Family Birthday Gift - Yard cleanup

I consider it the best birthday gift ever - the time my family spends doing fall yard clean-up.  The kids have been doing it for six years.  Sometimes John would get on the roof and install my Christmas lights, but this year I had some electrical projects for him.  In two hours the leaves were raked, the ivy trimmed, the Virginia creeper pulled down, the tomatoes pulled out, and the impatiens and geraniums stuffed in garbage barrels.  Every kid had some pruners and/or a rake.

Bradleigh  and Karen attacking the Virginia Creeper

John and Karen organizing the vines for Yard Waste Pickup

Lots of raking going on

 My friend, Grace, got a new freezer so she gave this little one to me and John installed an outlet sometime while the rest of us were raking and pruning.  I'm so grateful to have a little freezer in the basement.  

The end result - 4 barrels and 8 bags of leaves ready for pick-up!!

 My kids gave me a new Cannon S100 for my birthday.  Look at the great pictures it takes!!  This one has 12 megapixels compared to the old one they gave me in 2007 with only 7.1 megapixels.  

The annual Scarecrow picture.  

The kids are getting so big they can't all fit on the bench anymore.

2011

 2010

The whole family in 2010

2009

2008

Colin was busy climbing a ladder in 2008, this year he wanted to sit in the Dogwood Tree!

It was a great day and the best way to celebrate with my family!