Goodbye Shade Tree

On Labor Day we decided to cut down the ginormous willow/weed tree in our back yard.

This tree was fabulous for shade but had grown heavy and  two of the main branches had cracked so it was time for it to go!

Before:

 It was a large "project" and fortunately, we had the needed help of family and a neighbor with the clean-up and mess...and what a "mess" it was!

The picture below is what we warn little boys against doing....seriously, do not climb atop a high ladder with a chainsaw and hang precariously while cutting branches.

I finally had to stop watching and resort to the safety of closed blinds so I wouldn't have a heart attack- after a quick check to confirm the insurance policies were current....

In the picture below, Ryan mentioned he could see over our entire street from that view. Yikes!

Blessedly, no major accidents but as one brother-in-law mentioned, "Ryan must be good with God because that's just crazy!"

It took an entire day and 6 yards of chipped wood to the dump before the task was complete.

The next step is the grind the trunk and roots but that can wait a bit.

Those branches too large to fit into the chipper are cut and neatly stacked against the backside of our house.

Firewood, anyone? We certainly don't need it!

3rd Annual Batz Reunion

This year we celebrated the 3rd Annual Batz Reunion in Stanley, Idaho. It was great to see the family from Wisconsin, California and Utah gathered together for a few days. The days were gorgeous and we spent Saturday at Redfish Lake enjoying the beautiful view of the mountains, visiting and kayaking (thanks to Amy & Tim!).

There was plenty of food, fun and "do you remember...." storytelling around the campfire. Wish these days could last a bit longer!

        View from the beach.....

 The 'Bonita Quatro Amiga's' having fun at the lake playing in the sand and sun!

 Tim and Amy enjoying a mid-day brunch- ChEeSe!

Carrie, Justine and I soaking up the sun and enjoying the lakeside view!

 Grandpa Batz and Ayla.

Dad taught her how to throw rocks into the water and make a big "splash" 

 Ryan and I out on the kayaks for a quick trip on the lake.......

We all crashed/stayed at Aunt Janet's in their cabins located in lower Stanley next to the river. The scenery was gorgeous and it was the perfect place to lounge and visit.  

Apparently, the game of Domino's became intense and required much deep thought for Mason.....

 Roasting Smore's and Starbursts- YUM!

 Here are the 'Batz' girls and Seth! Only missing Barry and Jodi and this sibling picture would be complete.....

Dad and I sitting around the campfire enjoying the peace and quiet (HaHa!) of being surrounded by family.

Dad brought his hand-crafted fresh goat cheese from the farm in Wisconsin which was delicious! 

Normally I am not a fan of Goat anything but this cheese was awesome!  

 Think the beds inside the cabins were comfy? Ayla and Ryan agreed!

 The last day (boooo!)

Pictures with Grandpa Batz before heading home to Wisconsin.

 Carrie and me- love my sista! WHY do you have to live SO FAR AWAY???

Mason, Carrie, me, Aundrey, Ryan and Ayla- we miss you !

The Batz Reunion is hosted every 2 years and next time it'll be held in Wisconsin. Not often enough to see my family living in Wisconsin but it makes for an awesome time when we do gather. 

I have such a cool family and am blessed that we have a good relationship and keep in touch- until next time!  

Settling In...sorta

The past few months have been a whirl-wind of changes and activity: we both began new careers with different schedules, Ayla began attending JumpStart and went through another surgery and amongst other changes.....it's been an adjustment for our small family.

Gratefully, we enjoy and embrace change so onward and upward, Captain!

Over the Memorial weekend we were finally able to complete a few projects:

 Painting the patio furniture

 Filling the planter-pots around the pond and weeding the rock barrier around the house

 Cleaning the nasty cesspool/pond and installing rain guards over the house gutters

The Memorial Day visit to sweet Zoey and bring her a shiny new fan.

It was quite the event-filled day and we went to bed sunburned, tired and feeling happy!

I haven't done much blogging here because our lives are filled with Ayla, more Ayla, therapies for Ayla, appointments for Ayla, work (especially work-bleh), church, volunteering, NICU mentoring and other assortment of activities. It's not a crazy-busy but in general, there is almost something going on each evening.

For 'family time' we usually take a walk or bike ride and escape from the house for a bit. With Ryan's new job and wild hours, it's been a challenge to find time as just a 'couple'...and we feel guilty for leaving Ayla with a sitter while we sneak away for a short date (...a what? Definition please). Which shouldn't be the case but is. Ayla is such a BUSY girl and can run a person ragged which is probably why we hesitate to leave her with some unsuspecting soul. That, and her feeding can be a bit tricky. Oh, and she has separation issues. Not to mention a fire-cracker temper (wonder where she got that?) and new environments make her nervous. Okay, I'll stop....  

But we realize that without an "us" there was not nor is a family so we attempt to create our own date-like-fun within the boundaries and crazy work schedules available. Does it always work? Ha! But it's the thought and effort that counts.