Grape harvest

After 4 years my grape vine finally produced about 20 bunches of
grapes. The birds were beginning to eat them, so I figured they must
be ready. The grapes are tiny but they are very sweet!

Home improvement project 2

This is the guest room. Until a few days ago it had thick, dark blue
carpeting, that was getting stinky and brown walls. Underneath the
carpet was this wood floor. So I tore up the carpet, stripped the
floor and painted the walls. The floor took a lot longer than I
imagined. We were camped out sleeping on the mattress on the living
room floor for 10 days, but it is finally done, which is good, since
my vacation is just about done too!

Floor before

Rachel and Nicole help paint

Nicole's contribution to wall painting

Finished floors and walls

Voilà!

Sidewalk project

Last summer we took out the old, rotting wood decking in front of our
house before someone could trip on it and sue us. It has sat all year,
a sad and neglected dirt path. Finally our finances and free time
lined up so we could fix it. This is the before picture. We even had
some rogue sunflowers we planted last year growing right in the middle.

Leveling the path

Loading up on supplies

Layer 1 gravel

Layer 2 sand

One of 5 loads of bricks

Early work

Most of the work was done in the morning when it was still cool, so
the girls just left their pjs on.

Helping hands

Nicole helps unload bricks while wearing Spiderman pants and white
Easter gloves.

Add the bricks and mortar

After Steve leveled
The second layer of sand

Nearly finished

Added new drought resistant plants to the flower bed, left the
sunflowers in place.

Needles

Last day on the road
Best breakfast so far
(except for Granny and Grandpa's house)
100 degrees at 8:30 a.m.

Last night on the road

Biggest and warmest pool so far and we had it all to ourselves!

Chunk of meteor

Meteor Crater

Petrified forest, AZ

Painted desert, Arizona

Petroglyph National Monument

Albuquerque, NM

Yikes not again

Dad picking up another dirt sample for the collection

With cousins Kael and Kaden

This was supposed to go up yesterday, but I hit the wrong email address.

Mother Nature

>
>

> Put on her own fireworks show
>

4th of July

While watching fireworks from our hotel balcony in Tucumcari, New
Mexico, we got an unexpected show.

Then this

Then finally this

UAA national championships

Memphis
#58 Playground Elite (in white) is Kaden

Wake up call at Kael's

Unplanned sidetrip

A quick sidetrip to Mammoth Caves turned into a 4 1/2 hour sidetrip
that also included Big Mike's Rock Shack and this place, Dinosaur World.

A peaceful field of herbivores

Here come Allosaurs! RUN!!!

T-Rex