We Could Have Been on HGTV Today

It is Spring Break for us this week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we went to visit Gramma and Granddaddy. The boys played with Gramma and Granddaddy's toys, Jack and I got our teeth cleaned, and we went to the Children's Museum. There is a very cool exhibit at the Museum right now. North Carolina artist Patrick Dougherty has built a stick village. He collected sticks and branches from around the city and used them to build a stick sculpture. The sculpture is five primitive houses...very cool. It took over 1000 man hours to build the sculpture and they expect it to last 1-2 years, until nature takes its toll. The boys had a blast going through the 'houses'. The design of the sculpture was planned so that some of the houses lean, because the artist thought that added interest.

Brent has taken Thursday and Friday off, so we have enjoyed spending the day with Daddy! All of the boys were outside all day and had a blast. Our big excitement was that we had the backyard resodded. When we moved into the house, the backyard was 90% weeds and 10% bermuda. Brent conquered the weeds and nursed the bermuda into a presentable backyard. The problem was that the backyard was too shady for bermuda, so the lawn was always a little thin and patchy. Then we went into the draught and the lawn struggled. And then came what we refer to as The Unfortunate Fertilizing Disaster of 2008. Suffice it to say that too much of a good thing will kill what little bermuda survives a draught...just a heads up for ya! So for about the past year, we have had what we affectionately called 'the White Trash Trailer Park backyard'...hard, sun-baked dirt! It has been soooo lovely to look at. And all of the dirt that the boys drug in after playing in the backyard was just an added bonus!

Today, we had the drainage pipes buried deeper, the backyard leveled, and Zeon Zoysia laid down, which is a more shade-tolerant grass. And it has been a most welcome transformation. Brent has assured me that the yard is pretty much done now (ha ha ha!), with the idea of an outside fireplace down the road "once we have done some work on the inside of the house." I am learning that you are never done with your house, inside or out. There is always something that needs to be fixed, maintained, or updated. Thus, the term 'Money Pit'!

Here is a pictorial recap of the day:

We have sod! I love how they are holding hands =).

Our landscaper was such a nice guy. Jack got to sit in the bobcat. Will thought it was "too scarewy!"

Before:

After: