Mommy and Me / Makes My Monday

This weekend we played a lot in our new flat back yard! We also worked a little in our backyard. We planted one of the banks with ground cover. We need to go and get more and some other taller plants, but it's a work in progress.

I don't think you can see the actual little plants here but this is the bank we are planting.


We stayed home all day on Sunday and we played. The boys rode their quads up and down the jump as they call it. Which I don't think I have any of. Picture opportunity next time the boys are riding!

The boys played in the dirt and was making mud balls.

Chase so proudly showing off his mud balls! He likes to roll the dirt around and then put them in the sun to dry.


We also played softball, will actually it's just me throwing the ball, them batting and they running to go it the ball.

Cody action shot of him batting. He was doing really good today and not getting as flustered if he didn't hit the ball. He hit it a few times and really enjoyed himself. Chase is a good batter and can connect with the ball most of the time (as long as mom throws it right!)

Chase took this picture of Cody and I playing. It's not the greatest picture, very far away looking but it's still Cody and I!

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All of the special time this weekend with my boys really made it a good weekend! I had even a chance to start to read a new book! My new book is the 3rd series of the Manning Series: The Manning Grooms. I have enjoyed it so far and can't wait to read it more!

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Makes My Monday

What a last few days that we have had around here. Noticed I haven't been on at all?

Well, when I have a huge tractor pushing many ton's of dirt to make my backyard flat, I need to keep a extra close eye on two 3 year old that insist that playing by the tractor is a good idea.

So we had the tractor delivered on Wednesday night and the next 3 days that tractor would be pushing dirt around. It's pretty cool to watch the operator work with the dirt and knock down the huge mountain we had in our backyard.


I will take more pictures today. These pictures were from Thursday when he was just beginning. It is almost completely flat now. Oh the fun just now begins, we have so many options we could do from pools to landscape to green grass to more concrete.

We just have to decide now what to do and how much money we are going to spend on it!

I better go and get all my stuff done before the tractor starts up again today and I have to keep a watchful eye on the boys. They are loving the tractor and the fresh dirt and mud that has come with our new backyard. More pictures and stories to come.

Makes My Monday

What Makes My Monday today is seeing my boys playing in the dirt and getting all dirty!


Chase and Cody found this pile of dirt a few weeks back in the back yard and have been playing in it all the time!

Chase at the top. The dirt is a white powder dirt... On Your Mark, GO!

Still sliding down... With clumps of what looks like rocks but are only dirt clods.

And a trick at the bottom! This dirt has kept the boys occupied for the last week!

Cody going down the hill on his belly!

It even kept the neighbors kids, Grace and Spencer, occupied on Friday when they came over to play in the dirt with Chase and Cody. The three boys had races on who climbed the fastest and who slide down the fastest. Most of the time when they slide down it looked something like this...One big clump of dirt.

They are differently dirty after playing in the dirt and it's fair share has made it into my house for me to clean, but it's worth it just to keep them occupied and outside! Outside in January, how awesome!

Now hoping this wonderful dirt will still be as wonderful after our 7" of rain this week.

Mud

This is what happens when a little bit of rain falls in our back yard. I am so not looking forward to this winter. So the thunderstorms came by today and drop some rain while we were gone and this is what I came home to.

Mud everywhere. Chase and Cody thought this is a great opportunity to have fun!

Mud on their toes and legs. They even got their shirt and shorts wet from some standing water in the open sandbox lid. This was their sandbox, which they have needed new sand for a few weeks, but they had a blast playing in this wet sandbox.

It was funny they so wanted to play in the mud, but anytime they got really muddy in the house they came to wash hands and faces and to change clothes. They said they were too muddy!

Yes, all the mud turned to dirt once inside my house and now I need to clean up the floors again! Oh well, what is a little boy without mud!

Busy Day

Last night, Chase and Cody spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's so I could sell stuff at a yard sale at Pop and Grammy's place. Chase and Cody had fun having a sleep over that they want to do it again soon.

We had a huge yard sale with 15 other neighbors in Grammy and Pop's mobile home park. We did very well and donated the left over stuff to the local Goodwill. We started the yard sale at 6am, but people were waiting at 5:30am to start shopping! We sold stuff from 25 cents to $30. We sold a lot of the stuff. I am tired though getting up at 4:15am to make it Pop and Grammy's house by 5:30am was early!!

While I was at the yard sale making money, Steve was working a tractor in the backyard. He got all the brush out of the backyard!! He took 4 trips to the dump with brush! He also pushed some of the dirt to fill up our big hole. We have a bunch more dirt to move but it's a start.

Of course, Chase had to ride on the tractor one time with daddy. Cody wants to ride on it tomorrow!

This is my 199th post!!! So stayed tuned later tonight for my big GIVEAWAY!!

Weekend Update

We had a busy weekend. On Friday, my uncle, the boys and I help my grandmother buy her a new (to her) car. She ended up with a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee at local dealership. She got a great deal. Kind of looks like this one. She is happy with it and will make it easier to get her in and out of.

Chase and Cody also got hair cuts on Friday. I don't have before picture (or during) but they really needed a haircut! They both did great sitting in one place and having it done.

Saturday we worked around the backyard and took off some brush to the dump. Made the backyard look a little bit better. Chase and Cody helped load it and boy were they tired that night. Cody even slept all night in his own bed. A rare treat for mom and dad.

Sunday Chase and Cody went to visit their great-grandparents, Pop and Grammy, while mom went grocery shopping. The boys had fun eating candy and goodies.

After we got home, Chase and Cody helped dad work on the Rhino and get ready to back to the desert. Here are some pictures:

Backyard

We have started our backyard makeover. This weekend we cleared the brush, which is also good because fire season is coming and the brush was getting thick. Thanks to Jeff who lets us borrow and also drove the Skid Steer for us. Our next step, we will move some dirt and level off the backyard. We would like to eventually have a pool and a nice family type backyard. We are talking a few years before this project is complete.

So here are some before and after pictures.

Before:

After:

We still have to actually remove the brush but at least it is in piles and easy for the tree service guys to come in and chop up and remove. I will keep you posted on progress.