A weekend of yard work

So we actually took the time this past weekend to mulch our yard. Front and back. We borrowed my dad’s truck and got a truck load of mulch. With that amount we only had enough for most of the front yard beds. We have lived here for 4.5 yrs and this was our first time remulching the yard. The previous owners used those heavy bark chips. It was just getting too thin and thus weedy. So on Sat. we just did the front yard.

On Sunday we went back and got another load, but got a little cheaper version. We still needed to do one side of the house and the back yard. I wanted Trent to landscape a corner of the backyard by E’s playset. We mulched that corner last year, but without the landscape fabric so it is a weedy mess. He did so great with cleaning it out, getting edging and laying out the landscape fabric.

Trent would load up the wheelbarrow with mulch and dump, I was the spreader. We still have 2 smaller areas in the back that need mulch, but who knows when we will get to those areas.

Everything looks pretty nice now.

Here is a BEFORE pic from Sunday morning…

BEFORE…weedy corner

DURING.. 

AFTER….ignore the clutter in the right 

AFTER

BEFORE…super weedy and extreme vines…

AFTER… with mulch AFTER MULCHING…   

I want to add some color to the chimneya area. I’ll have to do up some pots of some flowers. Still need to decide on it.

Mother’s Day recap finally

A little behind on my Mother’s Day activities post. Trent was going to surprise me and go to Brookfield Zoo. He had been outside on Sat. and thought it was still cold, so didn’t think it would that nice out. I really wanted to go out for breakfast and just go up to Ikea. So that is what we did!

It has been over 6 yrs since we had been up to Ikea. I realized that there is a newer store now in Bolingbrook that is closer to us, so we went out there.

I kind of had to psych E up in to going. He didn’t know what Ikea was, of course. I explained that is was a store and would have little rooms setup. Oh, and I got him all excited about the escalator for the shopping carts. Well, the Bolingbrook store does not have a cart escalator! No prob, he totally forgot about it by the time we were there!

Ethan seemed to love checking out all the little rooms. He had to type on EVERY computer keyboard and turn on EVERY tv in the room setups. Everytime. They were just props, but they are really realistic!

  

Ethan seemed to love checking out all the little rooms. He had to type on EVERY computer keyboard and turn on EVERY tv in the room setups. Everytime. They were just props, but they are really realistic!

I really didn’t get anything big and exciting. Ethan got the neatest stuff. A cool play tent for $10 and this hanging pocket shelf that was castlelike. I still need to hang it up in his room, I want to throw some stuffed animals in it.

I had heard about their cinnamon rolls, 6 nice sized rolls for $4! So we had to get some on the way out.

Trent had heard there was a Bass Pro Shops across the street that had a nice restaurant.

This was the entrance from inside the store…

E surprised us and order a chocolate shake, instead of his usual choc milk! Darn kid can read the menu now!

It was a great place, Fish Company Restaurant. I got the shrimp boat – 3 types of shrimp, yum!  Our waiter suggested the appetizer of alligator, and Ethan thought that was weird. So we had to try it out! When it arrived to our table it just looked like chicken nuggets, and that is what E thought it was when he asked us. So being good parents, we had to lie and say that it was just chicken nuggets!! That kid would not have tried it if we didn’t. E ate it up, no problem! It was really heavily breaded and rather peppery. He didn’t even complain that it was spicy! The alligator was a mixture of fish & chicken tasting, but really it was mostly that breading!

Yes, I totally bought that “My Mom Rocks” shirt for him, but I forgot about it and laid out a different outfit. Hubster actually remembered it and told him to put it on!! He has one that says “My dad rocks” with a drum kit, too. I better remember it for Father’s Day, huh?

They had a huge aquarium in the restaurant that divided the bar and dining area.

Fun to see all those fish and it was an awesome display.

 

We walked around some at Outdoor World, which is so not me!

 

There were more fish in there that were huge!

 

We all had fun checking everything out and trying on stuff…

  

I am so lucky to be Mommy to this cute, sweet boy…

WE got home in time to go over to see Trent’s mom. My mom went to see her mother, so she didn’t get her gift until Tues.

Idol Finale Tonight!!

Last night’s show really didn’t wow me. I did like Adam’s performance better overall. I think his 2nd song was the best of his. I liked the r&b feel.

Last night I think every blog review I read was voting for Kris. That made me call in for sure for Adam! I kept getting busy signals, but by 10 till I had luck and put in about 15 votes.

My idol winner is:

 

T wanted us to go to the game tonight, but I said no because I can’t miss the Idol finale!!

It was soo nice out here today. I went out and did a quick errand and it was just nice to drive with the windows down!

Ready for Spring/Summer

We received our tax refund and I let T get a new grill. We have had it almost 10 yrs, so really needed an upgrade. 

Trent is really happy with it. The rest of the refund is just going into our heloc, I don’t want to spend it!

Ethan is loving our wii! Trent has been playing competitions of MarioKart against guys he knows from poker online. Love this pic of E, he is so happy pointing to his score, in which he beat some guy!

I know, it doesn’t show up. How cute is he?

I took off Monday, May4 to attend the wake & funeral for Tim. There was a small private service on Tues. I was able to get 2 comped rooms at SpringHill Suites thru work. It was nice and a good location. I was happy to get a room for Zubie & David, too. She planned a toast for Tim at local bar Monday night after the wake.

Here we are with our band directors from high school. We were all in band together. It was a nice time of memories.

There was a big table of about 15 friends from college and another table of high school friends. Zubie asked who would like to say the toast and I said, it would definitely need to be you! I think Tim would think it was great that all those friends were there.

Making up Mother’s Day gifts tonight. Wonder what T is planning? He asked if I wanted to be surprised, I think I do!

Remembering Tim

I lost a friend 4/26/09.  Tim passed away from complications from a heart valve replacement.

I have never prayed for someone so much in my  life. I feel so blessed to have known him. I have many fun memories with him from high school and college days.

Wish we were able to all get together, I hadn’t seen him for 4-5 years.  We did keep in touch with Christmas cards. I’m happy he was at my wedding, and I at his wedding.

 

Prayers to his wife and mother, and his sister and brother. It is still shocking to believe he is gone. We will all miss him.

Bulldogs at Railcats

We went to see the high school boys play at Gary Railcats last Sat. with Trent. We were wondering if it would end up raining, but they got their game in before the rain came.      Ethan and I had fun sitting in various sections and he loved that he got to eat way too much junk. He had 2 hot dogs and popcorn & shared my diet coke.

He was playing velcro ball catch with this little girl for a little bit, too.

 

CP won, which was great, too!