Backyard Progress

We started tackling the backyard the week we got home from Hawaii. Andy did everything and I helped where I could. He rented an excavator and dug 2-3 feet down to clear out all the rock. It was so much work but will be so worth it when our grass can actually grow. The rocky soil is unbelievable and nothing grows here. Andy dug all the post holes and put in the fence. It looks beautiful! We had top soil delivered and Andy put in the sprinkler system. After grading and planting some trees we needed more dirt.  So we had another 60 yards of top soil delivered which turned out to be a nightmare. Since we already had a delivery I wasn't too worried about them being able to do the same thing again. After telling them where to dump the dirt I went inside to get out of the way and didn't think anything of it. I've decided that every project we do something always goes wrong. It gives us good character building opportunities. Boy oh boy did this build character! I went out when they were done and almost starting crying. They didn't put the dirt where I wanted it but exactly where I told them not to. They cracked our driveway, put all the dirt on our gravel, down our drain, and it was on our neighbor's fence and it was bulging because there was so much dirt on it. The guy told me he didn't want to deliver it where I asked him to and made the decision to put it where he wanted it. I didn't know whether to cry or scream at him. I did neither. Instead I was extremely nice and asked them to move it and put it where I asked them to. Since they knew the mess they created they decided it was easier to just give the dirt away instead of dealing with it. It took us 2 weeks to get most of it cleaned up and we still have more to do but we'll wait until the springtime. Like I said, character building! Everything was ready the end of August and we were going to lay sod Labor Day weekend. After Andy ordered the sod we got a call back a few days later from the owner telling us the grass we wanted was delayed and wouldn't be ready for 10 weeks not 2 weeks like we were told. So this has been an anticipated day for quite a while. While we were waiting for the grass Andy was able to finish the paver patio that he started in July. That was probably the hardest project he has taken on. I'm sure there were times he wished we had just done a concrete slab but it looks so amazing. I'm sure he'll say it was worth it in a few years. It was so much work and it seemed like it would never ever end. I held back the tears as I watched him lay the last paver. I think Andy wanted to cry because his hands hurt so bad. That was a good feeling to check that one off the list. A few weeks later the owner called and said they would have the sod ready a week earlier than we had scheduled. It worked out perfectly to not only wait for the sod so we could get the patio done but to then get it a week earlier so we could get it put in before winter hits. Halloween is officially the anniversary of getting grass in the backyard. So fun! It looks beautiful. Andy always amazes me and does such an awesome job at everything he does. It looks better than I could've imagined. It's like my own beautiful park in my backyard. I love it. Braden and Taylor helped us with the sod and they worked so hard for 2 days carrying the sod with me to give it to Andy to piece it together. The kids are so excited to have a backyard after 2 summers of not having one!