Over-worked, under-paid...

So as most of you know, 2 weeks ago Lindsey's family came to see Laney (not us). Little did they know, we would soon be putting them to work (muwhahaha!!!) After much discussion on what to do about our housing mess we were in, it was ultimately decided that the house lacked some major "curb appeal." So, I offer a solution: work for the night is coming! (Anybody remember that song??) Our good friend B.R. used to lead that song growing up, and it's message holds true...work until you're about to collapse, 'till it's finished, 'till you can be proud of what you accomplished! And boy, did we ever! With the help of the family, and this bald slave-driver, we were finished with our landscaping in 3 days. On the 4th day, we rested...but we should have been working. I wanted to be lazy, though! Jeff's back was killing him, and I was having nightmares about weeds sprouting up through my mattress, engulfing me and Lindsey with the weed killer just out of arms reach...then I woke up.

So I'll go ahead and post a few before and after pics of all the hard labor which occurred during the extreme heat of an L.A. summer (Lower Alabama). Here is the front corner, which had been taken over with ants and weeds. Quite an amazing recovery it made.

Here's a side view of the front yard

Next to the side door.

Our beautiful pond...

And behind the pool

So you see, we've been very hard at work. I just want to take this opportunity to thank all my hard workers and to let my viewers know, I checked on each and every worker's citizenship status, and it turns out they were all here in the US legally. And the children worked because they wanted to, not because they were forced.