Hauling stuff and hauling ourselves

April 11

Backyard

I took this for my mom because one year for Christmas we gave her a yellow garden cart and she was so excited that she got in it and grinned like a kid. I understand her enthusiasm for the cart a little better now that I own one.

April 12

Frontyard

Getting ready for community cleanup day. I hauled all those leaves from the back of Coco's house to the front using the infamous cart.

April 13

Larkum House

The benefit of having potluck at a house that is walking distance to a Cookout. You want a milkshake for dessert, we'll go get milkshakes for dessert.

April 14

Schemmel House

Aunt Jo and Uncle Frank stay for a night on their trip north to meet great niece Adah.

April 15

Office

Andy's movie-watching face. No telling what movie he makes this face for but it is either really intense or really thought-provoking. Or maybe he just makes that face a lot...

April 16

Front porch

Celebrating fresh mangoes and beautiful flowers. That Vitamix sure knows how to smooth some fruit.

April 17

1811

One of the piles of wood to be split and stacked. We certainly have our chores cut out for us.

April 18

1811

The year of the inchworm. I don't mind these guys, especially when they are scrunching along and making funny arches with their bodies, but man, do they seem out of control!

April 19

Frontyard

Yeah, yeah, I know the azaleas are pretty. But they really are just so bright and lovely. A very welcoming site when you are walking up to the house.

April 20

Bryan Park

I used the panorama feature on my phone. (Don't know why I haven't done this sooner.) This is the section of the park called the Azalea Garden.

April 21

1811

Father and son replacing the wheels on the tractor/mower.

April 22

Mudroom

Doing some demo in the mudroom/future laundry room. Got to knock those walls down to build them back up again.

April 23

Bott House

Watching this little guy for the evening. Just the cutest thing ever when he runs to the window to wave and say bye to his mom and sisters as they get in the car.

April 24

Backyard

The wood never ends. Moving pile A to pile B.

April 25

1811

The future garden. It's tilled, Steve (the neighbor) has planted a few things already, and we have amended our soil. More planting to come soon!

April 26

Mudroom

More demo. This time Andy kicks down the ceiling and I just stand there and watch. Much faster than the wall ripping down.

April 27

Flower Bed

It's better to take a close up so you don't see all the weeds that are out of control. Some of them are so big I'm not sure if they are supposed to be there or not. Mom to the rescue soon.

April 28

Dave and Buster's

Rockville, MD

Why didn't we think of this the first time? I would much rather play skee ball and that game where you put the coins in and hope they push more coins off the ledge than sit in stop-and-go, make-me-want-to-yak traffic.

April 29

Kitchen

First fresh rhubarb of the season! Oh, it's so pretty!

April 30

Sunroom

Zac came over to help split wood and help eat pie. Here he is dining with Z's tiny cat head.

May 1

Backyard

Don't be mad at me for this. We have an out-of-control rabbit population in our neighborhood and Andy is concerned for the garden. I'm not saying I condone his behavior by documenting it. But that's a big rabbit!

May 2

Cyborg Room

Z is skeptical of anything that is not dry cat food. She eventually started licking it.

May 3

Office

Lame day. I did want to let you know that taking a photo is just one of three daily documentations I make. Elisabeth gave this to us as a wedding gift and I think it will be quite fun to look at once we get two or three years under our belt.

May 4

Air!

Getting closer to Little Rock. I never get tired of seeing farmland from above. More eye shadow compacts than anyone would ever need!

May 5

An Enchanted Evening

Roland, AR

The Frost crew at Lucy-baducy's wedding! I love seeing my family.

May 6

Dickson, TN

Explanation: Driving back to Richmond with Mom. We took our lunch break on Main Street. Problem is, most things are closed on a Monday in small-town, TN. But isn't this charming? And totally worth going beyond the blue-sign recommendations.

May 7

Johnson City, TN

Spent the night here so we could hang with a dear friend. Spent the morning walking around downtown before we finished the drive.

a lot of times it's nbd

March 21

1811

If only all houses had a separate living room for bike storage...

March 22

Kitchen

Firefighters want pie, I guess I make it for them.  I'll pat myself on the back for being a good wife.

March 23

Boulevard

Nothing is ever the same as in real life, but the green lights were as far as I could see. Little alien eyes popping out of the night sky.

March 24

Front yard

Many things happened this day. We were cleaning 1811 for our tenant's arrival the next day when it started snowing. As I pulled out the vacuum to get the last floor of the last room, the power went out. We cooked hotdogs on the wood stove for dinner.

March 25

Kitchen

Baklava, first attempt. Dish lish.

March 26

Foushee

Finding murals in the city you've lived in for a couple years now brings with it several revelations. 1. I might need to get out more. This has not exactly been hiding. 2. RVA can be neat. 3. I definitely need to get out more.

March 27

Sunroom

If you look closely, you will see a blurred leaf on our peace lily. That's because we have air blowing through our vents! Welcome modern luxuries!

March 28

U of R

Dinner! And that is kind of a lie because I think I had that one plus six more. 

March 29

Fridge

Not much going on in there. That is what we've looked like more often than not lately. 

March 30

LGBG

Visiting the garden on a beautiful spring day! Colorful orchids and a cute baby. Woohoo!

March 31

In-Law's

Roll away the stone, boys! Celebrating Easter with the family so much that we put Bob to sleep.

April 1

Living Room

The after Easter dinner lounge room has not been disassembled yet. Laziness commences for a couple days. Andy is sucked in to Game of Thrones.

April 2

Living/Lounge Room

(My brain automatically typed Living Social instead of Living Room. I'm not sure what that means...)

I might be enjoying the lounge room also. This is the current view from the couch: Kitty longing to get outside to get back in again.

April 3

I-95 South

Heading back to Richmond after a day in Rockville at the WFM Mid-Atlantic HQ. Makes me sound super important. They sell strawberry rhubarb bites at their store. Talk about self control. I had to make those last a 4.5 hour car ride in traffic just so I could give them to Andy.

April 4

Living/Lounge Room

Productivity! Very slow productivity.

April 5

Kitchen

Andy taste testing the salsa with his dainty spoon and dainty face. We also made Devon's secret margarita's to accompany our burrito dinner. Makes me want to go to the beach so bad.

April 6

Sammy's

Celebrating the birthday boy with millions of Junior dollars.

April 7

Maymont

A little spring day outing. These flowers are pretty but what I really cared about were the baby goats!

April 8

Side yard

I've decided that when I have kids their toys are going to consist of tongue depressors, empty cardboard boxes, and books. 

April 9

WFM

The granola ant hill.

April 10

Dining Room

One of fifteen mangoes I cut up. The pit-gnawing is the best part!

Painting. With an occasional baby sighting.

March 1

Sunroom

Adah checks out the cat and the cat has no interest in Adah.

March 2

Back patio

Ronnie came over and helped excavate our back patio. When you have access to a machine that can do your job in twenty minutes, you don't worry about going out of order.

March 3

Kitchen

Challah! Since I work super early most days I don't get to enjoy my leisurely coffee and breakfast that often anymore. Now when I have a day off, that's sometimes my top priority. So I made this. For a leisurely French toast breakfast the next morning.

March 4

Living Room

After the leisurely French toast breakfast that turned into a breakfast feast with Andy, Mom, Bob, Elisabeth, Sister, and Adah. I have had this giant monkey sitting on a little table in the office since I made it. Not exactly sure what his role is going to be. Well, Adah is scared of him so I guess he's not going to be playing with her too much.

March 5

Paul's Place

Doing some Habitat-ing and consigning. This place, Paul's Place that is, has a yard full of radiators in case you need one.

March 6

Car

It's been snowing all morning and I've been working all morning. I was not prepared for the stepping in deep slushy puddles in my measly boat shoes while trying to unbury my car.

March 7

Moe's

Who knew? I didn't order this, but I did text Julia to show her that she has a meal named after her.

March 8

Lowe's

Picking up some paint. Oh, the possibilities! We went with boring, I mean, tastefully neutral.

March 9

1811 (that's across the street)

The painting commences! I think that captures the level of enthusiasm I started with. (Notice how paintless my shirt sleeve is!)

March 10

Kitchen

New holes in the floor for HVAC. (We are moving up in this world, and by up I mean to a more comfortable location when temperatures are extreme.) Z, the ever-exploring cat, jumps down the hole and gets stuck under the house until her loving owner lets her out.

March 11

Mudroom

No need for that old furnace any more!

March 12

1811

This has been happening every day, fyi. Mostly by my mom, the superhero painter, but I have been helping between work. I have now discovered how much I loathe dark colors that require two coats and touch ups.

March 13

WFM

My first inventory experience as an adult. (We used to help my grandpa with inventory at his liquor store when we were kids. Imagine a crew of 8-10 year olds counting packs of cigarettes and bottles of booze.) This is what the office looks like in the wee hours of the morning.

March 14

Schemmel House

Getting a picture for Beth's birthday surprise slide show! And then having a girl's movie and ice cream night. We ate Chubby Hubby and watched Pitch Perfect (or maybe it's Perfect Pitch?). Either way, I loved it and now all I want to do is listen to pop music and be a good singer.

March 15

Kitchen

Remember that time I told you about the leisurely French toast breakfast? Well, I found these in the oven on March 15, eleven days after that breakfast. Clearly we have not been cooking much lately. No, I did not eat these; they were hard as rocks.

March 16

Car

Getting ready for a trip to the park and LOLing a lot.

March 17

1811

Look at all those tastefully neutral walls! I must say, the house looks significantly better and Coco better  like it when she moves in!

March 18

Sunroom

Dinner by my lonesome. 

March 19

Living Room

No more radiators! Even though it looks like they are still there. Gross. Rooms look a lot bigger now.

March 20

1811

Mom left this morning and we are trying to wrap up for our renter. I scraped the paint off the window panes this morning. I can't wait to hang the blue door! It's kind of more fun that it is for the house across the street because we will get to see it more.

House(s) projects.