Whew...what a weekend!

It was a super busy weekend but we got lots accomplished!  As soon as we got off work on Friday, we started working on the yard/flowerbeds and worked until it was dark pulling weeds and getting the grounds ready to plant flowers.  They were TERRIBLE!  Saturday morning we started early and were outside by 8 a.m. installing a barrier around the flowerbeds, getting/putting in a trailer full of mulch, buying/planting ferns and flowers and sweeping out garage, walkways and driveways.  The kids "helped" some and Lucy was a trooper in the exersaucer outside when not napping.  She loves it outside!  Looking back at the before pics, I am now embarrassed that they were so bad, but I am glad it is in our rearview mirrors now!

 Before....(notice we haven't had a barrier on the right side of flowerbeds and our yard is on a slant.  So mostly it all washes down to the end.  Jay put in a barrier which will help a ton!)

After....

Before....

After....

Before....

After...

Before...(well I had already trimmed bushes before I remembered to take a pic)

After.... (Any ideas how I can cover up that big ugly grey box????)

Back porch (still going to hang some flowers and ferns but haven't gotten to that part yet)

Oh and I raked about 3 piles like this one in the back yard to get rid of all the random leaves and sticks that made the back yard look junky (from our dog that we no longer have).  It looks so much better now.  Jay is going to burn the piles soon.

I guess now is a good time to brag on my hubby.  Do you remember his handyman skills when he made these loft bunk beds in the kids rooms from scratch?  Well he has been working on a playset for the kids in the back yard.  He is doing it in two phases and he finished phase 1 in about 2 days.  He hasn't started the 2nd phase yet but plans to soon.  It will consist of swings and a bar for Karis to practice her gymnastics.  I will post pics when he is done with it also.  They love their new fort and swing!

Oh and he hasn't decided whether or not he will put a covering on top so he hasn't cut off the tall posts yet.

Saturday we also took training wheels off both of the kid's bikes and let them practice.  Karis can do it on her own but can't go for long times yet and Brayden thinks he can do it, but we will put those wheels back on for a bit haha!

I was approached last week at gymnastics by Karis' coach and she told me that she recommended that Karis try out for the gymnastics team on Saturday.  So we signed up and brought her to tryouts.  She was thrilled that her best friend Mari-Morgan was also recommended to try out as well.  

          

They act like they have done this a time or two!  Ha!

The head gymnastics team coach called Sunday afternoon and told us that Karis did "exceptionally well" and they were recommending that she skip several classes and move into a much harder class.  She will be training 4 hours a week instead of just one.  She will be on a team to prepare her to compete next year.  Karis was so excited and was so proud of herself.  We were so very proud of her too, but made sure we explained to her that we would be proud no matter how she had done or what class she was in.  She does LOVE gymnastics and is a natural.  She has had alot of practice because she flips all over the house.  Jay says he is surprised her hair doesn't grow upside down because she spends half of her life upside down!  We are proud of you Karis!

Sunday after church, Mari-Morgan came over and the kids played outside all afternoon.  It was BEAUTIFUL weather!  I could handle this weather all year around!  After playing for a while, the girls came to me and said, "Can you come take a picture of us?"  Jay grinned at me and said, "Oh me!  They just said the magic words!"  I gladly brought my camera and took some pics!  Ha They played in the sand, on the fort, rode bikes, collected moths and frogs, and rode scooters down the hill (video below).  They had a blast!

Best buds

My babies..

The kids rode on this big wheel down the hill and ALL THREE of them were on it at one time!  They loved this and did it over and over again.  They were very sweet to include Brayden.

Kids riding scooter down hill from Amanda Lemonds on Vimeo.

We got ready to leave for Splash/Small groups Sunday night and Brayden said to me before getting in the car, "Mom can I take 'handsome the frog' to church with me?"  "No Brayden the frog has to stay here.  Where is the frog?"  "Mom he is in my pocket!"  Oh my goodness!  I started saying, "GET IT OUT!  GROSSSSS!"  Then he started chasing me with it and Jay was laughing hysterically!  I am just imagining being in the car and him pulling that frog out...or me washing his pants and well, you get the picture!  Eeeeeek!  Needless to say, "handsome the frog" went back to see his momma in the woods and did NOT go to church with us!

After small group and Splash, we came home and crashed!!!  We were exhausted from our busy weekend but it was worth all the hard work. Now, I MUST catch up.  I am now behind on my house and it needs alot of work today!