Outdooor weekend project

We've been trying to grow grass or SOMETHING (for crying out loud) in this shady spot of our back yard for years.  Nothing doing.  So, we've taken to using that spot for random burning...brush, Christmas trees, etc.  The boys always like to say they are going to camp out down there but most times end up back in the house before morning.  Shortly after the fire goes out, and right before the mosquitoes carry them off.

This weekend we made this spot into an official fire pit, using up most of the pile of fake stone wall we disassembled from another area when we first moved here.

I salvaged the old cushions that DW had ALMOST cut up and put in the trash since we have not had a use for them in awhile.  He likes to do that, eliminate stuff.  I like to hang onto it, thinking eventually I will find the perfect use for it.  Sometimes we clash over stuff like this.  This time...I win.

So, Sunday night we built a fire in the new fire pit.  The kids jumped on the trampoline until someone was crying and then moved on to roasting marshmallows.  It was so fun, we have decided to have a fire every week!  We just sat out there till about 9pm pretending it wasn't a school night.

As it turns out, Jake likes marshmallows too.  He's excited about the weekly fire.  Please don't comment with warnings about how bad marshmallows are for labs.  This dog is like Marley, he once ate a glass that was sitting on the bumper of the car.  You heard me.

When DW saw me putting the cushions on the "benches", he just laughed.  Who's laughing now, Huh? (that's him on the right, enjoying the CUSHIONS)

I don't know how I got this next pic.  It was certainly not skill, I have no idea what I was doing and I'm sure I could never duplicate it.  But, it is AWESOME!