Year of the Yard

I am officially embracing the warmer temperatures (that might be short-lived) by spending some time outside. I started raking the lawn and 5 bags later, I was filled with many ideas of what to do out there. My first goal: Make some grass grow in the bald spots. Lack of rain last summer+3 dogs running around= a WHOLE lot of dead grass and dirt. Our grass is actually the greenest it's been in almost a year; it doesn't matter that most of the green are weeds and winter grass that probably won't last until summer. Next goal:

Do something on this bare side of our yard. Two years ago we had to cut down a tree due to it being diseased and dangerously hanging over our power lines. Then, last summer we tore down our shed. It was practically falling in on itself, rusted out and screaming,"Tetanus shot!!" to our kids. It had to come down, but now there is nothing there. My idea is to make a bed along the back of the fence and fill it with rocks. Why rocks?? Two reasons. One: Because I have so many surrounding my patio that I hate and need somewhere else to put them. Two: The dirt back there is so hard and compact that it would take a miracle for anything to grow. Next, I will put some potted plants along the fence line. Also, some green grass in the big brown area would be great too. Yet again, this was a side effect to our drought last summer.
My final and BIGGEST goal:

Get rid of the rocks! Greg thinks I'm crazy, but ever since we moved in (almost 4 years ago) they have driven me nuts. They can't be walked on in bare feet, they spill out in to the yard and hit you when they get sucked up in to the lawn mower, and basically I just don't like looking at them. This is where all the rocks are coming from for Goal #2. I'm planning on digging them up, throwing them in a wheel barrow and moving them across the lawn. After they are gone, a layer of sand tamped down and then new pavers! I haven't set my mind on which pavers to get, the biggest factor is cost, the suckers aren't cheap. I'm planning on leaving sections of the rock patio dirt, filling it in with compost and making a little herb garden or section for tomatoes.

My hard work (not really hard). The only reason I had to stop at 5 was because I ran out of trash bags.

I'm really excited about my goals. I think the biggest thing I'm shooting for is timeline. I'd like to have it done by Spring Break. We usually plant our veggies by then, and if I wait until summer to do it I'll never get it done in 100+ degree heat. The kids will be gone for a few weekends to their grandparent's house (thank you Mary Kay) so I'm hoping the bulk of my work will get done in this time period. I just need to remember that a little bit everyday adds up to a lot in the end. Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted!