Monday, March 28, 2011

From ‘watch out’ to wonderful

After 11 tons of gravel delivered and 5 loads of debris removed, it feels our backyard has doubled in size! Since we moved in our sideyard has been something of a wasteland with a crumbling path, overgrown shrubs, and discarded building materials.

I refused to venture much farther in than you see me in the above picture, convinced that there was a distinct possibility that spiders, snakes and maybe even a mountain lion could be making the area their home.

But after much effort these past few weeks, it’s become one of my favorite places to be! Watch it transform in the pics below.

Stage 1: We ordered gravel and cleared the area.

Stage 2: Weed barrier and gravel goes in with help from Nathan and Tucker. Erik and these two supermen got all 11 tons moved in a morning!

Stage 3: Gravel has been raked, leveled, and watered.

Stage 4: Adult and child furnishings have been added.

Stage 5: We laid a flagstone patio for the sitting area and covered the sprinkler pipes. You can tell that a week has passed since the last pic because our pear tree is leafing out.

We’ve all been enjoying the way the wall shelters the sitting area from March’s gusty winds. And the peace of mind that comes from the eliminated wildlife habitat makes outdoor playtime much more carefree. Luke particularly loves the new biking terrain and the designated ‘truck yard’ in the deep gravel behind the shed.

Many more happy family memories will be made here, I think!

(For more photos, click here.)

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