In the Yard

Okay, this is one of those posts that's really more for our entertainment than anyone else's. Specifically, Chris would like his heroic weekend warrior efforts recorded for posterity, and I'm going to oblige, because he deserves it.


Here's a picture of our front porch shortly after we moved in. It's wood -- and was painted a dirty dark red. The privet hedges were each the size of a Mini Cooper, and didn't do much for the house. We bought this house for the inside, not the outside, but we still felt we had to do something to help our ugly duckling.

So, step one was to remove the hated privets, which took a whole day of work, and probably a year off Chris' life. One should not understimate the root system of a car-sized shrub. Then we painted the porch the same color as the trim. Much cleaner.


Step two was to shape the garden and smooth things out a bit. We put the children to work.


After considering child labor laws and the serious lack of progress being made, we brought in the hired guns. Or free guns, as the case may be.


Here's Papa Sugg and Coach Sugg, helping Chris make relatively quick work of a driveway full of rocks and dirt.


By the way, I'm done spendng money on rocks and dirt for awhile.


So here's the after picture, and I think it's marvelous. I can't believe the difference it made. I feel like I'm living in one of those "Curb Appeal" shows. Well done, Chris. And thanks to all who helped. By the way, Chris has his dad working on the sprinkler timer right now. No one escapes the Lareau labor pool.

So Chris did a great job. But kids are cuter than any flower bed, so here are Walt and Meredy enjoying the good life...in the yard.