Our Flower Bed

We finally did it! We finished the backyard (well as much as we are doing for now). We planted some flowers along the grass and a few palm trees to remind us of home. Aaron worked so hard and did such a great job getting everything done. We now have a beautiful backyard and beautiful patio furniture to match. This is definitely going to be one of the most used places in our home. Ashton can't wait till his allowed to run and play on the grass. Can't wait till everyone can come and see all our progress.

Still Working in the Backyard

Well it finally cooled off just enough that we could finally work in the backyard. We decided that would put in real grass in most of the yard and put rubber mulch under the kid area. So off to Star Nursery we go. One of the store owners actually walked around with Aaron telling him everything he needed to do for the grass and even drew us diagram. They are always really helpful and the prices are great. We bought all the supplies we needed and Aaron was off to work. As you have seen in previous pictures are backyard is full is big rocks and dirt. He probably took out several tons of rocks trying to get it ready. He first had to put in the valve box in for the sprinklers. I also wanted a water feature in the back yard so he installed a switch for the fountain and ran the wires back to were we wanted it. It looked so professional, I have been so impressed by his skills. Once he got all the piping down he had to create the edge around the grass and lay the top soil. Then it was time to lay the sod. He spent about two days getting the pipe work done and digging out the yard and only one day doing the top soil and sod. It was the fastest I have ever seen one person do this job. Of course Ashton was always out there trying to help his daddy, but I tried to keep him out of the way. The yard is really starting to look fantastic. Aaron worked so hard and Ashton and I are very grateful for his hard work. It looks beautiful so far. We just have a few more touches to add. More to come.

Installing the switch and box.

Laying the pipes.

The top soil.

The kid area finished ( I was actually in charge of this area and had to carry 40 bags of rubber mulch to backyard. It was worth it for how nice it turned out and no more dirt! Yay!)

Laying the sod (grass).

The final look!

Ashton's Fort

A few months ago we were looking at swing sets and trying to decide what we wanted to buy. All we really wanted was the ladder, rock wall, fort, and slide. I didn't really care if we had swings and every set just seemed to big to fit in our backyard. I found this neat fort and slide that was plastic from Step2. It looked perfect and was designed for smaller kids (ages ranging from 2-8). So I ordered it and once it arrived we were a little disappointed in the size. It doesn't help that Ashton is big for his age. So we went back to the store and started looking at other options. Aaron thought the quality of the swing sets was poor and decided he would build one himself. So off to Homedepot and Lowes we went to buy all the supplies we needed. I think it took Aaron about a month to build it because he worked so much that he could only do a few hours at a time. He designed the entire Fort by himself and built it with his own two hands. It turned out fantastic and Ashton loves it! Needless to say now he has two forts outside and he loves them both. Now we have a small one for smaller kids that come over and a big one for Ashton and the slightly older kids that come to play.

The First Fort We Bought

Aaron starting to build the new one

Ashton trying to help his daddy.

Ashton was so excited he jumped right on his new rock wall even though he was missing his pants.

Aaron still working hard

The final product (front view)

Final Product (right side view)


Final Product (left side view)

Wild Horses in Cold Creek

Aaron and I like looking for property or houses that are for sale out near our favorite mountain. We found a flier for a place called Cold Creek. So we decided to find where it was and go check out the town. It was a good forty-five minutes from our house. We kept driving into the mountain to the point you feel like your getting lost. We came across this small town that didn't have a single store. It was a group of houses a little ways up the mountain. It had beautiful views and the weather was nice, but just a little to far from the beaten path for our liking. While driving in we saw several groups of wild horses grazing in the desert. Ashton made us drive by them several times because he liked seeing the horses.

On the way home, we saw a car that had stopped and was feeding the horses. They were very friendly and tame horses for being wild. We pulled over and got out to see them. All we had were gold fish crackers to give them, but they seemed to like them. Even though Ashton was afraid at first, he thought it was so fun. The whole way home he told us that he wanted a horse. This makes me happy because I would love to have horses again. I was lucky enough to have three horses when I was little for several years. I still love riding and one day would love to have them again.

And for the record, I was also feeding and petting the horses, but my camera man wasn't as patient as me to get the perfect picture. Aaron did spend more time getting the horses to come over. Seeing and spending time with the horses made the drive worth it. We will definitely go back and see them again.

Hidden Falls

This past weekend, we were lucky enough to have Aaron home again, so we decided to head up to the mountains were it is a lot cooler. We found a short hike to a hidden fall back in the crevice of the mountain. Ashton LOVES hiking and is going to be my next mountain man. He walks the whole time by himself. He was so excited to see the water, he kept trying to climb up and under the fall. It was a small fall, but you could see where flash floods would happen in the event of a storm. I'm sure during the winter, there is a lot more water. Nonetheless, it is beautiful and I always find some sort of peace just being out in the mountains. Aaron and I would like to buy a cabin up there one day. Ashton was able to find a perfect walking stick and wouldn't let go it even in the car. On the way home, we decided to take the scenic route and found a highway that actually takes you to the top of the mountain and around the other side. It was a beautiful ride and we found several more hiking trails we can try out. I also found out there was a ski lodge and runs on the backside of Mt. Charleston. I can't wait for winter and to show Ashton the snow. I don't think we will ever run out of things to do here, we are always finding new trails and new ways to enjoy time as a family.

Like Father Like Son

I don't know if any of you have been to a Bass Pro Shop, but it's an amazing store that sells everything any husband, brother, or man for that matter would want. Aaron practically leaped out of the car when we got there. It was like seeing a little boy on Christmas morning. They had boats, four wheelers, fishing supplies, guns, and more. The store is also awesome because it is completely kid friendly. It has these huge fish tanks and ponds filled with fish that we're bigger than Ashton. They had shooting games and presentations, it really was an awesome experience. Ashton held Aaron's hand and they ran around together looking at everything. It is easy to see what Ashton is going to be like when he is older. We probably spent a half an hour in the toy gun section. Ashton had to hold each one and check it out while making the shooting sound. They were cute together and it was a lot of fun. Of course, the boys were having so much fun, they didn't want to pose for pictures, but here are a few I was able to capture.

Ashton's Shopping Spree

Like I said before, Ashton started preschool last week and in Seymour tradition, I had to take him school shopping. He recently had a big growth spurt and all his clothes are looking a little short. Not to mention, it has been a tradition in my family to go school shopping every year for as long as I can remember. No I didn't make it to the Nordstrom sale, but we still had fun. I went to three stores trying to find shorts and short sleeves only to find long sleeves and pants everywhere. It apparently doesn't matter that we live in the desert and it's still over 100 degrees, the stores have all switched to their fall fashions. Finally I went to Target because I had heard they had all their summer items on clearance. They actually had exactly what I was looking for and for an awesome price. I think I almost bought every boy item there was in the store (we all know that the Toddler boy section is very small). Ashton sat in the cart holding all his clothes saying "cute mom." Aaron thought it was funny I bought him new "School clothes" but liked everything we brought home.

Once A Month Cooking

Sometimes when it's to hot in the evening to go to the park, we like to go to Sam's club and wonder around looking at all the fun stuff we usually ignore when grocery shopping. We were looking through the book aisle and I came across this cookbook that's called "Once A Month Cooking." As I mentioned in early posts, I sometimes feel like I spend half my time in the kitchen so I instantly took to the idea. Aaron and I scanned the book and decided a lot of the recipes sounded good and so we bought it. I went through the book and started picking out recipes that sounded good. It's an awesome book that comes with shopping lists, order of preparation, order of cooking lists, recipes, and more information than you could possible want about this program.

The next morning I decided I wanted to try it, but only cook two weeks at a time. I made my food calendar, made my shopping list, and once I picked up Ashton from school, we headed to the store. Now in the book it tells you to clean your kitchen and do your shopping the day before you plan to cook. Well, I'm a wonderful listener and decided to do it all in the same day. We got all the shopping done and when I put the kids down for a nap, I cleaned my kitchen just enough to get started. Of course I wasn't as well organized as I should be and 7 hours later I finished my fourteen meals. Now to give others hope, I made a lot of mistakes and am confident I can cut the time in half. The hard part is that I had to create all my own lists because we don't eat beef and other meats which are in this book. It probably would have gone a lot smoother if I could have just followed the book.

We are on meal 3 of this new plan and so far everything is fantastic. It reduces the mess and stress at dinner time. I will keep you posted on how it all turns out, but I am confident it will be successful. The program was designed to help save money and reduce stress. I have already seen a difference in both. I would recommend the book to anyone, you can always add in your own recipes to replace the ones you don't like. I created my own cooking book that has just this months recipes in it. This way I can go from page to page, instead of flipping through several books. I am posting my calendar below, I am always happy to share recipes that sound good to you. The first fourteen days are highlighted because those are the ones that are already prepared. On the last day, I will prepare the next two weeks worth. Hopefully by then I will figure it all out :) Yes it's a lot of work that day, but there are lots of little tips and tricks to help lessen the work, but I feel it is totally worth it for the energy I save on a daily basis. Get a babysitter and recruit some help for the day and enjoy stress free dinners for the rest of the time! Hope you enjoy!

Preschool

This week, I realized how big my little Ashton really is getting. On Monday he went to his first day of preschool! We had been talking about school and how he was going to learn his numbers, letters, and colors and he was really excited. Then we got there and he didn't want me to leave. I made myself go knowing he was in good hands and that he would have fun eventually. He did pretty good for his first time in a classroom setting. He was a little hyper and only wanted to do half the activities. The next time we went to school, I decided we should walk since it's close and help burn off his excess energy. He did much better. Even though he still cried when I left (for like 30 seconds) he had a lot of fun and really likes his school. I am posting his first two art projects. Can't help myself, it's so much fun to see his creations. I am so proud of him, I know he is really going to enjoy going and learning. Not only did he start preschool, but he also stayed in Nursery at church for practically the first time since we moved to our new ward. Leaving is always a little rough, but he has so much fun after. Now I just have to figure out what to do with myself now that he has class. I believe Yoga is calling my name. I could use a relaxing workout in my life :).