Nothing like finishing a big outdoor space right before our rainy fall season, eh?  It doesn't matter if it rains for the next couple of months because we are just too excited that our deck is done to care, (although we'd love at least a couple of nice days to enjoy it)!

That's right folks, our big, massive deck project that was started 2 1/2 months ago, is done!  The last post I left off with the handrails and after those were done, we were open for business.

Before I show the completed project, let's first show how we got to the finish line.

Here's a reminder of what we started with:


After removing the steps:


And then our stair pantry removal:


Digging the foundation holes:


Adding the posts and beams:



Then the framing and decking were added:






And, of course, the much awaited stairs:



Last, but not least, the handrails:


And now for the big reveal:


20 points if you noticed Benelli right away.  Although he's been an indoor cat all his life, he is obsessed with being outside.  So, we let him out (supervised, of course) on the front porch and now the deck.  He didn't want to miss an opportunity to explore, so he tried to crash all of my "After" photos.


Before my parents moved down south, they gifted us their deck furniture, and while they are in really great shape, the scale is a little off.  So, in a couple of years we'll be shopping for some bigger pieces.  For now they work great for eating out and lounging.





 And here Benelli is trying to test his boundaries:


He's made it down two steps before he runs back inside after I start yelling at him.

The backyard has come a long way, so here's one last look at the before and after back to back:




We're so excited about this space, so hopefully if you stop by we'll have a nice enough day to get to enjoy it!