Transformation...

Despite the heat, our project these last few weeks has been to really get going on our yard's transformation. Although I know I'll never feel like our yard is "finished" since yards require ongoing upkeep (unless you go the lava rock route... heh), there are a few things we would like to have completed by this fall so that we can be ready in the spring. Mainly, we want to have most if not all of our new planting beds hacked out and planted, we'd like to have the shed and chicken coop constructed behind the garage, and we'd like to have the patio extension in place. Right now we're at that stage where there's no going back-- we've demolished the existing structure behind the garage and have hacked out some sod where the new beds will go-- but for the moment things look pretty gross. It's kind of fun, though, to be able to just rip stuff out if we don't like it and create something brand new, something that's ours. Ah, home ownership :)

Geneva has been a really good sport about all of this yardwork. Even in the stifling heat she will sit in her bouncy seat and watch the cat, or lay in her playpen and wave her arms around at the sky while we work on one project or another. I'm looking forward to cooler days when she can really enjoy, not just tolerate, the outdoors. Things are starting to ripen in the garden, and one of my favorite fantasies while I was pregnant was imagining myself picking vegetables with Geneva. Some dreams do come true, I guess! It's nice to know life works like that sometimes.

Anyway, here's a look at our rapidly transforming yard-- and daughter!

First Mortgage-Lifter Tomato

Future site of the chicken coop and toolshed

Our growing girl

I had to include this one, not because it's the cutest picture ever but because this face is so HER. She makes this serious expression when she's deciding whether to laugh or cry.

Couldn't get these pictures to post horizontally... bah!