Home Improvement

I'm definitely not Handy Mandy, Tim 'The Tool Man', or even Bob Vila. But I could be...with the home improvement projects the Mrs. has us doing.

It started last year when we had Simmons Fence Company install a privacy fence in our back yard.

Then my buddy, "Mr. Fix It" Scott Stephenson installed a ceiling fan in our living room too keep the "expecting" Mrs. Brown, cool and comfortable last summer.

Then, this past October we finally dug up our driveway and the sidewalk leading up to the house as well as some of the walk out front and poured a new driveway. We also poured a patio in front. The sidewalk and driveway were desperately needed since we bought the house. OK, "we" didn't dig it up. But GNC Concrete of Janesville did. And they did an awesome job!

Of course, now we've ordered a new awning to attach to the front of the house to go over the new patio. If you see a guy out front of his house for 3 days strait on a latter, it'll probably be me trying to install this bad boy.

We also had to cut down our white birch tree in our front yard. It's about a 20 year tree and I'm told by my neighbors that it was much older than that. I hated to cut it down, as I don't have many trees in the front yard. But I'm sure we'll head over to K&W Greenery and buy a new one from Phylis and crew.

And, this past weekend I finally got to some landscaping that needed to be done after the driveway and sidewalk was poured. Filling in some spots with dirt along the edge of the yard and the driveway. I've got plenty of dirt for fill now too.

I'm told...(remember the Mrs. is the one driving this train) that we would like to install new carpet in the basement before Mallory's 1st birthday this July. Just in case the weather doesn't cooperate and we can't enjoy our new patio and have to go inside.

Boy, it's always something isn't it? Of course if you're like me, that tree I cut down, wasn't the "Money Tree." These projects take time...AND money. Thank goodness for tax returns and savings accounts.

Any projects you're working on this summer?

Here are some pictures of our driveway.

Before:

After: