Our day of dirty work moving 5 tons of dirt

We tackled the front lawn, bringing in 5 tons of dirt to regrade and level it out. What about the backyard, you ask? Well, that's a project for another day – it needs a serious, with ankle-twisting dips caused by decaying root systems from previously removed trees.

This was an all-day project, with Christian kicking things off bright and early at 8 am. He began by scarifying and detaching the front yard. Scarifying involves using a machine with rotating blades to cut into the thatch layer and lightly till the soil surface. This process helps to break up compaction, improve aeration, and create a better seedbed. On the other hand, dethatching focuses on removing the layer of dead grass, roots, and debris that can accumulate on the soil surface. This buildup can prevent water, nutrients, and air from reaching the grass and soil, hindering growth. Our goal was to give the front yard a fresh start, ensuring that the new dirt and seed we laid down would have direct contact with the soil for optimal establishment.

Once the dirt arrived, it became a family affair. Christian's dad and brother joined the effort. Christian shoveled the dirt into the gorilla cart while his dad drove the tractor, pulling the loaded cart across the lawn. His brother would then dump the dirt in place. And me? I was the spreader. How did I end up with what felt like the most physically demanding job out of the three of those dudes? I'm claiming bragging rights for being responsible for spreading every last bit of that dirt across the front yard. To be honest though, I love yard work and enjoyed every minute of it.

We were out there until 8 pm trying to beat the setting sun and storms rolling in. We managed to get the seed down and then leveled all the dirt before the sunset. We were absolutely starving by the end of it, so it was off to a late dinner consisting of pizza, burgers, beer, and crumble cookies. I'd say it was well deserved.