it's like a vacation in my backyard

Oh you guys. YOU GUYS. Who wants to come over for some grillin' this summer??So, our backyard was a pit. There was no grass (well, there were small remainders of clumps of grass here and there) and there were many holes (some back from Memphis' days, some from Magda. NONE from Merlin.), and there were weeds (oh my were there weeds). And, to put it gently, our yard was for the dogs' enjoyment, not ours. This wasn't really by choice, it's just how things had worked out.We have wanted a patio for a very, very long time (we've lived in this house for ten years now!), but we couldn't justify the cost on an outdoor space when there were so many indoor (ie: used 12-mos-a-year) spaces we needed to fix up first.But then came Ezra and his eating. And his dropping of the food. And the messy kitchen. And I suddenly realized why the neighbors and their three kids next door eat outside all summer long.So we made the commitment and hired my friends Nan and Steele at Landscape Love.OMG are we thrilled with the outcome! Anyone and everyone who is having yard work done should hire these guys. They designed the whole thing (yes, I just trusted them -- yes, it was hard) and I LOVE IT. They showed up every day (when they said they would) and the work they did was just awesome. And the crew was incredibly kind. And I could not be more pleased. And yeah, this girl loves it as well. Although I think she hates how we follow her around making sure she doesn't dig or mess up the yard now.And see that little space back there for the grill? How rad is that! So it's close to the kitchen and not on the patio in the way! Hooray!Now, the space isn't finished yet. I'm still looking for some comfy lounge-type chairs for the other side of the patio, and we got a great indoor-outdoor rug for Ezra to play on while we read the paper, and there may be a fire pit in our future. But because it is taking FOREVER to find comfortable outdoor lounge chairs (if you have suggestions, please let me know -- I've tried HomeGoods, Target, Cost Plus World Market, Ikea and Pier One), I wanted to at least show you where we're at now. And I'll be sure to post a "finished" look when I get there as well.Oh! But I do LOVE our table and chairs -- we got those at IKEA for a steal, if anyone needs such a purchase.For your internet share of the day, this new TV show fascinates me and you better believe I'm gonna get Netflix to watch it. Also? I love this quote.