Before & After

MEANT TO POST ON 10/13/2007 3:39 PM

The title of this post has been our theme this weekend. We had a long list of things to take care of, and we did most of it. Check out below for pictures of all the afters. (Unfortunately, someone didn't think of taking befores.)

The Front Yard

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We're not big gardeners. I *occasionally* will stop, before walking in the house, and pull the weeds in front of the house. Well, it got to the point where occasion did not strike my fancy enough for the HOA, and we received a polite letter informing us that we were being fined $30 and had to clean up in front of the house. Kristin started on the front; I join her about half way into the process. One of the little shrubs provided me with an experience that means I am now ready to be a General Authority.

The small shrub was planted by our builder in the middle of winter. It never really had a chance, but tenaciously put down roots and attempted to grow each year. In soil that was more rock and clay than a decent growing medium, it grew bit by bit, aching for the moment when it, too, could be a big plant, beautifying our home for all to see.

Yet too many years of unpruned growth had resulted in a wild appearance. As I approached it with shears, ready to cut it back to the stub in hopes of proper regrowth, I heard a voice in my head. "Why do you cut me so? I want to be big and tall." As I sat there for a moment, reflecting on my feelings for the plant, I realized something. I hate that plant. It's a miserable little thing. I'm not going to prune it, I'm going to rip it out of the ground and throw it away. And that is what I did.

Now that's a talk I'd love to hear in General Conference.

The Back Yard & Fence

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Sadly, the $30 fine was not the only one. We also got a $40 fine for our backyard's impersonation of the Amazon and the broken gate. So, I broke out the weedeater and rake and headed into the backyard.

An hour and two rechargeable batteries later, my weedeater was dead. The grass was so long and dense that I was only able to clear a third of the yard. After dethatching the rest of it, and starting a blister or two, I filled a 55-gallon black garbage bag with grass and turned my attentions to the gate. I needed some tools, so I went and collected my toolbox and Clara, who had been sitting in her stroller watching Mommy working in the front yard, paused in mediation to channel my brother Matthew, and pounded away until the gate latched.

I proudly sat back on my heels with the gate closed. I fixed something! Who'd of thunk?

The Basement

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Less of a story here, and more of the pictures. Everything was moved last night, Kristin and I reshelved* the books today. I think it turned out well.

The Middle Floor

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As Kristin mentioned here, there is no such thing as a completely baby-proofed house, but the new configuration of the middle floor is definitely much more baby friendly. One positive side effect is that Kristin is using her brown chair more. I still remember that day those chairs were delivered, walking in the house and finding my little Kristin girl fast asleep in her chair.
*Did you know that reshelf/reshelve/reshelved do not appear in the dictionary? I searched m-w.com, define:WORD on Google, and dictionary.com with the same outcome: no results found. The irony. A word made popular by millions of library signs - "Please do not reshelf books" - isn't actually a word. To quote Colter, "Go fig."