Our new deck

We've been saving for this - planning for this - and finally we are ready !!!!

The deck was built by our son-in-law Jay - with help from other family members. I made the plans, decided the major features and the result is absolutely fabulous! It was a lot of hard work - a LOT of shopping at three hardware/lumber stores, a lot of hauling of materials and a lot of "going back for one more thing". You just never really know how much material goes into a deck until you see it being built - miles of beams, and acres of decking, piles of railings and zillions of bolts, screws and nails - oh my.

Don and I wanted a big deck - it is 12'x20' - big enough for sitting, eating, barbecuing, entertaining. We figured that once it was built we couldn't make it bigger - so we started with BIG. The porch that came with the house was a tiny 4'x4' with steps down to the sidewalk - barely room to put a chair on - and certainly not big enough for two chairs - and I love to garden and wanted planters and pots for my flowers. So let's get started!

All the beams had to be put in first . . . Jahn was a great help!!!

Beams on the pilings - that is a lot of wood!

The rule is - the deck has to be freestanding - not attached to the house - so the frame had to be partially built a few feet out from the house (so Jay could put the bolts in place in the back) and then the beam section had to be lifted up and moved two feet back, so it was against the house. I was not there for the lifting - wish I had a picture of that. Four people lifting the heavy frame and inching it back until it was against the house - we had to recruit a neighbor to help.

Jahn cleaning the ends of the boards - they all had staples and stickers on the ends.

A boy needs a good French Toast breakfast to keep up his energy . . .

Decking going on - there is a lot of decking on a 12'x20' deck . . .

Ceremonial last screw going into the decking . . .

Start of the railing - 4x4 cedar posts . . . I love the slanted corners - gives the deck such a nice artistic look . . .

And the top boards of the railing . ..

Jahn learning to put a new plug on an electrical cord . . .

With the ends of the decking Jahn made us a "wood henge" . . .

The beginning of the ramp - I am so excited to have a ramp . . .

Don standing at the end, when the ramp was almost done - just need the last few decking boards and a railing (another trip to the lumber yard) . . .

The yard had to be landscaped after the deck was built - Jahn helped his dad unload the three loads of topsoil - while a neighbor stops to chat . . .

Loading topsoil into my ladybug wheelbarrow - don't you think every girl needs a ladybug wheelbarrow?

First flat of strawberries of the season - the perfect snack for a hard working boy!

Our other son-in-law, Jason, and our daughter Beccy came to help us put the slats in the railing on Saturday and the deck is complete! When we went grocery shopping on Sunday we stopped at Big Lots - and what did we find - clearance patio furniture that is wide and soft and oh so comfy - and apparently just made for our new deck.

Two chairs that rock ( on some sort of spring), a loveseat and a table . . . and on clearance - be still my heart!

And so this is our deck - there are flowers on the railings (those planters straddle the railing and are perfect for the gardening I want to do. There are three tomato plants in the pots to the left of the love seat.

These two little gnomes sit in the new table - one is busy - one is dozey . . .

There are three of these lanterns - shaped like a lighthouse and they hold a candle for evenings on the deck. I got them from JoAnn Fabrics on clearance - love summer clearance just as summer is beginning!!! More about the flowers and decorations on the deck later.

Don't you think this is the niftiest deck ever? And today we have a family bbq here!!! Ahhhh summer!!