New look out front

The view from our new outdoor dining area;) There is even a Mimosa tree blooming in the distance.

Another view from inside the courtyard.

Looking in...Luke loves to open and close the gate. And to 'make dust' in the mulch...

Looking in at seating area. You can see several of the new bushes that I had to soak the ground just to dig the hole for them to live in :) Satisfying work! I think the grounds crew out here thought I was completely nuts.

See that sun blazing down? Yeah...it was hot! Those are a type of bamboo, abelia shrubs and a burning bush in the photo.

Entry view. Hydrangeas on each side of entry. They want full sun, and they will get it in that spot!

Long view. Great location for Luke's sand and water table. One of the best buys for a child ever...He even races his car on the lid sometimes.

This is me shamelessly posing for a timer photo after two long days of hot (really hot) work. After this photo, I poured a beer into a frozen mug, sat down to enjoy the view, and called my dad to invite him over. I told him I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, and he said "duh! you are!" Steve got home from a conference to see this transformation, and he was genuinely thrilled. Luke was proud to tell him that he helped me build the fence :)

It was so satisfying to get this project done, and we just love it! We have already enjoyed lots of time in the space, and now we are just celebrating each rain and sending all of the new bushes love to survive the intense heat. YEAH for outdoor living!!