There's something about going back to the simple things in life that take blood, sweat and tears. There's even more to it when you're teaching your kids those life lessons called hard work. You can tell they are watching, looking up at you and taking it all in. The flip house has such a special place in my heart. We spent a lot of time there together. Whether I went up to make decisions design wise, or we had to come up to mow the lawn; it was always meaningful. Through this #indianolaproject, I have seen Anderson learn so much. She is my little mini me, my little interior designer. She loves going to the tile store with me, or the "home" store (aka Lowes). When we go to the tile store she picks up small tiles and holds them up to other ones. She tells me which cabinet paint color she prefers, she loves paint swatches, and when the selections get installed she says, "Wow! Mama, thats beautiful!" She can melt my heart right there. She refers to the Indianola Project as "the flip house". Probably because I referred to it that way so many times. Of course there were times she didn't want to go, because she knew half the time she fell asleep on our drive up to the house. No mom ever complained of a little afternoon nap for their 3 year old! Now Fitzy, he's a little harder to control on the job site. Mostly because...well...he's all boy. He is ready to venture through any dirt, water, or nails. Put him outside in the grass though and he couldn't be happier. He always made the decision making trips more challenging, but what's life without a challenge, am I right?
Once the house went on the market, we had to keep the presentation up by mowing the law. Every two weeks, we drove up and mowed the lawn as a family. First off, this grass was nuts. So beautiful and luscious, but man did it take effort to mow! It was so thick, and most the time because it was so thick it would hold the water in it and we could only mow one line and have to empty it. When it came time to mow the law every two weeks it always seemed like such a hassle. We had to load kids up in Gilbert, snacks and water. Drive to Tempe and pick up the law mower at Andrew's parents house, and then drive up to Scottsdale to mow. Always seemed like such a bummer to have to complete it on our Sunday to-do list. It's funny though, because times like those actually can wind up to be your favorite. I will always look back as the time we spent mowing as some of my favorite times up there. Watching Fitz watch his dad mow the law, Anderson watching mommy pick weeds and she would even help me spray the weeds. Sometimes Anderson would ride her scooter on the driveway while Fitz pushed his Thomas the Train. They always looked like they felt "free" there. The last two times we went to mow, Fitz really started to watch his dad, and actually started to copy him perfectly. I am so glad I captured this photo at the end, because it will be one I forever hold onto.
