fbpx
Home » Blog

What we've been doing this Summer

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

What has everyone been doing this Summer? Have you gone away, done some do it yourself projects or?

 I've added more pictures that you can see HERE

Here's what we've been doing...

As the weather can be inconsistent here on the westcoast of Canada in beautiful Vancouver, BC my hubby and I  (mostly my hubby I admit it) have been working on our yard. Being so busy we never have enough time it seems to get the yard the way we want it or sometimes to even do the upkeep. Every Summer we seem to do a major clean up of things have accumulated, trim bushes and trees and all that fun stuff. We live across the street from a forest and are also near a watershed so the pine needles surrounding us wreak havoc on the yard and garden although the trees themselves are lovely to look at.

Backyard driveway goes right to the front of the house

So far in the last 2 weeks my hubby and a few friends have re-graveled an entire driveway, pulled up the whole front part of our front yard, laid down new landscape paper and shovelled new bark mulch on top of it. This was no small task these guys worked hard pushing wheelbarrows of this stuff and then shovelling it all. We would have loved to pay someone of course but can't afford that however it's nice to see the fruits of their labour. I weeded the gardens and made my own hanging baskets from wood baskets left over from previous years a less expensive way to do things.

Backyard lots of weeding had to be done

I wish I had taken some before pictures but I thought I'd share the pictures of what has been done so far and you can see a bit of the "scenery" here in beautiful British Columbia 🙂 This is the first year for us in 5 years that we haven't travelled anywhere so we've been productive.

So I'd love to hear what has everyone else been doing this Summer?

Front of the house, there's more yard behind the fence

 I've added more pictures that you can see HERE

By on August 7th, 2012

About Powered by Mom

I’m Michelle aka Powered by Mom. I’m married with one daughter, my hubby was my high school sweetheart, our two dogs Nyx and Cleo and our cat Oliver. As you can see we’re a family of animal lovers. We love to travel when we can, try different food and activities all over the world and enjoy being together. My passions are writing, travelling, creating new recipes, encouraging people to adopt not shop and just to enjoy life while we can.

More posts by this author.

336 thoughts on “What we've been doing this Summer”

  1. Well for starters, I love love love your yard, it's so peaceful looking. My family hasn't done much this summer other then one trip to the zoo (My daughter's first, which she loved), then work work work and lot's of yard work since this was the first summer we've been in our new home. I think we've finally gotten close to what we are looking for but next spring calls for LOTS of new flower beds and landscaping around the house and maybe a garden, going to try to get my green thumb jump started again, but i have all fall and winter to think about what I will be doing.

    Reply
  2. I'm impressed, you did an awful lot with your time! The extent of my summer vacation was visiting family in Montana and hiding in the A/C!

    Reply
  3. I only went away for a long weekend for a family baby shower - I'm still working on projects around the house but am coming to the end of the big ones.

    Reply
  4. We spent the summer in Montana at my mother in laws house out in the middle of nowhere . We swam in crystal clear lakes & it snowed the last week in May That doesn't happen in Alabama lol

    Reply
  5. it looks great! I know many people do NOT like to give up their vacations/travels to do stuff at home. I don't mind giving up the time away. The whole time i'm "away" I would be thinking of all of the stuff that needs to get done back home. It feels good to get it done doesn't??? Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. tending to the yard and teaching the children how things grow is a lesson to be learned ! I taught my three year old how to tend a garden for the first time this year, and he tells everyone all about it ! Its such a wonderful thing to watch the plants grow, and your children 🙂

    Reply
  7. Love the pics... Summer was fantastic, I think we all bonded as a family - we tried to do a lot of 'little' things. Congratulations on a project well done!!!

    Reply
  8. I've had a fairly uneventful summer. I really miss having a yard and garden to tend to, though. It's a long convoluted story as to how I moved from my family home into a tiny apartment, but suffice it to say, I dislike not being able to plant a vegetable garden or tend to raspberry bushes.

    Reply
  9. sounds like my summer has been spent like yours! doing things around the house is always so satisfying. i love to see the yard after i've spent the day sweating out there!! instant gratification every time! looks like you've done a great job!

    Reply
  10. Love your blog! Kept busy with local day trips to the zoo, beach, fair, free outdoor concerts to name a few. Living in Michigan we have to so much to offer in all four seasons so we try to take advantage as much as possible.

    Reply
  11. I started my own small business and did a lot of sorting and giving away of stuff. Needless to say, my summer has gone by very quickly.

    Reply
  12. Gee, thanks for making me look lazy! LOL You did a lot of work this summer and all I really did was work in my small flower garden and clean out my closets! LOL We did go on quite a few outings though. We went to the Indy Zoo, the Children's Museum, went to a couple of country music concerts and went to see Cirque Du Soleil!

    Reply
  13. Looks like you guys did a great job and I love your house. My husband and I bought a house 11 years ago and let me tell you I was worried about him doing brickwork and patios and stairs etc because he has never done anything before. He works in health insurance for companies. I didn't give him enough credit. I watched him moving brick by brick on his own. A couple of years ago instead Of the old cologne and tie thing for Father's Day I wanted to do something different from me and the kids. I ordered him a
    Brick that fits into the patio/top step leading down to the yard. I had his name engraved in it and with the help of the salesperson over the phone, he suggested to engrave " hardscapes by Fred + Last name ." you should have seen how I wrapped it and him trying to think of what was inside this heavy present. It was funny as well to see him
    Have to see him take up some bricks from his newest area he had finished sooner than he said he was gonna finish. I had ordered it in time for his original date of finishing thinking he could add it then but no, he had to redo the part for the this last brick, not to mention he had to put his present in himself, so funny I guess if you were there to see

    Sibabe64 at ptd dot net

    Reply
  14. Phew! That was a lot of work! We are doing a lot of yard work too... it NEVER ends... but it's always that much more peaceful & satisfying once a project is complete. We are getting ready to put in a stone patio in our backyard & we are doing all of the work ourselves... *fingers crossed* 😉 hehe. Great job!!

    Reply
  15. That looks like a lot of work and it looks great. I wish I was more productive over my summer. There just didn't seem to be any time.

    Reply
  16. WOW!! You've really put a lot of effort into things. It looks great. Hardwork really pays off. I wish everyone nowadays would teach their kids the rewards of hard work!

    Reply
    • awww thanks Brandi 🙂 I couldn't agree with you more wish everyone did teach kids the rewards of hard work not everyone does I know.

      Reply
  17. Your yards look great! On my to-do list for next spring...a lot of $$$ required for mine. My original sod was basically laid on rock when the house was built 5 years ago and now its all dead.

    Reply
  18. I love your front yard fencing & the bushes, they add so much privacy! I think that makes a front yard much more usable, also great for keeping little ones out of the street. Beautiful job!

    Reply
  19. Oh my goodness, this gives me motivation to do something about our yard!! We have a quarter acre in back of just dirt haha. Thanks for the inspiration!
    Melissa Palmer
    mjp_0419 at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  20. Doesn't it make you feel so good when you complete a project like this? I know it does me. Your yard looks great!We are preparing to sell so we can move to bigger property with a smaller house. We are newly empty nesters! 🙂 I am looking forward to this so I can have more room for gardening.

    Reply
  21. OMG WOW! You guys have been so busy and things are looking great! I have not been quite so productive this summer... I've made it to the gym about 4 days per week and kept up with house cleaning, play dates, pool parties, walks and bike rides to the library, summer reading club... mostly just hanging out with my little people. I'm sure when we have a house that is ours and not a rental we'll have better and more productive summers like you and your family 🙂

    Reply
  22. You are fortunate to live in such a beautiful place! I know keeping up with a yard is difficult - that's why I don't have one. 🙂

    Reply
  23. Good job - I'm impressed not just by how much you got done but that the entire team participated! I started late this year and the rainy season in the South (USA) got the best of me with the humidity and bugs. I'm eagerly awaiting the Fall so I can get back to wedding and mulching!

    Reply
  24. Wow! You have been busy!! Looks very nice, and I hope with all the hard work involved you and your family have pat yourselves on the back for a Job well done!! 🙂 🙂

    Reply
  25. nice of you to share the pics as one might get a good idea
    of something to do with their yard.
    Hubby has being adding an extended roof to our back of the house
    and built a deck and steps-almost finished.
    We were at my sister and family's to dog sit while they took a trip
    to San Francisco.

    Reply
  26. Wow -- you've been busy! I spent a great deal of time travelling through mid-Michigan (Wellston, Lake City, Houghton Lake) --- have had a blast! Michigan is a very drivable state and the backroads are sweet.

    Reply
  27. Doesn't it seem like you get more done when you do a lot of things in a big clump of time? Seems like everyone has the same goal and is on the same page.
    First off let me say I love the color of your house. It's kind of teal green isn't it? The white trim really sets it off. And your yard is as neat as a pin!
    We have been doing things around the house also & haven't vacationed. I hope to plant some flowers to come up next summer.

    Reply
    • so true Debbie so true we don't have time every day so then it's a big haul at once 🙂 Yes our house is a dark green sometimes it does look teal you're right. The exact color was from General paint it was either Pine or Elm something I can't remember I know I had it narrowed down to those too but they were so close anyways 🙂 My yard doesn't always look that neat trust me lol with a hubby who's a contractor we constantly have tools and machinery everywhere. Thanks!

      Reply
  28. You have a beautiful backyard, it looks like great place to entertain and have family bbq's. This summer my family and I took as trip to Trinity County to a lodge out there and had a nice relaxing vacation with nothing to worry about. We loved it.

    Reply
  29. been trying to finish up my mother's trust, get rid of lots of things, trying to sell my house so i can move out of nc. asap.....takes almost 2 days to mow....too much land for me to care of w/ so much other things to do....

    Reply
    • awww thanks Courtney, we love our yard but the weeds oy they well grow like weeks it's hard to keep up so sometimes we do a big job like this once a year usually beginning of Summer so we can enjoy it for the summer 🙂 It's why we moved out of the downtown area so we could have a real yard so I figured we should enjoy it sometimes 🙂

      Reply
  30. This summer my kids & I got to take a road trip across the country w/my sister and her kids. Back to a family reunion. Such a beautiful country we have. Praises for portable DVD players!! lol Then just working, working...

    Reply
  31. Wow, great job! We haven't done much at all but move. That does say a lot since we just finished moving on Sun & it was a 680 mile move. We missed home too much. Now that we just got back a week ago we will be having a hurricaine tomorrow night, my luck...lol

    Reply
  32. Looks awesome! This summer, we started off expecting nothing spectacular, but I had been casually looking for over a year for houses (We live in an apt) and found something we TRULY LOVE! We're in contract now and we're really excited as we'll have a yard soon too, we hope!!! 🙂 I just hope everything goes well!!!

    Reply
    • Congratulations Tamar very exciting! 🙂 I know what that feels like we're still in the first house we bought 🙂 crossing fingers for you!

      Reply
  33. you have done a wonderful job on your yard. looks great. I have spent this summer doing some chores around the house but nothing like you..Wish i did though..maybe next year

    Reply
  34. we took kids to disneyland, seaworld, pool, bbq's and now we've started football. it's been very hot but that hasn't stopped us from having some fun. we haven't done any projects around the house or anything, just relaxing. the kids have gone back to school now, so time for some me time

    Reply
  35. No yard work for me due to chronic pain. I wish I could do yard work. We have been getting our house ready to go on the market. That in of itself is difficult enough. Hubby is doing all the hard, physical stuff and I am organizing and purging.

    Reply
  36. Wow! I'm super impressed with all you've done around your yard! We, too, have been trying to get our yard in tip-top shape. It's coming along, my husband carved out a bit of land for our 3 tier garden that we want to plant next year. Right now we have 2 tiers, but need to add to it. Next up: weeding the front yard and transplanting some of the flowers that the previous owner had planted, it's too much garden for a couple with two kids!

    Reply
  37. We have had a quiet summer because my hubby has to work out of town, so when he comes home, he doesn't feel like going anywhere. We've cooked out by the river a lot 🙂

    Reply
  38. Your yard looks absolutely gorgeous. I don't have a yard to take care of so I miss that outdoor time working in the dirt. My summer has been filled with swimming and bbq's this year, so it has been fun, but still miss my garden.

    Reply
  39. I haven't been doing much this summer as far as traveling or vacations. My daughters started new jobs so I have become a full time babysitter. I am having fun with the grandchildren and we are exploring the yard and learning new things, picking flowers, and tracking all kinds of creepy, crawly things. So we have made a great adventure in our own yard and it has been a lot of fun - I don't think I could have enjoyed any vacation more.

    Reply
  40. My Summer has definately not been as productive as yours; your backyard and landscaping looks great! However, I did have the opportunity to have my Army son, my new daughter-in-law and my precious "first" grandson visit for two weeks (on his leave) - especially after having a "cancer" scare when a tumor was found in my son's back last month.

    Reply
  41. I spent my summer growing a baby! 🙂 We only got to go camping once, but it was still fun even at 35 weeks with an oppositional 2 year old in tow.

    Reply
  42. We have had a jam packed summer! 4th of July Party, trip to Disneyland, camping trip to a truck show, 4 weeks of swimming lessons for my 4-year old, a princess Birthday party, our 10th anniversary party, & we got a new-to-us dog. It's a good thing my husband never got the garden planted & never got the "free" boat we were given to run.

    Reply
  43. My 3yr old can't swim on his own yet so we've been hitting up the sprinkler parks. So much fun & free! But I really wish my backyard was kid friendly so he could play there. (We really let it go). But hopefully I can resolve this soon.er than later.

    Reply
  44. Looks gorgeous! Sometimes wish I had this much space to do something like this, but alas, I'm a downtown city girl. 😉

    Reply
    • It's not cheap Jennifer, my husband is does a lot of work with contractors he's one too but he specializes in gates and electronic security so he shopped around for the gravel and he and 2 young kids he gets to work with him sometimes shovelled all the gravel saving big time on the labour (although paid the kids but still). It's the labour that can kill you for sure.

      Reply
  45. Great job...It's too hot here in Florida during the summer to tackle an outdoor project.
    I love Vancouver...grew up in Everett WA.

    Reply
  46. We haven't really done much this Summer because of the intense heat. I would love to do a project like this around the home. Hopefully once Fall arrives I'll have better news. This was quite inspiring !

    Reply
  47. I grew up in northern California & now live in Missouri. Don't knock those pine needles. You'd miss them if they were gone.

    Reply
  48. I've been hunting down deals couponing and spending time with my family . Getting ready to go back to college and more extreme couponing .

    Reply
  49. Oh my we've been working on our yard too! New patio, shrubs, and other landscaping. It's a lot of work and it's been so stinkin hot. Thank goodness it finally cooled down as we don't have to water our new grass as much. Good luck!

    Reply
  50. Your yard looks really good, great place to entertain or just hang outside with your family. We were planning on going to FL this summer and visit families, but my father-in-law passed the day after father's day and 2 weeks later my mom got into a car accident and cracked her spine. My brother who I haven't seen for 3 yrs flew from CA and we just hung out with my mom and helping her with anything. It was nice to spend time with my mom, my brother and my kids, almost like before we set oout to start out life, but with my kids added.

    Reply
  51. For the first time in six years, our vacation schedule is not bound by a school schedule, so we haven't taken any vacations. We have been busy renovating a rental apartment and pouring a new concrete patio on our property. Now if I could just figure out how to get rid of SO MANY pesky mosquitoes, I could actually enjoy our patio!

    Reply
  52. Awesome job on working on your yard, funny how a little bit of work makes a big difference. A before and after pic would have been great, but congrats again on working on this!

    Reply
  53. Wow, you have done an amazing job with your home and yard! I commend you for sticking to your plans! Here in North Carolina we have had a lot of rain in the recent months so we have had to plan our lawn maintenance based on when it will rain or not. Also, washing the cars is difficult as it rains as soon as you wash it. LOL. We have tried to stay cooler going to the Catawba River and taking the boat or jet ski. We enjoy fishing, swimming, jet-skiing and just hanging out with friends and family as much as possible. If the gas prices would go down we could do it more often. Thanks for sharing! Great job!

    Reply
    • Thanks so much Kim! I know what you mean about washing cars with the rain, here on the west coast we get lots of rain in Spring, Fall etc.. I don't bother washing the car then lol no point. Sounds like you all had some fun though!

      Reply
  54. we have done alot of cleaning on the yard. stayed in the house relaxing on them very hot days we had. now we waiting on FALLL woohooo

    Reply
  55. Wow that looks awesome!! We have spent most of our summer indoors due to the heat...trying to organize the play room/nursery so toys are accessible but easy to clean up for lots of activities this winter too!

    Reply
  56. Its too hot on the Gulf coast of MS to be out side. My son is allergic to mosquitos and the heat is crazy.

    Reply
  57. Seems like any work to do with a house keeps everyone busy 🙂 Your house is amazing as well as the yard. We live in NC so most of the year is warm and we have to cut the grass, trim the bushes and manage the garden. Hubby does MOST. 🙂

    Reply
  58. We spend our time inside with hot temps in Arizona. Was hoping to get up north for cooler weather but money hasn't permitted, maybe next year!

    Reply
  59. We havent really done much this summer with it being so hot here in NC! With the heat index its gets up to 110 on some days! So basically staying in and on the weekends if its cool enough, have some friends over and cooking on the grill! Your yard is beautiful...Nice work!!

    Reply
  60. This summer we did lots of stuff as a family - something we've never been able to afford before. Lots of traveling and playing in the ocean and such. It was a great summer. I was really sad to see it end!!! 🙁

    Reply
  61. My grandson is 7 years old and 2 days after his mom turned 39 she passed of Cancer so we have been very busy with him trying to keep him busy and helping him get over his loss. We went to Melbourne beach for 2 weeks, Disney and LegoLand in Florida, visited family and friends in Florida. Back in New Hampshire we took him to Storyland, beaches, back to school shopping and many other things which he enjoyed. He has certainly had a summer to remember.

    Reply
    • So sorry for your loss but it sounds like your grand son has great support in you and has you said had a memorable summer.

      Reply
  62. I rent so i let lights go out in a bad storm an watch DPL help all the build up of weed and trees that need pulled.I spent whole summer waiting on new teeth, My Randy an i celbrated 20 yrs in April and both our bithday.Mostly we just try to stay healthy as he has diabeties and already loss a eye,Me i was on life support for phnemonia and just getting back to norm .Loose alot of memory in a coma and had to learn how to walk again. Our church we spend more time at.We realize just how grateful we our when life can be an is so short .
    But you can always resr asure you have a beautiful yard.Do it yourself jobs are always nice to look at .

    Reply
  63. You all did good work. 🙂 Your yard looks amazing. We didn't do anything nearly that spectacular this summer. Our youngest was just born in April, so this summer was occupied with nursing, nursing, nursing, and sweet newborn kisses. 🙂

    Reply
  64. MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN STAYING INSIDE, IN THE AIR CONDITIONING! HERE IN KENTUCKY, THE TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN AN VERY UNCOMFORTABLE 105 DEGREES! WITH THE HEAT INDEX, IT'S BEEN 110 TO115!!!! IT IS SO HOT THAT JUST GOING OUTSIDE TO CHECK THE MAIL WILL SOAK YOU WITH SWEAT!! YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB ON YOUR YARD!! IT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE ON THE COVER OF "BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS"!!! JUST REMEMBER THAT "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY"MAKE FOR SOME VERY TIRED AND SORE SOLES!!!

    Reply
  65. We packed up the kids and went to the beach. My youngest is 16 years old and had never been to the beach. Sad part is we live in southeast Louisiana!

    Reply
  66. helping my daughter by taking care of my grandson as she moved to FL. Enjoying going places with him. Taking my son and grandson to Six Flags@! Getting my son and my household ready for him to go to college Clemson University as a freshman! Enjoying our last summer of being a Kid and entering adulthood! Enjoying life!

    Reply
  67. Nothing much really. Just trying to keep my blog going so it does not lose any followers. Other than that, I dont have much time for anything else. My health prevents me from doing too much so the blog probably takes me longer than someone who is healthy and can stay on the computer longer. We did get to visit my aunt for the first time in 1 year and a half so that was good. She lives about 12 hours away!

    Reply
  68. Nice to finally come across a Canadian Blogger!! No offence to our US blogger friends of course!!! I have been busy camping with family this summer. Has been a beautiful one in Ontario!!! Beautiful yard!!

    Reply
    • Thanks Tammy and I know what you mean, we Canadian bloggers are a little outnumbered compared to our lovely US counterparts 🙂 Thank you!

      Reply
  69. Very nice yard! Next year our front yard is our big challenge.
    This summer we have been "grand central station" for all the neighbor kids. I created the "I'm Bored Box" with ideas for my kids and the neighbor kids to keep busy and out of trouble. They have made cookies for an elderly neighbor, ran a lemonade stand, had sponge wars, made magic wands, etc. It has been one of the best summers ever.

    Oh we also have a pumpkin and a couple of watermelons in the front yard. 😉

    Reply
  70. Wow! What a great job! Just think that you can now check that off your list. I love when I can mark off big projects like that.

    As for me, well I've been de-cluttering my home that we're trying to sell. I've taken my son to the beach and a few amusement parks. We've played in the rain and my son learned to walk. IT's been pretty interesting around here. I hope the rest of your summer is lovely!

    Reply
  71. Yards are just breathtaking,very good job.Such a nice way to spend time with the family while doing something you all can be proud of for a lifetime.

    Reply
  72. So beautiful...nice big yard for get togethers and BBQ's!! Since my husband passed away, my daughter and I moved to Maine onto 2 acres in the woods with no neighbors. It is so peaceful and serene here! Maybe, your husband would like to come help me build a patio?!
    😉 Today while sitting on my front deck, I was visited by a beautiful doe that didn't realize I was there and she stayed for 45 minutes!

    Reply
  73. Love how your yard turned out! We have been home this summer and have spent a lot of time working in the garden too. The gardens in the front of the house have been over-taken by two types of plants so in the fall I plan on redoing all of it.We also ordered some trees online and as the prices were so good went a little crazy and got a bunch. So will be digging lots of holes soon. thanks for sharing, I feel inspired now.

    Reply
  74. Every year, my son goes to his grandparents house, which sounds like a dream. However, I have a darling baby girl who was deathly ill earlier this year. In turn, she is stuck to me. So, in short, we didn't really do anything this summer. With 20-30 minute naps, I can't get anything done around the house and my husband works hard and far, so doesn't do much around the house. I'm lucky that he wants to come home every night. I MADE it through the summer.

    Reply
    • Wow no way Heather! You might be the first one from BC who I know has stopped by yay so glad you did, would love to know whereabouts you are, we are in the lower mainland North delta to be exact 🙂

      Reply
  75. Oh my gosh have you guys been quite busy this Summer. Yard work is so tiring but the payoff is so worth it! Enjoy your beautiful home and back yard 🙂

    Reply
  76. Sounds like you've had a very busy summer!! Everything looks beautiful! We haven't really done ANYTHING this summer....lol Just hung out in our very HOT condo....*joy* HAHA

    Reply
  77. now you need a vacation...we have put some new sod in places that it had died in the backyard...always something to do in the yards!

    Reply
  78. Thats what i planned on doing is fix my back yard up but didnt get it done. So yay to you for getting it done!!

    Reply
  79. Your summer has been totally more exciting than mine. Congrats on home improvement, that's always fun! I've been taking classes at the community college all summer! Bummer, I know, but someone has to feed these babies! Hehe. BUT my summer is about to get more exciting next week because my classes will be over & I will get to spend much needed quality (non-grumpy) time with my family. No fancy vacations here, but that's ok with me.

    Reply
    • good for you HOpe that's great, I've been there too so I know what you mean 🙂 no fancy vacations for us either but enjoying the quality time too.

      Reply
  80. Wow! You guys have been busy this summer! Everything looks really great. I really wish that we could do more with our yard but it's military housing :/

    Reply
  81. The yard looks fantastic! we have had bbq's, I'm on a month long vacation to my hometown as of now. i don't want to leave! we have been enjoying our summer

    Reply
  82. I think your home looks beautiful. I've been so busy with working this summer that we haven't had a chance to do anything as a family, which of course, makes me very sad! Now I really have to plan something before the snow flies!!

    Reply
  83. You have a Beautiful home!! Congrats w new baby! 🙂 i havent done much to hot and i broke my arm soo havent been able to enjoy much this summer.

    Reply
  84. Started it with trip to Washington DC for a son's graduation, then to Mayo clinic with another son, a few little day trips here and there and a lot of time indoors as we had 40 days over 90 degrees. working out a lot @ the gym.

    Reply
  85. Wow, your place looks amazing!!! We bought our house at the end of January. We have been very busy this Summer weeding and making our house a home. We also are expecting our 2nd little girl at the end of October, so we have also been very busy trying to get things together for her arrival.

    Reply
  86. Summer has flew by for me and the kiddos! I've mostly been working and spending all my extra time with the kids (my y oungest is still trying to learn to ride a bike lol) and putting alot of time into couponing!

    Reply
  87. Like you, we are in the process of remodeling (if you will) our back yard -- laying pavers and edgers and creating a flower garden. Since we are an older couple, it has taken us a lot longer than what we expected, and with the Florida heat and humidity, we can only work a couple hours a day on it. However, our back yard will look really nice once it is all done. We also took a couple weeks out of our schedule to visit our children in Michigan and Indiana.

    Reply
  88. That is just wonderful i bet you wont get as many weeds also =}. I have been organizing my house and cleaning a lot my house has looked better and better. Thanks for sharing .

    Reply
  89. Good job getting the lawn and gardens fall ready! We have been busy too...graduation, sports practices, babysitting, getting ready for school and college,and we took a 10 day trip to New Orleans, LA!

    Reply
  90. It's been way too hot in Southeast Georgia for much outside time. We've been doing a LOT of reading this summer!

    Terri P
    pr4gatheringroses AT gmail DOT com

    Reply
  91. we have had a busy summer! My oldest graduated from high school., which was bittersweet. We took a 10 day trip to New Orleans, LA partly for business and partly for pleasure. Now we are getting ready for college to start for the oldest, I have lesson plans to make for the other two as I homeschool them, we go to teakwondo 3x per week, my youngest is in cheeleading and girl scouts, my middle one is in soccer...

    all your hard work in your yard is looking great!

    Reply
  92. Wow you guys have been really busy, your yard looks awesome. We've gone to the beach a few times, went camping for a week and other than that we've just been swimming and BBQing with the family.

    Reply
  93. This looks just beautiful!! Canada is so pretty anyway!! I lived there when I was a little girl and my Father is Canadian all the way!!! We have really just been enjoying doing a lot of local things this year. We love to people watch at Venice beach (i am so bad) LOL! Also going up to The Greek Theatre and checking out concerts as well as Universal City. I live in a part of Los Angeles where I'm fortunate enough to have access to so many happenings at just about all times. We go to a lot of Movie Screenings as well.

    Reply
  94. I have not been up to much this summer...I have been trying to get a few idea's off the ground 😉 I must say I have enjoyed my time with the kiddos! We do have a plan to hit the beach here before the 29th of August! Just gotta get it on the road soon before the kids start school!

    Reply
  95. We spent our time this summer taking small weekend trips with the kids. Living in the hot temps of the So Cal desert I have to wait till it starts to cool off a bit in the fall to get my yard all cleaned up again so we have been enjoying the pool and just trying to spend some good quality family time together.

    Reply
  96. I made a deal with my son that if he made honor roll at least 3 at of 4 quarters last school year he could have a sleep over during the summer. Well he did, so I planned a camp-out in our back yard with 15 boys ranging from 9 - 17 years old. They did an amazing race through my neighborhood following clues and slept (well chatted and laughed all night) in my backyard!

    Reply
  97. We haven't done too much that has been special. I've made a few trips to visit family, we had our family baseball game and BBQ, I planted a hydroponic garden 🙂

    Reply
  98. Been working as much as my sick body will allow on my vegetable garden. The darn bugs have been wreaking havoc and since I'm an organic gardener I've been battling them with hand picking and horticultural oils. Your front yard looks nice. Give the hubby a pat on the back.

    Reply
  99. I love all the hard work you have done -- our family has been doing a lot of camping (about three weeks). Also my husband and I have a vegas trip planned at the end of august for just us for my b-day:)

    Reply
  100. Lovely yard. u certainly have been busy. I live in MI and as u know we have been declared a disaster state because of the drought. We just had our first significant rain. I had tried to grow LOTS of veggies as costs are getting so great. I had so many seedlings coming up beautifully...and then lost most of them. Just couldn't keep them watered enough with the high temps...That was most of my energy this summer...but I also took dance classes so something came good from efforts! I guess next year will be the yard.

    Reply
    • It's hard to see the flowers in the one backyard picture there's just marigolds in front of the swing set area. In the the front yard there are 2 hanging baskets at the front door which you can't see in the pic and right in front of the house which is on the other side of the fence of the front yard picture you see. I"ll see I can get a front, front yard pic next 🙂

      Reply
  101. You've definitely been busy this summer. I've also undertaken a few projects around the house, including painting the living room, office, kitchen, and basement and planting a vegetable garden. Unfortunately, I lost my father at the beginning of the summer, so these household chores helped me get my mind off of it. We took a family vacation to Ocean City, MD for a week in remembrance of him and to share some time together as a family.

    Reply
    • My condolences Pamela! I lost my father in 2008 just before I was to start my graduate studies I know how hard it can be. Take care.

      Reply
  102. Me and my new girlfriend, have spent allot of the summer going for drives and visiting the sights around our local area, also went up north just for the heck of it we have had a great summer.

    Reply
  103. I think you all did an awesome job. It looks beautiful. I have spent my summer hanging out with my husband and doing a little remodeling on our housee

    Reply
  104. My July was busy with company. My mom came up for a few days. Then, at the end of the month, my son and his wife, my two wonderful grandkids, and their two big dogs came up for a week. Crazy fun times!

    Reply
  105. i wish i had a yard to play in! Apartment life isn't ideal but i've learned how to problem solve. i live in the southwest in the states so hiding indoors and avoiding the sun is what i do all summer.

    Reply
  106. I love the work you did in your yard, your yard look so beautiful Last year we build a deck and we basically build it around two flower bed. This year I raised the flower bed by digging the perennial plants a dding dirt to level the flower beds to the deck. It is so beautiful. I spend a lot of time digging dandelion by hand on my back year lawn.

    Reply
  107. I too have been working in the yard a lot. Growing veggies and freezing them for the winter. Hoping to cut costs a little since Hubby has retired and we are now on a fixed income. It's nice to be busy, busy, busy!

    Reply
  108. Your backyard looks great! Reminds me I should get out there and weed my plants, too. I wish I could say I've had as productive a Summer as you! We've been spending a lot of time with family and visiting friends.

    Reply
  109. Such beautiful yards!! Just wish I had one to work in but then again I would probably get heat stroke lol.....been way too hot!!

    Reply
  110. My sister and I took a 2 week trip to Seattle, Vancouver (BC) and Portland and paid for the entire trip with our sweepstakes wins! It was a fantastic trip and we had never been to the PNW so got to see new places.

    Reply
    • way to go Susan congrats and it is beautiful in SEattle, Portland and most of all VAncouver so I'm biaised on that last one lol you got to come to my city gotta love the mountains and the ocean and all the rest of our beautiful scenery 🙂

      Reply
  111. I haven't done much this summer. I spent it with my boys. Now I started homeschooling my oldest on August 8. He is a kindergartener.

    Reply
  112. I love what you have been doing with your yard. I live on the central coast in Oregon and I have been working a lot on my yard too! We live on 3/4 of an acre so I will never catch up!!! I decided to try and make flowers grow and vegetables this year. We don't have hot weather most of the time so it isn't so easy like when I lived in Portland. I actually have zucchini growing and flowers. I have taken up sewing which I am not good at!!

    Reply
    • Good for you Rita! WE love the Oregon Coast have been there a few times and we have some similar weather here so I know what you mean! Zucchini yum! I'm no good at sewing either 🙂

      Reply
  113. If I could even do 1/4 of what you have done I'd be in great shape!!! Texas weather has been stupidly hot and muggy and being outside for more than10 minutes turns me into a sweaty mess!!!

    Reply
  114. I spent the start of the summer reformatting my PC while concurrently setting up my laptop - and now the rest of the summer I've been and plan to continue hitting up the beach.

    Reply
  115. My family and i spent our summer hanging out in our backyard and swimming in our pool so far no getaways but we had a lot of family time. You guys did a great job on you r backyard.

    Reply
  116. I Went Camping This Summer With My Parents And My Nephews I Had Alot Of Fun We Usually Go To Carowinds Every Summer But This Year I Cant Go Due To Health Reasons But I Really Hope That My Family Still Goes And Has A Great Time

    Reply
  117. Haven't gone anywhere but to the lake this summer. i can't do any projects because i don't own my own house yet. but i can't wait til' the day that i do.

    Reply
  118. Great job on your yard! This summer, we weren't so ambitious. We traveled to South Carolina and went surfing with Kip Moore. Then we took the kids to Mississippi to visit their grandmother.

    Reply
  119. Your yard looks very nice. My husband and I didn't get to take a summer vacation this year as he had to have an emergency triple by-pass, So I have been taking care of him and our exotic pheasants. Since we raise and breed them I had a lot of egg collecting and moving them from incubator to hatcher to warmer to broader as needed.

    Reply
  120. I couldnt see real well from the picture but I love your patio area out back! We cut down a pine last year that was scrubby, to make way for a patio area and it has not been done. (funding low that is out of our control). So much of our work goes undone because of busy kids (sports and school) schedules, and my health issues. We did put in a safety window in our basement so we could have a "legal" window in there...for our son's bedroom. This summer we had to back fill and take down the skirting on the bottom of the house on that side, so I had to paint a cement type mixture along that whole side (next year will try to do the other 3 sides but OH what a royal pain to dig down 2 plus feet all around the house and enough room to get into the area to work). We have a 4x10 grilling patio area ready to block that is left unfinished too. I did get to paint our bedroom, the only room in our small ranch not painted since moving in over TEN years ago. Last week started scraping our stairwell in order to paint but the paint started PEELING off in sheets, so now have scraped 90% of the paint off down to wall board. It's gonna cost us big to spray texture and repaint. (be careful what you might get into with DIY projects...grrrr). Yet to do is clean our garage, do the trim in our son's bedroom and get the basement walls taped, mudded , textured and painted. Then usual yard work with cutting plants back and getting ready for fall/winter very soon. I hope you keep us up on your projects...it is great inspiration to show others they CAN do a lot of work themselves instead of contracting work always...even if you do part of it yourself. So many women (especially) don't think they can do "man's" work. I have helped shingle houses, run electric wires, put in a garbage disposal and lighting, taken out shrubs and small trees alone, changed my own oil, texture and painting, etc...YOU CAN DO THIS! There are so many sites out to help or even home stores like Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards who will help you out. With this economy, we all have to DIG IN, like you guys did. GREAT JOB!

    Reply
    • Thanks Eileen and it's so true with the economy especially so few can afford contractors so we have to do it ourselves and yes women we can do more of it too 🙂 Hope all is better for you now Eileen it definitely was crazy for you!

      Reply
  121. Your yard looks very nice. My husband and I didn't get to go on vacation this summer as he had to have an emergency triple by-pass. So I have been taking care of him and our Exotic Pheasants. We breed them so I had a lot of egg collecting and moving them to each incubator and hatcher as needed.

    Reply
  122. I have been a lazy bum this summer. I have lots of thoughts of what to do but no strength or motivation to just DO!!!

    Reply
  123. DH & I went on a couple (near to home) vacations with my side of the family - the San Juan Islands for a week (we live in western WA) and over to eastern WA for a weekend. Other than that, I've been working a LOT - no time for much else, and we are in a little apartment so no fun projects. Love seeing what you have done, though - gives me more ideas to file away for "Someday"!

    Reply
  124. this summer i really wanted to paint my kitchen living room and bathroom but i didnt get a chance to 🙁 every year i usually plant flowers along the walk way to my front door but i just didnt have it in me this year it hurts my back to much. Next year for sure though...i hope:P i wanna paint though for sure but its intimidating cause i have really high ceilings so the walls go up uP UP so im scared to start and not beable to finish:P your front yard/front veiw looks amazing! it looks like u would see it in a magazine! i love the big trees it provides nice shade and privacy!

    Reply
    • awww thanks Myra, we need to paint inside next so I know where you're coming from. We jsut went for it for the yard back breaking work and we both work fulltime too but with some help we got the major stuff done over 4 days.

      Reply
  125. Busy summer you've had so far! I must say, I absolutely hate yard work which I guess is a major plus of living in an apartment. But you have done an awesome job on your yard and should be very proud of it!

    Reply
  126. I truly wish we could have done some work on our yard this summer! It's not terribly attractive but with weeks of record breaking heat and a brand new baby yard work beyond the bare minimum just wasn't in the cards. You have a lovely back yard and I'm a little green here. 🙂

    Reply
    • I agree Linda we would have loved to have gone on vacation but that wasn't in the cards for us money wise especially. It's our first year in 5 years at home for the summer too. We're sneaking some time in to relax though in our back yard 🙂

      Reply
  127. You've been busy. What a great summer. We took our kids on a 1 week vacation about 2 hours out of the city which was really nice and relaxing. Kids went to camp and now we're busy packing for our move next month. Also working on some curriculum books with the kids..getting them ready for school.

    Reply
  128. ugh i hate yard work. we spent so much $ trying to get ours to looks nice but my husband dont agree on a lot of things. he doesnt like greenery at all! just the grass. haha. this summer we went on vacation to hilton head.

    Reply
  129. Seems we have both been productive, just in different ways! I have dedicated this summer to researching blogs and social media, and have decided to make a slow transition to blogging to see if it's something that I can be successful at. Hopefully it will work out, and I will have some more time at home to tackle meaningful projects like you did with your backyard! 🙂

    Reply
  130. your yard looks great - we haven't had much time to work on ours - really been working most of the summer

    Reply
    • we know what that's like Brenda we've been working all summer too so those 4 days of the hard yard work after work was exhausting but now that it's done we're happy 🙂

      Reply
  131. That is awesome! Landscaping/gardening is my passion. It is hard work but the ending ahhh makes it even more rewarding!

    Reply
  132. Yard work never ends! My 7 year old grandson asked why no one has invented a spray that could be used on a perfectly landscaped lawn and make it stay that way permanently!

    Reply
  133. Great job on your backyard. I have spending time watching my grandchildren and loving it. I wouldn't know what to do if they weren't around.

    Reply
  134. We live in a tourist town, so Summer here ALWAYS means lots of work. We did manage to get away on my birthday in June, however, to do a hot air balloon ride!

    Reply
  135. Unfortunately we haven't done much of anything this summer. We have been packing and trying to buy a home. We've written contracts on 3 different homes, but something keeps going wrong, and we lose out on the home.
    Our tiny apartment is lined with boxes, some of which have been packed since November.
    We would like to be into a home by the end of October because our daughter is expecting a son in November, and we really don't have the room here.
    Cross your fingers for us. We're going to attempt this again soon.

    Reply
  136. I really love what you've done. Nothing like the feeling of looking at a job well done and feeling proud. You guys have been busy beavers. I haven't gotten to do much this summer, health prevents me from doing so. thanks for sharing your pictures!

    Reply
  137. Summer just flew right by! I've mainly been working and trying to spend time with my daughter (almost 16months old!). I did do some garage saling and a lot of gardening - we ended up with 14 canteloupe!

    Reply
  138. Living across from a forest is really nice. Must be quiet where you live. New landscape, new re-graveled driveway, you have been busy. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  139. Your yard looks great! I wish I had the motivation to get out and do something with mine.
    Other than taking a couple short day drives and going to a baseball game I haven't done much this summer. I had a waterheater pipe bust and flood my house so 1 month later I am still waiting to repair floors get new carpet and finally get hot water again.

    Reply
  140. It looks like you live in a very nice area! I too have been accomplishing quite a bit on our property with clean up, gardening, weeding and more. It's so nice to see the beauty once a project is completed 🙂

    Reply
  141. I have been relaxing, as much as possible. The first half of the summer, I took 6 kids to the beach, swimming pools, lake, ice skating and to the movies. Since July 8, I have had 2, as the other 4 have gone to TN to spend the rest of their summer. Now we spend our days lazy, after picking up the house everyday. On the weekends, we go out to the lake and swim and fish. It has been relatively nice.

    Reply
  142. Well, you have been very busy & as you said you can see the fruits of your labour. I admire how save money in fixing up your yard. I've done a lot of yard work in my life & know how time consuming & also the hard work involved. I was just wondering why you preferred to have bark in your front yard instead of grass? The scenery & weather in B.C. is terrific. We reside in Manitoba. Lets trade places for a few years!

    Reply
    • lol Shelly I've been to Manitoba no offence I love BC. To be honest for the bark mulch in the very front there that's my hubby's preference not sure why as I prefer grass but on the other side of the fence the rest of the front yard is grass. He says bark mulch is easier to maintain I say it's not cause you can't move over it and the weeds come up so more weeding.:)

      Reply
  143. The yard looks beautiful. Someone's been busy. My husband is the gardener in the family, and loves every bit of it. He says it just relaxes him. He enjoys seeing how the trees, flowers, bushes all start to grow & bloom. He is color-blind so of course the only real color he actually sees is yellow. But he has many different colrs outside and they really are beautiful 🙂

    Reply
  144. You've had a busy summer and your place looks totally awesome! For me, I've spent time with my beautiful grandchildren, did some volunteer work, and I went on a few small trips with my Mom and with my kids and grandkids, so it's been a great summer!

    Reply
  145. like you ,we been busy reseeding our lawn,building a wooden fence for privacy,putting in a small garden. also trying to keep the worms off our tomatoes and the moles out of the yard. its been a lot of work with the hot weather we have had. finally thou its cooling down. your place really looks beautiful ,its worth all the hard work.

    Reply
  146. Looks like you've been busy! This is the first year in many that we've just sat at home all summer. The weather was unbearable for a while. We've been trying to keep our lawn alive and our flowers. I planted some Passion Flowers and they took off so we are enjoying those.

    Reply
  147. Looks like you have gotten a lot done this summer! I honestly have not done anything exciting at all. Just working and trying to save money for a small weekend getaway to destress!

    Reply
  148. This summer really sucks for me because I was in summer school almost all summer but I have only 1 more semester before graduating

    Reply
    • Thanks Jessica, I wish we had more time for it all the time but I'm hoping we'll upkeep it better now that we've done all this work 🙂

      Reply
  149. My husband and I just bought a home back in the end of May, so this summer we have been doing a lot of cleaning and making the house into a 'home.' Along with that, we had a new baby in the beginning of June. This house had been empty for over 2 years; the bank kept up with some stuff while some other things were left alone. When we first moved here, the roof was full of moss. Instead of getting a new roof, my husband did a lot of roof and gutter cleaning. While he is doing that, I am juggling with taking care of a 3 year old, an infant (now 9 weeks), and trying to decorate the inside of our new home. It doesn't sound like very much, but it has been a busy summer for my family here in the Pacific Northwest.

    Reply
    • Sounds like a lot to me Somaly! We're in the pacific northwest to Canada of course but you can't be too far away, Washington or Oregon maybe?

      Reply
    • Thanks Karen, we thought about it a lot when we first moved her the exterior house color my mom and I chose and my hubby built the fence 🙂

      Reply
  150. I am glad someone has been productive, because I haven't been...well, not entirely true. I had a baby and have been recovering/adjusting into life with a newborn and a two year old. So no big projects for me at the moment. Great work though, it looks beautiful!

    Reply
  151. love how relaxing the yard is! my husband built us a back deck this summer and we have had a great time hanging out back!

    Reply
  152. We are renters, so I don't have that much motivation to get outside and make it look better. I want to garden, but I would hate leaving things behind that I'd put so much work into when we do move. This summer is my first as a mommy, so I have been soaking it up. I've been blessed to be able to stay home with him and I wouldn't have it any other way!!! We have been introducing him to the Florida sun and have been keeping cool at the local waterpark or any swimming pool we can get to!!! He loves the water!!!!

    Reply
  153. I see your very busy with fixer uppers stuff. We have five kids so thats been my summer. Hoping to get some stuff done around our home soon!

    Reply
  154. I wish we had time to do a yard clean up. We adopted our son a month ago at birth and well new baby plus a 2 year old doesn't leave time for much. Your yard looks great.

    Reply
  155. that;s nice! i wish i could do the same in our patio but doesn't have any will this summer. maybe next year. i didn't do anything this summer except when going out to the beach and park picnicking with my family.

    Reply
  156. Beautiful yard and lots of greenery. I live in the desert and we only have gravel as landscape. It was 117 here today so it is refreshing to view your lush pictures.

    Reply
  157. Best summer yet! My preemie daughter (Born last May) has been in PT for a neck issue. No big deal really but, made her behind on many physical milestones. We are now walking and PT free. Couldn't think of a better way to spend my summer than to watch her grow into a little person!

    Reply
  158. Wow looks like you have been very busy! We are getting ready to sell our house so we are painting kitchen cabinets and all the trim in the house to match the already white doors. =)

    Reply
    • good luck to you Lindsey. I've told my hubby we can't move from here we have too much junk and I don't think I could keep the house show home clean for more than one day lol

      Reply
  159. i wish i could say i was so productive but with a demanding one year old productive time is still very rare, i made plans for next year though:-) plus try to enjoy every minute of sun i can get on our beautiful deck

    Reply
    • I'm with you on trying to enjoy the sun, I try to take a 30 minute break every day if it's nice outside to get some vitamin D 🙂

      Reply
  160. Its really nice that you have such a helpful husband & friends to help you with the yard work and driveway . We try to do major jobs like that to during the summer . This year has been so horribly hot so we didnt do much unless it was later in the evening. We have done alot of tearing out of old shrubs and over grown ground covers . And of course our yearly vegetable garden takes alot of time and work to . Lots of birds at our bird feeders to.

    Reply
    • It's not easy and yep grateful for my hubby and friends we try to something every summer when it's nice out as we don't have a lot of time usually so it accumulates but with the nicer weather we have to take advantage we get a lot of rain in the Fall, Spring and winter which it's hard to do that stuff then 🙂

      Reply
  161. you have a very nice view, love all the greenery, wish i had more of that here in FL. Looks very relaxing, keep enjoying!!

    Reply
  162. I moved last year, and one of my bedrooms, ended up being a storage room. Finally had a chance to go through the boxes, and get the room cleaned out. Looks like you have been very busy this year with your yard. Looks Great!

    Reply
  163. It looks really great, we've been putting off doing our backyard and went camping instead. Next Spring we will buckle down and do it.

    Reply
  164. nice work on your yard! our yard desperately needs a makeover but we just didn't get to it....yet. i've been gardening but there's so much work to do

    Reply
  165. We've started back to school, so summer is officially over for my husband and me (we're both teachers), but we packed a lot into our summer. Over the winter, one of the shrubs in front of our house died, which forced us to stop procrastinating & finally re-landscape the front of our house. Our kids are in college now, but our daughter (the oldest) is hardly home anymore and will graduate next spring, but had the bigger bedroom, so we swapped/redecorated our son's /daughter's rooms. What a job -- their stuff was everywhere while we emptied, painted, & exchanged contents, but they're finally put back together and look great! During the "in-between" times, we managed to travel to Florida for a family reunion, I designed/built/organized kids for my school's float in our 4th of July parade (which won one of the trophies!!), and helped organize a flash mob with my students for our county fair. It was a great summer, but jam-packed! Mind if I come relax in your beautiful back yard now??

    Reply
  166. your back yard looks great. i wish mine would get done soon. we were going to have a cover put over our patio and screened in but my father in law had a triple bypass and it was put on hold. i read all that you did and have taken some notes and would like to do a few of the same thing once we are able to. thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • You are very welcome Kristen! My next goal for hubby (lol) is to build a new deck with a cover too ours is so tiny but we have the concrete patio as you saw in the pictures but a covered deck could get used year round 🙂

      Reply
  167. You backyard looks great. My summer is ok. My in laws came down a month ago because my husband had knee surgery. They helped with my almost 2 year old, hubby, the 2 dogs and the cat. Now my son will be 2 on the 26th. Each one of us had surgery every year the past 3 years. Last year my son was 10 months and had heart surgery.

    Reply
  168. My fiance and I went to Oklahoma. SO much hotter than you would think it to be if you've never been there. But I loved spending time with the in laws!!

    Reply
    • It's very easy if you have wooden, grass or any baskets left over from previous years that are in decent shape Kindra 🙂

      Reply
    • I love my garden 🙂 I want to build a little oasis in the backyard where the swing set is now maybe next year my daughter hasn't given the go ahead to get rid of the slide and swings yet lol but I think she will she's almost 11 🙂

      Reply
  169. I finally got a chance to paint my bathroom. It was a horrible orange and yellow since I moved in 4 years ago. I couldn't take anything else but white but I'm excited to add accent colors like black and red. Its soo much more calming then what I was looking at before.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sugar Cookie Bars With Chocolate Ganache Story Easy Chocolate Lollipops Story Strawberry Paleo Fudge Bites Story Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich Recipe Story Easy Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry Soup Story