A pink lemonade day

Today it is my pleasure to show off the most recently completed project around our house... a brand new DECK!

You may remember  this post from the beginning of spring, where I hinted the 'idea' of a new deck to my husband, who wasn't totally on board at the time.  But, with all the warm weather that we had in early April, I think he got the itch too.  Before we knew it, we were ordering lumber and my parents were on their way here from ND to help out!  (thanks again mom and dad.  I promise that next time you can come to visit without getting put to work!)

Let's take a trip down memory lane first... just so that we can appreciate how far we've come:

Before: We had a concrete stairway, that was literally crumbling every time we stepped on it.  There was a low spot in front of the stairs that would pool up with water after a slight rain, making it difficult to get to our garage.  Our little wire mesh chairs had peeling paint, and our patio pavers were so uneven that we had to strategically position said chairs until they were level.  The patio was a very awkward size, and wasn't large enough to fit a table. Quite simply, it was not pleasant to be outdoors, and was borderline dangerous!

The Design:  I got to work mapping out our backyard in Sketchup (an amazing and FREE program that I think everyone should become acquainted with). We decided that it would be best to build over the existing concrete steps instead of trying to break them apart. This drove the design process somewhat, and I ended up with a nice 6 foot by 6 foot landing at the doorway, with steps cascading down in a pyramidal shape to a lower deck.  The lower deck provides enough space for a table/chairs by the fire pit, the grill, a separate little sitting area, and... one of the coolest features... a built in sandbox!

I can't get over how perfectly it all turned out.  My dad and husband were absolutely amazing and got every support beam perfectly level.  Craig worked for 3 straight weekends to finish every last bit.  This deck is so sturdy that I have a feeling it will be around for many many years, which will give us plenty of time to sit outside and sip on lemonade.

All that is left now is to fill the sandbox up with sand.  Isaiah will be patiently waiting!