New Years Eve 2010

We had lots of fun with all our old neighbors on New Years Eve. We decided to do it old school for all of us and go back to our glory days of hanging out by the fire pit. It's what we all used to do when the kids were smaller. We would put them to bed and reemerge with beer and baby monitors and get in our adult time. How the hell we did it, I do not know. I guess I am just getting to old to fully appreciate sitting by the fire pit freezing as much as we used to. The kids were all inside the game room at the house across the street without requiring baby monitors. So I guess we are just getting old. But we still had a lot of fun.







We had way to much food of course, some fireworks and lots of joking around and good conversation. What more could you ask? We brought the kids out at midnight (Texas time- We didn't even have to pretend and use NYC time this year).


I can still talk Dave into posing for just about any kind of goofy picture. That's what happens when you know someone from high school and college.

And since poor Janne had literally got off the plane from Finland only hours before and was jet lagged and to tired to run from the camera. He was unable to hide and run off from actually being in a picture. He still managed a way of not being serious in a picture though.


Then because I am old, and because my youngest is still technically only 4 we packed up soon after and came home to bed. Well all except Hubs and Dave, they stayed up all night long. That came back to bite him on the bottom when we had to be at K.'s soccer game on New Years Day. (Seriously, who plans these things)

But it's a new year and time to embrace all that it brings with it. But no worries about leaving behind any of our dear friends. You just can't beat a good Redneck Drive Fire pit reunion.

Cheers!!

Patio Pictures

I have been very lazy in downloading pictures lately. So the other day when I finally did get around to downloading my camera, I had a lot. In fact I forgot that I even took these pictures until I saw them.

When we bought the house, it had a small patio and I've always wanted to extend it a bit. Well our friend Janne came back from Finland and heard about it. So he lit a fire under Hubs and before I knew what was happening they were digging out the dirt to extend my patio. No way was I going to slow that train down. So I let them.

After they dug the dirt out and framed it, they arranged for a cement truck to deliver the cement. So all we needed was lots of friends and wheel barrows and good weather. We struck out on the good weather for three weekends but on the fourth we got lucky and here is what was going on in my back yard.


The cement truck would fill up each wheel barrow and the guys would take off to pour it out.

But first they had to make it up this monster incline with a very full and heavy wheel barrow. I think I may have actually heard a swear word or two while I was standing here.

Once at the patio they would pour it in and someone would spread it out. This went on for a very short time.

Then finally all the cement was delivered and it was time for more spreading and leveling off.

This is where the guys who were still capable of standing would stand and eat the breakfast burritos we paid them with and catch their breath. Meanwhile Janne and another Finn were busy finishing off the leveling.

As you can see, lots of help from the friends and kids and lots of work. I wish I could say that I've gone decorated my new patio and got it looking all nice now, but I can't. It got way to hot to be out working in the yard shortly after we finished the patio. So now I will wait for fall.

Janne and Hubs are now talking about renting a bobcat or excavator or whatever it is they need to level out our backyard and build a retaining wall. All so that they can put up a batting cage in our back yard. Me, all I want is some new flower beds. Guess we will see which gets done first.