"If you build it, they will come" . . .or well, Grow :)

So let me first say that this project was definitely not as easy to build as 'Pioneer Woman' said it would be, but now that we know how to build it, I'm sure the next garden will be MUCH easier!

Now, with that said, I'll start by saying that I'm so glad we built it ourselves instead of buying a pre-made one. It was a great adventure and I feel very accomplished!

Chris and I started by buying plain untreated pine wood (4  2x6x10) and having them cut to 5ft sections. We also purchased stakes that would be used to hold the two levels of boards together and also stake the garden into the ground.

To lay out all of our materials :

4 boards 2x6x10
12 18" wooden stakes
a box of 3-3 1/2 exterior wood screws
a box of 2-2 1/2 exterior wood screws
Level
Carpenters Square
Mallet (we bought the rubber one)
7/36 drill bit

and TONS  of gardening soil, top soil, and pete moss ( I also mixed in some of our own dirt, because I read that that was a good idea )

And now I'll tell the story via pictures :)

First, Chris and I dug a big hole. Well, Chris dug an outline of a hole and then I tripled the size, but it all worked out in the end, plus I gained a nice pinch of color from being outside so much.

Our garden needed a large area dug out because our backyard isn't exactly level, so by digging, we would be able to sink the stakes into the ground a bit easier and level the garden easier (you need it leveled so that the draining works properly!)

So there's our massive hole!

Never Fear! Chris is here!! If you're having a rough time with the garden, it's always best to have a cutie around that can get you to laugh and enjoy what you're doing! :)

God knows Chris was suppperrrr understanding when it came to me and power tools. Power tools are now my new best friends, but at first, I would have liked to drop the drill in a fire :)

First we drilled holes with the drill bit. This made it easier to screw the pieces together.

After we finished the first level of the garden, we attached the wooden stakes to the pieces. We did this so that we could attach the second level, plus level/stake it into the ground.

I would advise having assistance while doing this, otherwise you could end up like me and get two drill bits stuck into the wood and have to pout until your husband gets home to help (I was rather hopeless by the time he'd gotten home from laser skermish)

Naps can be essential while using power tools. Especially if it's a nice pretty 80 degree day!!!

Almost finished!!! (I'm pretty sure I squealed at this point)

Chris is helping get some of the holes pre-drilled so that I can screw the remaining bits together

He had fun playing with power tools too!

We were rather determined to finish this project since it had taken us around a week to finish in total due to rain and work.

On the Right I'm probably saying something along the lines of "Ohh come on!!" because it wasn't cooperating.

            




             Almost finished!!

Timmy was keeping watch and making sure we were doing everything correctly! However, in this picture I'm pretty sure he's thinking "Isn't late enough already?? Can we go to bed now??"

I'm rather proud of the finished product! If you couldn't tell :) . . Now to just fill it up with dirt!



Now we only had one ity bity issue. . .it wasn't level. So Chris jumped on the edges, hammered the edges, talked nicely to it, but the garden still wouldn't become leveled. One side would always pop back up.

I quickly saw that my dear husband was getting rather frustrated by this whole situation (he knew that I really wanted the garden to be leveled). I grabbed a rock and stuck it under one corner and BAM! I kid you not, it was perfectly leveled!


                                                                      Here's Proof!

So that's the process we took in order to build our now raised garden. I couldn't be happier with it! It was a little more costly than the pre-built ones, but I really enjoyed working outside with Chris and having this as my first project on the house!

Timmy says Good Night! :)

Ta-Da!

Well hello world!

This is officially my very first blog.  Chris finally showed me how to set this contraption up, so know I can keep everyone informed with all the things going on in our lives including but not limited to. . . Married life, Lucy's crazy adventures, Timmy's progress, Planting flowers, Digging up gigantic holes in the backyard, school, and Traveling!

Now let me introduce you to our goofy troop!

 This is Christopher and I on our absolutely AMAZING wedding day! I married the man of my dreams on February 20th, 2010! I learn something new about him everyday and look forward to the journey that's ahead of us!

This is from our first Easter together as a married couple! It was a great weekend at my parent's house. We even got Easter baskets and all :) Chris was rather tickled by this since he was the awesome recipient of Cadbury eggs (His all time FAVORITE!)



Fur-Baby # 1 consists of Psycho Kitty (since she joined the family first)

This picture was taken during Gir's first Christmas with us! I can say from experience, she did NOT like the snow (Focus on the paws as the claws are starting to come out in this picture). No worry though, we took her back inside after the quick photo-shoot!

On the Left, you can see Gir's favorite place in the entire house, especially if it's sunny outside (or there's a bird near the window. . or a bug)

On the Right, you can see Gir's secret ninja attack position from underneath the bathroom cabinets (suppose it's not a secret anymore huh Gir?)    - - please take note, Chris was attacked by the fearful critter shortly after this rare closeup!- -


Gir was a Rescue Kitty. She was found in the woods with her siblings and mother (unfortunately we could only have one kitty at the time).  Her first family listed her on Craigslist and thus her new family (Us) found her during our surfing of 'cute kittens' on the pet section. 

Gir is rather WILD on occasions, but over all, she is a sweet cat and we love her dearly. 



Fur-baby # 2  is Lucy, but more known as Lucy-Bell

Chris even has a little song for her and its so adorable! Lucy was a rescue off Craigslist again just like Gir.  We got her shortly after I moved back home to my parents house during my Junior year of college.  She was a bit of a pain at first, but after 2 months, she has proven to be the perfect little dog for us! I'm sure you'll read and hear more about Lucy and all of the mischief that she gets into!

 She has a very hard life here, as you can clearly see. . . .


Honorary Fur-baby # 3 is Timmy or Cow-tail

Timmy is our 2nd GEB(Guiding Eyes for the Blind) lab. He can be a handful from time to time, but he's a big baby and loves his belly rubbed and LOVES water! Chris started as a puppy sitter and would sit for other GEB raisers, but he eventually started raising his own. Timmy is our first boy and he's been a learning experience.  We both hope that one day Timmy will be able to help someone that needs him!

   This is Timmy as a pup during his first visit to NC. One point in time, he could stand up completely under the coffee table, but now, he couple probably jump straight over it!

This is Timmy with his brother Tommy (Chris's family is raising him) 

                             This is Chris and Timmy relaxing in the hammock! :)

So there is a glimpse into our life thus far and our family :) !

Thanks for reading!