a park. After we cleaned the park we hit Home Depot for some sprinkler stuff, since our sprinkler pipe was cracked, and lineloeum tile pieces for our laundry room floor. When we got home Lexy came over again and we tilled up our raised flower beds and then headed over to her house to till up her flower beds in preperation for some flowers. I have yet to buy them and would love some people to suggest some great combinations.

One of these yard days/nights we ate outside so here is a picture. Enjoy!