Looking back on last year......

I've been looking back through picture's and things from last year. And realized that at the time we didn't feel like we accomplished a lot, and yet we accomplished so much more then we thought.

Last year we made the can bin

Can bin made from a blue barrel and a roofing boot :) 

We made  and installed a rain Barel

Rain catcher :)

 

 

Put in the porch and walkway

All the bricks were on sale and the black lining it was reused from the flower garden.

The bathroom was torn out and is almost done.

The bathroom torn apart.

Lined the Rose Beds with brick recycled from under the house.

Started putting in raise beds. We are now using old pieces of privacy fencing for the next sets of beds. We are trying to compete with the crab grass. We have lined around the beds and the walk with woodchips from the city of Champaign that we recived free. Thanks to a friend with a dump truck!

We started worm composting. Left over worms from fishing have increased to over 200 worms! And lot's of compost

We put in a new floor that was found on sale and of course we did it ourselves. This got rid of the last of the downstairs carpeting that was making us all sick. 

We had a bunch of new experiences. Like Corey going over the road and returning home. Now he's driving local.

 We had fun with some great extra helpers :) SO thankful for my family when Corey was gone! Josh wasn't afraid to wear PINK :)

We had our first big Onion harvest over 100 total this year!

 My Rose's took off in full bloom this year! I learned that covering them is not always a good idea.

 Great Grandma's Rose

 This year I started old fashioned soap making. There's a huge learning curve and you have to be really carful since your using lye. But so rewarding! We had enough soap to give away at Christmas and for us to get through the year!

 Another special helper! My brother is not afraid to wear his helmet around here :) It means so much to the kids to have these times with everyone!

 Our biggest Tomato ever 2lbs! I couldn't belive it and it was so juicy!

 This was our first harvest of the year.. There was so much more afterward! Tomatoes, Green Peppers, Bannana Peppers, and Cucumbers.

 Colty after we finished muclching the front bed with woodchips. These are his fav. Daisies. He helped save sees so we can plant more this year.

 Though Corey is still trucking he's local now Yeah!! I am so proud of him!

 Another of Colty's fav flower!

 We started growing Pumpkins in an old tractor tire. Thanks to a local produce farmer we now know that we planted our sweet corn when we should have planted our pumpkins :)

Sweet Corn.. We had a 6 point buck that would jump our little fence and bed down in here at night.

Though I can't find the picture we also made a 4x3 foot compost out of privacy fence wood. Just in time for the leaves and pumpkins to go in. Though we didn't know it, were not only composting but feeding the deer through the winter. They have been coming up and eating out of compost. 

So even though we feel like we haven't done a lot this last year I guess we have.
 Now to start on 2011 what new things will we do this year.....

Well so far I've been making Origami Pot's to start seeds in...

We also have more beds to put in.
Were growing some new plants and even trying out some new growing ideas. After looking back on 2010 I am really looking forward to the rest of 2011...