Takin' care of business

The first order of business this weekend for me was to get the grass mowed.  Whomever decided that a half acre of grass was a good idea should be shot!  I mowed for two hours straight on Saturday...until we had to go to Syd's soccer game.  And, since the world didn't end, I had to mow for another hour on Sunday to finish the job.  I have a feeling the first time Mark has to mow, someone will be getting a riding lawn mower.

On a funny note, we had our first canal "incident".  Yep, Syd fell in.  Thankfully, it's not deep, nor fast.  I guess if it were, they wouldn't be allowed to play around it.  She was soaked from about the chest down.  She's had a bit of a run of bad luck lately.  Hopefully, things will start going her way soon.

While I was outside enjoying the sunshine, Mark and his brother Chris were inside taking down walls.  Our nephew Tilson was helping too.  He's so good about giving up his free time to come over!  My niece Tori even got in on the fun.  (She was a bit timid though.  I guess she doesn't have the pent up rage and frustration the rest of us do.)



Tori getting instruction from Uncle Mark.



The view from kitchen to dining room
with the wall removed.

We also hosted our first dinner party Friday night.  We really do know how to entertain in style...so classy.



And yes, Syd did forget her work clothes
so she's wearing her St. Mark's uniform.



 As for the part of the house the professionals are taking care of, it's coming along nicely.  We found a bathtub and vanity.  Plus, picked our fixtures for the sinks and shower and tub.  The HVAC goes in Monday, windows Tuesday.  After that, there won't be any noticeable changes for a while as they work on plumbing and electrical.

Here are a few shots of the addition. 







They've actually made a little more progress, but somehow, I didn't get a picture.  Seems impossible with the 40,000 pictures I've taken, doesn't it?

Lastly, for this post at least, here are a couple shots of the backyard.  The barn, chicken coop and out-buildings all need a bit of work, but do look kinda cool, in a run-down sort of way.  ;-)