How's the house going?

This is a question I am often asked, so I'd better post a pic or two. I'm a bit funny about taking photos before something is finished, but as someone pointed out to me the other day - it's my home and I'll always be working on it, so it will never be finished.

We moved in mid July, and since then we've laid concrete out the back so the kids can ride their bikes almost all the way around the house. We've also sown some lawn in the front yard, which I mowed last week for the first time! I've also planted up the rockery and one garden bed at the front of the house, so I've got white standard roses doing their thing at the moment, looking gorgeous.

This weekend Sammy got stuck into the pergola area in the middle of the house, and when I got home on Sunday I gave him a hand with the pebbles. Each little pebble has to be placed just so, or the black weed mat underneath will show. I insisted on some bark as well, or I said we'd might as well concrete the whole back yard! We've got the yuccas and some date palms our sister in law gave us at Christmas still to put in, but I reckon it looks pretty good, and Sammy is loving it too. What do you think?

Just wait until it's completely planted up with some more ferns and other shade-loving plants. It's going to be so relaxing sitting out there in summer, I won't want to leave home. Plus I'll need a pool boy (not that we have a pool IYKWIM!)