Projects

We've had a number of projects - both big and small - going on around the house. There was the pool removal, which has left us with a giant mud/clay pit in the backyard. (By the way, we lost our "before" picture when the computer crashed, so you'll have to make-do with the "during" and "now" pictures)

(You've got to love these weeds...)

It took 40 truck-loads of dirt to fill in the hole.

After they were finished, our front yard was torn up by the construction bobcat. We can't reseed the grass until they finish with the job, though (i.e. put in the topsoil once the backyard dirt has settled).

We also did some landscaping in front (thanks for the help, Mom!!!), although three of the four shrubs died. Apparently they are a species that's very vulnerable to root rot, so we won't be replacing them with the same kind... Our driveway and sidewalk up to the house were also in disrepair and crumbling, so this past week we've had guys out to rip everything up and redo it. Here's a shot of them pouring the concrete (this is for those sweet, inquisitive Smith kids - they love construction equipment!):

Madeline also enjoyed watching them. She kept crawling over to the front door, standing up to watch, and saying "Hi!" and "Wow!" It was sooo cute.

In the basement, Caleb finished putting up drywall in the work room, which turned out to be more of a project than he anticipated! It looks great, though, and is a lot brighter now. We have a few more house projects to take care of before the cold sets in. I've also been trying to squeeze in a few sewing projects, with moderate success. I altered my khakis, and I've (finally) made a tag blanket for Madeline's friend Amelia (Patrick & Rose's little girl).

I've also taken on a new project - making an album / scrapbook with my Grandpa's childhood and family pictures. At his funeral last May, my aunts and uncles put out a ton of pictures of him and his parents back in the day. Several people, including his brother, started pointing to the pictures and telling stories that most of us had never heard before! I've borrowed the pictures from my grandmother and have been scanning them into the computer - I determined that it's over 200 pictures!

(My Grandpa Jerry is the young man on the left. He graduated high school that year.)

(He went to Italy while in the Navy - how cool is that!)

I've finished scanning and cataloging, now I just have to crop them, clean them up, and arrange them in an album (somehow!!) on line. I'm doing it all on line that way other family members can order a copy, too, and then they'll have the pictures for themselves! This way as many people can have pictures as want them.

I know there aren't many pictures of Madeline in this post, but she's been pretty crankly lately so we haven't taken many pictures. She is cutting her first-year molars, but she's also discovered temper tantrums. Yes, she's only 13 months old! Sometimes I think this is secretly her way to try to be an only child... Fortunately we still have pleanty of times together that are happy, cheerful, and cuddly.