Yardo Presto Change-o!

Num Num and Papa Jim (my parents) have been here helping us out this weekend, and - as they always do - have managed to find many things to do around the house that Andy and I had not gotten to yet due to a heightened level of busy-ness and exhaustion (and an inability to do things, for me, that will push my eyes too hard post-surgery).

For this visit, they've focused primarily on landscaping... which has led to the creation of several planned and planted areas around the house. First, a bed of vinca and hostas underneath our little cedar tree out front:

There's also a garden in the backyard for Ari, complete with a new cherry tomato plant, two plants from her birthday gift from Becky C. (watermelon and pumpkin), and one little stray flower from a flowerbox fiasco perpetrated by her mommy:


And finally, two little bushes that were dying under our cedar tree have been moved to the side of the house, complete with brick wall enclosure, in the hopes they will fare better in their new spot:

Add to that a new hanging plant with beautiful flowers, a nicely trimmed trio of boxwoods directly under the front porch, a series of stepping stones running between the driveway and the sidewalk, a repotted asparagus fern that was purchased the same month and year Ari was born, and a soon-to-be-repotted fern that broke through its hanging basket in an attempt to increase in size, and you've got a whole host of things that suddenly look amazingly better and help the house feel even more settled, loved, and summery. Quite a gift.