Our Patio!

I have been so excited about this project since we decided to build our house. We knew we always wanted a patio. No deck for us. Too much maintenance! The patio was something we decided would do after we were in the house a year, the ground had time to settle, and the grass time to grow....plus we needed to save some money to be able to pay for the project. My husband isn't the type to start a project and not complete it fully...so we can't build a patio, and then wait to save money for the furniture (which, by the way is ridiculously expensive!). We have to have the furniture and EVERYTHING complete so when the patio is finished, we can use it right away. I can get used to this! So, we shopped for a long time for furniture we liked, and wasn't that expensive, but wouldn't break or wear out too soon. We found our table and chairs, gazebo, and wicker...now to form the patio. My husband worked so hard digging out the base...with my help of course. Well, after day one of constant wheelbarrows of dirt dumping, my body was screaming. The next time it was time for more digging, he called my brother. They finished the bull work, and then Anthony framed it. Stone came, and I really tried to help with that, but after one wheelbarrow I was finished. That stuff is HEAVY!!! So, I was the moral support. He finished and scheduled the pouring of the concrete. We got to choose a color, which was fun. Then they poured. Again, my husband worked so hard with some friends of his that new how to do the job. We got to put together our furniture yesterday, and placed it on the patio. Next week my husband's friend returns to cut it, and see if it's cured enough to drill into it to bolt our gazebo. Can't wait. Get ready for a patio party at our house!!! Here are some pics: