For Mom and Dad

Best Things We Have Ever Bought

According to me of course. Lance would probably say his Garmin watch, but these have changed my life! We sold our old washer/dryer with our condo so we " had to" buy new ones. I highly recommend the pedal stools. I would otherwise be on my knees doing laundry on a concrete floor. Also, for all my blogging friends that like to tell about the great deals they get shopping, let me just brag for a moment about my latest trip. Some of you know about the REAL Gap Outlet store they have in Cincy. Its all Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and a couple of other brands that Gap owns. Well, they send all the left overs, damaged, irregular, stuff to this place. Its a huge warehouse where nothing (except shoes and coats) is over $20. People, all jeans are no more than $12.99!!!! You have to search through racks though, and try on. I put back more usually than I get. It has men's, woman's, kids, babies, maturity, shoes and a lot of coats. So I happened to frequent here on my last trip and I got:
1. a pair corduroys
2. a cardigan sweater
3. 4 shirts (2 gap, 1 BR, and 1 Old navy)
4. a belt

How much you ask? My bill came to $41.53!!!!! I got Madeline a jacket, 5 shirts, 5 pants, and a pair of real crocks ($10) all for $60. I love Bama, but some things are still just better in Cincy.

Tree Cutting and Wood Splitting

Before-You can see by the shade that we had a complete canopy from our front yard
After-there is at least now a break in the middle of the yard. Hopefully we will have grass by next summer
Just one of the 5 trees was usable for firewood. One was a dead pine, 3 were sweet gums, and this was a giant red oak. All other trees in our yard at 50-100 feet high and leaning towards the house. We'll have to have them professionally done.
This used to be a pretty bush before we had to bring one of the trees down in it.
Our friend Stephan totally decked out to wield a chainsaw for 3 hours and cut down and chop up 5 trees in our yard. 5 down, 10 to go.
Timber!
Stephan is amazing. He works with Lance as a full time actuary. He and his wife have a cattle farm just south of town, and he has a full workshop for woodworking (as his other hobby.) Oh and he just happens to have all the gear and knowledge for cutting down trees from growing up in Canada where they only had a wood burning stove to heat the house.

Randoms from Summer

It feels like its been a while since there was a Daddy and Madeline picture on here.


my roommate Rachelle got to come visit! We miss you Ro!
I have an exercise ball at home and on this day M told me "Im doing my exercises."
Monkeying around with our new friend Emily at the Zoo

M loves to read books to herself and her dolls