Sod! Before and Afters...

Among a million other projects--we have been working on our yard since we moved here last year.  We have basically stripped down everything that existed in our back yard and have started over.  Last fall we brought in a bunch of dirt (I mean LOADS of dirt) and we also got a new sprinkler system installed.  Then we waited.  And waited.  And waited...  Until spring--when we could get sod put in.  Well what says spring like a 10 day forecast of 80 degree weather?  Today was the day!  

We actually had the sod delivered and installed.  Joey has been working so hard prepping for the sod to arrive (let alone 80 hour work weeks), and I'm no good for hauling and bending over anymore, so we treated ourselves and actually had someone else do it!  What a treat it was!  

Lots of before and afters...  Although *after* does not mean complete.  Joey's artistic mind and landscape skills will never quite shut off.  But for now, we are both SO happy with our *current after* product.  :)

I found these pictures from last April--almost exactly a year ago!  What a difference a year (and a lot of work) makes!

Today's *before* with the berms in and the soil prepped.  (The two beams in the back are the beginnings of a trellis for jasmine!)

GREEN!  (future project will be a patio along those curved lines of the grass...but give us a couple years.  :))

You aren't supposed to play on the grass for a couple weeks but while Joey was making sure the sprinklers covered everything Owen snuck a few races down the hills in the sprinklers.  He was soaked!  I guess I know what we will be doing this summer...

After we told Owen that he can't walk on the lawn and he threw his ball on the lawn, he decided to keep his feet in the dirt and crawl over to his ball  :)  We are LOVING all this green!

I'm so glad I have this picture!  This is a great before of our totally exposed-to-the-world backyard full of white lattice and about 20 oleander bushes trimmed to a hedge.  We took all that out, removed the oleanders, put up a fence, brought in dirt...

....and you get today's *before* with a much more private and spacious side yard.  (and also a dorky husband posing making fun of me for wanting all the pictures)

...and now with GRASS!

This picture of our side yard is from the pictures they were using to sell our house.  It doesn't NEARLY do justice to how awful it used to be, but it does give you an idea of how much extra space we got when we tore all that out and put in a fence...

...same side yard...LOTS of work later

I can't get enough of something green in our backyard again!  Future plans behind this grass include raised beds for a vegetable garden and then behind that under the far tree a "kids" area.  hmmm when is Joey's next vacation?  :)