Digging. {A backyard overhaul}

Once upon a time, we bought an “okay” house on a “great” street. 

I guess watching Jillian Harrison’s “Love it or list it” and Scott McGilvary’s “Income Potential” finally paid off. 

We heard the advice a million times over and then we finally listened and acted on the real-estate-golden-nugget-tip and bought a house that fit our needs, was in a great spot, but needed a complete overhaul.

Three and a half years later, I have now realized that those shows, that I love, the ones that I PVR and can’t turn on unless I am in comfy pants with snacks piled on my lap and my eyes GLUED to the television, as lovely as they are, as gorgeous as things end up after a half hour or an hour, I have learned that they are not made in REAL time or even semi-real time.

#brainwave

#gullible

#dontbelieveeverythingyouseeontelevisionkids

It hasn’t been a hundred hours, no, we have been plugging away at our house for three plus years!

Then, this summer, the clouds parted, the angels chorus sang in perfect harmony, and we realized it was T-I-M-E to take our attention from the inside of our house and instead focus our attention on the the outside of our house.

Our back yard was beckoning.

 

The deck was falling apart but the deck did not look bad — at first glance. 

At first glance, one would think that the deck is huge and is right off our main living area. It can hold a huge group of people on it, but to be honest, who knows how long it can actually HOLD up!!

Lets just say, I freak out when my blessed children go anywhere underneath the deck. 

Yep, if you live in the area, Im sure you have heard me bellowing that the deck may crash on them at any minute, and Im not being dramatic, I mean every threatening, hysterical, neighborhood-echoing-word.

Not only is the large deck a complete hazard, as it wiggles just like Elvis’s hips, but it also covers a completely fabulous window that enables light into my salon. 

When we moved in, I loved the fact that our lower level had larger than normal windows, but now I crave even more sunlight in that space.

 

The steps going down to our yard are steep and are covered in green mold. 

I love all things green, but mold will never make the list.

 

Once I had planted the seed of the idea for a new deck in my husbands mind, and had thoroughly watered it with prompting, suggestions, ideas, and nagging, he got right down to business ( ALL ON HIS OWN!) and started planning out how our NEW deck would turn out.

This celebratory picture was taken right before we went away for three days. 

We came back, to hear that it rained every day that we were away. It turned out, that we came home to our sono tubes and our holes overflowing with water. 

#yuck

On the bright side, I didn’t post about our yard then, cause guys, that was SAD. 

Also, on the double bright side, Im kind of soooooo excited to say that the deck is coming along beautifully, albeit, slow and steady.

Amidst the digging and the raining and the diggin and the raining, I taught my kids this little poem  and it is so fitting, I just had to share….

I hope it is not raining where you are and that the sun is shining down on whatever hole you are digging; be it, on the beach, in your yard or in your wallet with that back to school shopping!

(Yeah, I saw those giant pencils hangin from the ceiling at Target, too.)

Digging

BY: Kenn Nesbitt