And...DONE!

When Craig told me (at the beginning of February) that he wanted to try to get the backyard done in time for his Dad's memorial (which was on the 20th), I did what I usually do when he says that he wants to do something completely unreasonable: I said, "Okay, sure honey," while secretly figuring that there was absolutely no way it would happen. And Craig, in characteristic fashion after telling me that he wants to do something completely unreasonable, worked his tail off night and day finishing up trenches, wiring, conduit, and block walls, not to mention coordinating contractors, getting last-minute quotes, and setting up installation appointments just so he could prove me totally wrong.

In the span of fifteen days, after the backyard had loomed behind us for months largely ignored and sorely tolerated (by me, anyway), the tile was finally ordered, delivered, and put down, the pool fence was put up, the planter boxes were completed, fake grass was measured and installed, and the patio furniture that had been sitting in our house since last summer was finally assembled and taken outside (thanks to some very good and awesome friends of Linda's). The pool itself was literally finished on the very day of the memorial, with the contractors turning on the hose to fill it right before we left the house for the cemetery.

There are still some things to do in other parts of the backyard, but this was the BIG one, and I have to say that it never ceases to amaze me how quickly Craig can get something done once he decides that he's going to do it. (Once HE decides, mind you.)

And guess what? I am not dreading summer nearly as much as usual this year, 

(Remember that kidney-bean shaped hole in the ground that used to look this this?)

(Well now it looks like this!!)

(But first it looked like this...)

(Which means that, for a few hours at least, the kids looked like this.)

Okay, now who's coming over??