Yardwork never ends!

Todd and I really wanted to get started on our yard early this year before GIGANTIC weeds take our yard over again! Late last week a friend of Todd's let him borrow a walk-behind tractor so that he could use it to finish digging and hauling dirt and also to move the 20 yards of bark that Todd ordered to be delivered last Saturday. Unfortunately, it was pouring Saturday morning:( That didn't bother Todd he was up and at 'em bright and early working in the downpour all day! It was way too miserable for me to set foot outside so I did what any diligent wife/mother would do and I bundled up the boys and sent them outside to watch Daddy "play" with the tractor;) From the warmth of the house I took some pictures.

Later in the afternoon the boys wanted to go out again, Bryson tripped and fell into the mud and was crying while saying, "I got poop on my hands!" Apparently he thinks brown and squishy=poop!
Now for some before and after pictures. Todd ordered 11 pallets of 80+ lb. retaining wall blocks and started the walls last April.

The first layer must be perfectly level and straight and Todd prefers to work on his own, lest another person not lay each block down perfectly;)

My hardworking man, completing the stairs.

The top tier was completed in early May of '08.

Then he started on tier 2!

He got most of this tier completed by June (working nights and weekends on it). But then he hurt the tendon in his arm and took the rest of the summer off (of course he still did some yard work just no block building). This mound of dirt in between the 2 levels was moved this past weekend by the tractor, much easier that shoveling and hauling it out with the wheelbarrow. Here's baby B and Todd last year in May.

Now for the "after" pictures! Here's Todd last Saturday finishing the wall.

Then my dad came over and helped Todd and I move 12+ yards of bark (we ordered 20 yards altogether) from the front yard to the backyard to put on top of the weed block paper. I have no pictures of this as I was too busy helping from 11am until 7 pm that night! Jaden also helped out the entire time by pulling weeds and raking bark, he was such a GREAT help!
The area at the bottom left of this picture will be where we install the boys' swingset and put down woodchips.

A view from the deck. The middle tier I am planning on building a few raised beds to plant a vegetable garden this year. . . I can't wait!

Throughout the 4 years that we have lived here, Todd has built many a block wall, here is the one he built on the side of our house.
The summer after moving in ('05), Todd took a week off of work and built the first of many walls in our front yard. This is a before picture looking out from our front porch.

Another before, a side view.

Starting on the wall, here's J at 19 months:)

Getting closer! This was the tallest wall that he has built yet.

A couple pictures of the front of our house from last spring.