Adventures at The Bunny Manse

We can't make it easy, so while Harris was working on the kitchen I was working on the kitchen garden. I've been making landscape maps, watching the sun, and dreaming about gardens since we bought the house. It never made sense because we were still in the 'disturbing outside paint' phase of projects. yeah, I think we're done there. So!!! We tore off the stairs to the second floor that were about to fall off (that door is bolted shut now) and I started raking and digging and moving earth. We looked and priced all kinds of materials for that patio. Then I remembered that the area gets full sun for at least 8 hours a day in summer. The concrete is not hot to the touch, but bluestone or sandstone would radiate heat. We didn't have money/time/patience for a concrete truck to come pour new cement, tear up half of everything else while they were here and the colors to not match what's been there... so....we used urbanite. Urbanite is recycled sidewalk you ...

We've been enjoying the spring, not-spring, spring weather and getting our yard in order for the year. We basically create something new each season or so, one day the whole thing will be done and lovely and just what we want.  Today, there are pockets of magic.  Like my roses  From eye level  And from above!  I finally planted blueberries - and forsythia as our yard somehow had none. Harris spent an entire afternoon re-setting these curbstones that had sunk over decades.  Little Pebble Creek is filling in nicely. That's one pretty drainage ditch!  The front yard bench near the roses.  Otherside of the front yard And PLUM TREES to compliment the peach trees! Our Orchard is starting to take shape.  it's all pieces here and there because we do have this whole set of girls who need... quite a lot of our attention. We're happy to oblige most days.  Easter...

That's what happens when you start working on houses right? You start having babies who delight you and get in the way of finishing projects. We hired Merritt-who-has-moved-to-charlotte to photograph the family. Marianne Hillary Spring And her adoring sisters Related - the adults are now on diets

Our littlest creature is such a delight. Some pictures of her first three months in our family. Sometimes we call her the maymaybaybay, little Hillary, mayYann, but we haven't yet settled on the just right family pet name. She'll help us figure one out soon enough. Margot loved the cream filled croissant muffin. Apartments being built in Central Park in the background.  Laying on my big squishy tummy  Laying on the coffee bar at the coop My favorite infant picture so far  Selfie I took while nursing and cooking dinner. Ok, I love sleeping babies. 

We've been very slowly attempting to convert the South Lawn into more than a grass pit and parking lot. We started earlier in the year by having TROSA come and remove all of the leaves, ivy, and debris from the yard. We then fixed the fence at the back property line so none of us would fall over the 8ft drop into the church parking lot behind our house. Fun times. One day, the tree that is on their property that leans over their church is going to fall.  We've talked to them so many times, offering to let them use our yard to trim or remove the tree... their response was that they have insurance if anything happens.  OK then.  Then, we finally got started building the swingset. Hard to believe, but when Harris and our friend/neighbor Rob went to disassemble and bring the parts back from Raleigh, the dolphin swing was for Margot. She got her ride in it, was joyful, then moved on to the big girl swings.  Madeline taking pictures of me ...

There's the beautiful princess tub that I looked for on Craigslist for over a year. That Harris almost didn't get because we got into an argument the morning he was to go get, that Madeline rescued from adult drama by quietly saying, 'but my princess tub...' with her head hung low making the adults feel pretty low.  It's been sitting, waiting upstairs, for two-ish years.   There was a gross shower here. Now it is gone forever and the tub will go there using existing plumbing.  Us checking out paint colors. We all mutually decided we liked a peachy pink color for the walls.   Harris getting rid of paneling after I got rid of the shower stall. Well, I unscrewed and unbolted everything so he could chuck it in the dumpster across the street. The last of the paneling is now gone from the house. I think. I'm sure I'll find another little bit here or there.  The tile arrived in August.  Harris built a partition wall...