design...revisiting: Patio...

Well, hello loyal friends. Again, I have not been present on here. I have been busy with:

1. School
2. Gardening
3. Bicycle purchases
4. Random laziness

A lame list, yes I know, but I thought that I owed you an explanation.

Anyway, we have been hard at work on a patio in the backyard. We decided a patio would be a great way to transform the backyard and provide us with a place to hang outdoors. I watched a few online videos and enlisted the help of my parents.

This is by no means a weekend project for 2 people, like the videos claimed. Grab as many capable people as you can especially when unloading the brick.

So, here is how it all played out. We discovered that Menards had the best selection of bricks. Josh and my Dad designed the layout and chose the bricks. We decided that due to the size & prices we would:

1. Rent a truck for some of the bricks, sand, & rocks.
2. Use my dad's van (which is really an old ambulance that is still equipped with the horns and sirens that he insisted on using when we were driving) for some of the sand, rocks, & sod remover.
3. Have 2 pallets of bricks delivered.

There were many back and forth trips to Menards and Home Depot, that drove us all a bit insane. Some of the trips were manageable due to the tasty lunch that my Mom prepared for us, as well as the large iced coffees from Dunkin Donuts.

I have placed all of the photos HERE if you would enjoy viewing them, which I am certain that you will. You will need my commentary to completely understand the task that we conquered. Also, hints in the event that you would like to duplicate the patio.

The project started on a Saturday and ended 3 or 4 random afternoons later. Please enjoy some of the highlights from the project. I will add more photos once plants are in and furniture is painted. Enjoy!