Yard

We have decided that we can never move. At first when we were looking at the house we were thinking with the good deal we were getting on the house that maybe we would live there for a few years, fix it up and increase the value then sell it for, hopefully, a nice profit. However, once we met our neighbors and those on our street we were feeling differently. Then we got into the ward and now we have decided we will most likely stay there forever. Last Saturday was just another reminder of how great the ward and the area is.

Every spring our ward does a ward clean up where the city donates a couple semi trailer sized dumpsters and families sign up to help in certain yards. Some ward members were assigned to contact their neighbors to see if they needed any help and luckily we were on that list. We got a phone call at the first of March to see if we had any need of help in our yard for removing debris and if we had any items to be removed. I told the caller we had some trees we needed to rip out and a play house to tear down and tons of other garbage in our yard we needed to get rid of. Earlier in the week another brother in the ward stopped by to see what needed to be done and when we showed him he said they wouldn't be able to take out trees or the play house, but they would help remove any debris in the yard that they can pick up and haul out. We were ready to welcome any help we could get. Ross and I spent the week pruning and cutting down grapes and trees, but due to helping with my Grandma's house in Salt Lake we weren't able to get as much down as we had hoped. Saturday's activities started with a ward breakfast where those that signed up would find out which yard they were assigned to. We actually attended, ate really quickly, visited for a little bit then skedaddled to finish pruning trees and grapes. I went inside to get my camera to get before and after pictures of the back yard and before I got a chance the yard was swarming with people. One brother walks in with saws and an ax and said "I hear you have trees and a play house to rip down" and people started taking out trees and ripping the play house down. It was chaotic. Brandon also came over with his chain saw to take our apple trees for his smoker and stayed with the saw to help with the play house. They even broke up the cement under the play house and dug out the stumps from the trees they took down. I think with all the stuff they tore down and all the extra garbage left in our yard we filled up one semi sized dumpster with just our yard. But its def a whole new yard and there is a lot more space back there. I got pictures of them tearing down the play house but didn't get the other view of the trees. Someone had planted the trees in the back yard orchard style.

This is the front of our house. We had started taking one of the pear trees out when I remembered to get a photo. I have also, at this point, chopped all the many rose bushes out that were in the flower beds in front of the house. I don't think you can see the two apple trees on the side of the house that we took out as well.

We have already discussed next spring, we are definitely going to have to sign up to help in other yards. Those that helped at our house saved probably two summers worth of work for us and now I have a much bigger area for my garden.

Venice

No, sadly we haven't been to Italy or California lately, though either place would be nice right about now. We just got a new puppy. We hadn't planned on but what is done is done. We had planned to take Sasha to the adoptions at Pet Smart, to A) give her more socialization with other dogs or B) get her adopted. Well, neither of those happened. What did happen is the trainer that does Havoc's puppy classes and who we were fostering Sasha for said she would find another home to foster Sasha cause Ross and I fell in love with a chocolate lab puppy. Well, I guess he is part lab and part pointer. The big part is that he is chocolate. I have loved chocolate labs for like forever and since we couldn't keep Sasha Ross and I have been talking about getting a lab and I wanted chocolate and Ross wanted black. I was going to go with the black though, until Ross saw this little guy. He is 3 months old and he was so quiet and mellow and we thought that's what we needed, and he didn't have Havoc. So, we brought him home and he is now ours. However, once we get him home he starts barking, ugh. But we are going to break that and we are trying to crate train him for sleeping in. We will see how that goes. On the bright side he has had all his shots, is potty trained and has been neutered so we don't have to worry about that, just the obedience.

Havoc on the other hand has taken on a new role. He is the typical big brother. When Venice is barking or whining he will run to check on him and try to put him in his place. If Venice has a toy or raw hide, whether Havoc needs it or not, he will take it from him and put it where he can't get it. We put the gate in the kitchen so Havoc can crawl underneath and Venice can't get over it and when Venice tries to crawl under it Havoc will sit at the gate and nip at his feet and nose until he stops trying. When Venice is chewing on a raw hide Havoc will sit patiently until he can grab it out of Venice's mouth then will dart under the gate and add it to his pile. Its actually quite humorous to watch. He is adjusting relatively well, just being the "big" brother.

Sasha

This is Sasha. She is a white German shepherd, until we heard about her I didn't know they could be white. She is such a mellow, calm dog and its a bummer that we can't keep her. She is not so fond of Havoc to the point that if she wasn't on a leash Havoc would most likely have some holes. I think it was only because he was in what she set up as her territory. However, on the flip side she loves people and even kids. When we take her on walks there are a lot of kids that run up to pet her and she sits and wags her tail, totally content. We have to take her back to Havoc's trainer on Thursday and then she is off to another foster home until she is adopted and I hope she can be adopted soon. Yesterday she got spayed and she didn't take it too well, I think cause she is older. She won't eat or take her pain pills and I feel so bad watching her in pain. After having her around and what we thought were possibilities that we could do with her we want a big dog but I think we will start with a puppy. Make it easier for both Havoc and the new addition. So if anyone knows of someone wanting to adopt a mellow, active dog, she needs a good home.