Much Needed Facelift!!

This is what we started with:



And please excuse the outdated Google Maps pictures - I didn't have the forethought to take before pictures...

Josh and I didn't have the time, no, really it was that we didn't want to..., to tackle the removal of the ugly oleanders or obnoxious holly trees so after Josh cut them all down, we hired a small crew to pull out the stumps and haul away everything. So on the 4th of July, they were out working (while we were lounging in the A/C...), in 100+ degree heat, pulling up our yard.

This is what we came home to after the Carmichael parade:





After filling the holes left by the trees, we were able to start planting the new plants. All of this is very new to us (previous apartment dwellers...) so we're taking a gamble with all of the plants. We get hammered with the afternoon sun on this side of the house so we're hoping that we chose plants that enjoy living on the sun.


Josh hit a pipe...


And day 1 is done.

Day 2.

The only original plants that we kept were the rose bushes.

Sprinkler pipes actually made us have to rearrange our original layout for the plants but we actually like this design better.




I'm so proud of my pots!


End of day 2.

Day 3.

We filled in with black bark and put all of the little plants into the pots.






The finished product!!




This was some seriously hard work!! Work that has needed to have been done for quite a long time. Josh installed a drip system so I don't have to go out every night and hand water all of the pots anymore. We're really happy with how everything turned out. But now that the holly trees are gone, we don't know how to tell people where our house is! We used to say "we're the house with the funky holly trees out front." Now we'll hafta get more creative.

Utah for Dan's Grad

Dan graduated from his Master's program from the University of Utah in MAY and I'm just now getting the pics posted...

A crew of us (my dad, gramma & grampa Aldama, big gramma, aunt nan, Josh, and myself) flew out to Utah to meet up with my mom, who'd already been there for a few days to help Tami prepare for the clan.

A view from the plane.


How Josh passed the time on the plane.


Dan had a pinning ceremony (???) the first night that we were in Utah. In order for it to be a more enjoyable evening for him, Tami, Bill, and my parents, Josh and I volunteered to watch the kids, minus Elijah, and the old-er folks for the evening. We took them all out to Red Robin for dinner.

Corom enjoying his pizza!


After dinner, we dropped the grandparents and aunt back at the hotel and went exploring with the kids. There's an old army equipment museum nearby so we took them to see the helicopters and tanks. Noelle wanted to see the flowers. She collected one for every girl.


Uncle Josh and Corom looking at the tanks.


Afterwards, we went back to the apartment to let the kids get some wiggles out before baths and bedtime. We let them stay out a little too late... But hey, isn't that our job as aunt and uncle???

Corom on the monkey bars!!


Noelle and Corom going up-up-UP! on the swings.



Uncle Josh riding the motorcycle with Corom.


Not so fun without Uncle Josh...


After a bath, it was time for a story.


This was also right about the time that I failed the parenting test. Miserably. Noelle wanted to stay up late to wait for her parents to come home. I told her that she needed to get ready for bed. Nope, this little girl had her mind made up. After going back & forth with her, she was crying, I was on the verge, and I didn't know what to do. Uncle Josh to the rescue. He bargained with her by saying that she could stay up late to wait for her parents but had to pick out three stories for him to read. Corom was already in bed and the only way that she could stay up late was for her to lay in her bed too. BINGO! By the end of the second book, both of the kids were out. Way to go uncle Josh!! I thought that Noelle was going to hate me forever because I was being so mean to her by making her go to bed. Nah, everything was forgotten by the next morning. At least, I hope it was...

The next day, before the graduation ceremony, we met up with some of Dan and Tami's friends, the Utah family, and the California crew for a luncheon to celebrate Dan's accomplishment.

Josh's little buddy!!


Mine too!!


The food spread


Table centerpieces


The graduation ceremony

Dan's down there somewhere


Found him!!


Little man missing all of the excitement


Dan's group lining up!


He's DONE!


Family shots





The next day, the day that we left, we all met up again to take some family pictures in Temple Square.

Corom playing in the dirt. What else do boys do??


Noelle showing me her new shoes, with heels like mommy's!


Salt Lake City temple


It was a very nice, very QUICK, trip to Salt Lake. Possibly our last... :( Dan and Tami have since moved out of the area for a job opportunity and I don't know if we'll ever have another "reason" to go back. But it was great being able to spend that one-on-one time with the kids, even if I did make my neice shed some tears... We always have a blast with them. And a big congrats to Dan for sticking thru everything and finishing school!!