Vacation/Project Day 3

For a couple years now, I've wanted to clear out this side of the yard.  I always wanted help though so the task didn't seem so daunting.  Well, I started this in the morning and waited for Papa D, who was addressing a bee issue we were having upstairs.  After the years of waiting for help, I STILL ended up clearing this out by myself - AND, little did I know, I'd get a heavy dose of poison ivy as a reward for it!  I wouldn't say it was "worth it" - there's nothing I fear more or hate more than poison ivy, but it sure did look good (for about 10 minutes until the wind blew and covered all of it with leaves again). -T

Papa D did come months earlier and cleared out the big branches and wood so I guess I didn't do it ALL by myself!

Leaves, overgrown bushes, vines, weeds the size of trees, etc.

I want to say the poison ivy was subtly in this area

I see no 3-leafed vines in here

Like I said, not worth it, but it looks oh so good!

I feel itchy just making this post

You can see the fence again!

And here come the leaves!

Halloween Eve

It was the night before Halloween and all through the house...every pumpkin idea scared Mae even carving a mouse.  That's right we shared with Mae some pumpkin ideas and all of them were "too scary" - even one idea online that had the word "happy" in its title was too scary.  Even though the simple one we picked was too scary for Mae, we couldn't find anything "happier." -T

One of the few times we let someone lay on the table

I never look forward to this part

Anna explaining what she sees inside the pumpkin

More of a help than last year!

Atta way, Mae!

Going strong

2 out of 3 smiles!

Happy Halloween from the Schlensker's! (At quick glance, Mae looks like she's missing a leg)

Vacation/Project Day 2

It was originally supposed to be painting day, but because of the rain and wind, it was a perfect day to put up shelves in the garage.  We need some additional storage space so why not use the wasted space at the top of the garage?  It all went pretty smoothly! -T

The "before" garage

Just like the rest of the house, 16" on center wasn't always as easy as it sounded

I guess we should have planned for this day 4 years ago and put the board lower then!

  

The during

How good does THAT look!?

We did have to cut the top off of Grandpa Fish's bookcase, but it makes for a nice bench for our girls - which I'm sure he's okay with.

The "after" garage - be honest...how many people's garage looks this organized?

 

Vacation/Project Day 1

I took some days off to get some bigger projects done - projects that needed the assistance of Papa D.  Day 1 we got a good start.  We got rid of the rotting shed ramp, bought all the supplies for the week, replaced the ramp, and then started scraping old paint off the shutters and columns - which, I might add, for being the end of October made our house the perfect creepy house for Halloween!  Speaking of Halloween, the day ended with Mae and Anna making themselves into their own "scary guys." -T

Out with the old

Hope we don't need to roll anything out of there soon

In with the new

Scraping was nasty - I'm not sure those shutters have been treated since the house was built in the 60's

So much scraping!

"Hello, is this the creepy residence?" -Phoebe, Friends

Happy Halloween!  Love, The Schlenskers!

It's scary, right?

Speaking of scary

Oh Anna

Leaf Me Alone While I Jump In This Pile

The leaves were slow to fall this year.  We did get a decent pile and for the first time in her life, Mae actually enjoyed them!  Anna was hesitant to have fun in the leaves, preferring just to work instead. -T

We couldn't get Anna in there with her

Need to be 3 to love the leaves I guess

"Why am I the only one still working?"

"Mae plays?  Mom and Dad take pictures?  Me still working?  I'm outta here!"

"Could someone at LEAST help me to get a bike or something!?"

She was down with this as long as I left "a little peak"



Glad to see she's not so terrified this year

What a fun ride!



"That's it - I'm so done!"

Trunk or Treat Me to A Place Without the "Scary Guy"

We had our ward's annual Trunk or Treat.  Within 10 seconds of being out of the van, this dude completely freaked out Mae - the dude famously now known as the "Scary Guy."  It was a good costume.  Anyway, once we picked up the pieces that were Mae, everyone warmed up and had a good time. -T

"Who is this scary guy people keeping talking about?  I pretty much can only see the concrete!"

It's as if she saw the big bad wolf

"Seriously, there's gotta be more to see than just the parking lot!"

Still waiting

Even though she couldn't always see, that didn't scare her from just doing her own thing

She got over it and was rewarded

Sharing candy?  Just warms your heart, doesn't it?

How 'bout a little first time of the cotton candy