Patio Project (this one's for my Dad)

My Dad loves projects and always likes to make sure we have some sort of chore for him to take on when he and my Mum come to visit. So this update is for him.

(Speaking of projects, this summer I'm hoping to tackle some of my "decorating" ideas from way back when in Design Week at Mosey House. And more. I'll plan on some Before and Afters as I get to them. If I get to them.)

Our back garden is a fairly steep hillside jungle. Over the years we've fenced it (to keep out the deer, much as we love 'em), cut trails through it, constructed a treehouse (which English Hubby built for Sweetpea, supposedly), and terraced small areas. We like the jungle feel, and now that Sweetpea is not a wobbly toddler, it's great to see her traverse every foot of it, make little areas her own, and climb the trees a little too high for my comfort. But for a while we've wanted a second patio area to capture the afternoon sun (bistro chairs and table, or lounge chair?) and have a place for big pots of herbs and citrus trees.

While we've been building and planting the vegetable garden over the past month, we've also been prepping the new patio area, excavating and leveling it. Our quarry stone was delivered this week, my husband carried all the sand and most of the stones up our stairs (I know your back hurts just thinking about it, Dad) and today we started.

It was trickier than we expected especially since both of us were running on half a night's sleep, but at the end of the day we had finished about a third of it. By next weekend we hope to finish, as well as two adjoining areas - a pathway in front of the vegetable garden wall, and replacing the stone steps leading up from our first patio.

We're completely exhausted, but feeling pretty pleased with ourselves so far.

Here's what Sweetpea kept herself busy with for most of the day, bless her, except when she would occasionally come outside to check on our progress and take a whack at some stones with the mallet.