A story with pictures!
We decided our first outdoor project would be the retaining wall. It was falling apart and the only thing in the front to fix up. We figured we would look better to our neighbors by doing a little fixing up in the front. Matt took me out shopping to pick out the blocks and he learned how to do this and measured everything and all that crap.
We borrowed my moms jeep and trailer. So we took our first trip to home depot for the day. We bought 60 blocks out of 100+25(top blocks). We had 2 cute boys help us and it seemed to go very smooth. Loaded up and went home. Unloaded without the help of cute boys. They told me I'd have to pay extra for their services if I took them home. Yes I asked. So Matt and I unloaded the blocks and went back to home depot. This time we bought our grill. Why not while we have the room? So we bought the grill and stuffed it in the back of the jeep. We filled the trailer with 40 more blocks and 25 topper blocks. It was only a tad heaver the second time. Until they put on the extra blocks. They gave us about 10 extra blocks free because they were the rest of the pallet and mostly broken but good for our purposes and Matt will use them to practice cutting with. About 2 minutes into our trip home the trailer tire was smoking. OOPS. We loaded it too much. We took as many blocks out as we could and the trailer still wouldn't get off the tire. Turns out the suspension sucked and it really wasn't our fault. Either way, My mom gets new trailer tired for mothers day. I had my mom and Bryan meet us at our house to help unload the grill. We unloaded the grill and the blocks and the sand along with the sand bag I ripped open by running over it with the carts wheel at the store. oops.
Our blocks!
That was all we had planned for the day. Besides family dinner at my moms for moms day and gramps 80th b-day. While matt was explaing what and how we were doing this new wall, Bryan decided we should get started now! So we did. The ugly bushes came out first since we knew the wall would come down with them.
Not strong enough Bry.
Go Mommy!
Woot! Looks better already!
Messy.
And the second one!
Much better!
Just so you don't think all I did was take pictures!
Now we need to finish breaking the bricks apart and find a place to dump them. We have everything to rebuild the wall except some small rocks for draining purposes. We have more white concrete paint in the basement from the old owners and are going to use it to repaint the stairs and the base of the house. Then get new bushes of some sort to plant and I'd like to plant some kind of flowers or something nice and easy. Hopefully this will be done by next weekend.
Here we go!
It looks much better than the bricks did! I just need to get to painting the concrete base and the stairs and it will look much much better. Matt is very proud with himself. 
It looks much better than the bricks did! I just need to get to painting the concrete base and the stairs and it will look much much better. Matt is very proud with himself. 
