Somewhere to Start in the Yard...

One of the biggest surprises/challenges that I have been working with since we moved in to our house is actually outside of our house - in the yard.  The previous owners (and the owners before them, it seems) LOVED PLANTS.  I have more plants and flowers growing on my postage stamp of a lot than I can even count.  I mean, folks, it's a jungle out there!


Now, don't get me wrong, I love flowers.  I love trees.  I even love many of the bushes around the yard (except for the a certain unidentified evergreen bush that is the bane of my existence - but I digress).  I just don't love the wild and woolly growth that I am faced with taming each spring and fall.  


We are blessed with very rich (slightly sandy) black dirt here in Indiana... a far cry from the red clay that I made mud pies out of while growing up in North Carolina.  The dirt (soil?) here is so great, however, that the plants (including the weeds) grow out of their little pollenated minds!  I have never seen dandelions so big in my life!  (They're practically roaring at me - ha ha ha! -  too much?  ok, sorry).  Ahem.


Anyway - here are some of the gorgeous spring bulbs growing in our yard... and some before pictures of "the Jungle".  We are hoping to get things in order this spring (and on a budget!) so I'll be sharing more photos as things progress.  

Forsythia - LOTS OF FORSYTHIA!

I almost forgot my little garden helper

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

~Maura

An explanation of the web address...

I actually began this here little blog back in November of 2008... when I had just discovered that I was pregnant (surprise!) and I thought that I'd be interested in chronicling the pregnancy experience herein.  However, as it turned out I found it to be easier for me to use my shutterfly account to keep everyone updated on the growth of the baby bump and all that followed.  (This is where the name "to delivery and beyond" comes from).

During and in the time since my pregnancy (my daughter is now 11 months old) I discovered so many wonderful blogs... women who are great writers, great mothers, great sisters, great daughters, and great friends.  Creative, colorful, kind, ambitious, smart, and interesting women who have finally now inspired me to create my own little portion of the internet.  (many of these women can be found on my "blogroll"  and they are all FABULOUS - you should check them out!!)

Bear with me as I get this party started.  I have lots of things to share!

Also, there will most certainly be a new look for this space as fast as my little brain can create one!

Nice to meet you...

I suppose a good place to start is to introduce myself and my hopes for this little piece of internet. My name is Maura. I am 27 years old (at least for one more month), a mother of one little girl, and a wife to one great guy. I live in Northern Indiana in a house that was built in 1927, and was once home to an All American Pitcher for the South Bend Blue Sox - a team from the All American Girls Baseball League (think "A League of their own"). I enjoy spending my time working on the house and in the garden, cooking, playing with my daughter, exercising, and figuring out where our lives will take us next.

This brings us to the purpose for this blog. And at this point, I'm not totally sure. I know it will help keep family and friends updated on our lives as we navigate parenthood, homeownership, and all of the challenges and experiences that we will undoubtedly encounter along the way. I hope that is provides entertainment to those who read it... and maybe sparks some creativity for them (you?) as well. Overall, it will be a chronicle of what we're up to, how we're getting through it, and of course, how we are injecting a little color into our everyday!

So here we go! I hope that everyone enjoys this little work-in-progress.