Backyard Transformation On A Budget! 

Cassidy’s “Hi Guys” was so cute!!! Her helping her dad❤️. Cassidy moved that bucket where she she could dig and fill it like her daddy was doing it!

Seeing the transformation is incredible. Looks like Phillip is healing well. To see Cassidy so healthy and hearing her hi guys and watching her work so hard to pitch in like her sisters. So wonderful to watch your family grow and blossom with the season too. Happy belated Mother's Day Alex. You are a superstar mom. Such an example and inspiration. 💜

Watching Cassidy helping her Daddy with the pea gravel was priceless. You start them out “helping “ when they’re little and make it fun and they will want to help do other things around their house, garden, homestead and especially with the different animals. It’s what my parents did and I grew up thinking that was how everyone did things. My Dad could fix, build, and install pretty much anything and I thought all fathers were like that. I remember being 19 and the car I was driving to work that summer had a short in a circuit which we hadn’t been able to find so whenever I parked it I had to disconnect the battery. My boss drove up and saw me working on it and was shocked that I knew my way around a car engine and the different systems because he didn’t know how to do anything with his car and let the students in the high school automotive classes service and work on his car which was much cheaper than going to a regular mechanic. He spent the next 45 minutes asking me all kinds of questions about how and why I learned how to do it. My Dad wouldn’t allow us to get our drivers license until he made sure that we could change a flat tire, check and fill all of the fluids and what types to use, We had to be able to change the various filters, adjust the carburetor and clean it if needed, check and replace fuses. I had also helped my brother remove and repair an engine after taking it apart and cleaning it and putting it back together and installing it and yes it worked. I gained a lot of respect in the eyes of that boss. I had started this job through a program for college students who wanted to work during the summer break. It was through the school system that I had attended and was a great way to intern and get your foot in the door because finding decent jobs without a college degree could be quite difficult in the Northern Virginia area outside of Washington DC. My job was to be the summer replacement for the secretary and financial officer in a school for students who have some severe disabilities and learning challenges. The school worked to teach them the needed skills to hold down a job while they worked in a safe and controlled environment while also living in a safe group home or apartment complex setup to meet their special and specific needs and giving their parents the piece of mind that they would be taken care of when they could no longer care for them. It was a great experience working in the school because I was working on my degree in early childhood education. I was shocked at the beginning of my 3rd summer to be offered the job permanently as the woman I replaced had been transferred to a different school. I was offered the position with a starting salary of $30,000.00 when I was only 19 years old back in 1985.

Loving the backyard makeover, getting some potted flowers and some string lights would look nice. The kids play yard looks fun. Can’t wait to see what’s next Love your family.God Bless

Cassidy is adorable!! Her Hi, guys! Was too cute!

Love hearing Cassidy learn to talk! So cute! Love the new backyard set up and I know it’s gonna be even cuter when it’s finished! 😍😍😍

How cute was Cassidy saying, hi guys! She’s so sweet! 💗

This is turning out amazing. You did a lot in 48 hours. I remember when you planted the first year and it was a learning year. Helping to unroll the hay and shoveling gravel is wonderful.

Aww..little Cassidy!

There isn’t much that I understand clearly of what Cassidy is saying. However her “Hi guys” was so clear and amazing. I love watching the kiddos bloom into farm kids and have a joyful heart while helping out

It’s so amazing to see how much Cassidy has grown omg 😳

We have so much in common. We both have the white farmhouse, homeschool, and are trying to do the homestead thing. We thoroughly enjoy your videos. We understand the mud thing very well also. 😂 It is a struggle for sure. Love your family!

Just love watching your and the homestead you’re building! So amazing how much Cassidy is talking! I also love that Kinsley is helping spread the hay with a dress on! Love it!

OMG watching Cassidy helping Daddy put the gravel in the bucket was the cutest thing ever!!!!!

The yard looks so good! You’ve created such a fun, safe play space for your girls. Congratulations! 🎊

I was thinking about when you lived in California in your condo!!! Guys, you have come a very long way and I’m so proud of you.🌸🌹🌼🌷🌻🐓🐖🦋🐝etc….

Looks great - love how your channel has changed along with your lifestyle and experiences. You have a beautiful family

Omg Cassidy ❤️❤️ she is just cute as a button! Such a little miracle baby. Love her

Oh my goodness.. you all did so well. Love your yard.. such a fun place. Cassidy helping her Dad was beautiful 😍

You are doing a great job with the back yard It was so lovely to see Cassidy helping her daddy xx 🥰🥰

That wee child learning to talk is just a dream. Those wee chicks are growing up fast. This is going to look great when it’s completed. Much love and respect from Uk x

This was an extremely beautiful transformation that happened in such a short period of time Alex Philip u both should be very proud of ur achievements though this video and please I really would love to see more videos from u both cause there just fantastic thanks for taking us on ur adventures in this video

Cassidy is the cutest little farm girl, love the play area for the girls

Cassidy calling Help Me,precious beyond words,bless her,🙏💗

Where I live in Western Australia we have issues with the old backyard mud pit/ponds. In order to put a good base down outside for our patio we used small gravel mixed with dry cement powder then wet it and left it to set . You compress it down before lightly wetting it. That left a great base on which we could then pave without the pavers becoming uneven every winter . It also prevented weeds from growing up through the paving.

Cassidy so cute 🥰 LOVE it all❤️❤️❤️

Lists are a must for our adhd brains. People that don’t get it, never will.

Watching this makes me want to do something too

I think the drone footage really helps us visualize your dreams for this area.

Wow, the transformation is just AMAZING! Seeing all the smiles and hearing the utter excitement and enthusiasm in your voice is sooooo THRILLING! I couldn't be happier for your family! 👏👏👏🙌🙌🙌🥰🥰🥰

It’s going to look great when it’s finished ✅ We tried to grow grass with seed 2 times but it just never worked 😫 So we had to go with SOD and it now is beautiful

Cassidy "Hi Guys"🥰

I'm always so happy when I see that there's a new video from you guys. Your yard is so BEAUTIFUL now! It's amazing how far you have come! LOVE and PRAYERS ALWAYS from Gainesville Florida.❤🙏😉🙏❤

Love the girls, so well spoken and reading so good, Cassidy smart in observing and talking so cute..

Brick will be fine because they made roads out of it! You are good! You can also replace bricks easier because you do not cement them in. You use sand! Blazinga! No problemo! Go for it!!!!!

I'm so excited for you! Lots of sweat labor but wow so worth it! Regarding bricks: no they do not break easily. I always see free bricks on Craigslist in my area of the US so hopefully it is the same for you. Sometimes the free bricks need cleaning up and it might take some time to collect all you need but I personally love reusing free bricks and making fun patterns out of the different bricks I get. Also I personally love bricks that have little breaks in them here and there to allow for steppables to be planted which is just lovely to walk on with your bare feet

so nice that u have a drone!

Well, I WAS getting my backyard in order. I was working on cutting down saplings that grew wherever they wanted and all of a sudden became really tall trees and the shrubs I planted as a privacy barrier that got overgrown. I was going to put a little pea gravel patio area in the spot below my kitchen window where I can't do anything permanent because there is a gas line, the cable line, and line for the air conditioner unit. I was working on getting my yard ready for the raised beds I have in boxes on the deck. Then I broke my ankle Wednesday! I had such good momentum, then this happened. I will do what I can, but all my plans have been put on hold. I don't have anyone else to help me, so it's going to be me hobbling along in a walking cast mowing what is left of the lawn. I tarped a good portion of it already to kill the grass, but I still have the front and side yards to maintain.

Sneaking a cow in, can't wait to hear it all!

So we are going to ignore the cow? Lol! We got a peak! Can't wait to meet it! 🐮

Thank you so much for sharing this Vlog. I love Cassidy saying "Hi guys". That was so cute. Cassidy helping daddy to put the gravel in the buckets. She is growing up so fast. The outdoors looks really beautiful. Good Job and well done. I love the drone footage too. Lots of Love and Blessings from Doris in Australia :)

A good idea going forward is to not start a new project before finishing the first one. You life will be so much more calmer and not so overwhelming. But you do you.

Tonight is another cold night here in Murfreesboro haha. Got to love Middle Tennessee. I am glad you all are tackling your list. I will be finishing Mom’s mulch install this week fingers crossed. I feel your pain for sure. Funny he mentioned moving things around. I definitely rearranged our room Monday afternoon. Sweat so much haha heavy furniture. This was to procrastinate on the things around my house that need done haha!

I love the Rush Hour reference! 🤣Y'all are amazing! Everything looks fantastic! Great job!

cassidy asking for a towel so cute mum continues talking 👄 🤣

Thankyou for taking us on further in your God journey. I think wonderful things are still in the future for you both

Pleaseeee do an update video on your animals!!

Absolutely LOVE the transformation and it looks GREAT! Phillip,when you and Cassidy were shoveling the rocks-thst brought me to tears. SO sweet and that little girl will one day know EXACTLY how much her Daddy loves her! All those girls are blessed to have the parents they have!! Happy Summer and may God's Grace continue to bless and guide you all!! Much Love! 🙏💛💛🙏

I love the direction your Chanel is going!

Back yard is really coming along. The play area for the kids is perfect!

Find the cheapest grass seed you can find and spread it around down by the chicken coop. Maybe they’ll concentrate on it instead of bothering your designated grass growing area.

Look into adding gypsum to the hard packed soil!

You are doing so well. Xx

I will be right down. Lol!!! I love the progress!! It is looking great.

Keep your eye on Facebook market place, for paving slabs. Sometimes people take them up from their garden and want to get rid of them. It would make a nice floor surface for a patio. It’s easy to clean with a pressure washer. And easy to lay on sand and cement dry mix. 👍♥️👍

Those chickens will love scratching through the hay/straw. I would suggest covering it with tulle. It is less expensive than fabric netting. Also you may need to fence in a bit, (cut the chickens flight feathers) get the grass over 2 inches then move it again etc....I know this from past experience. Tulle is also great to cover your plants in garden to keep the chickens and birds off of it!

You’re hard work paid off. A nice area perfect for the girls and a gathering place for friends and family!

So sweeeeet, as Cassidy says: hi guys…..💖

Love classidys huy guys

A born and raised TN girl here ... unless you want everyone knowing you're from CA, learn to say "grill/grilling" or "grilling out". "Cookout" is also acceptable. "Barbecue" isn't an event, it's a cuisine. ;) Enjoy your summer!

Looks amazing

I found that it's much easier to drop seed down in the winter the first snowfall

Kids+Mud=JOY 🎉❤👣👍

You guys are amazing! What a transformation! Everything looks so good and it's going to be super fun for summer time! Love you guys and your channel.

Looks good and love your ideas for that area!! I live on a place litterally called Sand Ridge. When my boys were little, every night I would have to shake the sheets on the bed. We were all in 1 bedroom and they climbed across our bed to get into their bunk beds. I swept 2 dust pans full of sand up every day through the summer. The bad part of living here is winter can last at least 6 months. In 2018 it started snowing Oct 1 and didn't stop till May 1 of 2019

Consider adding a layer of crushed or decomposed granite. You can compact it with a water based resin that makes it stick. It’s perfect for a patio. Nice work! Be careful with hay and fleas!!!

WAY COOL WALMART ❤️ GREAT JOB FAMILY. ❤️ INSPIRATIONAL 🙏

Yes I’m ready for summer, we’re actually under our first heat wave this week here in Illinois. 80 something temps 😳😊

Nice to see you all! Sending love and hugs 🤗🥰

Alex I feel for you. My husband is ADD. My house is full of half finished projects since we moved in this house!!

Great job!!

The RV mats are a cool idea! I'm allergic to grass so I can't sit on it so this gives me a good option! A great outdoor transformation!

My husband has ADD,dx. In the 44 yrs that we've been married,I learned many years ago to make a honey do list..3 items. When those tasks are complete,the next list of 3 items. I truly understand .

We have brick pavers. At least in our case, overtime the brick turns “wavy” and water pools up. Not worth fixing right now, it was great for years, but someday we will refill. I’ve heard the refill process involves calling a company (I’m a DIY fan) and they pump the bricks back up with sand I think

Those RV mats are a great idea. Everything turned out great, congratulations!!! Enjoy your Spring and Summer!

Oh my goodness it is so awesome! I love the porch on the ground and the stairs look great. What a beautiful job you guys have done it is just fabulous. Collations. And I cannot get over a little baby Cassidy using a shovel!! Strong and smart and beautiful what else could you guys ask for? Lol love it so much👍🏻

What you could of done if it was grass, take the grass from another part of you garden that isn't used & moved it the spot that needed it 😁

Lots of watering will be your friend when growing new grass.

The yard looks great!!! Excited to see when its fully finished! Love you guys!

Good job guys you smashed it. 💞🇬🇧💞

What a lot of productive work went into this!!! The results are amazing. Perfect for kids (and friends), adults (and friends) Outside fire pit would be nice addition..if you like those. Your soon to be addition of princess buttercup is a great idea. Love how your homestead is gradually coming to fruition.

Your yard looks wonderful the kids will have a blast this summer

Your yard is looking great

Alex, wishing you a belated Happy Mother’s Day to you and your mom. ❣️☮️❣️💟❣️✝️❣️

Looks so good! Gets me motivated!

Love Kinsley out there in her work gloves helping her Daddy roll the hay.

I love that even Cassidy pitches in

My birthday is in May too!

So very Beautiful Philip & Alex!!

It looks amazing, so excited for all of you!

What a load of work you bothl did! WOW!

So proud of you guys 👍👍

Whilst pavers look great, they require upkeep as grass and weeds grow in between them. You will also need the surface to be super hard packed and a sand base very level or the pavers may crack. Maybe research other options. Concrete stamped and coloured to look like pavers maybe. No maintenance required, might fit your busy lifestyle better.

Looks great!! I’m very motivated now to get my garden in!!! 😊

Great job!! Looking so good!!

With as much stuff as you guys move around, (rock, dirt, compost, etc.), you should invest in a small dump trailer that can be pulled behind the mower and four wheeler. Lowes has several types that you might be able to get a good deal on this time of year. I totally love mine!

Wow you guys have busted your behinds!!! Very nice well done job guys!!! God bless!!!

Can you remind me what you all used to surround the deck? I love it!

If you rake over and loosen the ground and slightly cover your grass seed you’ll get a better chance of it growing, I’ve learned from last year as it seems to attract the birds , 🥰

wow Alex you are a real go getter after all you have been through these last few weeks back to work and accomplishments and to be soooooo happy it's amazing I wish I can be like you!!!