WE DID IT! Made over our yard for pennies (and a lot of sweat)!

BEFORE:

Our yard a year after the septic disaster of 2010.

Neglected...sad....lifeless. A depressing reminder of a crappy year (literally). 

Finally, Troy and I got sick of waiting for something to change. We didn't have the money to hire someone, we didn't know how to landscape or lay bricks or install railroad ties ....BUT WE DID IT ANYWAY. ( thank God for the internet and smart, handy friends!)  WE DID THIS!!!

Our yard today! 

What was once lifeless...

comes alive with friends by your side. Monica helps me lay down the broken concrete walkway

 we're almost there, just need the sand and....

it's now TIKI ROAD, complete with zen garden areas and outdoor shower. 

This sad, barren spot became....

My new writing spot! (A coat of paint and a few nails tightened up this old lounger)

A yard that was once full of sewage and rusty nails is now...

a perfect children's play area!

Our jacuzzi now: A happy place where children play...makes my heart so content. 

Laying the groundwork for the brick patio. Slave labor was involved.

Me and Aya getting our workout. Who needs a gym membership?

This kid actually likes hard work...

Troy and Aya level the sand to prep for brick laying.

Evan especially loved the pattern part of laying the bricks. He corrected us when we did it wrong.

We laid that brick patio- YES WE DID! $150 worth of bricks was our biggest investment. Pea gravel is $3 for 75 pounds. Railroad ties about $10 each.  One $10 can of stain covered the whole jacuzzi and the table. 

Troy enjoying the benefits of his labor. 

Broken concrete stepping stones: FREE. 

An old washbin I had lying on the side of the house- added a $3 jasmine plant and some mulch- voila!

a "garden-warming" gift from Monica.

And finally...the piece de resistance. The TIKI BAR! Made especially for Troy's 50th birthday by our amazing best friends Erin and Beth. Wow. INCREDIBLE - and tied the whole yard together. 

The moral of the story is... ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!