The front yard has been an ongoing renovation project for seemingly a couple of years now. The perennial sweet peas have taken over the area and are determined to win... but of course I am just as determined so we'll see who comes out on top! Anyway, with the redoing of the landscaping, a lot of flower bulbs have had to be moved as well as dirt. New bushes have been put in and this summer we collected some old carpet which provided us with an excellent moisture barrier for the project! Carpet holds in moisture almost miraculously and things grow SO well!!! Anyway, when I finally declared that I had moved enough plants from the old flower beds Myles got out the rototiller. Weeds were mowed and then tilled into the ground. Carpet was placed around the new bushes and recently transplanted perennial flowers to provide protection from the drying heat of the summer sun. The overall effect was stunning, though still very incomplete. It looked SO GOOD to have all those overgrown plants gone with freshly tilled soil in their place!!! What a difference.
Of course you can see from the pictures that we still have a fair ways to go. There is grass to plant, a flagstone path to pour and we still need a little more dirt to bring up the level of the lawn high enough but it is so exciting to get such a big part done all at once!
Sometimes there are places in the yard that just have to be done over. In the process of redoing this flower bed, and this year also getting the stucco on the front of the house complete we have been able to landscape the area up against the house for the first time EVER!!! We emptied all the loose bark from the woodshed and used it in our landscaping. So, this project has cleaned out the woodshed, the old flower garden AND the flower gardens up against the house! The changes are fabulous and exciting.
I often think of life as a school for the family. A time where we are given opportunities to create a family that is close and loving. Where we embrace goodness, kindness, love and all the attributes of God together and work on becoming better people. It is always more fun to do things with others rather than alone - that is the blessing of families. However, there are so many distractions these days that take us out of our homes and away from that divine focus. While in moderation these things are good, if they become an obsession, they become like the overgrown plants that actually became weeds to me in my garden. They must be pulled out - completely, not just cut off where they will likely grow again. Obsessions are not healthy for the family. They prevent family members from working together, speaking and serving with kindness and patience. I love how our work projects strengthen us as a family. Everything I do is with my family members in mind. They are such a blessing to me. God has been so good to me in giving me eight of the most beautiful, caring and loving children, a spouse who is devoted to his family and his Heavenly Father, as well as parents and siblings that have all added to my sense of peace and well being. What a joy it is to be so blessed.
