Our BIG Project

So, my sweet husband, whom I love very much, has a serious problem. When he gets an idea in his head that he likes he becomes 200% FULLY involved in it. It is great in some cases, but in some cases - like this one - it sometimes goes a LITTLE overboard. So, Ryan's idea of cutting down a few old dead trees and planting a few new ones in their place has turned into a MAJOR PROJECT.This is Ryan loading like #5 dump truck full of dead trees. It was a major cleaning process and with his crappy back whatever the tractor couldn't lift was left to me. I am proud to announce that I lifted some BIG OL' MOMMA TREES all by myself. That is until I saw a mouse...then I wasn't quite so helpful.:( The one job I also had was the job of standing on the forks of the above mentioned tractor and Ryan lifting me up as high as the tractor could lift - which is mighty high - and I got to hunch down and wrap the heavy chain around the tree trunks so that he could use the tractor to pull them over. Of course, I don't have any pictures of proof that any of this went on, but trust me it did and it was traumatic.
We measured each of the kids next to a tree so we can see how the trees and the kids are growing. You can see a few of the baby pine trees in the back ground if you look hard too. This is Dallin. He was some really good help for his dad.

Oakley in the whole tree cutting process was great help. She too saw a mouse so she wouldn't help with loading the truck, but she did drive the 4-wheeler one day to pull her dad out in the dump truck since he had gotten himself stuck.

Rhett is at an age that when we mention work he has to go to the bathroom or is SO tired. He did like helping plant the new trees though and he is the one with the sunburn to prove he had been out helping.

The sun was so bright that I didn't know Laiklie was glaring at me when I took this. She loved the holes and especially filling them with dirt - before the trees were put in them of course.

So, after the first 90 trees Ryan bought ...that is right 90, we had to have a major talk about how trees don't give us anything back except a little shade and shelter and that at some point you are just throwing money away. Ryan didn't hear me very well and went and bought 30 more. So, we are now the proud owners of a fruit orchard in the middle of our freezing climate and I am praying we didn't just throw our money away. Hopefully all these trees will turn into a little forest for my kids to play and make forts in.:) I am just glad to say that we are finally finished with the entire tree fascination...I think anyway!!