It alllll started with a Homecoming dance. My son came home and said, “Hey, I told a bunch of my friends they could come over after the Homecoming dance for a bonfire!” Unbeknownst to me, a bunch means 15. And a bonfire means coming over for dinner and pictures before. Here is said fire pit.
We have a lot of yard, so we use it to burn brush, Christmas trees, etc. We’ll have neighbor kids over for some s’mores, but the entertainment value of this space is pretty much nil. So then my husband says, “I think it’s time we built a patio and fire pit back there.” We’ve been wanting to do this project for years, but there was always something else on the list. Gluttons for punishment, we started on it two weeks before the dance. Keep in mind we are the same two people who have had an unfinished bathroom for nearly a year now. And an unfinished laundry room for even longer.
From here on out, when I say we, please know that I mean my husband and my father-in-law. I’m the brains and the supervisor, but the hard labor is all them. The plan was a round patio with a bunch of landscaping around it. Easy enough, eh? Not in our timeframe, it isn’t. Every single round patio stone involved special ordering, so we had to scratch that plan.
Soooo we went square. After renting a sod remover machine (not official title), we rented a Bobcat to go to town on the leveling. Seem like overkill, perhaps? Well, we decided on an 324-foot square patio. With built-in seating. And a retainer wall behind it. Quit shaking your head at us. We know we’re nuts.
I have decided that if the world is overtaken by zombies or if aliens are chasing after us and we jump on the bobcat to escape, we will die. As skilled as my husband is, he and the Bobcat just didn’t get along. The fight was inches away from getting physical, so I had to step in. Scary stuff.
Ready for the reveal? Well, you won’t get one today. This is where we are. Stones, gravel, and sand have all been delivered and manually brought down to the pit. Boulders that we had in the back woods were brought out, and we’ve placed them throughout for when the landscaping starts to take shape.
They’ve been working on it feverishly for days. The DIY Channel we are not. Yard Crashers wouldn’t hire us. However, I can see things starting to take shape. Maybe. One thing I do know is that this is the most expensive Homecoming dance we’ve ever experienced. Stay tuned…
If you’d like to see the updated patio, click here.
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We just finished building a fire pit. Now my husband wants to put a patio around it. Hmm. We’re still tossing around ideas. Can’t wait to see how yours comes out!
you know those 15 boys, just turned into 45 boys! can’t wait to see what your guys come up with.
I love how you roll! We want to remove a (large and unsightly) decorative pond and replace it with pavers and an outdoor fireplace, making it a space that we’d be more likely to use. I love that you’re doing this in time for homecoming – the kids will love it! Anything to keep them in your sights is worth the money. :-). Maybe we’ll have an outdoor fireplace in time for homecoming next year…
Hey, I’m just impressed you have a teenager who tells you about these things weeks in advance! I would’ve heard about it the night before!
Love it! Go big or go home as they say.
Love this! Every time we have a party I go crazy with painting and projects the week of…it irritates my husband to no end, but the house always looks better!
Your grass is BEAUTIFUL!! And it looks like the fire pit area will be just as great. I loved your post, we just finished seeding our front and side yard and can totally relate.