The Backyard Saga

It started with this...  a deal of a lifetime.  Shayne has a way of finding awesome deals and this one fell into his lap.  Even though we had convinced ourselves that a hot tub was not in our backyard plans - when the price is right, things will change.

Check out the hand prints - and a little Simpson's reference is there as well.

But the patio wasn't big enough for the table, chairs, AND a hot tub.  Next step - more cement.  We do have a joke that eventually our backyard will have NO GRASS...  Shayne is getting closer to that goal.

The next step - how to make that awful stain go away...  it was a good idea but it didn't last long.  Shayne did lots of homework to come up with the next big plan...

Step 1 - pressure wash.  Lots of PRESSURE WASHING - and some chemicals too.

It really looked awful.

Next step - PAINT.  Special cement paint...  so far, we're loving it.  And notice that awesome trim around the patio - Shayne cut that edge on his hands and knees with a saw and we chose a different color paint to create that look.  He was pretty sore after that part! 

TA-DAAA!!!

We got the electrical done and water in the tub and wa-lah - it's a HOT tub.  

Next step - PERGOLA.  Shayne had the vision and said he could do it with the help from a co-worker.  He ordered the lumber and created a HUGE lumber yard across our basketball court (I coudn't find a pic) and started staining before building.  BUT, the stain dried JET BLACK and was NOT the right color.  So, after a huge hassle with Lowe's and the stain company - Shayne had the tools to strip all the stain.  That was a LOT of extra hours - stripping and sanding and gosh - it was awful.  Shayne did it all. 

Then we started the staining process AGAIN.  Unfortunately - this mean that the lumber was all out in the yard for weeks - which meant warping. This was the biggest issue while building the pergola - lots of warped boards.  

Isn't my hubby AMAZING?  Really - amazing.

Since these pics - Shayne has put up small boards going across the top perpendicular.  And there are little lights (solar lights) that make you feel like the stars are just over your head as well.  

Shayne loves his hot tub - we all enjoy it - but Shayne LOVES it.  He is out there regularly and puts all that effort to good use!  And honestly, sitting in the hot tub when it's cold (which it is SUPER cold when I'm finally blogging about this) is really awesome.  Just walking through snow to get in and out is the part I wish we could skip!