There are many ways to test a marriage. Ours involved 20 cubic yards of woodchips. Some couples celebrate their anniversary with candlelight dinners. We celebrated ours over a weekend with shovels, sweat, and a surprise mountain of woodchips.

It started, as most of our adventures do, with me clicking something online and saying, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

💻 “Oh… Babe… I Did Something.”

The night before the chaos began, I received an email confirming that we’d have woodchips delivered within 48 hours thanks to ChipDrop.com — a free service that connects arborists with people looking for mulch.

Here’s the deal with ChipDrop:

• You don’t pick the day.
• You don’t pick the type.
• You don’t pick how much. You just upload a photo, cross your fingers, and hope your front yard doesn’t become a forestry project.

So… there I was, standing in the kitchen, realizing what I had done. I sheepishly turned to Ross and said, “Oh… babe… I did something.”

He gave me that familiar “What now, Megann?” look and asked, “What?”

“I ordered woodchips,” I admitted. “And… they’ll be here within 48 hours.”

Pause. Blink. Processing. Ross asked, “Where are they delivering them?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I took a picture of the front yard. I honestly didn’t think it was real!”

This set off the complicated logistical negotiations of vehicles, driveway space, and wheelbarrow estimations.

🚚 The Drop Heard ‘Round the Neighborhood

Fast forward to the next day. I wasn’t even home when it happened. Ross texted me. I could feel his disbelief through the screen. Ross said, “The chips have arrived.“

Then came the photo — a picture worth roughly a thousand wheelbarrows.

The Mulch Monster arrives.

Ross had directed the delivery crew to the driveway, saving our front yard and possibly our marriage. (it is so much easier to move woodchips off concrete than grass!) By the time I got home, a literal mountain of mulch towered over our driveway. The kids thought it was the best day ever. I thought we’d need a small excavator.

Ross just stared at it, sighed, and said, “So… the plan is…”

🪓 Team Wither vs. Mulch Mountain

And thus began Journey to the Center of the Mulch.

Ross took the lead, shovel in hand. Fitz grabbed the wheelbarrow like a pro. The girls put on their sparkly boots and declared themselves “Mulch Princesses.” Lebowski supervised, as usual, offering moral support and stealing sticks.

It became a full-on family project. Every spare moment — before the sun rose and after it set — was spent hauling, dumping, and laughing through the sweat. Filling the wheelbarrows 16 cubic feet at a time. Our neighbors got curious and wandered over to investigate (and, of course, ask Ross to fix their lawnmower). For one weekend in October, the project consumed us.

📸 Photo Highlights

Ross questions all of our life choices.

The teenager joins the landscaping crew.

The girls take charge. Efficiency drops, morale skyrockets.

Tools of the trade.

Progress Pics. I don’t think we really knew how big this pile was…

Progress! Backyard is shaping up beautifully.

❤️ Marriage, Mulch, and Messy Progress

The traditional 20th anniversary gift is porcelain — beautiful, but fragile. The modern one is platinum — strong, enduring, and rare. Somewhere between those two extremes, you’ll find us: covered in sawdust, laughing, and building something that will last long after the mulch settles.

This wasn’t just a landscaping project for us. It was a reminder of what our partnership really means. Love isn’t always Netflix and chill. Sometimes it’s teamwork, dirt under your nails, and the quiet rhythm of two people working toward the same goal.

Marriage is a lot like a ChipDrop delivery: You don’t always know what’s coming, when it’ll arrive, or how much work it’ll be…but if you stick together, you can turn the chaos into something beautiful.

🌸 The Moral of the Mulch

ChipDrop didn’t just deliver woodchips—it delivered perspective. When life drops a giant, unexpected pile in your driveway, grab your people, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.

Because love isn’t built in easy moments. It’s built in the shared effort, the laughter, and the ability to look at a mountain and say, “We’ve got this.”

Happy anniversary to us. ❤️ Here’s to another year of building something spectacular. Side by side.

Curious About ChipDrop?

Some couples go to dinner for their anniversary. We covered our yard in compost! And honestly? I think we got the better deal. The dinner would’ve been over in two hours — this memory will last a lifetime

If you want to try it yourself (and you’re brave enough), visit ChipDrop.com. Just… maybe warn your partner first — or at least clear your driveway and your weekend schedule.