Living the Dream- Landscaping our Home!

When we moved here in March, our yard looked like this. (We didn't really care until we realized what horrible mud the dirt makes. You can see how far those foot print are sunk into the ground.) But there wasn't much we could do about it until the true spring, and we were busy unpacking and working on things inside anyway. 

After a few weeks the weeds started to grow but we were still too busy with projects inside to concentrate on it in any way. 

In the late spring the builders had to come grade the yard a little because they were mandated to by a city inspector so that helped the weeds a bit. We also got our fence put in at a discount by jumping in on the job with our neighbors. If you remember, I worked SO HARD to prep and level the space for the fence to go in!!

The kids actually really enjoyed having a "sandbox". Kent and I started to seriously consider our options now that we for sure knew what space we were working with. The possibilities were endlessly exciting but the finance side was depressing. We just hadn't saved up enough yet, and finally came to terms with the fact that we would have to wait until the fall to do the yard. It was a little sad to be honest, but really we felt good to be keeping our commitment to be debt free, and we were on the same page about the decision so that felt good too. And now looking back, the time just flew by anyway!

By the summertime, a full blown alfalfa field was growing in our backyard! As you can see from this picture of when we got our window well covers in, we tried diligently to keep it at bay, but the whole point of the stuff is to cut it down and regrow it and cut it again but it keeps growing back! We basically just made a trail to each side of the house and tried to ignore it in the back, and out of sheer embarrassment dutifully kept it cut in the front. Oh and I maintained the dirt on the strip sections by the sidewalks lol!

Seriously it got twice this tall and looked hideous once the blossoms fell off. 

Finally the timing was right and we started getting bids from landscaping companies. We had seen several neighbors put in their yards in a variety of ways over the summer ranging from do it yourself to done for you and everything in-between. But when it came down to it, Kent made the final call to just hire someone to do it all. And now looking at what we have, I understand why Kent kept saying we couldn't do it. His vision never ceases to amaze me! I guess I am much too practical to dream as big as he does. But he goes and gets his dreams too so I am grateful for him! 

This is the mock up Ryan gave us the day after we walked over the property with him and talked over our ideas. Even though his company name is weird (OMG Landscaping- standing for Oquirrh Mountain Gardens and Landscaping, which he told us later he did on purpose so that people would remember the name, and trust me people do lol) we felt good about his abilities and character so they started the next week.   

It was fascinating to watch the transformation! I hope we didn't bother the workers too much by staring out the windows at them everyday lol!

After the first wave of work Kent walked the yard with me and had me take pictures of things he had questions about and wanted me to ask Ryan since he wouldn't be home. 

We were super concerned about this space because it was not level enough for play equipment. After talking to him we decided to put in another sitting wall here that wasn't in the original plan. 

Watching them lay the cement was so cool! Seth was in HEAVEN!

We needed to choose all our plants and trees so I made copies of the layout for everyone and we got to work! We looked up beneficial plants and trees and what grows best here and what is over planted too. We looked up the state tree and flower, native trees and plants and of course fruit and nut trees and herbs! It was SO FUN!!

Everyone made a plan, but Natalie was definitely the most into it, and not just because she is the only one who can really read and write either! She is a little nature girl. Remember all those pictures of plants from hikes in the summer? Yeah. Horticulture Major in the making. 

They worked so hard. Seriously, I don't know how we would have done it ourselves!

My sweet neighbor gave up her Saturday afternoon to watch the kids (and let her kids play with them) so that Kent and I could both go to the nursery with Ryan to pick everything out. I am so grateful to her because it would have been so hard if just one of us had gone because there were so many decisions! And even then we deferred to Ryan several times because we trust his judgement and because I am too practical and Kent is too presentational so he helped us find the middle ground. =o] He said sometimes it gets pretty awkward when he goes with people because they fight ha ha! We got to know him a lot better on this outing too and his wife is a homeschooler and an herbalist and a hiker and a prepper... which is awesome! It is so refreshing to hear about like-minded people!   

The morning they showed up with everything was SO EXCITING!! 

This is Kent's critical/appraisal stance. Can you see the rest of him in your mind? Can you see the look on his face? I can. And it makes me smile. =o]

Taking a step back. I wouldn't have placed everything exactly the way Ryan did, but neither would have Kent so it is good that he just did it ha ha!

It went pretty quick after that. Here they are starting on the sitting wall. 

Our first evening out on the hardened enough cement. 

The lights came on!

They took out a section of fence the first day so they could get into the back yard with the bobcat, and it stayed open until the last day they worked. 

The sod truck! 

Again, Seth was beside himself! =o]

The last step! 

We ended up with all this left over... so guess who got to make a ksl account? At least someone came and bought it within hours of me posting it.

And finally it was done! For now!! We still have grand plans for the spring. =o]

Meet Cera, the Ginkgo tree. Named after the triceratops because this type of tree was alive with the dinosaurs!

I first came to love this tree when my geology professor at BYU pointed it out to us from our classroom window my freshman year. I had passed it dozens of times and never known it was ancient. He showed us a fossilized leaf, and since I was in the front row I got to hold it. On my way to my next class I picked up one of the leaves outside and pressed it and saved it in my journal. Now I have this awesome tree in my very own front yard! 

This is Finnjonas, the Ornamental Plum tree. I did not choose this tree. I have given it the names I didn't get to name my boys. Ha ha! (Caleb and Seth were much better for them anyway!)

Introducing Charlie Brown, the Weeping White Spruce tree. This tree and I have a storied relationship. It was the ONLY tree at the nursery that was suggested that I had anything even remotely negative to say about, and yet ironically it somehow ended up front and center in the yard. After mulling it over for a bit I love this little tree for all the reasons his name implies and I can't wait to watch that movie this Christmas, and to decorate him afterwards.  

This is Deseret, the Eastern Redbud tree. I named her this because she is one of the top ten most attractive trees for bees!

This is Asia, the Asian Pear tree. Asian pears are kind of a mixed up fruit. Asia is kind of a mixed up continent. (I mean, really, what is even part of Asia anyway these days with subcontinents being divvied out left and right. Also, I have never understood how Russia is part of Asia because culturally it is more European even though geographically it is obvious. See what I mean? Perfect name for the unique flavor and qualities of the Asian Pear.)

Meet Atlanta, our Peach tree. This one is a shout out to our cousins in Georgia. I hope they get to meet this tree someday and eat it's fruit!

These guys are Skinny Jeans Oak trees named Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. They are hobbit trees because they won't get big like other oaks. I did not choose these trees.

I'm kinda worried about Sam on this corner because as you can see he gets whipped around by the wind quite a bit! But Ryan said he will be fine.

This is Eve, our Honeycrisp Apple tree. Oh how I love our glorious Mother Eve!! She is my hero. 

And this is Mary, our Gala Apple tree. Mary is another hero of mine. I try to be a mother like these two women and so maybe seeing these trees out my kitchen window each day will be a good reminder. 

Here is one of our Sego Lily plants, which is the Utah state flower. 

These three Ornamental Pear trees are name Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I did not choose these trees. Or the names- that was Natalie's idea and I love it!

This is Thomas, our Canada Red Chokecherry tree. He is named after our dear prophet, President Monson. I did not choose this tree.

Meet our wannabe Blue Spruce trees, the Bakeri Spruce sisters Susan and Lucy Pevensie. with Jill Pole off to the side. The Blue Spruce is the Utah state tree but it grows to be like 50 feet tall, so we went with this dwarf version. The names were again Natalie's idea.

These Almond tree brothers are Ammon and Aaron. These were the first named actually. My dad hangs out with too many California almond farmers and now calls almonds "ammons" like they do. And since missionaries travel in companionships he couldn't leave his brother behind! I am expecting great things to come to pass through small and simple means here. =o]

And last but not least this is Zion, our Zelkova tree. I love this tree, recommended to me by a friend here. I named her Zion because more than anything I want to build Zion so I hope as this tree grows, so will the Kingdom of God on the earth! 

This is where the play equipment will be someday. 

This is where our shed and garden and arbor with grapevines will be someday. 

There you have it! We couldn't be more excited for all the future holds! I feel so blessed to have the yard of our dreams! I am grateful to the workers who made it so awesome! And most of all I am so grateful to Kent who works so hard to provide for our family the things we need and want. One of the times I caught him staring out the window (what I call "surveying the kingdom") I was overwhelmed with gratitude that we are here and for the job he has so that he can be home with us. It is such a different life than we had in the past. I couldn't be happier and I told him so. He kissed me good right there in front of the bay window even though the workers were right outside and the kids were all around us in the kitchen. Neither of us cared. Here's to living the dream!