How to make a paver patio

First, outline your design with a water hose. 

Enlist LOTS of slave labor. :)

But don't work too hard. Make sure you go for a ride now and then..

Once your area is excavated, you have to measure, level, measure, dig, level, measure, level...etc.

Then you can compact it with a rented plate compactor. 

Beware: This thing is HEAVY!

Enlist some more volunteer labor (a.k.a. LDS missionaries)

Put in your retaining wall. Once again, measure, level, measure, level, dig, level, measure.

Make sure you have a supervisor...

Next, fill in the area with 5/8" course aggregate rock. 4-6" deep. Compact.

Spread and level 1" of fine sand. 

Lay the pavers! 

Then, crash.

Tip: hire your brother-in-law to do the dirty work.  

(Jonathan and my sister Tami and their three boys,  drove all the way from Texas to help us out! They did stop in Utah for a while to visit other family members, so it wasn't a straight-through drive, but still, a very long one!) 

WE love our new patio and firepit!

 Jonathan did an amazing job, and my sister helped a lot as well. 

I mainly bossed and directed them. :) They were so great to put up with me.

This pit is going to get a LOT of use. Thank you so much Staigers!

Before:                                                                                                                    After:

4th of July Reunion

We journeyed to Menan, ID for the 4th of July, again this year.

Packing is a little-bit of a process for me. This is my picture-of-the-day for my project 365. I have everyone's outfit laid out for each day. Trying not to pack too much, but making sure everyone has enough.

 Menan is a little town by Rexburg, ID. Rexburg is the location of BYU Idaho.

Now that we all know where Menan is, I can continue...

Most of Dan's mom's family lives in Menan. This year, ALL of Dan's sisters were able to come down for the Clark reunion. So, of course, that means LOTS of pictures. :)

I don't have any of the other group shots...but I love this "sibling picture".

These are Dan's fabulous sisters. Aren't they cute?!

They even let me join the squeezed-face picture!

When I look at this picture, a certain Sesame Street songs comes to mind "...one of these things is not like the others...."

Anyways...

Every 4th of July, they have a breakfast at Grandma Clark's home. Since the 4th was Sunday, we celebrated on the 5th.

First, we started with a flag ceremony.

ahh yeah..... That's MY hottie...

Then a delicious breakfast of the best-wheat-pancakes-ever, sausages, hashbrowns, and fruit is served.

But the best part is the company...

Dan's sister, Michelle, and her adorable baby Sara. 

Everyday, she had a different, adorable bow. 

It's about time this mom of 3 older boys, had a girl to dress up!

Chelsea and her second cousin (?) Hallie. 

(Hallie is Dan's cousin, but Chelsea and Hallie were born about a month apart)

Then great-grandma Clark gives all the kids a dollar to spend at the Menan fair.

I can't believe I forgot, again, to take a picture of the fair. Ugh. 

Here's Michael at the ring toss, a booth set up by our own Aunt Ann. 

He didn't win this year, but Chelsea did!

He won last year, so I guess it's even now...

Our cousin Devon, brought his shaved-ice trailer, so we had to support his endeavor!

"blue raspberry tongues"

After playing a few games, and watching the entertainment, we went to the parade. Our cousin-in-law, Mike, brought a huge flat bed trailer, to reserve our spot for the parade. It was packed, so it was awesome to have a place to sit! Thanks Mike!

(...again, I failed to take a picture....)

They had the chocolate-milk trailer as the opening float,  again this year! YAY!

After the parade, we headed straight up to the ranch.

We were greeted with lei's, hawaiian music, and  a pina colada!

 

while we were there, Aunt Janet turned the dreadful 40! 

They made this casket for her with a pudding cake inside.

 

It was SO stinkin' cold while we were there! At night, it got below freezing, and the days felt barely above 60. Even though we were camping in the cold, the kids were so worn out, they slept soundly.

Other hi-lights of the reunion:

The men cleaning/fixing dan's gun? Something very manly, I'm sure...

Michael hardly left this fire-pit. He stayed by it the entire time, finding all sorts of things to put in it. My little pyro....

Brinly got a new "do", compliments of daddy...

We called her "incredi-girl!"

despite the cold, Chelsea and Hallie went swimming in the creek. BRRRRR!!!

On the last morning, we always have a pinata. Michael went at it!

Chelsea swung pretty good too!

Needless to say...the kids were pooped by the time we headed home...

And I bet you are too, after reading this excessively long post! 

my first "revamping" project.

The church that Michael went to preschool at, had a rummage sale. I have never been to a garage sale or rummage sale before. I've seen lots and lots of blogs of people that find old pieces of furniture and revamp them into something incredible.

 I saw this coffee table, and even though it was huge, I thought it might work for our living room.  I bought it for $20.

This is it right out of the car.

My original plan was to sand it down, and stain it a dark brown.

It also  had these weird panels in each center...and I brainstormed several things to do. 

Cover them with a cute fabric? tile them? make a picture collage?

In the end, I just beat them out. I didn't want to put very much money into this project, in-case it didn't turn out...

Here it is after several hours of sanding. Then I decided maybe I should a chemical stripper. That definitely did not work...only made it gooey. So, I dropped the idea of staining it, and now more than a month into the project, I decided it was time to finish. 

I bought some antique white spray-paint, and painted a few coats. 

Then I distressed the edges a little...

And put a light coat of stain over top, and immediately wiped it off, to try to give it more of the popular "shabby-chic" look that is popular these days...

I wish I hadn't. I'm not very good at it, and it was blotchy, so I spraypainted over it in some spots....

Then I  polyurethaned it. (is that a word? verb?) about 5 coats. 

And it was done.

MUCH better than the before:

However, the tiny fingerprints on it DAILY, and just the fact that it is glass, we decided it had to go. 

After several listings on craigslist, and a garage sale, a few more listings on craigslist, I finally sold it. 

for $30. 

Oh well. :) 

It was a learning experience. 

And yes, I'll probably do it again...

In fact...I am...right now. :) 

...to be continued.... :

Family Pictures!

My awesome sister-in-law took these pictures for us. The battery in her nice camera was dead, but I'm super impressed with these shots she got with just her canon powershot! Thanks Molly!

Do you have a favorite?

Brinly was SO cranky! 

She looks like such a sweet angel in these pictures, but she definitely had her horns on!

I'm so grateful to have updated family pictures!