PLEASE CRASH MY YARD!!!

We are still pool-less. I'm not sure if that is the correct way to write that. But we still have no pool. We have no money set aside to buy another one. The company that instructed us to fill our pool when it was 40 degrees, which caused the liner to shrink, and caused the walls to collapse, and caused us to have no working pool is not seeming to entertain the idea (at all) that they caused our pool to be gone, leaving us with a sand pit in the backyard, and a lot of money down the drain--or down the ditch & into the scrap metal yard. ( It seems to be common knowledge that pools DO NOT get filled below 65 degrees outside OR at night, yet we got a text around 4 PM and 40 degrees saying to leave the water running to fill the pool & he'd be back to connect the top hose later).

This is our dilemma now:

This is the best I can do with my phone ( full and no memory to do much) to show the bare backyard. It's not big. But it has a 24' sand circle. And it was grated to be level, and has a drop off into the sand on the right side.

We are working on over seeding the front yard this week, but don't want to start on the back yet until we know what to do with it.

 My current obsessions on TV are 1) Flea Market Flip, 2) Rehab Addict 3) Yard Crashers. Landon had to go to bed early without dinner one night ( don't ask), and he woke up at 10 PM hungry. I fixed him a PB&J and let him watch Yard Crashers with me. He is now also obsessed. And he asks us why our yard can't be crashed.

I WISH! But we don't shop at THAT STORE ( and neither should you because when you shop at the GOOD store, your money goes to buy my kids food & pay for our house. Yes, regardless of how people say big businesses don't need your money and it just goes to corporate rich people, sales affects salary and bonuses for all employees too) that the people are picked up at. =)

We have quite a few ideas, a little money to spend on it( from our SMALL refund we have received from the cleaning part of the pool company), but are at a standstill of what to do! We need a designer, a contractor, or someone to do some pro-bono work. Or better yet, we just need some help on what the best solution to the yard would be. It either could start with a big amount of fill dirt or a skidder to level it back down or even a good amount of pavers. . .

Throw out some ideas!

Help us!

Vacation

We left early Sunday morning to head to Panama City Beach. Landon and Elyssa rode with my parents, we figured they'd sleep for a few hours. But they were awake before 5 AM, and didn't fall asleep at all! Luke, Amanda, and I rode together in the Nitro. We wanted to get there in enough time to lay out and swim and enjoy the beach on Sunday, but we were all starved and went to Panera as soon as we got there. We did enjoy the pool and beach a little that day, but it was getting stormy. We stayed in a 3 bedroom 3 bath condo where we have stayed the last few times we have vacationed there. My parents had a large bedroom with a large window facing the ocean, and Luke and I had a smaller bedroom facing the street--but it had a large closet for Landon's pack n play! We ended up with a lock-out, so Amanda and Elyssa got the separate room with a balcony as well. Elyssa got her own pull out couch bed, so Amanda got her own King bed.
My favorite part of vacation has to be sleeping in a comfy, king bed. Everyone says how they can't wait to sleep in their own bed. BUT NOT ME! I never want to leave, and did shed some tears this time when pulling out.
The only negative about this trip was the june grass. It smelled like rotten corn, and was pretty gross when you got a big whiff. Evident ally it just came the few days before we got there, and as we were leaving it was getting pretty clear. It didn't stop us ( everyone but Luke) from going out and swimming in the beautiful Ocean. You only had to walk a few steps through it before it was crystal clear. I even found some spots where you could walk through none. Landon loved swimming in the ocean with his arm floaties.

This was Landon's 3rd time at this condo, and he really enjoyed the pool the most. He found a new favorite part of it: the shower!

We stayed until Friday morning, and Amanda flew out Thursday morning. We planned on checking out Friday morning, then spending a few hours at the pool. Of course, it was rainy and stormy Friday morning. About the time we needed to head out, it got sunny and beautiful.
We made one quick stop for lunch at Pineapple Willy's to enjoy the sunshine and beach for a few minutes, and get one more picture before we left.

What a fast week!

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11

This week has gone by so quickly! I can't believe it's almost Friday already. We have spent a lot of time in the pool this week soaking up the sun. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner have almost all been on the deck this week. Even though it's like 99 degrees outside, it feels great to be out! In the morning it isn't SO BAD, and at lunchtime, I'm still wanting some sun from just getting out of the pool. I'm also trying to get some color on my pasty boy =)

We also decided to paint the guest room, finally, and re- arrange it. I like it MUCH better than ' Atlanta Braves Blue' that was in there. It's now 'toasted coconut'. Yes, you must be a food name to be a color in our house: melted chocolate, peanut butter, bavarian creme, and now toasted coconut! Our house is not all browns/tans though. The toasted coconut was in the orange family actually, our room is a light blueish tealish, one of the bathrooms is bright green, and Landon's room is tan with a turquoise on one wall. we'll eventually paint an accent wall in the guest room too.

We are so happy with life right now. Although the one income thing is tough, especially when we get a little crazy and eat out a few times in a month, we feel so blessed! I love raising Landon, and being with him every day. Even through all of the hard times, we come out alright, and know that we are taken care of. We are just enjoying all of our family time-summer is SO good for that--and are thankful for all of our blessings!