Experience the Wonderful.: the transformation of a landscape.

i find sometimes when you are immersed in one thing, live with something, are the thing, you don't notice or grasp the transformation that is happening before your eyes. you almost have to step back, remove yourself from the situation and then look back.

that is how i have felt lately. sometimes i think of the show the biggest loser. we go on this journey with the contestants who are dropping enormous amounts of weight but because we are following and cheering them on, they seem different week to week but not so much. understand? it's not till that pivotal point in the show where they do the then and now do you really see the transformation - the one that you supposedly have been keeping an eye on but apparently has flown over your head. you are shocked. in awe. excited for them.

that's how i felt last week. as you know we moved out east a year and a half ago and this house was less than perfect. the major hurdle was the yard. the landscape. we attacked it that first year. we sweated. we grunted. we found new respect for gardeners and landscapers. finally at the end of the summer - with our war wounds of back aches, scrapes and bruises - we got it to a place where we could do something with it. in went some plants. down went some grass - until next year when the real work could be done.

again this summer we slaved away - this year was the grooming year rather than the demo year but still it's quite the task. more plants went in. a fence was built. more dirt was hauled out. more grass put down. because of our work, the rink will be able to be bigger this year {yeah!}. a rock wall in the front creating curb appeal was carried out. looking to next year it will be major grooming, major overhaul on the vegetable garden, and lots of finger's crossed that the plants we put in work and look attractive. and then we can slow down.

it wasn't until last week when i was forced to clear out the iphoto once the number hit 15,000 that i stumbled upon the photo's of summer one that i sat back in awe. when i look out at the garden i see what needs to be done - i don't dwell too long on what we have accomplished {maybe i do a little but not as much as i should}. i am now in awe at what we have accomplished. amazed. incredible. inspired.

i felt like a contestant looking back and actually feel quite proud of us. now i am excited to tackle the task next summer. the vegetable garden. the fire pit area. the cedars along the back for privacy. possibly a new deck {but that is safely on the wish list where i suspect it might stay for a couple summers}. hopefully an outside access to the hot tub room. we will just have to wait and see.