May 2023

Matthew heading off for Air Cadets. He went to a field training exercise...at a military base. They were supposed to learn some basic survival skills, etc. He wasn't allowed to pack his jackknife or anything else dangerous, lol.

Daniel became the bike repair guy.

My spring project this year was to rip out our old retaining wall and build it up higher than before and turn it into a vegetable garden...so I don't need to fight with the linden tree for nutrients and sunshine every year.

Melanie helped me rip out the old wall. It had been rotting fairly badly, but those big old pieces of wood were pretty stuck in in some places. I ended up using my chainsaw in a few sections.

We heaped up all the old wood...hopefully it can go to the dump soon.

Evelyn wrote her first full story. Complete with a cover. It was an initiative of her own, and a very interesting story to read!

Playing games in Jennifer's room.

It's a lot more work to put in a new wall, than to take out the old one! We put in river rock and a french drain all around the edge...hoping to prevent the new wall from rotting like the original wall.

Oh, and because our green bin was getting moved soon, we had to empty all the old wood we'd been storing in it. And put the junk out for the dump...along with the rotting wood. Matthew decided it was easier to pile it all on the trailer and tow it to the chicken coop instead of carrying it all by hand. He was right.

Philip showed me how to cut through a 4x4 post with a skill-saw.

Melanie kept me motivated with freshly ground coffee beans.

Looks like it's taking shape. The tricky part was trying to get the height of the 4x4s to match the top of the patio, while still stacking up nicely and staying relatively level. It meant working backwards and forwards at the same time...and having things sort of balance...until it was all in the right place...then finally anchoring it steadily.

We took a break to welcome a refugee family our church sponsored. They were supposed to arrive around Christmas time. Things didn't work out. But now, finally, they are on the way!! Jennifer and Evelyn made signs to wave around when we meet them (late) at the airport. After all, they won't know what we look like at all!

Super excited to welcome this family! They have a girl who is Evelyn's age...and Evelyn is planning on being her friend. And two days later I headed back to the airport...this time to pick up Nathan!

Before getting my project up any higher, I have some tiebacks to put in. They are supposed to use the weight of the garden to keep the wall from tipping over.

Daniel Jennifer and Evelyn went on a few biking outings while I was working. To the trails that we have been to before...so some time on the road, and then time on the trails. They went about 4 times. And then they couldn't agree which way to go home, and split up. Since I didn't permit them to bike home on their own, that was the end of that.

What I found in Daniel's room one day. Sort of looks like Flat Stanley.

By the middle of May the older kids were off to work. Planting season is busy for landscapers! They'd come home and inspect my work, though, and offer me some feedback on my progress.

Evelyn and Daniel took up golfing since biking was no longer an option.

Jennifer started helping me with the garden project, since Melanie (who had been helping more often) was off to work now. A lot of the work was the finicky business of keeping the layers of rock and dirt separate.

I paid her well for her work.

I went with a landscaping friend to a greenhouse and picked out some flowers for my pots.

Daniel Jennifer and Evelyn helped me fill the pots up. So nice to plant something...I'm trying hard to get the garden ready, but it's slow work! At least we can start growing something!

Since Daniel can ride a snowmobile up a mountain, he can mow the lawn. Matthew is gone full time this spring and summer, so Daniel has a lot more responsibility around the house.

Matthew still helps out on Saturdays and in the evenings though. Daniel and him loaded up the trailer with the wood...off to the dump it goes! Yay!

And my first load of dirt arrived. I didn't count how many wheelbarrows full of soil I moved, but it was a lot. And good exercise too!

Fortunately the heat of summer was usually not too intense...it is May still, but there can be hot days! Jennifer offered me refreshments, thankfully.

The pool got opened up. Philip and the kids must have done it. I didn't help at all, I pretended to be plenty busy with my own project.

I put the kids to work again...this time they are rescuing as many strawberries as they can, since I want to have some strawberries in containers (hopefully with lids to keep the squirrels out!) and we might as well use the plants that we already have!