Home Project #1: The Wall

I'm not sure why I'm wired this way...but for some reason, I love to START many projects....all at the same time...and then drive myself crazy trying to finish them. Sounds crazy, I know...but for some reason, it makes me happy. Someone please tell me why a girl who really DOES want a simple life, makes life harder on a daily basis. Somebody please STOP ME!

All of the home projects I'll be mentioning are happening simultaneously, mind you. But I'll share the project taking place on the outside of our home, first.

When we moved into this "fixer-upper" about 4 years ago, we decided at the same time, we needed to begin Dave Ramsey's plan for getting us out of debt. So for four years, my husband has been FOCUSED, FOCUSED, FOCUSED on getting us out of debt. I've been FOCUSED, FOCUSED, FOCUSED on clipping pictures out of magazines, using small amounts of money here and there to paint or fix up anything in this house I could get away with fixing at little to no cost. Actually, I think we've done a pretty great job at making it our own for pennies. (Well...not really PENNIES, per se, but you get the point)

Since 2004, I have wanted to chop down the little wall outside our front door. As you can see from the picture, this home had a little "courtyard" and small brick wall around our front door, with old weathered lantern lights (one of which hasn't worked for some time...nice.)

We first had an electrician come out and disconnect the current lantern lighting and install new lighting above the door.

Then, we had a crew of 3 strong and able-bodied men, who were willing and able to destroy something, come together and BRING DOWN THE WALL!!!!

Now that the wall is down....what do we do with all these bricks???

We decided to haul them to the side of the road...THEN we would figure it out. We planned this all the way down to the fine details, obviously.

Even the boys helped....some. :)

Yay!!! THE WALL IS DOWN!!!!!! For the first time in 4 years, the house isn't "hiding" behind those walls.

Now what do we do with all these??

Here is what our house looks like now.

It's just a blank "landscaping slate". Now the fun part can begin!

FAST FORWARD TWO WEEKS....

Still, these remain.

The neighbors...and the city...are thrilled.

The day finally came to load the bricks into an available trailer to be hauled off (thanks to my brother, Kenny). Some of us load bricks.

Some of us don't.

But that's okay....we get the job done anyway.

And when the work was done.....this is where the rest of us could be found, too.

So what do you think about the end result?

Me likey.