Landscaping!

Our backyard landscaping is going seriously slow, but since we're doing it ourselves and Ben does the majority of the work and his children don't leave him alone when he's home (not a bad thing!)........ it takes forever.  But, I am LOVING the results.  I think we're about 1/2 way done with the entire thing, so still a long ways to go (walls, planters, plants...).  Here's a few pics of what we did recently which, I don't even know why I'm doing this post right now, I'd rather be sitting at the backdoor staring out at it.  We're super proud of what we've done with the patio and once we have the rest of the yard done we'll invite everyone over to come and pour praises out upon our vain, complement needing heads.  Big high five to Ben and I for this one!  Ok, enough of that, but srsly we love how it turned out.  ALL the materials so far for our hardscaping has cost between 1/4 and 1/3 of the price had we done something more conventional (thanks to Craigslist!!!).  We traded cost for the huge amounts of time it takes to put together a junk patio, but I think it was a good trade.  We used jointing sand (sand, but it has glue in it to harden so it can still be hosed off and cleaned-my favorite part) instead of concrete grout or regular sand, which adds to the rustic look.  Again, we are thoroughly in love with how it turned out.  Plus, we have grass!!!!!  Man alive, I hated not having grass, and once it's not 1000 degrees outside, we'll enjoy it.  Oh wait, sprinklers!  So my kids that hate the splash pad can hate sprinklers even more, haha.  Many hundreds of props to my industrious husband who knows how to do all the landscaping schtuff.  Good job Ben, you're awesome!! 

This is all in but not grouted:

My most favorite part of the whole thing, the kids' handprints.  Dev's has little river rocks that he himself put in the bucket when we collected them, and K's has the jewels. 

Collecting the river rocks at the wash behind our house.  Of course Dev is tasting them.  Dev wanted so badly to help, he watched Ben for almost 2 hours, just staring out the window and talking to him.  Too bad babies can't be around a grinder!...He even tried to put his shoes on all by his little self.  "Mom, if I have shoes on, I can go out can't I?"

Finished and grouted.  L O V E.

My other favorite part (the 4 bricks and tile) and the babies' handprints.  Commence heart squeezing.  I love seeing their little hands in concrete!!

A view of the grass.  All the piles of bricks will be a seating wall/planter someday...  The curved area on the right corner of the picture will be a fire pit.  Can't wait for it to be done!! 

Love our little fam!!