Backyard Update... Progress Stalled Due to Drillbit

It was so beautiful in Iowa today! I wouldn't really know -- I am just guessing by the few moments I spent outdoors rushing to school, rushing to work, rushing to daycare, rushing to school and then leisurely driving home with the boys. And then rushing to make supper, rushing to clean up supper, rushing to put away clothes, rushing to do laundry, leisurely reading bedtime stories to the boys, and now rushing to blog before I rush to read some books for work.

Anyway... Enough of my complaining. :)

Dale the drywaller stopped by tonight at 5 and is going to fix our hole for a very reasonable price. Thrilled to have the project getting taken care of. Thanks Uncle Doug!

Shawn started putting the new playset together tonight but was derailed when he discovered he needed a countersink attachment for our drillbit, or something like that. He'll pick it up tomorrow in Ames and get started tomorrow night.

 Mt. Mulch -- arrived by pickup truck on Monday afternoon, courtesy of Shawn's great parents. Ever wondered how many bags of mulch on a palette? 80!

 Bo's first day of preschool on Tuesday. I really wanted to get a picture of him wearing his little backpack -- it was so cute!!! -- but he was not in the photo cooperating mood.

 Tuesday night after work -- Shawn put down the landscaping paper and stakes.

 After supper on Tuesday, Mazy, Shawn and I dumped about 40 or 50 bags of mulch on that area and spread it out. Here Mazy is crash-testing the mulch to see how comfortable it will be. He scored an A for awesome.

 Mazy posing on the mulch. He really loves it.

And I wanted to share some artistic photography that Mazy took when we were exploring an old barn at "Dorothy's" -- one of the cash rent farms my dad has farmed for years. It's just a mile or so from my parent's house. The boys LOVED exploring that old barn. We will do it again soon.

Anyway, Mazy was inspired by some photos at Shawn's parents' house -- objects that look like letters of the alphabet and that spelled their last name. He found objects in the barn to spell his last name. I thought it was very clever of him. I'm going to print and frame them for his bedroom wall.

 "H" from the frame of a barn window. Coincidentally, this frame came home with me for a future craft project. 

"A" from a hole in the barn and a cross board. This one requires the most interpretation, but I see it!

 "N" was formed from boards on a galvanized tin door to the calving pen in the barn.

"S" -- oh we love this S. It also came home with us and is hanging on a hook in the dining room. This metal S inspired the photo project. 

 "O" from one big and extremely heavy tractor wheel stored in the barn.

 

And "N" again. 

One final announcement -- Aunt Jean sent me a message on Facebook today and invited us to Movie Night at the Park in Ankney on Friday! Shawn's going to sci-fi night so me and the boys will have Movie Night under the stars! Can't wait!