{garden of the month award}

nada here. ever, ever, ever. but, my rewards are much greater!

i'm feeling a little sappy this morning, and definitely misty-eyed. our yard is a mess. which is actually quite the understatement of the year. our backyard is literally a muddy mess in the place a patio will eventually sit. i hope. it's been quite the problem already. then, as that is going on, i am in charge of the front beds which were totally overtaken by bermuda grass due to 2 years of neglect. so, i have been killing weeds with every chemical known to man. and, you know me, i hate chemicals. but, i hate weeds in my landscape even more. if my shrubs survive it will be a miracle. today, was mulch day. a whole lotta mulch in the back of the truck. enter, the shovel. and, exhaustion. 4 inches per the advisement of the sharum team. suffocation to the weeds that try to remain is fully intended.

then, i step-backed and had a flashback. i walked to the very front of the yard to the fence and surveyed the progress of the morning. immediately, i remembered standing in that very same spot about 9 years ago, as i took literal picturesof our house. we were in the process of building the portfolio our future birthmom would hold and view. she would look at every picture. she wanted an image of where this baby would live, a picture of our home. that spring, before we had even given a thought to portfolio building, we had spent hours getting our landscaping in shape as back then, we had lots of time on our hands! :) and, luckily when the time came to get the adoption plans going, nothing was needed other than walking out to the front yard, taking a breath and snapping the shutter. this house could become home. it was a big moment. and, of course, it was not about the "house", but, just a small step in getting to him. :)

today, i teared up as i remembered. it was like i was standing there with those emotions, but, then, new emotions were thankfully overshadowing. what was so nice and neat then, is scattered with "life" now. today....a red wagon sat in the front yard, silly string stuck to the front door, a bat and ball attached to the flag pole, a dog that is merely for the kids as i have no real fondness for her, dirty shoes at the door, sprayed down flip flops on the bench, bikes, trikes, scooters, swingsets, a go-cart that is stuck in the mud (still) just out of view, a knocked-over bucket of chalk, a hop-scotch sketch on the drive, 5 yapping puppies playing, 5 furry bunnies.......life.

Thank YOU God!!!!!!

i would take a disaster of a yard any day over a sterile manicured one. even if it came with a sign declaring i had the best yard on the block. the flowers in my yard are actually prettier than any blue-ribbon winning prized rose.

i wanted life then, and i cherish it now.

ps, i actually snapped pictures today, but cannot get any do load? maybe later.