Patio Project Phase I

Our goal for the summer was to build a new patio in the backyard.  Our last house had a great deck with perfect shade and we have missed that.  As we got quotes for the work, we quickly realized that outdoor patios don't come cheap or easy.  Or at least not to match the vision that we had.  We decided to prioritize and piece it out.  First up, the cement patio.  We didn't compromise on our vision of the layout or the size and we couldn't be happier with that decision.  

When we got a call at 9 PM on a Thursday that our concrete guy had a cancellation for the next day, we jumped on the opportunity.  When we came home on Friday night, there was equipment on the road alongside our old patio that they had busted out.

From inside our house, we watched as the crew quickly demolished the gravel patio space and the odd landscaping that divided our seating area from the yard.

They worked until dark and then they were back at 7 AM the next morning.  Before their arrival, we stepped out to check out the new space.

Here is Keith, making dinner on his new grill, that doesn't yet exist.  However, this will be phase II of the patio project.

I enjoyed my first cup of coffee on the new patio step.

Sure enough, at 7 AM the trucks pulled up, the crew piled out and before we knew it, the boys were eating breakfast and watching them work.

Yes, back in our day our parents would have had us out there breaking our backs to put in this patio.  Our parents also instilled in us the importance of education and educated decisions.  Therefore, in 2013 in Golden, CO, we hired someone to do it for us.  We had the intelligence to know that it took special talent and skill to pour this patio correctly so hiring it out was the smart choice.  Our boys will learn the value of hard work, dedication and craftsmanship on Phase II.

Even Owen came over to supervise the progress.  This same crew put in the patio at his house and his grandparents house, so he knew a thing or two about supervising this kind of work.

By Saturday afternoon, the work was done and by Saturday evening we were walking on our new patio.

Oliver struck a pose while Keith imagined the work and relaxation to come.

On another note, Kellan is still working on potty training and he can only do the potty dance for so long before he finally accepts that he needs to go potty.

Oliver and Kellan made their mark and showed the old patio edging what they really thought about it my peeing on it.

We don't usually condone this behavior for Oliver, but we also encourage him to lead by example.

Some of the best potty trainers have told us to let Kellan pee on trees.  Trees, cement edging, it all counts, right?

For now, we are enjoying the new concrete patio.  Before you know it, we'll be posting about Phase II, the new outdoor kitchen and bar.