DC trip - the night before

Here is the view from our room :)

Our Backyard

OK OK I know I've been posting alot tonight... I'm clearing out the camera for our trip starting tomorrow. I'm sitting here in the dark while the kids are sleeping (yes sleeping!) in the hotel room. We get up at 4am so we can be on time getting to the airport accross the street (we are at the Hilton right near the airport with a gorgeous view of the water)...

So back to the post... I wanted to show you our new backyard!!! Next time you come down you'll have to see it in person :)

We hired a neighbor from down the street to do the work, got the stone from RCP. We went with Classic Oak flagstone which I think turned out gorgeous. We wanted it to have a natural feel to it, so we kept the larger pieces of flag and filled the joints with crushed quartz (I think we might add more crushed quartz after we seal it). I think it looks amazing. Most of the pics were taken from the deck off of our master bedroom as that was the only place I could get all of the area at once.

It was interesting to watch the progression, with first the sand, then the leveling of the sand, then all the pieces being fit together, leveling (3 full days of leveling after the pieces were all in place), then the jointing. It was quite a process. Each piece weighed around 250 pounds I think Chris said (Chris if I'm wrong correct me :) )

Enjoy!

Each week has it's own album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/heather.gray.walker/BackyardWeek1

http://picasaweb.google.com/heather.gray.walker/BackyardWeek2

http://picasaweb.google.com/heather.gray.walker/BackyardWeek3


http://picasaweb.google.com/heather.gray.walker/Backyard

Ashley graduates from 8th Grade :)

Thursday miss Ashley graduated from 8th Grade. It was the largest class Murrieta has ever had - 624 kids graduated this afternoon. She looked like a goddess I told her with her flowing dress. She had a great time, very nice ceremony even though it was HOT! I got a little sunburn on the areas we missed sunblock - and I sat for an hour under an umbrella!

She got a watch for graduation, and her friend Laura came over and spent the night. The graduation was bittersweet for her, as many of her friends (including her bestest friend Victoria, in the pic above) are going to Murrieta Valley High next year, unlike her (Vista Murrieta for Ashley)...

Ashley graduated with a GPA of 3.7 this year. Not too shabby!



Here are all the pics from the event:
http://picasaweb.google.com/heather.gray.walker/Graduation

Slideshow:

Ashley's 8th Grade Dance

So Ashley had her 8th grade dance Wednesday June 11th. Here is what she wore - isn't it cute :) I dropped her off at her friend Laura's house so that they can go to the dance together. She said they had fun with everyone there, and there was drama with kids getting in trouble at the dance (but of course not her group LOL )...

If you want to see all the pics I took of her, They are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/heather.gray.walker/8thGradeDance