sweat equity

At the back of our home, there is the most beautiful view:However, after the builders finished with the house, they left piles of dirt at the back of the house (they had to build up around some of the pipes. That was all fine and well, but it left us with quite the eyesore, and more importantly, we weren't using our backyard!

We decided we'd love to have a patio out back. So, we got to work. First, we evened out the dirt piles.

Next, we rounded up bricks (the previous owners left a huge stash of them behind the shed) and made sure to dig them into the dirt, keeping them straight and level.

Then, Eric moved 12 wheelbarrow loads of rock (the previous owners left this as well).

After dumping the rock evenly through the outlined patio...

After evening it all out, we now have a beautiful space to relax with a glass of wine at the end of a long day. Soon, those pretty trees will be layered in twinkly lights.

The best part? IT WAS FREE.