Changes afoot in the backyard...

So, we've poured a concrete patio, built a pergola and painted it.  Next steps--stain the concrete, and get new patio furniture.  We got the furniture last Monday, after much shopping.  Then, Friday night and Saturday morning Kevin cleaned and prepped the concrete for the stain.  Saturday afternoon we sprayed the first coat of stain and Sunday added a second.  Pretty interesting how the stain works but, since this hasn't ever been a real how-to blog- I'll leave the science experiment details out.  Anyway, Sunday afternoon we did a final rinse of the patio and we are left with a pretty great black (Midnight Cafe, actually) patio.  It looks pretty organic, with kind of a mottled finish of blacks and browns.  We're happy with it and are ready for the last phase--landcaping.  I started in a flower bed on Sunday--cleaned it and planted some dahlia bulbs.  Hoping those babies come up soon.  That's where we are, and hopefully by Josie's birthday party we will be fully decorated (we still want a firepit/coffee table to go in the center of the furniture) an planted.