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.