Hi, Dawn! It sounds like you have a busy household! With your new deck and its attractiveness, perhaps you might consider some outdoor furniture and some string lighting or other lighting there?
You also might put some of those teens to work creating a nice focal point around your trees. You can put landscape fabric around the trees (in a big circle) or even wet newspapers and lay them around. (Better yet is for them to actually dig up the grass and move it elsewhere - this will prevent weeds from popping up)
Then you can mulch or plant pretty flowers under the trees, or even decorate with stone. This will draw the eye towards the trees. A friend of mine also hangs plant/flower baskets off of the tree trunks for a stunning effect!
Check out some pics on this site for ideas for landscaping the shed as well.
And what about a garden arbor or bench? You could easily create a peaceful focal point with a simple bench with some flowers or plants surrounding it.
I recommend plants native to your area as they will thrive the best even under less-than-ideal weather conditions. They will also require less water.
I hope these suggestions spark some ideas for you!
