I really love spring.

I love the reminder of God’s goodness as we emerge from the dreariness of the winter months and awaken to birds singing and flowers blooming.

I couldn’t wait any longer to start working out in the yard and planting flowers. I do this every year. We get a week or so of warm weather and I go crazy planting. Then, we get a hard freeze and I have to start all over. I don’t care. I want some beauty and color in my yard and I want it now.

I truly love this yearly ritual. When we gather all of our empty pots and fill them with beautiful flowers and color and transform our backyard space.

This is our first spring in the new house and I decided this past weekend that a backyard makeover was our big project. We have basically ignored the space behind the house since we moved in. We had concentrated on getting settled in inside the house for the first 9 months. Now that the weather is warming up, we are moving our domestic-ness outdoors. (Yes, I made that word up).

As you know, I am still working on my Lent commitment to spend less. Just so you fully understand what we’re dealing with here, I’ll give you the full story:

I had completely given up on our awesome outdoor sofa that Dave had built a couple years ago and had decided we were going to have to buy new outdoor furniture. I was planning to move the old stuff to the front curb with a “Free” sign attached. The cushions had been neglected since the boys were born…I just didn’t have the time to deal with cleaning, vacuuming and moving them in during the winter. They had basically become a nice cushiony spot for Max to rest and soak in the sun during the day.

*Remember Max is our black lab. He has a lot of fur. Black fur + white cushions = gross. 

But, my newfound frugal-ness (again, made up word) beat out my need for shiny, new things. I decided to roll up my sleeves and clean the cushions. It took me two days to get the couch back into shape but now it looks as good as new!

I am now a HUGE fan of the pressure washer. I eventually got a little carried away with it and pressure washed all the rocks in the yard. Really? That is just ridiculous.

I am so thrilled with our makeover project that I had to share some photos…unfortunately, I didn’t take any “before” shots. Just trust me, it was a huge mess.

It’s now cozy and infused with magical blooms of color and life. (I’m going to continue to add new plants and trees…we aren’t completely finished but this is a good start):

Some of my favorite pots. I love the look of clay pots, they remind me of Italy. Yes, I like to sit in my backyard in NW Arkansas and pretend I’m actually in Tuscany. I worry about myself sometimes.

Our bounty, ready to plant!

Now here’s a surprise, Nathan LOVED helping me scoop dirt into the pots. Did you pick up on my sarcasm?  He really was a great little helper and we had so much fun planting the flowers together!

Ben helped for a brief stint. He preferred helping Daddy stain the fence but couldn’t resist the appeal of digging in some dirt.

We used these old barrels in the wine cellar at our old house but decided to move them outdoors here. I love the way they look with potted flowers on top.

I experienced my first sanding project with an electric sander. I had fun sanding off the old layers from our picnic table to reveal fresh, new wood. It still needs a coat of stain and then it will look as good as new again. We’ve had this table for five years. Dave built it and we have used it in three houses now (yes, we’ve lived in three houses in the past five years – this is the life of a builder’s wife). I have so many happy memories of meals shared with loved ones at this table.

Dave built this outdoor table by using an old door we bought at an antique shop. Again, we’ve had it for a long time and it needs a fresh coat of stain but I love the aged look of the door.

I had a hard time getting a photo of the outdoor sofa that didn’t include at least one dog or kiddo. I think that pretty much sums of my life. Absolutely chaotic and wonderful. Nathan was eating spaghetti prior to this photo – can you tell?

The pressure washer is AMAZING. I used a vinegar and water solution and the pressure washer and that’s it! I can’t believe how well it worked.

Cleaning up in the sprinkler! This was hysterical. They crack me up.

Don’t hate me. Dave built this little table for the boys in, oh, about 10 minutes. He is a freak of nature. Again, it needs to be stained and I am going to find a little umbrella for the center. Cuteness overload!

Nathan wouldn’t put his shoes on and thought it was hilarious to run barefoot in the rocks.  He has tough feet.

All Boy: Dirty shirt, Spaghetti beard, ball. All add up to big smiles.

Naked Nathan with Nana…at 3 Months old & 21 Months Old!