it brings a tear to my eye

Yesterday, after a not-so-great day at work, I arrived home driven only by the thought "Did they work in the backyard today?" These days it's a toss up if they come at all. But nothing really could prepare me for the feeling of seeing those concrete squares stretching out from the kitchen.

They've used the sand that you see to make the backyard level. And there's even fresh dirt in what will someday be my herb garden. Oh, the mojitos I will make! Jasper was enjoying the new patio too - sniffing the tiles furiously. I think he was considering whether or not they'd make good pee territory.

You know, some may say that we're absolutely insane to spend money redoing our backyard just as we're heading into the snowy season. Our perhaps we're crazy for spending money on the backyard when there are so many rooms begging for attention inside the house. But seeing those concrete squares laid out makes me so unbelievably happy that I can't imagine having done it any other way.