porch & rememberance part 1

Gone but not forgotten.. the lawn that is..

I have always love lush greenery, multitude colors of flora, the feel of grass under my feet. When we first moved in to our house, my heart skipped a beat. We had long drive way on the right and long lawn on the left. Though it took us 4 years to finally accumulate some fund to hire some people to design and to actually do the hardwork for our lawn.

First we had our pergola installed. Later (A year later perhaps? I can't remember. Maybe two!), the wood decking installed and finally a beautiful lawn!

September 2007, kids @work! Kakak was 6 and Iman was 3. I was expecting that time, with Adam. They (the workers) have pulled out the weeds (more like bushes actually), got rid of stones, bits and pieces of marble flooring (we have marble floor) and many many things!

September 2007 - work in progress. Philippine grass. Loads of pebbles, some railways-sleepers, few low-maintenance flora and 2 kemboja trees.
 October 2007. Along the front fencing were irises with tiny yellow flowers.



Anyway, that was then. Now all is gone already.

Fast-forwarded 5 years later - September 2012. Just before our renovations started. Didn't really care to maintain anymore..

Pergola gone. Wood-deck gone. No more kemboja trees.One had grown way above 1st storey but obviously we had to cut it down. No more grass to walk on...

End September 2012 - a month after renovation started. All bricks, stones, cements.

View from top. See that 4 pillars? That is going to be my shoe closet! Ahhh... to sooth my broken heart for having to lose a lawn I adored so much..

If you asked, it was something hard to do. Losing that lawn of ours. I flipped though old photos. Kakak lying on the ground. 2 small kids had tea on the deck. And later 3 kids did some coloring there. (I intentionally left parts where we had to kutip cats poops in the grass.. gross okay!)

If you asked, I would like to have both. A proper porch, fully roofed. And a lawn with long driveway. But beggar can't be chooser right. Whatever there is, make the best of it. Afterall like I mentioned before, a house is just beams, roofs and walls. It is us who makes it a home.