Beautiful Backyard ... Finally!

So, our backyard has been in a sad shape for quite awhile. It is big, but bare. Every time we would look out, we would cringe ... oh yes. It was that sad. This is where we began. Dean took this picture in June of 2006 while Torrey and I were still in Florida and we were waiting for the house to be finished. We did not cringe about our backyard then. Know why? We actually had trees in it. Trees with leaves on them. And, then winter came ... and our beautiful trees gave up and died.

And, we lived in denial for almost a year. I would see what I thought was a leaf and believe they were making a comeback. No. They did not. Right before Ike came to town, we had 3 trees cut down from our backyard.

And, the cringing began.
But, look what came yesterday! FOUR beautiful, lovely, gorgeous Live Oak trees. They aren't nearly as tall as the ones we had taken out ... but, in a few years they will be amazing!
Our first landscaper talked us into putting this funky bush in our front yard our first year in the house. Oh, he saw us coming. It soon took over the front area. Dean has hacked it back on more than one occasion ... only to have it come back more lush than ever.

We decided that it would be a good idea to move it to the back. And, we really decided to move it to the back corner when Comcast (who is not "comtastic" by the way!) decided to use the easement that runs on the back 5 feet of our property to put an ugly box in that corner. So, now all you see is lovely bush and not ugly box. And, as a bonus, it will be hard for them to come and work on the box. (Townsend's 1 Comcast 0)
And, finally the view from the porch today. Maybe someday there will be a pool in the front part of the yard ... who knows?