The Miracle of the Rocks

Once spring finally settled in, it was time to begin landscaping.  The mud and dirt needed to go!  Our first step was doing the rock that is required by our HOA.  We are required to have a significant portion of our yard done in rock, I guess as a water-saving effort.  We placed our order and the dump truck came and dumped a LOT of rock.  I kept looking at that pile and dreading the work that it was going to take to move it.  I knew if Dave did it alone it would take a full, back-breaking day and I was dreading it, probably almost as much as he was.  

On Friday night Dave worked to get a lot of the landscape fabric laid down where the rock would go.  He didn't get it all down, but most of it.  Saturday morning he jumped out of bed early and headed out to begin.  I was still trying to wake up when I heard voices outside that weren't Dave's.  That gave me all the incentive I needed to haul myself out of bed and get ready for the day quickly.  Sure enough, we had a whole bunch of ward members show up out of the blue (we had NO IDEA) with their gloves, wheelbarrows, and shovels and they set to work moving our rock.  There were enough people and wheelbarrows going that Dave could barely keep up with the landscape fabric.  It was amazing, and our friends are amazing!  I was talking with Dave about getting to Emma's soccer game at 11:00 and the Bishop said that the goal was to have our whole family make it by then.  I chuckled, thinking, "Yeah right, that would take a miracle."  Well, by about 10:15 all the rock had been moved and our once-giant pile was nothing but a wet spot on the street. I've dubbed it our Miracle of the Rocks, and I hope our whole family remembers it. 

The pile started out even bigger than this...

And then our friends came and manhandled it!

The rock goes all the way around the house.

Someday we'll build a deck in the back, but for now it'll just be rock. Gotta love HOA requirements!

I didn't even know everyone who came and helped, but I was sure grateful.

Getting smaller...

We had one area that was missing landscape fabric.  Sister Reese had some she gave to us, but while we were waiting the wheelbarrows were filled and ready.

Raquel, Ethan, and Emily.  They were so happy to help!

Mariah, Rachel, and Raquel.  These girls are superheroes.

Coneheads! Goofing around always makes the job more fun.

Katie took Joely to the park to play so we didn't have to worry about her.  Seriously, our neighbors and friends are incredible!

Nothing left but a big wet spot.  I call that a miracle.