My MIL's Yard.....

[DianaB]

When my in-laws bought this place 33 years ago it was just beautiful!! The log cabin was built about 1930 or so. In fact some pictures have been found that show the yard as it used to be back then......very interesting!! Since my MIL didn't keep the inside of the house clean....my FIL didn't do any thing to the outside out of rebellion to her. The roof needed to be replaced years ago but no one ever did anything about it.....until it got so bad that it finally collapsed. Everything was so rotten that there really wasn't much worth saving on it. It was very sad to see it go........My MIL will not turn the house over to someone who will fix it up and take care of it because that's what she's always planned on doing and she can't bear the thought of someone else doing it.......Trust me.....we tried to buy this place before we built our house.

Above the garage is an apartment.....the previous owner's children tore out the sheet rock but the studs are still there. The original owners had servants that cooked and cleaned. We know some of the people who worked and lived there.

My MIL has so much stuff and can't hardly get around and she only lives in two rooms of the house now. The porch area with all of the windows is where her washer and dryer are at, then there's the kitchen, a walk through room with cabinets in it (a pantry/hallway), then there's a back room--like a family room with an attached bathroom, where my MIL has her bed. It's so sad that the rest of the house isn't lived in.

[gja1000]

That really is sad, Diana. Old houses like that can just be so beautiful with the proper care and maintenance. What will happen to the house when your MIL no longer lives there? I hope someone will fix it up and care for it properly!

[DianaB]

I don't know what will happen to it. The house and all of the "stuff" is going to her two daughters........the three boys are getting the tools and equipment. She has it set up that way on purpose........it's to make sure that things only go to HER children.....not their spouses. We've already had our problems over this. There's absolutely nothing that I want....if there is I'll buy it at an auction....if there is one....like everyone else. My MIL and her family all have problems accepting anyone that's not a blood relative.

Get this......one day my son, Feyn, and his wife and kids were eating at a restaurant when they ran into one of my MIL's sisters......She made a comment about how thinned down the Lambert blood was getting with all of the many generations that are coming!!!! However, she let my son and his family know that THEY are Lamberts!!!! Do they want to just in-breed?! My son just laughed at the comment!!

MY family is NOT like this at ALL and I have a hard time accepting it. My DIL and SIL's are loved and accepted as much as my own children. When I think of leaving things to my kids....Tammy is included in getting stuff.

I just try to stay away from them because I always do something wrong or I come home upset with them.

[gja1000]

Bitterness and pettiness eats away at the soul - it will catch up with those that espouse it.

I know you've had your difficulties - I try to avoid such toxic people and I know you do too!

[paula1961]

The pix are just beautiful! You can just see that there is so much history there. I know that the wedding will be beautiful Diana. That house is so pretty. It's such a shame to think that it's anything less than perfect on the inside. But I have watched the shows on tv about hoarders. It's really sad. I don't see how people can live like that but I guess it's a disease just like so many other things.

[judy]

What a beautiful place this is! This will be a gorgeous wedding Diana!

Too bad the log cabin got so run down. It must have been magnificent. What a shame that your MIL and her children are so miserable! Too bad for them! I would also avoid them, like you do.

I love that show "Hoarders." I guess it's because those hoarders are usually getting help. I think my ex might be a hoarder now. I feel bad for him.

Whatever they do, it is wonderful that you and your family are transforming the garden into a magical place for Jaci's wedding! As always, you and Glen and your family are so loving! Everybody will feel as though they are a big big part of the wedding.

[DianaB]

Thanks everyone!! I think that it's such a lovely place. I wish that I would have know a couple of years ago that we were going to have a wedding there because I could have planted some hostas around the yard. They are such lovely plants......I just love them....but it takes a couple of years for them to get to a nice size.

Jaci's decided to move the place of the wedding to further back in the yard. Nate's parents were there on Sunday and pointed out that they were going to be sitting in full sun at 4:00 so Jaci's looking for a shady-er part of the yard now. There's a beautiful little concrete pond further back but it will mean more yard work to get it very pretty. Everyone's been working so hard!!!