Our Backyard Makeover Continued...

In addition to laying sod in our backyard, we decided to build a shed.  As I told the Lowe's guys, I check out the aesthetics and Dave deals with the construction.  

Thankfully, Pa Mark agreed to help us with building it.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate as it rained all day for three days in a row.  

Here are Dave and Mark prepping the ground for the shed and getting ready to put some joists in place.  It rained the entire time.  They joked that it made digging easier.  

The next morning, a friend of ours came out to help carry the base of the shed from our garage to the spot.  

They made it look easy.  Oh, and it is still raining...

About one hour after our friend left, I took Dave to a medical clinic b/c he was down and out.  We hopefully staved off a bout of acute bronchitis.  Sweet Pa Mark worked the next two days in the garage (still raining outside) building the walls, floor, roof, etc.

On the third day of construction, Dave was bound and determined to build the shed with his dad.  He keeps telling us he felt fine...

Kaitlyn and Madelyn decided to check things out...

This is the first time the girls got to run around in the new grass.  

The girls provide a quality assurance check.  Actually, they're secretly scoping some space out for a play area.  I think they might be disappointed when they see how quickly we fill it up with stuff from the garage.  

Kaitlyn wanted to help, so she started sweeping it clean on the inside.  

We have a shed with a door!  

 

Here are the workers with the shed completely assembled.  Dave and I plan to paint it and add some shelves another weekend.   

The two of them make a great team.  It wiped them out, but they got it up.  Thank you Mark and Dave!!

Here is our 

Mark A. Xxxxxxx Worker Bee Shed

Now Dave - get some rest!!  I have a feeling Dave's going to sleep all day Tuesday to get over 'the crud'.

Apple Picking

Last year we tried to go apple picking in October and we did not find one edible apple left on the trees.  This year, we made sure to go at the end of September when Macintosh apples were ripe for picking.  

We tried a new orchard this year and really liked it.  They had a large selection of apples (Golden delicious, Red delicious, Jonathon, Empire, Macintosh, etc.), a small market with honey, fresh bread, cider and donuts and picnic tables.  

 The first two apples we picked - Empire apples.  They tasted fine, but did not 'wow' us.  

We eagerly trekked toward the Macintosh apple trees.  Score!!  Two happy girls up in a tree.  

 Okay, so in addition to picking apples, we climbed the trees too!

 Madelyn tried to use the apple picker by herself.  It was a little heavy.  

 Our delicious bounty of apples.  You can do it Madelyn - lift!!

 Okay Kaitlyn - give it a try!!

She got it!!

I think team work might make it easier to carry.  

 Nothing like our two cutie pies working together.  I think Madelyn got the easier job.  

 Our homemade picnie lunch with cider and donuts for dessert.  

 Kaitlyn and Madelyn wanted to make homemade apple pie.  We tried something new...we made mini-apple pies in a cupcake pan.  The girls really liked eating it this way.  We could share it with friends too!

A small apple pie in a 6" pan.  

I love this time of year!  Hooray for fall!!

Pumpkin picking in our own yard...

In the late spring we planted jack-o-lantern pumpkin seeds.  By mid-July we had over fifty flowers on the pumpkin vines.  The vines were growing at least six inches per day such that Dave had to trim them back because they started taking over our deck and backyard.  

This is a picture of our first pumpkin.  It started growing in July.  The girls were so excited that pumpkins were growing in our yard.  

We had so many flowers and seven pumpkins by the mid-August that we started a Pumpkin Guess Contest.  Family and friends made guesses.

At one point we had eleven pumpkins, but three succumbed to nature (deflated overnight).  After the three, we had eight pumpkins that lasted a few weeks.  So we thought eight would be the winning number.  Until...

the animals attacked our pumpkins!

 We have deer, foxes, raccoons, and squirrels around the property.  Some feisty animal ripped the tops off the pumpkins and cleared them out.  

They left four small pumpkins.  We decided to pick them before October to try to avoid the animals eating them.  

The girls sitting with their pumpkins - two each.  

 We had four small pumpkins on our front porch.  Slowly but surely, the animals attacked them again.  One by one we found the pumpkins gutted on the front porch or in the bushes.  

Regardless, the girls are ready to grow more pumpkins next year.  We'll just get a better fence!!