The yard

So, we've been trying to figure out the front and back yards. As you go out our back door (the mud room door) you see this tiny deck space.

The stairs go up to a deck that is the width of the house and our bedroom walks out onto it.

This is the top of the stairs.

If you turn right, you see our bedroom door and the neighbor's yard is where the purple-ish tree is. We have these little rope lights going around upstairs, but that's about it in terms of decoration.

Well, we do have these sweet chairs, I guess. Oh my goodness, these chairs are the most uncomfortable sling-like chairs in the world. Then again, all chairs are uncomfortable for me right now. That's my bedroom window. The deck here is about 7 feet deep. I want to get some comfortable chairs/seating up here because it's the only place that will fit anything really.

If you come back down to the main level, there are steps down to the backyard. On the left is random landscaping stuff (and the fort) and on the right is a little "vegetable garden" that Matt and the kids planted this weekend using the plants we grew from seeds. Why didn't I close the garage door for the picture you ask? Oh...that's because when I was parking the car yesterday I accidentally banged into the door and knocked it off it's hinges. Don't ask. I'm usually a very good driver.

The fort has been pretty well loved.

Poor the struggly vegetable garden. I give it about a 5% survival rate. Especially since our little seedlings were such struggles to begin with. I need something to cover the ugly cement wall that is below the fence. A trellis or something? I don't know. I'm clueless.

So, if you turn back around and face the house you see our baseent door and the "landscaping" plants that are in the front half of the vegetable garden.

There is a little space under the deck for something too. I don't know what. Hot tub maybe? I know, I know. Trellises and hot tubs? It's not 1985, I know, but it would be kinda sweet anyway.

Can't you picture it? The hot tub I mean?

Okay, so if you walk through that basement door and come out the FRONT of the house, you see this. It's a little walk-out basement area and then there is this struggly looking plant area.

What the heck kind of plants do I put here to make it attractive? I am SO not a landscaper, but it's pretty sad looking. Any advice on the whole yard project? I don't know what else to do in the backyard, or on the deck areas or in the front. Those of you with a green thumb feel free to weigh in on plant ideas. Remember that this is actually a BIG yard to me. We've never had this much outside area in our entire adult lives! Sad, isn't it?

And I figure I'll put some big pots on these little platforms here, but again, I don't know what to put in those pots.

Oh, and my older sister said I had to do another belly picture before the big day.

Here it is, with no dignity. Yes, I know that regular people have belly buttons, but I have merely a flat place where my former belly button used to be. June 2 is the big day, so I officially have 2 and a half weeks left. I don't think my skin can stretch anymore, so it can't come fast enough.

This is hilarious. You may not remember this blog, but I took this at 11 weeks pregnant and I was moaning about how big my belly already was and how much chubbier I was than when I was pregnant with the other kids. HAHA! Chubby? Look at my face here? Then look at the recent one! I have like 5 more chins now.

I didn't even remember how much bigger it all gets at the end. At least this IS the end.