Odd, did I forget to post...

So you know how sometimes you have so many different things you're juggling, and you're making a mental list of one thing you've got to do while you're somewhere you totally can't do it, and before you know it, you've got the whole process down pat, or an entire email written in your head, or something like that.

And then, somehow, you completely forget to do it in real life?!

(or you DO follow through and do it, then can't easily find it, and figure you need to do it...again?)

Well, I think this is one of those situations where I completely dropped the ball on a really fun post about a really fun day. Brett brought it to my attention tonite...and before I forget AGAIN (assuming that's what happened), let's do this!

So we'd hardly been in the new place, it was still a wreck, we were still digging things out of boxes (ok, let's be honest - there's still some stuff in boxes here and there), getting used to new appliances and figuring out where light switches were, etc. But it was gonna be July 4th, and that's always fun spent with family and/or friends - so we had Brett's family over. As an added bonus, Brett's brother Blake was gonna bring his big monster truck and haul a couple rocks from the unsold lots nearby and start setting up where we might put some landscaping...

Not rocks. Boulders.

Here's Blake driving out to the adjacent lot, with Linda following along to give more support...



See? Moral support!


I figured I could just lift the big rock into his truck and...um, yeah, right....that wasn't gonna happen... (har har)


Blake came well prepared with chains and giant metal poles for maneuvering and hauling rocks. Worked like a CHARM on the really big one we first had our eyes on. Almost seemed too easy! (I've got videos of this stuff too! Will have to post that later...)


And then there was the little round rock. Cute. Innocent. Rocky. PAIN IN THE ASS! It wasn't going to defeat us! These next pictures over simplify what we went through to get that rock to the front yard. We couldn't get chains to stay on it (remember - I said ROUND). We were going to try putting it ON something that we could sort of sled it to the front on, but it was too heavy for anything like that. Then it was all about getting the chains on it JUST right... Each of us thought we were the one with the right idea.


Stupid rock.


We did this LOTS of times...over and over. Luckily Blake and Marty showed the rock who was in charge, and it got moved, Dodge-style.


Blake showing the rocks who's boss. Word.


LOL Didn't take much to coax Blake into hamming it up on the rocks either!


Annnnnd finally we have Blake's amazing rock sculpture! (I'll be honest with you - out of fear of what the neighbors might think of us - first impressions are very important - I didn't leave the rocks this way for very long!)


After the "fun with rocks" event, we cooked up a great meal. Linda brought an incredible chinese chicken salad (still gotta get that recipe!) And I grilled up bbq chicken, sweet italian sausage, spicey italian sausage, plus we had corn on the cob, rolls for the sausages, and a nice big berry-covered frosted cake.


Yay food! We were all getting a bit slap happy...


...and hamming it up for the camera...


...Blake already did that outside - off the hook...


...and finally, Brett sporting his cat scratches from losing a "bathe the cat" battle with Tucker a few nights before.


See - I left the rocks up for a few days at least! They withstood a rain storm even!


All in all, we had a blast on the 4th. Looking forward to having the Pietrasz clan over again real soon! Say Labor Day weekend? Lawn installation? Renting a bobcat? Churning in tons (like 75 tons) of top soil plus composted horse manure, and then seeding? You're on!