It’s a bit belated but I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of our family: our new deck! We’ve been in our house for almost 10 years and have been using a temporary (read: crappy) paver-stone deck with a patio set I bought at a garage sale years ago.
Those days are no more! I worked my butt off on a big project all winter and with those funds, we hired someone to build a nice little refuge in our backyard. We still need to stain the pillar and pergola and put up the shade cloth but you get the idea. Our finishing touches were writing our individual prayers on Prayer Flags and stringing them across the entrance.
Yes I’m a little bit obsessed with Nepal. Though reluctant at first, Jamie was all-in when we wrote a “pumpkin” prayer for him.
To christen our deck, we hosted a neighborhood progressive dinner a few weeks ago. 
And then had a big group of friends over for Family Home Evening last week. I had a gift card to try out Chipotle’s new catering and haven’t had the chance to use it. A non-occasion turned out to be the perfect occasion!
But most importantly, what does Fat Kitty think of the new deck? He had a rocky introduction to it a few months ago when the builder had it framed. Jamie painted it with some water-resistant stain and Hadley decided to take Fat Kitty in the backyard. Within minutes, The Fat One jumped onto the wet paint. It wasn’t bad enough that it got all over his feet but his fat gut sags so much he got the paint all over his belly, too.
He was greatly displeased when we had to scrub him down in the bath.
Bathing beauty
But he’s gotten over it.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 