Backyard: Before and After

We have been working, like crazy -- trying to tame the wild that was once our backyard. When we moved in it was out-of-control. There were thousands of box elder bugs, spiders, piles and piles of debris, hundreds of cinder blocks, fallen branches, and rocks, rocks and more rocks! 3 years of perseverance and a lot of back-breaking work, our vision is beginning to unfold . . .

Our yard was once this . . .

A SCARY AND DANGEROUS JUNGLE!!!

And now . . . TA DA!!!

I know, night and day, right? It does not even feel like the same place!

(Not in the picture is the umbrella for shade, with lights for night-time conversation and relaxing.)

It has been a HUGE undertaking -- but that is how we roll. We see the potential and we work hard to create it.

Here are some in-progress shots . . .

Our fence blew down in a wind-storm.

The holes where the trees once were will soon be filled with new, smaller trees and grass.

The kids use to play in the mud and rocks . . . you do what you gotta do!

Do you see all those rocks?? We picked them up, by hand, each one, so we could plant grass!

What a beautiful yard it was . . . :-) If it rained, it flooded.

Debris and plants, and junk everywhere you turned.

We had to have our huge trees removed. Every time the wind blew we would lose a branch and one time we lost a really BIG branch that landed on our home. I LOVED our trees, and I even miss them, but they were a hazard and had to go.

Can you find the tree-trimmer in this picture??

He totally freaked me out with what he would do!

Now, it is time to PLAY!!!

It took a lot of hard work and long days, but we have finally tamed our jungle. :-)

Look for the potential . . . and you just might find it!