Project: Landscape and Other News

Project: landscape has officially commenced at the Wallace household. Our goals for this summer are to:
1. Clean out the weed infested flower bed (CHECK!)
2. Tear out all the bushes and shrubs around the front and side of the house (CHECK!)
3. Plant flowers and smaller bushes and shrubs around the house
4. Take out the steps in the back apartment and build a ramp instead, so that it's handicap accessible.
5. Luke will make flower beds all along the side of the house so I can plant whatever I want there :-)
6. Build a shed behind the back of the apartment
7. Clean up parking lot, and paint lines for parking spaces behind back apartment.

I am really excited about our plans, and I think our renters will like them too! As you can see, #1 & 2 on our list are completed! I spent 3 or 4 hours the other day cleaning out all the crazy weeds and wildflowers from our existing flower bed the other day, and Luke spent the day today pulling out all the huge shrubs in front of the house. Here are some pictures of our progress:

My contribution:Cleaning out the weeds in my grandma's flowerbed. I left the pink flower, because I thought it was pretty. It will be gone in a few days when the guys start building her ramp, though.Side before
Front before...overgrown, much??
They're all gone! Luke is out using his dad's tractor to pull the roots out as I type.
Speaking of Luke's dad's tractor, tell me it doesn't remind you of Mator from Cars ;-)
So glad I married a man who worked as a landscaper for 8 years!

So Luke managed to cut all of that out with a chainsaw without losing any fingers or limbs. I hope I can say the same tomorrow after he sets off lots of fireworks!

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In other news, we are headed to the parks where Luke works tonight for fireworks! I'm pumped. I think we are going with Luke's parents and our friend JC. I just love the fourth of July! I baked us a little somethin' sweet to eat while we sit on the blanket and watch the fireworks:
Chocolate chip cookies! They turned out good again, yay! We're leaving at around 8:30 to stake out a good spot and parking spot for ourselves.

I also heard some other good news today! 3 area photographers are all giving the couples who got "scammed" free photo shoots or great deals on photos! (I hesitate to use the word "scammed," because I'm still not entirely convinced that she did this all on purpose). One photographer has even offered to take the thumbnail prints that some customers got and edit them, and make them print quality. Unfortunately, I didn't get a CD with thumbnails on it, but I still thought it was awesome! One thing I love about living in a small town like ours is how people band together and are there for each other when something like this happens :-) I think Luke and I might take advantage of this opportunity, and get anniversary photos, since we didn't really like the engagement photos that we got from our photographer. (Yes, she actually DID give us our engagement photos which we got for free as a promotional deal the month we booked her. But I'm not too fond of them, and we got them WAY later than she had promised).

Monday is my photographer's pre-trial hearing. None of my information can be used against her that day, because I came forward after she had already been arrested, as did 2 other couples. So I guess she will have another hearing for the people who came forward late? I don't really know how all of this legal stuff works! I may go to the hearing on Monday, though, just because I'm very curious!

Well I've written enough for one day! I'm off to make dinner for Luke, and then it will be time for fireworks! 4th of July is definitely one of my favorite holidays :-)

So happy 4th! Enjoy time with family and friends this weekend!