TIMBER! If a tree falls in my yard, but you didn’t hear it, did it make a sound?

This week has been Yard Week at the ol’ Hepworth abode.

Yes, we like to wait until the hottest month of the year to go outside and do massive amounts of yard work. The heat has gotten to our brains and made us cra-zy!

Almost exactly a year ago I cut down 2/3rds of a Crepe Myrtle we have growing on the side of our house. The tree is very pretty, but it grows too tall and likes to rest its branches on the roof of our house (hello, carpenter ants! Welcome. Come right on into our roof and make yourself at home!).

Well, this poor Crepe Myrtle must be a serious glutton for punishment because it just keeps growing back; faster and fuller than ever. No matter how much we prune, it just will not stop laying all over the top of our roof. Also, it’s loads of fun when the remaining branches lean down and whack us in the head every time we take the garbage out.

After lots of consideration, we finally decided the tree needs to come out. We have a big renovation in the plans for the side of the house that involves a new fence in a new location, and the tree is in the way.

Ben decided to handle the tree this time though. Last time I was the one who cut down 2/3rds of the tree, and I did it in a swim suit and flip flops. Not my finest DIY moment.

Here’s the tree last year after I hacked at it (left photo) and today after Ben removed the rest of it (right photo).

You can see we have pretty much ignored that flower bed and path for the entire year. It is ugly and we can’t wait to re-do it soon.

I don’t think I’ve ever shown a full shot of our house. Here’s the house today as Ben is cutting the tree down into 4 foot sections so the trash men will take it away on trash day.

We have really been trying to spruce up the yard lately. My next big goal is to tackle the huge flower bed in front of the house. Right now it’s a weed bed. And it’s so bad that Ben literally has to mow it every week. Yes, we mow the flower bed. It’s tragic, I know. I’m thinking some new hedge, and big bushy grasses, and flowering plants…

Once the Crepe Myrtle was massacred we got a little loco out in the 107 degree heat and decided to take out another pesky tree we have in our back yard.

On the way into the back yard we have this cluster of cedar trees. First off, I’m highly allergic to cedar. Every tree in our back yard is cedar. Awesomespice. I know.

Secondly, our yard is very sloped. The trampoline sits at an angle which I’m sure is uber-safe for the kids…. The area with the cluster of trees is the only flat spot in our yard.

So basically, that one tree in the allergy-infested cluster is just flat-out in the way. If we get rid of that one particular tree we should be able to squeeze the trampoline in that space so that the kids have a flat surface to jump on, decreasing their chance of injury by flying off the trampoline and breaking their leg.

*Yes, we know we should have a net around the trampoline. We had a net before we moved, but a tree at our old house fell down on top of it and broke it. We have just been really irresponsible and let our kids jump without a net for a year now. BUT! It’s on our to-do list. I swear.

We pretty much just tied a rope around the tree and I pulled the rope while Ben cut the tree so it would fall in the right spot.

I’m still shocked Ben got so into the yard work considering he acts like yard work is his personal Kryptonite. But I’m not complaining! I am thrilled I got him out there with the chain saw. Finally.

Tiiiiiimber!

The plan seemed fail-safe until the chain on the chainsaw broke, we ran out of daylight, and now Ben has to go to work all day tomorrow and can’t finish the job.

He managed to use pruning sheers to cut the tree up into smaller sections, but we still have a long way to go before we can drag it out to the curb.

And we also have a {little} stump sticking out of the ground now that needs to be cut down….

Details, details, details. At least the tree is cut down. I really hope we find time soon to finish this job and get the tree out of the yard before it kills the grass.

Hopefully Ben can get off work before sundown so he can get the tree to the curb and get the stump cut down. If we ever manage to finish this job I’ll be sure to let you know.

I’m looking forward to finally having a spot for the trampoline to sit flat on the ground. It only took us a year to get ‘er done out there.