So it's been 10 years...

...since our plane touched down in Huntsville and we moved our family 'home' (for me anyways) from Boston.  It's hard to believe it's been that long. Amazing how time flies.

I found this picture that comes pretty close to that long ago.... here's the girls (with Mandy) a few months after we moved in...  ages 6 and 10, oh my. 

 

 

And today...  16 and 20.  Yikes. 

 



A lot happens in 10 years.  Kids grow up, dogs get old, parents get older.... ha.  Graduations, college, the mention of weddings in the not too distant future...  it's hard to imagine all the changes that the NEXT 10 years will bring! 

It made me start thinking back in 10 year increments.... 

2003 we were just moving here

1993 Mackenzie had just been born

1983 I had just moved back home after my first year of college and was headed to UNA for a semester

1973 I was 10 years old.  Who knows what I was doing then?  Awkward elementary school years.   haha.

Anyways, I just wanted to take a moment and remember the day because I'm glad that we made the move back here those 10 long (and now feeling very short) years ago. 

I'll share a quote that I'm going to steal from my favorite preacher these days that sums up what I'm feeling as I look back:

"The older I get, the less I am certain about things I used to go to the mat defending or attacking but the more certain I am of Jesus' love." ~ Patrick Mead

Backyard Progress

So it's been a little while since I last talked about the backyard project.  A lot has happened in the past couple of months and the end is actually in sight.  Here are some pictures to show what's been happening....

 

By far the most difficult part of this whole journey has been getting the retaining wall built:

 

 

Yes, this is a cheesy posed picture to show that I did do something on this project!  My job on this day was driving almost 20 pieces of rebar into the ground.  Apparently I'm pretty good with a hammer and steel.   :)

You can't imagine the 'happy dance' that we did when we got to this point and the retaining wall was done!  What a job that was... 

 

We 'capped' the cinder blocks and dug out the center where the fire pit is going to go:

 

Jack putting the finishing touches on the fire pit construction!  :)

And this is what it looks like as of last night....  There is some 'tamping' to be done to make sure all the dirt is packed and level and then we have a driveway full of pea gravel to spread over the top.  We stained the concrete to give it a more natural look and that has to be sealed.  Then all that is left is to pull up some chairs, build a fire, and roast some marshmallows!! :)

 

And all was going well till last Sunday when we actually bought the fire pit kit and brought it home...  I was helping Jack unload the stones and that was fine until I went inside to do laundry, bent over, and something totally went out in my back.  THAT was not good.  So I ended up in the ER on Monday morning.  They said I had probably strained a muscle and recommended a steroid shot, a round of prednisone, some muscle relaxers and pain killers.   I think I should have skipped the steroid shot... something apparently went wrong when they gave me that and I had a terrible reaction.  It hurt bad enough that I almost passed out... it freaked out the poor nurse who gave me the shot.  :)  Well, that landed me in a trauma room and I ended up having to stay another hour or so for observation, so that was fun...  not.  All turned out OK in the end...  I've spent the last week mostly on the couch or in bed, out of work, and taking it easy.  Today I am finally feeling better and we'll see how work goes tomorrow...  My job isn't exactly easy on the back.  But I'm looking forward to getting out of the house.  :)

 

And that is the latest for now.  I hope that by the time this weekend is over, I might be able to post finished pictures of the fire pit!! :)

 

 

Milestones....

Wow it's been a long time since I posted last...

I was finally figuring out how to get pictures from my new iPhone to my computer and realized that I have missed posting about so many things... Mother's Day, Father's Day, Mackenzie's 20th Birthday, Jack's 50th Birthday...  etc.  So, here's a quick update in pictures:


Mother's day was a very nice day spent with my girls, along with Becca and Jessica for lunch, and my parents for dinner.

 

Mackenzie and Anna ordered these specialty M&M's that had hearts and their names on them... very cute and unusual!  :)

We detailed Dad's truck for his Father's day present...

 

Then we headed down to Birmingham to spend some time with Jack's family...

 

We celebrated Mackenzie's Birthday by visiting with the Burgesses at church at The Rock on Sunday morning, then lunch at their house, a nice afternoon of singing at Central with good friends, and then a day at the lake with all the girls... Jessica, Becca, Sarah, Mackenzie and Anna.  :)

Jack's 50th Birthday was fun as we spent some time with his family...  his sister certainly had some fun (at his expense) putting this nice 'gift' together to help him get on with the next half-century of his life!  haha   It was really quite funny... 

We spent his birthday night at The Melting Pot with our good friends Rich and Jennifer...  It's been a very long time since I ate SO. MUCH. FOOD.  It was yummy! :)

And in the midst of all of that, we were lucky to have Andrew here with us for a few days, too, and got to take him out on the town to Conner's to celebrate HIS 20th birthday!  Good times...  :)

 

I know I'm leaving other stuff out, but these were the major happenings.  Of course, I had started blogging about our backyard project and I have much updating to do on that.  But it will have to come in the next day or so...   it's not done yet, but we're close!  :)