Operation: Rock Removal

I want to start by saying that I consider myself to be a pretty hard worker.  When I set out to do something, I tend to work really hard at it until it is done.  This is something that Chris constantly teases me about, because I will skip all meals without even realizing it when I get wrapped up in a project.

However, two weekends ago, as Chris and I began the back-breaking project of removing all of the rock from the front of our house (aka Operation Rock Removal), I realized that I draw the line at serious manual labor.  Or at least, serious in my opinion.  First world problems, I know.

Spending a total of 15 hours (over two days, don't call my union rep...) hunched over shoveling rock into a wheelbarrow is not my idea of fun, to say the least.  And on top of that, we encountered well over 250 spiders and bugs as we scooped and raked the rock around.  

{ side note: as sad as it may seem, I would like to pat myself on the back for how calm I stayed despite all of these bug encounters (though I assure you, it did give me nightmares...)! }


We finished one side of the house (though we will have to go back over it once we go over it with a rototiller because some of those rocks are really wedged down into the ground), and had planned on finishing the other side this past weekend, but we just didn't have the energy or motivation.  This is a problem, because I am not sure when the motivation will appear!


Ever since we bought our house earlier this Spring, I keep saying that I don't mind putting a little sweat equity into the house. But after this past weekend, I have to admit I was trying to figure out a way that we could afford to have someone else come finish it, without having to win the lottery first!

And to top it all off, the small, but significant amount of weed (& ivy!) removal we had done earlier this summer in our back yard, has all returned (and then some!) because we haven't had the time to spend back there in several weeks.  Sigh... where can I sign up for an hgtv save my yard contest?  I'm so embarrassed by the back yard, that I won't even post photos!  That's when you know it's bad...

My family is probably thanking the lord that we don't live nearby right about now, or I would seriously be recruiting some help!