Yard Crasher

The kids and I spent the day at my mom's today.  She's still in the same house that I grew up in.  The house I came home from the hospital in.  I was born two days before Christmas, so I'm gonna go ahead and say I was her BEST Christmas present EVER (she's laughing right now).   Until my sister was born the week before Christmas two years later.  Bad planning on her part, eh?  Especially considering her birthday is two days after Christmas.  Seriously Mom, what were you thinking?!

As usual, I'm rambling off topic.

Here's the house.

And just in case you were wondering where my disease comes from, here's a mini tour of the front yard.

I found this piece of columnar basalt on Craig's List.  My sister and I split the cost and gave it to my mom for Mother's Day a few years ago.

Aaaaand, the backyard.

Clearly this peony is doing waaaay better than my pathetic plant.

I made this bowling ball ladybug several years ago.

These little boy and girl statues were given to her by my kidlets a couple years ago.

Isn't this a cool cosmo?

This is where my baby hops came from.

See, I'm not the only one with a thing for old windows.

Fun cream colored marigold.

Bongos!

My brother-in-law made this storage cabinet using plans from a This Old House magazine.  

I want one!

 So there ya go folks.  This is where the seed was planted.  Literally and figuratively.

Come back tomorrow and I'll reveal what I grew up across the street from......