Despite our brown thumb, we saved the yard.

You all remember the "great" American Dream, right?  (Or is it the great "American Dream"?  I can't seem to get those straight...)  Perfect husband, high-heeled wife, 2.5 kids, white picket fence.  You know the one.

When we bought our house, we were a little short on the white picket fence scenario.  (Not to mention, we had a screaming baby, tempermental two-year-old, and a slightly insane, sick and sleep-deprived momma.  At least I'm clear on where the air quotes go in "American Dream.") 

In fact, what we had was this:

And we were thrilled, don't get me wrong.  We love our house.  And the slow process that has been getting it into a condition where it actually looks like we love our house?  We're getting there.

In the fall, it looked like this:

We dressed it up a bit.  Notice the flowers and pumpkins?  How obvious is it that I was trying to distract from the fact that the yard was mostly dead and the flower bed full of weeds?  Anybody?

Even as spring came to a close, that front yard still looked more like cows lived on it than people thanks to the giant holes in the "lawn" (aha!  This time I'm sure those air quotations belong there).

But we think we've really got something special here in our home.  It may not look like it from the outside.  Yet.

I do believe we're familiar with the terms elbow grease and weekend warriors at our house.

So, as the summer begins, here's what we're working with after nine months of residency:

 

Not too shabby, eh?  Kinda looks like, you know, people live here!

Materials used for this transformation:
1 storm door, installed by hubby and FIL
Aeration and seed (and also: aeration and seed for good measure)
4 rolls of sod
3 bags red mulch
2 packs (4 lights total) solar LED walkway lights
4 flagstones (left over from our first backyard transformation at the old house)
American flag
2 pots with miscellaneous flowers

And if I sound like I'm bragging, it's because I am.  Because the back yard is completely full of weeds and can't be salvaged, so I have to celebrate where I can.

I may not love the seven-gazillionty projects we have left to do and still in progress, but I can tell you this: I could not love our home any more.  It fills my soul to the brim with happy to think that we get to spend our tomorrows here. 

White picket fence need not apply.