...begins with the first step, so they say. Well, we've taken the first step.
We decided to put in a pool.
Wow. First of all, I can't believe that we actually made that decision, and secondly, I can't believe what a mess we're about to make in our backyard.
We've been talking about this for years now, and decided that it would be a good thing to do before the boys went off to college. Otherwise we'd be hearing for years about how we PURPOSEFULLY waited until after they left, and then started all the fun around here without them. And so we begin the Extreme Makeover: Backyard Edition.
It being the Christmas season and all, our old friend Clark Griswald has been on our minds a lot lately. You know, Chevy Chase, from "Christmas Vacation"? Good 'ol Clark. If you recall, Clark decided to put in a pool, and emptied his bank account, with the hopes that his Christmas bonus would cover the pool expense. Poor Clark got a certificate for the "Jelly of the Month Club" instead. We've been making a lot of jelly jokes this week.
But the fates were kind to us this season, and jelly aside, the construction (demolition) will begin soon. The paperwork is winding its way through the Homeowner's Association.
First step is to clear the trees from the backyard. We live on a corner lot that has roughly 30 trees. Here is a BEFORE shot of the yard:
I can't tell you how many countless hours I spent in that little garden over the years. (Although you couldn't tell, to look at it in this picture.)
And here is the AFTER shot, post-tree destruction:
Yikes. It's a little hard to look at, all naked like that. But my husband and our trusty pool designer keep assuring me that the final transformed yard will amaze and astound me. I'll keep you posted.
