Finishing new projects and dreaming of more

I am so addicted to Projects.  It drives my husband crazy to have things always a bit of a mess while I play :S
Right now the sump pump still doesn't have an electric outlet to connect to, and the sliding bathroom doors are not completed, but with he Weather so Awesome this spring, we jumped into the backyard project and we built the stairs to the lower section of the back yard.
We had some great helpers to assist us in hauling the leveling sand and concrete blocks to the back yard

Sam said Danny was so determined to hold on to the wagon that once or twice the little guy lost his footing, but never let go of that wagon.  When Sam stopped to help Danny back up, he was still just as happy as can be to be Daddy's big helper.

 My parent's came to help out while we laid the blocks.  My Mom watched the kids, while Sam, My Dad, and I laid the blocks.  They were HEAVY blocks at 60 pounds a piece!  It took us a half day to haul everything, and 2 full days to lay all the blocks in place.

We rested for a week or 2, then geared up to build this planter to cover some of the rusting hardware and wood that is poking out from the old retaining wall.  It will double as a veggie garden and bench for additional seating.

Over the next month or so we will be finishing up the backyard, we hope the major stuff is one before the girls are out of school.   But once the yard is done and the other projects that have been at a standstill are complete, here are the ones I've been dreaming of starting.  (Probably in the Fall when the big kids go back to school)

• a built in bookcase to go in a nook of the upstairs hallway for kids books and church books
• quick and easy bedskirts to make the TV room's sectional/twin beds look more finished.
• I'd also really love to make a built in end table to make the whole "sectional" customized to the room.  (I think that will make it look even more couchy and less bed like.)  I don't have a tutorial for this yet, but I will find something.
• sewing some new dresses for my girls.  (It's been so long since I've sewn anything.  and it is so difficult to find modest dresses for growing young ladies in the summer time)  I've just been mending items as needed and added patches to Sam's Uniforms upon request.  But Ive decided that sewing really relaxes me and it is something I need to make time for all through the year.  I just wish I had a room that I could leave a mess like the basement in Maine.  Having to clean up after my sewing messes really cuts down on the time I can dedicate to a project.