Wordless Wednesday

So what did You do Saturday Morning?

Chris really got into the
tree trimming and it was
all I could do to stop him.

Keeping with the spirit of the Hansen family vacation and Donna's up-to-date posts about all the fun they were having I thought it was only appropriate to share the morning of the last day with everyone. I'm not sure Donna would, and anyway she was too busy to take photos.

As you know, I'm still not up to doing too much physical. The doctor has cleared me for light work - not to lift over 20 pounds, and do that carefully. Plus, I should get up every 15 or 20 minutes and walk around. Try to do that at Church.

We have this mesquite that shades our driveway and at least once a year, and usually twice, it needs to be pruned. Mesquite are a great trees for where we live, but when you give them water they really are more like a weed then a plant. Our tree was hanging so low, the sidewalk was blocked, the driveway, and our neighbors yard. I knew it needed to be done, but I wasn't going to pay a landscaper to do it. So when the kids passed through a week ago Chris committed to helping prune the tree when they got back. We didn't realize it would take over 3 hours. Chris cut and cut and cut. The boys cut and cut and complained - or sometimes it was the other way around - but they did a great job, it just wasn't what they had planned for their vacation. Clayton said that if I had no more trees in my yard that was 25 too many. Cole felt the same way. Yet, when the job was done it was beautiful. Our tree was heavily pruned. There is almost NO shade left, and hopefully it won't be hanging over the driveway, roof, or sidewalk anytime soon.

Chris and Clayton were in the thick of cutting the limbs so we could get
them in bags. Chris's cutting tool was 20 years old and not very sharp. I had
to purchase a new one for Clayton so he could cut.

My thanks to the Hansen's for providing this great service. It only cost me lunch at Frank & Fina's, and they have great Mexican cuisine.

For some reason I suspect this may not have been the MOST FUN activity
the boys participated in during their vacation. Their bubbly smiles just
disappeared during this experience. Once we were done, however, they were
all play again. And yes, Donna was there leading the clean-up charge!