Yard Progress II

So once again... 

And I could not be more excited to be lookin' at this now....

I built three little cedar planter boxes and stained them to match our fence.  We're going to use the first two for a few vegetables and the last one is the long anticipated sandbox! Nothing fancy or elaborate but open space and well worth the investment and efforts to finally have a place for the kids to run and play and dig!  

Out with the 'weeds'....

Did some weeding this morning with the kids... So happy to be spending more and more time outside again!  


However, perhaps giving THIS GUY his choice of gardening tools...

wasn't my smartest moment. 

Have a great day! :)

Yard Progress

So - you may remember our yard in all its glory when we took possession of our place...

needless to say, me and my 'green thumb' were not going to play well with it in it's current condition. :)  Last summer we tackled the fence - which we have been super happy with.  

and this spring...we have pulled out a whole lot of a gardeners love and good intentions and are left with this....

I can manage a big empty lot of black soil right??  This past week we even pulled out the plum tree situated in the middle of the yard which opened it up a ton.  Kinda sad to pull up a fruit tree, but not really plum fans and it was right in the middle of the yard so the plan is to someday replace it with another fruit tree further to the side.  We transplanted the raspberries further back on the lot as well.  We then hauled in a few yards of top soil to level out the old garden site and are now just sitting pretty, waiting for our sod! :)  So exciting! It is going to be so great to finally have a space for the kids to run and play - and put an end to the mud and dirt piles!


So yeah - not looking like a lot right now,....but if you squint you can see potential right??

outdoor bench

Thanks again to my good friend Ana White at Knock-Off Wood (k - i MAY be one of those 'friends' that follows you around the schoolyard and you don't REALLY know exist - but yeah - )....here's our latest building project!  We used up the left over cedar sitting in the scrap pile from our new fence. A pretty new outdoor bench seat.  Mmmm... free! :)

Love having the extra seating on our deck....now just gotta finish the pillows...


Have a great night!.....


Ralna

A Million Miles of Fence

Umm...so, we have a seriously seriously big yard.   K - actually we don't.  But we have this air conditioned house and this super comfy couch and yeah....it's pretty great. :) 
'Cause it's summer and super hot and we also live close to this...

and this....

And well...we've also seen a lot of these...

Oh I joke....kinda....  
you know who you are. ;)


So it may have taken us three weeks from actual *technical starting date to completion date,....but look at us now...

Before

 And After

But to be fair - us being the eager rookies that we are,...did paint the first several days of the process with this.... 

before we found out they have THESE!  

YOWZA!  Who knew??


Have a great night all...


Ralna

my casa

So, check it out....  polished up our front step - painted the railings, doors, power washed the concrete, moved the house numbers, new mailbox and door handle and lost the screen door....oh yeah, and killed the tulips. Actually,....THAT was probably Mom M and Kristy! :)

before

after

seriously impressive hey??  (I have a REALLY good camera.  sometimes things don't look exactly as photographed....)

But here's from a different angle...

Have a good one!


Ralna

Looky looky...

so....what I'm learning about myself is that I have no patience.  I suck at waiting.  I want it done now.  No five year plan, no waiting until we financially recover, no waiting for the time and energy to get things finished.  I want to get 'er done now! :)  


Sadly,....I do not have the energy, resources, or skills to realize that dream today.  Actually I think I am now morally opposed to paint brushes and given the 35 degrees  outside...kinda morally opposed to any activity at all today.  but lucky for me...my guests are not.  Mom M and Kristy are here for the week to attack the jungle that was our yard and they are deserving of a medal. :) 


This was what we inherited and have been skillfully neglecting since we got possession June 1st....

And two days later...we're looking at this.....

and more importantly this...

BEAUUUTIFUL!  
THey have done amazing and we are so so so grateful~ for the blisters, bruises, rose bush cuts, sunburns, sore muscles, and heat exhaustion...


THANK-YOU!  Don't you want to come visit?? ;)


and ps...the scooter on the road...that's what my husband is proudly driving to work this week. I think it came with a pink helmet....

Fencing in the Children.

These....my children.

And thus, penning them in was the first project.  Beyond happy and excited that dear old dad came out to help.  It was ridiculously hot and Dad and Aaron were true troopers - I believe Aaron's lip marks from the hose nozzle have finally dissipated.  It was actually completed last August, but we'll give them post-dated credit! :) Now that the cedar has aged for a year - we can power wash and stain it up.  Anyone volunteering to make a summer vacation of that??

and a few moments later...

Purrdy no?