::goals are fluid::

Every year around January I make a grand list.  An insane list.  Even I know its not possible.  But I get super overly optimistic and I decide that we are going to get 4 million things done around here.  Link here to see this years LAUGHABLE list.  Then spring actually comes around and reality hits.  We have to prioritize.  Money is always a big factor.  We are on a strict budget.  STRICT.  We are on a debt payment play that in less than two years will have us unsecured debt free.  Which is our first goal.  From there we will have so much more freedom financially.  Freedom to do stuff like update our from my college house furniture, and actually buy a set of plates instead of eating off picnic ware.  Till then - we have be very careful with what projects we take on.  We made the mistake once of gutting one of our bathrooms thinking we would slowly put it back together.  It still sits about 25% done three years latter because we have such limited money for remodeling.  But enough about boring old money.

We have squeaked out some more projects around here recently.  For Mothers Day Josh built me a grape arbor.  It is so pretty.  I just love it.  Plus - if you can manage to get anything of substance done while you are home with all four kids than you deserve an award.  The highest strand on this arbor is about six feet tall.  Plenty on up space for the little grapies (made up word for short grapes) to grow into.  We have four grapes in right now and we will just keep adding.  I think we will have around 12 total when it is all planted and done.  The spaces on the ends leave me room to plant interesting gourds for the fall.  I think this arbor is going to bring me lots of joy.  

 The Orchard Garden is done.  Planted.  The end.  I will post an updated plan on it soon.  The Cottage Garden is also completely planted too.  Again - I used their plans as a guide and then got out there and did what ever the krunk I wanted.  I love how they are turning out.  Don't tell anyone, but once we got past the flood we have had perfect weather for my garden.  If it can just keep up a little longer then everything will be ready for the crazy late summer heat.  

The play ground is done.  DONE!  It looks so good.  I didn't even realize how bad it looked till it was finished.  This one was all Josh's call and he was right.  You heard it here - he was right.  Plus, the kids LOVED the dump truck that brought in the mulch.  Josh did not.  He looked at it as a big pile of being over worked.  I hired a few of the neighbor boys to come help him since many hands make light work - and this Mama had to go save some babies.  (Really I was just snuggling a few almost ready to go home babies.) 

His team picture - they told him to make a tough face

Max is still playing with rocks while fielding in baseball.  He has zero interest in anything that is actually related to baseball.  This has led me to and new parenting rule - if I think the kids are on the line between being ready for something or not I will go with not ready and try again when I am SURE they are ready.  Cause Curly is not ready.  For sure.  


Now back to my original goals for this year.  Some of them were good.  Some of them were crazy.  
Still possible for this year:
Two new apple trees
Fix up the outhouse
Hammock

For the future:
New pasture
Potato box
Front of house, bedroom side garden beds placed
Fix up dog houses
Tons of strawberry's
  
Still needs done this year:
Trim all trees
Brace peach trees
Weed kill fence lines
Get horses to Dad's to rest my pasture
Clean the gutters and patch the roof