Our Little Backyard

We have had a lovely backyard for about three months and now I am finally going to post about it.

You may remember that our backyard looked like this when we moved in:





The builders sprayed hydro-seed, which didn't take root because our yard was pretty much a gravel pit. Obviously, something needed to be done. First, we tried digging up the rocks, then we decided that was too much work. We pulled out the big rocks and got to work with my dad in April.


Dad chipping off cement.


Rachel enjoyed watching her grandpa work.


Dad working on the garden box.

And then we bought 10 cubic yards of topsoil so we could cover up the horrid gravel pit.


The dirt in front of the house.


Dad working hard to dig the dirt.


Our neighbor Claire "helping" us.


Hardworking and helpful neighbors.


The dirt was very fun for the neighbor kids to play in. If you ever have a birthday party for two-year-olds, just buy a pile of dirt.


Rachel and I raking.

And a month later, we bought sod for the yard.


Fooray!


Andrew laying the sod. In the bottom corner, you can see the berry box that Andrew built for me for Mother's Day. I'm so excited to fill it with delicious berries!


Rachel blowing raspberries on her walker tray.


That isn't a very flattering face, Rachel.


And Andrew got to use his machete!

We were happy to have our yard done. It is actually a nice place to be now. It's amazing how much some greenery makes your yard feel like an oasis instead of a desert. Next summer we'll focus on flowers and such.

It is a nice place to be. I have built a pathetic fort a few times for Rachel and I to enjoy.




She doesn't care how lame the fort is.

Hooray for the yard!

Coming soon: the first room I actually decorated!

My Problem Is...

My problem is that I don't know how I want to decorate my house. First world problem, I know.

The only thing I know is that I want to do purple downstairs. It is basically one room, so I have been thinking about it as a whole.

But upstairs? No clue.

Do I want white blinds (totally safe) or faux-wood blinds (could be cool, could be tacky)?

Do I want a brown or a gray neutral nursery?

Do I want to paint our bathroom? What color?

Is doing the kid bathroom under-the-sea style too cliche?

Will I ever finish unpacking the master bedroom stuff?

How will I decorate the master bedroom?

Should I paint the upstairs family room which is furnished with a hodge-podge of furniture?

Do I paint the room I'm planning on putting Rachel in when future-and-not-yet-existing-baby-sibling comes or do I wait until we get closer?

And speaking of that room, do we do a secret garden mural and which wall do we put it on or do something simpler?

Oh my problems.

What is a room in your home you are struggling with?

Thoughts on any of my above problems?

Welcome To Our Humble Abode

Here are some pictures of our house before we brought all our junk into it. Enjoy this little tour!


Enter here! This is the front door.


The view from the front door. Ahead is the kitchen, to the forward left the dining room, to the forward right is the living room. There is a small bathroom to the left, and we want to put a piano against that wall on the right.


The dining room.


The kitchen. Finally! Enough room for Andrew and I to cook at the same time!


The living room. Now we have a green couch. I'm thinking about purple curtains...


The back porch.


The rocky and tiny backyard. We wanted a bigger yard, but this is a blessing in disguise. It is super rocky and we are digging all the rocks up. Thank goodness it is small! We are going to put a small garden in the back corner.


Now we go up the stairs. I love these big windows. My house is so full of natural light, even when it is a cloudy day!


The master bedroom. There is enough room for our bed and a small sitting area.


Nice deep bathtub in the master bath!


The upstairs hallway. We have three bedrooms (besides the master), a laundry room (closed door on the left), a full bath for the kids, and a "bonus" room where we put all our indoor recreation things.


Rachel's room/the eternal nursery. The baby will always sleep here.


Kids' and guest bathroom.


The bonus room. Love love love it!

And the other two bedrooms are just like the other bedroom, except the windows are taller.

Do you love it? We love it! The only room I know what I want is the downstairs living room, and Andrew disagrees with my dreams of purple. If you have any ideas for other rooms, let me know! I have been scouring Pinterest for ideas and would love to hear yours.