Man of the Hour!

(He he he, he had NO IDEA I took a picture of him while we were talking plants!)

So let's just see what exactly Stephan has been up to the last several months...

This is where the cottage and courtyard is now (May)

Getting it level (May)

Cottage and Shed were delivered (June)

Sidewalks and Patio Framed (September)

We have concrete! (September)

And the fencing is going up! (October)

Earlier this week not only did he get the back fence up and the gate in, we have grass!!  You can't see it in this picture because it is still shaping up.  That will come soon!

Someone has a patio!

While Stephan was busting his butt on the back courtyard area, I was off at a Craft Fair for the weekend so I didn't get to see everything going up and in.  However, Stephan and the kids busted their butt on Sunday to get the Pergola up and set by the time I got home with Mom and Dad!

So the sidewalks are all finished!  The pathway and steps to the cottage are in!  The patio is ready for a BBQ!  Now all we have to do is put in the rest of the gravel, grass, put up the fencing and plant the pretties!

Yes, that is "all" we have to do!   And when I say "we, I really mean "Stephan".  =)   I am here to give moral support, take pictures and plant the flowers!  Oh!  And I do the BBQ'ing unless it's hotdogs, because he rocks the dogs!

Concrete is going in!

So we saw the forms being laid down and built and next we had a crew of guys coming over to put in the concrete!  Which means I didn't have to help again!  Oh how I LOVE that!  =)  Concrete is NOT my favorite thing to do!

Stephan had the gravel all laid out nicely in the forms and all that was left to do was bring in the truck full of concrete!

Parking Lot at the Moore's

So he called in our neighbor and his buddy and it was time to begin!

I am safely in the kitchen!

Yep, that would be a concrete truck in our backyard.  Our poor neighbors!

It took a lot longer than they had anticipated for the concrete.  I think they started a little after 3:30 and they didn't finish until after 8pm.  The mosquitoes were sure to keep them company (bastards!) but they did a great job!  It would have gone a lot smoother if they would have had an extra hand, so Stephan had to put in the expansion joints after the fact.

Kitty Prints

We didn't write our initials in the concrete but Blackjack did!   Stephan may have been a little annoyed at first, ok, that's an UNDERSTATEMENT, but it is kind of cute now!  he he he

Putting in the Sidewalks

To say we have been busy would be a MAJOR understatement and my honey bunny has been working his butt off!  Between school, DJ'ing and working on the house I don't even know if he can remember his name anymore!

We are trying to do the mad dash to get the courtyard finished before the looming of winter finally happens upon us and the biggest of those jobs was getting the concrete in for all of the sidewalks and patio!

Steps to the cottage

Making the new patio!

Making sure it is level

He works...I take pictures!

He is getting there

So  much framing, it isn't even funny!  But this is the part that Stephan LOVES to do!  What makes my man happiest?  Working his butt off outside, getting dirty, having to change his clothes 3 and 4 times a day because he destroys them and making life better.

What he hates?  Mosquitoes, cold weather moving in, being under a deadline, the time flying by and not having Garrett around to help.  =)