Before & After (well, it's more during than after)

Remember what our front steps/yard looked like before?

Our new steps (that you've already seen) Just giving you another before picture.

After!!
(Okay, it really is during, because it is not finished)
Ben is amazing is all I can say. He has done a fabulous job with the wall. And he has the back pain to prove it! Our sidewalk slopes a lot as you can see, and Ben has kept the wall completely level. Really, it's amazing. You should come by and tell him he's done a wonderful job, he likes that. :-)

Both of the boys love to go out and help dad. Ryan is really good at grabbing tools and holding the measuring tape, and digging. Ethan is good at getting dirty.

Do you see that sweet curve?

Thanks for being so handy Ben!


Another Kelly Story:

I've been getting after Ben lately (which he loves a little nag every now and then) about being nice to the neighbors. He likes our neighbors, it's not that...it's just, when he is out working in the yard he is busy, and just doesn't think about saying hi to anyone. So if someone stops to talk with him, he may sound a little short (maybe rude) when I promise he's not a rude dude (he does not even realize he's being short...I promise!), he's just busy!

Anyway, he decides to take my advice while he was working in the yard. He actually waved to a random neighbor (he did not know this neighbor) just to be friendly. Well, this neighbor stopped his car, turned around, pulled into our driveway and said to Ben, "Wow, you look like you have your work cut out for you, hey by the way I have some gravel in my front yard that needs to be moved to the backyard." And then he ASKED BEN if he could move it for him with Ben's tractor thing (it's my cousin's small bobcat that Ben has been using).
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?
He really just saw that Ben was super busy, then asked Ben to do stuff for HIS yard! HA!

Ben and I are all for helping our neighbors/friends out when they need help. But we are not all for being taken advantage of because we are friendly/nice.

Now I'm mad at this guy, because I know Ben will go back to being his "unfriendly" self. So he does not have to deal with what happened again.

SIDENOTE: Ben really is a nice guy. Come say hi! When he's outside working, that's what he's focused on...is working...he's not thinking about much else. (I'm sure a lot of guys are the same way).

p.s. Ben told this guy to shove off. Just Kidding, he said in a friendly way that NO he could not do it. But he could give him my cousins' phone number and the random neighbor could PAY my cousin to do it. The neighbor was not all for that idea. ;-)