It's a miracle- we have grass!

Okay, I am sorry if this is lame, but I am posting pictures of my yard (no offense Dude). If you had any idea of what my back yard used to look like, I think you will be impressed with the improvements we've made.

This whole back half of our yard used to be pasture, but since the only large animals we've ever owned sit and fetch instead of neigh or moo, it has been used for little more than to grow an amazing assortment of weeds. I finally got fed up with looking at it, and it has been slowly evolving over the last year into what it is now. Though I still have more plans and projects, I love to look out and look at how far it's come! (Look Stephanie, over the corn is your old pad! :) )

Hey Dude, this picture is for you- these are my zinnias. They started out as a tiny straight row of seeds, and this is what they turned into! I wish I had taken this in August when they were at their prime! I used to go back to the garden just so I could look at them.

These are my 3 main tomato plants. I have never seen anything like them! I have gotten hundreds of tomatoes off of these puppies! I am out of jars from canning and am making lots of salsa- and just trying to give away the rest before they go bad!

Yippie!!!!!! After 11 years, we have FINALLY planted some trees!!!! Just think how big they would be if we'd done it back then! This was Jeff's project from last Saturday. Let's see, we've got an apricot, a nectarine, 2 peach, a cherry, and a pluot- which is a cross between a plum and an apricot. I hope to never have to buy fruit again.

Payter zooming by-

In the spring Jeff put in his dream b-ball court. It also does good as a place to ride bikes, which currently is its primary use. How 'bout the heavenly beam shining down on it! The part that I am most excited about is the grass. We seeded the whole back ourselves and I thought it would NEVER come in and crowd out all the weeds. It has been a test of my patience, but I knew when it finally came in I would appreciate it all the more- and I do!

The garden is also starting to fade- but it is the biggest I've ever done, and I was pretty proud of it. Jeff helped me put in black plastic and we watered with soaker hoses this year. It was WAY low maintenance! The only big job was picking (and using) all the food it produced!! The big lined hole on the left is to put the trampoline in whenever we get around to that project. (heh, heh)

This picture kinda shows the paver-patio play area- I think I've shown that before.

To the left of our barn is the psycho raspberry patch (it went crazy this year)

I think I am just savoring the green in these pictures. I really am a summer girl. I wish we could have another 2 months of days just like this one. (sigh) Oh well. I am trying to make the most of it while it's here.

Okay- enough of my boring yard pictures. On to more blah blah. So, there has been somewhat of a mystery at my house. No one is really sure what happened, there were no witnesses. The victim was, well, me. (No, I did not witness it either)

So, I finally got a shiner. All my growing up, if I ever got konked in the head I would think, 'Surely this time it will do it!!' and nope, never got a black eye. Though I was deprived of this childhood experience, I always thought it would look pretty cool to have a black eye- everyone would think I was tough, and of course ask about the cool story that undoubtedly went with it.
This one came a little different than I had imagined. Want to hear the story? Well, I woke up Wednesday morning and rubbed my sleepy little eyes and Dang! It kinda hurt. Hum, thought I, I must be getting a stye in my left eye. As I walk into the living room I realize my eyelid is blocking my view- wierd, said I, and walked to the mirror to see what was up, and there she was. That's about all I know.

Though I have no way of figuring out the real story- or proving any guesses- I do have a few theories.

A- I rolled out of bed and hit it on the nightstand (not likely, it is shorter than the matress and you'd think I'd remember getting back in bed)

B- Jeff elbowed me- I'm not sure how that would pan out- it is my left eye and I sleep on the left side. So I would've had to have been laying on my right side and have him come across just so-

C- I was sleepwalking and fought off some ninja burglers who broke in and were attempting to take over our house as we slept. This theory would also explain the numb-chucks I found under the kitchen table that morning.

So, I was kinda proud of this shiner that I didn't have to even remember getting until I had to go to Parent Night at the elementary and all of the sudden I felt like everyone thought I was a domestic violence victim. I think I wouldn't have felt so self-conscious if I didn't have such a lame story to go with it. Does it sound fishy to say I have no idea how it got there? I'd like to clear Jeff's name and say he had nothing to do with it, but honestly, I don't know. Maybe he did. There was that one night I woke up and he was standing over me wringing his hands and giggling... Okay, I feel bad even joking about it. I guess I will just have to wait for it to go away. Thank goodness for sunglasses (I haven't had much luck covering it with makeup).

What do you think? I should make you all vote on your favorite cause. Or suggest a better one. Woah- blah blah is right. I am getting way too long winded. Time for bed. I just hope I don't wake up with a broken arm.