Demolition Man

We've been remodeling our house since we moved in during the spring of 2004. We took a break when Sam was born, but have been focusing on the deck and some of the landscaping this summer and fall. We have some pesky grass in the back yard that's not meant for our climate, so we are killing off our entire yard, leveling it and planting new seed. (Yeah, we're nuts.) However, it has taken a little more time to kill off the yard than we planned, so we have a few extra weekends to fill with other projects.

A couple weeks ago, we decided to get rid of some unsightly bushes that have been framing our home since we moved in. They were nasty, overgrown, and due to be disposed of. Brian had the opportunity to borrow a skid loader from work so we decided that would be perfect to pull out those monstrous eyesores. After cutting them back, he fired up the skid loader and proceeded to try to pull out the roots.

Needless to say, we still have five of the six stumps left. First, the strap that he was using to tie around each stump broke. Then, the skid loader shorted out and wouldn't start.

Ah, the rewards of home ownership!

We're hoping to finish this little project sometime in the near future! :-)

Beads!

Oh yeah, and he got some beads at the parade, too. Boy, are those fun!!

Pufferbilly Days

We took Sam to his first Pufferbilly Days parade last weekend in Boone. He had a blast watching all the tractors, trains, and of course, FLAGS. He even got to take a flag home, as some people were handing them out! The parade was almost two hours long. But this is a great parade, because every entry is required to be a float, band, or some sort of display -- no random pickup trucks just cruising along. It's fun to see the creativity of everyone. Another first -- for all of us -- was the local grocery chain, Fareway, throwing out full loaves of bread! Only in Iowa!

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

My allergies have been acting up the past few days and I've been sneezing and blowing my nose like crazy. Last night, Brian and Sam got quite the kick out of making fun of their poor, sick, under-the-weather, wife/mom, while I laid there barely able to move. (Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.) I have to admit that it was pretty funny watching the little man mimic Brian, though! (You might want to "pause" the music at the very bottom in order to get the full effect of the video.)

New Style of Eating

Sam and I went on our walk this morning, and he was being so silly! He had a muffin for a snack, and instead of picking it up with his hand to eat it, he leaned down like a puppy and took bites. And he did this the entire morning in the stroller! I guess since he wasn't exerting any energy to walk, he decided to take it easy on the eating style, too! His silliness keeps us constantly entertained.

Mr. Big Stuff

We decided to put together Sam's tricycle today. He received it as a gift from his great-grandparents during the winter, so we thought we'd check it out to see if he was big enough. And, boy, did he have a blast 'helping' Daddy put it together! He had even more fun being pushed all around the deck on his new wheels! His feet don't quite reach the pedals yet, but it's fun anyway!! Thank you so much for the present, great-grandparents!

Cyclone Football

We went to Iowa State's season-opener on Thursday night. It was a disappointing outcome, but Mr. Manly enjoyed all the sights and sounds that accompany a football game. He got to eat hot dogs before the game, watch the marching band walk by, pet a dog, see Cy (still scared of him) and play with friends. It was fun but he was getting pretty restless after awhile. Needless to say, he fell asleep immediately after getting in the car. Good thing, too, because it took 42 minutes to get out of the parking lot! But that's a story for another time!