Day 7

Curse you Stephenie Meyers!  I failed to take pictures the last couple of days and I feel like I missed out on getting the “first day of green” shot.  I have no idea when the first blades shot up but here they are.

There were some areas of the yard that looked a little thin on mulch so we called Grass Master (our very friendly hydro-seed guys) and they came back and resprayed our yard (mostly mulch, very little seed).  I don’t think that will affect the project.  The extra mulch shouldn’t stunt or delay the growth of the original seed.

Day 7

So far were pretty pleased with what’s happening.

Day 4

Day 4

Day 4

Here’s a couple of shots of the blankets we have covering the berms.  I think “shredded wheat” is a pretty fair description.

Day 4

Day 3

Day 3

Our yard was hydro-seeded on Wednesday July 30th.  We will document the progress each day (starting with day 3) via our Nikon.  We hope to have visable grass within one week and walkable grass within four.  We opted to hydro-seed instead of laying sod because it was a 1/3 of the cost and we didn’t have to do the work (although, now we have to babysit it).  Also, you will notice that our rock and chalk infested berm is now covered with an enormous “shredded wheat” blanket.  This will serve as our retaining wall and is also a fraction of the cost of buying stone or railroad ties (and again, we didn’t have to do the work).  Underneath the blanket is a bunch of wild flower seed that will hopefully help with erosion.  We don’t expect blooms this year but next “spring” (June ‘09) should be lovely.

What do Karl Malone, Mormon Pioneers and SJZ have in common all day today?

BOOTNUCKER - A person who talks about bread.

BEETNUCKER - A person who talks about zucchini.

DRAFFNUCKER - A person who talks about nothing.

We went bowling in Heber after lunch today.  We set the game up in order of birthdays: MTN, OMN, SJZ, MTN2 (and HEN bowled with SJZ).  Our first five rolls - one each and MTN’s second - were all strikes!  It was pretty awesome.  All the boys broke 100, and SJZ got ripped off by a malfunctioning gate, so she lost a frame.  Surely it would have been a strike putting her over 100.  On Monday, we went to the skate park here in town.  On Tuesday we went swimming.  On Wednesday we went to the library.  And today, bowling.  That’s a pretty good week for us.  Hopefully, we’ll get our Nashville trip pictures soon and we can post them.

This is MTN blogging from our beloved Nashville - here for a conference on education pedagogy and policies.  It is great seeing old friends and old places, though I have mixed feelings as I recognize the truth in the ancient notion that you can never step in the same river twice.  I am certain that our stay in Nashville (2000-2003) was too short, and equally certain (and saddened) that it cannot be recreated.  I think I am personally more honest than most in my retrospections, and I have not forgotten the stresses of money, uncertain futures, academic challenges, adjusting to adulthood, sleepless babies, and SJZ’s intolerance for humidity.  But the depth of our friendships, the beauty of this segment of earth, and the intellectual, spiritual, musical, social, and familial growth we achieved/experienced/endured makes us suffer saudades for 1803 Blair Blvd/Harpeth River Drive.  As the Wreckers say, things are sweeter in Tennessee.

Dear Nathen i like you becus yoursmort love your freed Miles

Katie hav a great day love Miles

Mrs. Hardman (aide) i like it when your hear love Miles

Macie i hop you stil like me love Miles

Rhett i hop your fealing graet love Miles

McKenna you rae so biewtuful love Miles

Shaffer i like it when weply togthr love Miles

Camberly i like it how you pay atetchan love Miles

Ashtyn i like you’r voies love Miles

Crittenden (teacher) i like it when you teach love Miles

Jane it is cidav siley when you blok my way whenIm puting my suff away love Miles

Zac i like it when you sit by me on the bus love Miles

Brody you hav the coolist backpack love Miles

Gabriella i do cinda like you love Miles

Daegon it is funy taht you wear snowpants love Miles

Jocelyn i like you so much love Miles

Larell you rae so coll and nice im bing nice toyou love Miles

Kayo i like you becus yourcool loveMiles

Bailee i like your haircut love Miles

Logan i like you becus your nies love Miles

Boilikeyou becusyour a cowboy love your freed Miles

(and here’s a letter he wrote to me while I was away this weekend)

Dad i hop your having a grate chrip wahte are you doing thair i hop you hav a grate time thair love your sun Miles.

(He then realized that I was coming home, so he rewrote it in past tense.)

Dad did you hav a grate time on your chrip was it nise thair i hop it was I wode like to go thair with you some day love your sun Miles

Vicki stayed with SJZ while MTN was in CA for a debate field trip.

Owen woke up early, ran to Vicki and said, “Hey Grandma!”

Vicki said, “Owen, you need to go play, Grandma doesn’t feel well right now.”

Owen said, “Oh, I don’t know how to play that game.”