Two more apples...

Oh People...you would be amazed at all we planted two days ago. Remember when I told you that I placed that huge order for the trees and shrubs? Well, on Wednesday we planted 2 apples, 8 grapes, 10 poplar, 12 cherry blossom, 10 canadian hemlock, 10 hardy lavender, 4 maple, 1 white oak, 50 rose bushes, and 10 white dogwoods. We thought maybe it would take us 3 hours...it did not...try 7. :) 

The boys worked so hard helping us. They are saving money to buy an ipod and so were more than happy to earn 25-50 cents a plant...depending on the task. I think they each earned around 20 dollars that day!! 

The little kids had fun too. Their sweet big cousin Michael was in from college for the holidays and he and the little people kept the fire stoked and stacked. 

:)

The rock we found...

For our garden room named...O Canada

Whoppers...and oranges

See the pile of sawdust and nails behind them?

That is one of the many piles we swept last weekend.

Notice the kitchen left...has a  clean floor.

Ahhhh. :)

Boots

The sweet big boys were taking a lunch break in the attic...

swinging their boots and chatting.

Attic boys

Boys eating a well deserved lunch           

 ...in the rafters over their rooms

Momma

Isaac took this picture of me planting the red maple...

This was near the end of our day...and we had 1 hour of sunlight left and still had

the roses and dogwood to go.

Maple Baby

Waiting for planting love...:)

Hello sweet friends! 

Last night Jake helped me heel in the rose stems and the hydrangeas that will go around the house.

 Here are the apple, spruce, maple and poplar that will be planted around the land tomorrow.

Seriously, it makes me so happy to plant trees. Maybe I should run a nursery...hahaa...I CANNOT wait until tomorrow morning to get started...I pray this constant rain...which has been wonderful...turns into snowing for a bit of a drying effect on the moist air. 

I will surely charge the camera and show you the planting process tomorrow!!

Hello Blue Spruce!

And more trees!!!

Trees are in!!!!

Wonderful Weekend

Well my sweet friends, 

you would not believe the wonderful weekend we had out at the house in 37 degree rainy weather...we did though!! Jake and the boys ran speaker and internet wire through the rafters and Rosalie helped me inside create a indoor slide for Levi and Justice to play on in the living room!!! We used the workers saw horse and pulled the playground slide inside and placed it against it...then she and I leaned a  plywood ramp against the sawhorse for the ladder so that the boys could climb up and slide down. They had fun sliding and also rolling big empty plastic spools up the ramp.

 Ro and Justice and I ran to the Dollar General for hotdogs, cheese sticks and chips and salsa...came back to the homesite and set up a snack station on a little bench Blaise had just constructed!! Nice sturdy work Blaise! The kids snacked around that little fire as we burned the scrap wood carefully...and by keeping the fire going we were able to clean alot of the scrap up! After 8 hours out there we ran home at 4:00 for 7 minute showers...got back in the car and made it back out to Church for our little cousin's Baptism within the hour. Okay...so we showed up to Church at 4:59...but still!!! It was miraculous if you ask me!!

Baptism, Mass, and a wonderful cozy dinner reception with some cousins topped our day.

Funny thing is...this morning we went out and did it all over again. :)

This time I brought roller skates and the ripstick for the kids to ride on in the house...while I for the first time...swept my kitchen. Jake kept reminding me that the builder will send a cleaning crew to clean it...but nothing could have made me happier today then to sweep nails and sawdust off of  my sweet little kitchen floor.

Raw land

Here is where I will plant "Tuscany":

Poplars planted in rows  for  a lovely screen and and an uplifting feel. 

Still working on my cherry, blueberry and blackberry plans...

not quite settled on the perfect spot. :)

Side Gardens

hopes for the front...:)

Espresso machine decalcified

...and ready to start a new day.

Santa agreed to help me plant as soon as the sprigs arrive. That's a good thing because at 10:00 last night I received an email that they have been shipped. I will be finalizing the sketch of where everything is going and will post it tonight. :)

Faith Formation

Hi Kiddos. This is you at Faith Formation last night.

 You were all so cute signing and singing along with the opening songs. I love you.

Walkin with"Doggin"

Good Morning All!

Found out all trees and shrubs will be arriving in three weeks!

Drawing out detailed garden plan today and going to write Santa and ask him to help me plant!! :)

Looking more like home now :)

Hello All! Today has been a wonderful day. 

I found a great nursery online that helped me cut my garden budget in half...and so I ordered the rest of the orchard and the 2' sprigs of dogwood, maple, poplar, rose hedge, lilac, lavender, blue hydrangea, Japanese snowball, bridal wreath, Colorado blue spruce, cherry blossom and Canadian hemlock. Because of the size of the order I also received 24 free trees and berries...which included raspberry and blackberry bushes!!

Once I get them all planted I may sleep for a month!!! 

But at least my dreams will be happily filled with gardens and 

orchards in bloom! :)

Here comes the roof! :) This picture was taken last week...today the dormers are in and the electricians  are wiring it. Thank you Lord!!

Vintage sign for future Capp Bar Cafe

Workin hard

My guys worked SO hard all day yesterday on the land. After Mass we went out to the house as a family and moved four truck loads of scrap wood from the home-site to "Jake's Corner" of the property. 

Jake has a very organized spot for all of his building materials...they will be stored there until he builds his utility barn/well house. We collected enough wood for the deluxe poultry house we hope to build this February, the square foot gardens, a couple of window seats and a small goat barn.

 I also found some square column like pieces that will be perfect for the grape arbor in our "Little Tuscany". :) The grape vines, olive tree, pear and cherry trees should be arriving sometime this winter to be planted for spring growth. I can't wait!!

All five of the kids helped out ...and you should have seen how much fun they had riding in the open truck bed around the land as they moved the wood. It was already 2:00 pm when Isaac, Justice, Rosalie and I ran to the convenience store for Gatorades and a little lunch. Boy, does food taste even better when you have been working for hours outside!!

One of the highlights of the day for us is having some of our dear friends come out and walk the property with us! It made my heart so happy to have people we love out there with us in our favorite spot!!!

This picture was snapped as the boys were walking to the suburban...the moon was FULL...the coyotes were singing and we were ready to head home for SLEEP! I said, "Boys! Kneel down in the light...I can get a picture!" Hence, the random shot in front of our well ...in the dark. :)

Frosty morning

 

It was a beautiful frosty morning today went Justice and Levi went out to check on the house. The workers were hustling around all bundled in coats and hats and scarves. I knelt here next to Leo to ask for him to pray for me today and then headed on to Mass. It is hard to bring the little guys to Church during the week so I bribed them in the back pew with a half of a pb&j to stay seated. Both boys were good and covered with peanut butter by the end of it all...but at least Momma had a little time to pray and receive Jesus. 

Front door

We can start to see everything taking shape. 

This part of the process has been so exciting for Jake and I. We can't believe how wonderful it looks...even with no walls we get so excited to walk through it and plan out where we will put the furniture.

Honestly, just imagining serving dinner to the kids with enough space to walk around the table is a heavenly thought!!

Back view

Today is Saint Leo's feast day so after Mass all of us went out to the land to be with our Leo. :)

 Daddy/Jake spread rye grass seed in the front pasture... Blaise and I watered the roses and the orchard.

We also bleached out our well.  I spent a long time pacing out my landscaping plans and figured out how many of each plant and tree we need. It looks like we will need 4 Florabunda Roses per window and 10 red Lantana to plant as a border around them. See the back porch?  I am thinking of planting blueberry bushes around it because they LOVE the sun and they would be well tended to there. Plus, I would much rather spend money on plants we can eat from. :) I may add a few more plum

 and cherry trees to the orchard.

Winchester Cathedral

This lovely "Winchester Cathedral" rose, by David Austen bloomed for the first time.

Notice the delicate petals. The tea rose scent is just as delicate...it seems angelic.

Leo's Spot is becoming lovelier by the day.

I love you Leo  :) 

Love, Momma :)

Some of the guys

Jake came with me to check on the orchard...

It looks like all of the trees have new buds on them and have survived their second transplant. 

Still waiting for my cherry, pear and olive trees to arrive. 

Two blueberry grape vines are on there way as well.

I better get my first trellis built for the grape arbor in our little Tuscany!

To the left. To the left...

I took this shot to help me visualize the landscaping 

that will be seen by my neighbors and as a glimpse from the road. 

Roses, Bridal Wreath bushes and Japanese Cherry trees top the list.

Chocolate Eyes

Levi and Justice posed in front of the roses after Mass this morning.

Tomorrow little Levi turns four. I love my little "Chocolate Eyes" and I am really looking forward to these next two year at home together before he starts school.

I love you Levi!

The windows are being placed in!!!!

 

This was the scene I walked up to this morning! All of the carpenters greeted me kindly and I was able for the first time to walk through our 

official front door. :)

First hot mocha of the season. :)

It was 40 degrees outside when I took my walk this morning.

 It inspired me to turn on the frother again and whip up a mocha.:)

Home

Framed :)

How lovely it looks...to me. :)

The Framing is all Done

It was a wonderful sight to see our home all framed out today. The roof looks so high!!! GOSH, just to walk out on the back porch was so fun. I can now picture my little vintage Cappuccino Bar area. Somehow, I would like to place a striped canopy above it for a cafe feel. I also tried to in vision where the cafe lights will hang: more on that later. Jake and I had the same feeling today that this is the beginning of the end in many ways. We can see how fast this life is going past us and how soon we will be old people together out there on our land. The kids were so cute running in and out of the frame playing hide and go seek. Even Justice was toddling up to the wooden window frames and climbing through them. When the pictures I took upload I will publish them so that you can see!! Have a happy Sunday, all!