Our Family:: Finally!!!

We bought this house a little over 3 years ago and it was a mess. Really. We bought it from drug dealers and they pretty much trashed the house- graffiti, broken everything, etc. We spent a little time and a lot of money and fixed up the inside (by no means is it all the way done- the shower in one of the bathrooms still needs a door, there is trim that needs to be completed, etc. but we did a pretty good job). Anyway, 11 months after we moved in, we unexpectedly moved to SoCal for 2 years. Because of that, we didn't have time to make the yard nice before we left. So, we're back now and finally are getting a yard put in! Here's some before, during, and after pictures:

looking from the deck straight back. The little playset is on a concrete pad that either needed to be torn up or repaved. We decided on tearing it up.

looking from the deck to the other side of the backyard

looking from the front sidewalk to the east side of the front yard

looking from the front sidewalk to the west side of the front yard

looking from the front yard down the west side of the house

During construction: Here's the dump truck dumping top soil. Sam loves trucks and tractors. He was in heaven.

Here are the kids watching the bobcat smooth our backyard dirt. You can see Eli's shadow in the curtains.

Evan and Eli getting a ride on the bobcat.

Evan and Eli in the scoop- they played soccer with this as the goal when it was on the ground. That's why there are so many balls in there. Scott Young (of Golden Rule Lawn Renovation) is driving- he did the renovation and we were very pleased!