Taaa Daaa!!!

Remember how I was telling you about our backyard makeover and I showed you this terrible picture of our backyard?

Well, you are not going to even believe what it looks like now! Check it out!






All the brickwork (which is amazing) was done with recycled bricks from downtown Oklahoma City. I love so much that they have history and that we saved them from the landfill. Check out the one in the firepit with writing on the edge...so cool!
I love the waterfall we were able to add and the jump rock (kid approved!). Going to the Home and Garden Show really paid off because we were able to do all this for the same price of a concrete pool with no extras. The pool is salt water which keeps it much more wildlife friendly.


We've had lots of birds stopping by for a drink from the waterfall. I'll try to catch some pictures of them soon. We had an Egret perched up there this morning and it looked so cool! He flew off just as I grabbed the camera.

I'm so thankful that we found Loch Ness Pools because we got so much more than a pool...we got an amazing new living space that we will be enjoying almost year round! I can't wait to try out the fire pit and have a late night pool party with s'mores and the pool lights glowing! I can't even believe this is my backyard! If you're thinking about adding a pool, I'd certainly recommend Lowell. If you call up Loch Ness Pools, be sure to let him know that One Acre Homestead sent you!

It's HERE!!

Lowell from Loch Ness Pools came by today to bring us the drawing he created of our new backyard! Check it out! We can't wait to see it all come to life!


We've asked for some outdoor cooking options to be applied to the fire pit...really excited about that area. Lowell mentioned providing them with any special objects we would like worked into the design of the fire pit, so I need to go out to the flower beds and dig out all our special vacation rocks we always bring home after a trip. What a perfect way to use them and revisit all those great memories!

We'll be talking trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses soon, and I'll be sure to share all the details with you.

Talk about having your work cut out for you!!

We recently met with Lowell Brauser, the owner of Loch Ness Pools in Oklahoma City. He's one of the people we spoke with at the OKC Home and Garden Show and we were really impressed with what he had to say about backyards and pools. He expressed his desire to be sure a pool is really integrated into a backyard...I believe he said something like "making it look like it had been there forever." You guys know what he's talking about, right? Some pools look like they were stuck in the middle of the yard with a few feet of decking around them. Well, those were not installed by Loch Ness...Lowell is a guy who knows his trees, plants, and landscaping!

Anywho...back to our story...Lowell came out to our home and checked out the yard where we want to install a pool. This is what he saw:




I know...disturbing, isn't it?

All those pretty pictures we post come from what we eloquently call "the back-back yard." It's just beyond that little picket fence. That's where we've invested our time building beds, planting blackberries and fruit trees, and creating a veggie garden. I've never showed you this part of the yard, but it is high time we are honest with each other, isn't it? Let's hear it for keepin' it real!

The section of yard you see in the pictures has always been home to our male dog. He is a stud dog with typical stud dog issues...he likes to mark his territory, dig holes, and chew trees...but we love him so we keep him around. ;-) He'll soon be moving to a newly fenced area just off our "pool yard!" Oh, and the broken trampoline? Well, there's a funny story about that which involves a sound "I told you so!" to sweet Homestead Man...maybe I'll tell you that story someday. Not sure if we'll replace it, but it is most certainly a goner.

Lowell showed us some amazing pictures and laid out all the options his company offers in landscaping and pool installation. During our consultation we laid out a plan that just amazes me...with a retaining wall, dyed and stamped concrete, a beautiful pool, and a waterfall! I'll keep you up to date with the process as we move forward, and I know we'll all be amazed by Loch Ness Pool's work. If they can transform this yard, they can make any yard beautiful, right?