Category Archives: yard

Back yard stuff

Keeping busy and slowly making progress on the back yard. A few months ago we decided to frame out the windows. We finally had the time and energy to get it done. The workshop has a super simple fame around its windows and so that’s the style we went with.
IMG_9691Parts of the back yard fence’s paint is chunking off. So getting the trim paint color matched was SO easy. I just walked over to the fence and yanked a chunk of paint off and then sent Jon off to Home Depot. IMG_9693  The simple frames make such a big difference. We love them! I used the nail gun for the first time on this project. IMG_9698IMG_9695I picked up this cute little wall art to put in my sitting area. And then backyard art kinda snowballed. Jon totally teased me about my initial piece. He was all, “It’s a back yard. Why does it need art?”  “Because it’s fun. That’s why.”

But then he WAY jumped on board with the idea of backyard wall art. “You know, I do have leftover plywood you can use……”

IMG_0893So the house in blue paint has two quotes from Harry Potter.

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I teased him about wanting a window flower box. But I’m so glad we did it anyway even though I wasn’t totally sold on the idea… The window box. I LOVE it. I’m so glad Jon had this idea and that we went with it.

IMG_0894The play side of the workshop has in purple quotes from The Princess Bride. And Regan calls dandelion puffs wishes so I had to…. IMG_0897

These two on the BBQ side of the workshop in green are Firefly quotes. Yet to be hung. IMG_0898 Jon also extended the play set shade and finished stringing the outdoor lights. Now the swings are always shaded from the devil sun. 😉

The proper way to slay goatheads

If you don't know what a goathead is or have never stepped on one I kinda hate you. Read this info graphic that I kindly found for you. Goatheads SUCK. They are one thing I truly hate. HATE.

puncturevine-4-10-12Our backyard is infested. COVERED in the retched things. IT's bad. SO SO SO bad. We've been fighting a loosing a battle for years. We finally got to the point where we decided to just kill everything off and start over with the back yard landscapping. It needed a new sprinkler system and layout anyhow so we just stopped watering and let the deadly AZ sun do it's worst.

goatheadsEverything back there is dead now. YEA! But walking in our backyard barefoot is just asking for epic pain. Just a few feet result in shoes looking like this. And this in bare feet, YIKES. Like you just wanna die from the pain. We have a strict check your shoes policy, but they still occasionally get tracked inside and some poor soul gets it in their foot. And the screaming, oh, the screaming in pain. And the tears. It brings out my inner Mom rage. My inner rage towards a plant, not the children.

goatheads.1I just really hate goatheads. So I did what any reasonable Mom would do, I begged and pleaded with Jon to buy me a flame thrower to burn all the deadly seeds that cover our yard. He was SUPER hesitant to buy his extremely accident prone wife a flame thrower. I mean, it was totally justified. If you know me, then you know. But, Never give up, never surrender! (Name that movie!)

It was either burn the deadly seeds or spend hours scrapping them all out of the earth before we put in new grass. Um…. burn baby, burn!

IMG_7362So I won (Really practicality won, and I have a brave hubby.), and my flame thrower was ordered and delivered courtesy of Amazon (I have an online shopping problem known as: "I have five kids and therefor never leave the house for other than food shopping.") Amazon Prime is my bestie.

Tonight Jon set it all up and taught me how to use it and not kill myself. He was taking photos and standing RIGHT next to the hose. Because he's brave, not stupid. If you know me, then you know.IMG_7393I found flame throwing to be super cathartic for my inner rage towards my goathead problem. Jon had to convince me that I had enough for one night (because it's 112 during the day and nobody needs heatstroke!) and it was time to put the flame thrower away and go to bed.

Also when I as telling my girl friends about my flame thrower I had just received my super awesome and much loved WW headband (my friends love me and fully support my inner geek) and promised to wear my shirt and head band while waging war on the goatheads. I was too excited to start burning to hunt down my bullet bracelets…. sorry.IMG_7400 IMG_7401  I am seriously so excited to torch the rest of our yard. Burning up goathead seeds one flame at a time is actually fun. 🙂  Bring on a happy safe back yard for my buttmunches!!!

dining al fresco

I put together my new patio table today and the kiddos thought that they should break it in.
IMG_6170 IMG_6171It was kinda windy with a storm rolling in and Jon thought that flying the kite would be fun.IMG_6178

The block wall was causing some wind pockets to form and the kite just wouldn’t fly.IMG_6188 IMG_6190Kaylee had the great idea to add wind using her room fan. You know to help the kite fly.  She was cracking us up.IMG_6193 IMG_6194It was a valiant effort, but a no go. Also we are working on putting in a new sprinkler system WOOT. 🙂