BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

SORRY IN ADVANCE THAT I HAVE NOT BLOGGED FOR AWHILE. IT HAS BEEN SUPER BUSY AROUND OUR HOUSE AND I HAVEN'T HAD TIME. (BESIDES, JARED HAD TO DOWNLOAD THE PICTURES-SO I GUESS IT WASN'T ALL MY FAULT!) ALSO, THIS WILL PROBABLY BE A LONG CATCH UP POST, JUST BE WARNED. WE HAVE BEEN DOING NON-STOP WORK IN OUR BACK YARD TO GET IT FINISHED AND IT HAS TAKEN ALOT OF TIME. JARED GOT THE RETAINING WALL WITH THE RAILROAD TIES IN AND ALSO THE GARDEN AND I GOT TO HELP HIM LOAD BEHIND IT WITH ROCK FOR REINFORCEMENT. (OK-MAYBE NOT "GOT TO", HAD TO BECAUSE I FELT BAD FOR HIM.) IT WAS HARD AND TOOK ALOT OF TIME BESIDES THE FACT, IT WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES THAT DAY AND SMOLTERING. BUT, WE DID IT AND IT LOOKS NICE. THEN JARED GOT THE OTHER RETAINING WALL OF BRICK DONE, I RE-DID THE WALKING PATH ON THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND OVER THE 24 OF JULY-OUR FAMILIES CAME AND HELPED LAY THE SOD-ALMOST HAD ENOUGH BUT NOT QUITE! THANKS EVERYONE-YOU DID A GREAT JOB! NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT HAS BEEN A HUGE PROJECT TO UNDERTAKE BUT IT IS ALMOST DONE. WE ARE SO HAPPY WITH HOW IT IS LOOKING THUS FAR!

HERE IS THE GRAVEL TO PUT BEHIND THE RETAINING WALL YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT! DOESN'T LOOK BAD BUT IT IS LONG AND DEEP!

ON ANOTHER NOTE, I HAVE BEEN SLOWLY STARTING TO POTTY TRAIN HALLE. I KNOW SHE IS STILL YOUNG BUT I WANT HER TO GET IT! SO, NO DIAPERS! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO RUN HER TO THE "DORA POTTY" DURING THE DAY WHEN I HEAR HER GRUNTING OR JUST RANDOMLY TO SEE IF SHE'LL USE IT. IT HAS WORKED PRETTY GOOD BUT NOTHING TO CONSISTANT ON HER OR MY PART. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TUB, I HEARD GRUNTING, AND GRABBED HER TO PUT HER ON THE SEAT, AND..........TOO LATE! (THE FOLLOWING IS GRAPHIC!)

YES, GROSS! ABSOLUTELY FLOATING TURD BALLS IN THE TUBBY!

THEN, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED THE NEXT TIME, WE ARE GETTING IT!

YOU CAN'T SEE IT ALL-BUT YOU GET THE GIST! YEAH

WE THEN TOOK THE KIDS TO ROSS PARK TO SPLASH AROUND ONE DAY, OF COURSE JARED HAD TO WORK SO THAT STUNK BUT UNCLE TROY, AUNT "ICKY" AND "KAY-KAY" AKA TREVOR GOT TO COME WITH US! WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND THE KIDS LOVED THE KID POOL AND TOYS! SO FUN, THANKS FOR COMING~

TREVOR AND HALLE ON THE TIRE SWING IN THE KIDS POOL-THEY LOVED IT. WHAT A NICE DAY! WE WENT ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY SO WE GOT IN CHEAPER. THE KIDS BOTH WON A FREE HOT DOG AND WE GOT SOME FUN TOYS-WHAT A GOOD DAY TO GO!

HALLE KAY PLAYING WITH UNCLE TROY! SHE HAS A CRUSH ON HIM AND LIGHTS UP WHEN YOU SAY OR MENTION HIS NAME, LET ALONE WHEN SHE SAYS IT!

THIS IS A RANDOM PICTURE BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS SO CUTE. HALLE WAS ALL READY FOR BED AND GETTING SLEEPY AND I NOTICED THIS....SHE HAD MY OVEN MITTS ON HER FEET WALKING AROUND. IT WAS SO CUTE! WHAT A GIRL AND A FETISH WITH "SHOES!

GRANDMA AND GRUMPY GOT OUT THE BIG WATER TOY THIS PAST WEEKEND SINCE EVERYONE CAME TO PLAY. HALLE HATED IT LAST YEAR AND WOULDN'T KEEP OUT THIS YEAR, SHE LOVED IT AND IT WAS SO FUN!

HERE IS HALLE LOVING THE WATER!

THEN CAME THE SOD AND A GREAT BIG THANK-YOU TO EVERYONE FOR HELPING. THEY GOT IT DONE IN NO TIME AND IT LOOKS GREAT-COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT EVERYONE! THANKS, KEN, CHRIS, TREG, JOHN, AND TROY (WELL, HE CAME LATE DUE TO HIS AC BREAKING BUT HAD FULL INTENTIONS OF COMING TO HELP!)

NANNA AND HALLE PLAYING AND EATING RAMEN WHILE I TOOK PIX AND THE MEN WORKED! THANKS NANNA FOR PLAYING!

HERE IS JARED, JOHN, CHRIS, AND TREG AT WORK! GO BOYS!

HERE IS GRUMPY, PAPA, AND JARED WORKING HARD IN THE HEAT!

THEN CAME THE 24TH OF JULY PARADE! THIS IS ACTUALLY BEEN THE FIRST PARADE THAT HALLE GOT INTO. GRUMPY WAS IN THE PARADE AND SHE THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY NEAT! SHE LOVED IT, BUT WAS WAY HOT WHEN IT WAS ALL DONE SO BACK TO GRUMPY AND GRANDMA'S TO THE BIG WATER TOY!

HALLE AND I ENJOYING THE PARADE!

SINCE THE PARADE'S ARE RIGHT OUTSIDE L AND K, JARED GETS TO COME OUT FOR THEM, THAT IS FUN! WHAT IS GRANDMA DOING?

AUNT NIKI, TREVY, AND NANNA AT THE PARADE!

GRUMPY'S FLOAT IN THE PARADE!

AND I MUST ADD, THE FLOAT IS THE MULE! THIS LITTLE THING IS A MUST. WE HAVE HAD IT AT OUR HOUSE WHILE REMODELING THE BACK YARD AND HALLE WENT ON A RIDE NIGHTLY WITH JARED ON IT. THEN IT WENT TO GRUMPY'S AND HE WOULD COME GET HER NIGHTLY TO GO ON IT. NOW IT IS BACK AT THE CABIN AND HALLE IS DEVASTATED! SHE LOVES THAT MULE MORE THAN ANYTHING!(OR IS IT THE PEOPLE SHE GOES WITH? EITHER WAY, SHE LOVES IT!)

ALL IN ALL SUPER BUSY AND HAVING A TON OF FUN!