WARNING! Do not look if weak stomached...

So just in case anybody is wondering, my backyard looks like a junk yard! I cant believe we have waited so long before doing anything to it. Well this past winter (January) I decided it was no longer going to look like that. I was sick of not being able to go play outside, and if we did we had to play out front where people drive like they are on the Autobahn. I hated having my kids out front, and we never have anywhere else to play. Also whenever it rains, snows, or anything else that gets things wet, the dogs track in mud EVERYWHERE! It is horrible how bad my floors get, and mopping 3 -4 times a day never sounds fun to anybody. So I have been saving a little bit at a time. I don't have enough for everything, but to start i have just enough.

I cant believe I am putting the before pictures up here, but now I have even more motivation to hurry and finish it. I will warn you it is back, and don't think bad of me...or my dogs. Most of it they didn't do. Let these pictures be a lesson NOT to neglect your yards.

This is the view from Mak's bedroom window. Sad huh, i know. It is very messy and I'm really embarrassed about that.

This is the fence we just put up last weekend. This area will be the play area, being viewed from the top of the deck stairs. All we are missing is the gate. It isn't a super gig area, but my backyard is super big either. My deck takes up most of it, and underneath it is not very pretty! Anyways, so I an going to fill this area with pea gravel, and as you can see the boys have already got their trucks out to play. The love playing in the rocks at my moms, and rocks are very low maintenance.

This is looking under the deck, as you can tell it is a mess. Can you see why I call it my junkyard?

This is the view from right in front of the play area. this will all be grass one day...right now it is dirt, and dog poop!

This is the area in between the shed and the play area. There is a gate back there, and I have no idea why. There is nothing behind my house but field. I put the planter box that was on my deck down by the shed. The dogs were digging under there, and making a mess. I thought I would stop that bad habit with wood!

This is a close up of the planter box. It's long, and heavy but I moved it myself! I am thinking some really pretty flowers, lots of color!

This picture is looking at the shed from the play area. The people who Eric's parents bought this house from made it. They wired it for electricity. I think it was intended for a guest house. I think it is cute, but the crazy dog has completely ruined the inside (she ate the walls). Eric wants to take it. I think I might just let him. It is more in the way than anything else. It also is a home for anything eight legged and things with wings! I don't plan on doing anything with it. Does anybody want a shed/ room?

This area will eventually be the dog area. I am going to put a fence around it just like the play area one. That thing you see used to be a dog house, but the roof was taken off...now it just sits there! Yes there is cement on the ground right there, we don't know what it was used for. It has a drain in the center of it.

LOOK AT THE UGLY SHED! I promise it was cute at one point. Eric shot the window out with an air soft gun. Yeah it's coming down. Eric and Daniel Have fun! More room for grass!

Another look...I just got shivers.

Here is a section of my deck. Now don't turn up your nose this thing has potential! With some fresh boards, and some stain it will sparkle. It has just suffered from neglect.

This is the other half of the deck. I love the benches, and behind them is a planter box that goes all the way around. Eric had an idea to use it as a cooler for BBQ's...yeah that's not going to happen! We had some bushes planted there at one point, but the dogs got bored. Like I said it has potential!

This is the gate, as you can tell my dogs needed a place to look out from. Justice broke both places with his head! If you can imagine such a thing, this area was once done...there was actually grass. The brother-in-laws dog takes blame for recking this one. It was SOOOO not cool! So in here there are stairs that have decorative rock in them. Well, my dogs will just dig those, so I decided to put a layer of cement down, and then add the rocks on top. My kids cant throw them and the dogs cant dig them. Problem solved. Right next to the stairs there is a rock wall, and i plan on putting some type of flower or something that will grow out of it to make it look pretty! 

This is a close up of the stairs. Outlined in a railroad tie, and cleaned up this will look good! These were already here to...compliments of somebody! Great idea, I love these stairs!

So as you maybe wondering, what has Eric done. Well he has helped with the fence, but I don't want him do has too much say in this. My ideas and his are completely different. I love you Eric, but this is my project! He knows he has the shed. If you are reading this Eric, go ahead and take the stupid thing down. Just make sure you clean up every bit of the mess (the same day). Oh, and wear gloves and a mask!!
Anyways there is my junkyard...hopefully not for long. I will post pictures of the progress. Wish me luck!!