Outdoor dining

Things are happening much faster than I ever thought they could. Coming home yesterday, the backyard showed no sign of the disaster area I envisioned. All the bushes were gone but there wasn't a tell-tale trace of debris left behind. This huge landscaping job was completed and, well, wasn't the devastating trauma I thought it could have been. Jay did good. I shouldn't have let my wild imagination go off into the nether regions.
It's not to say it wasn't an exhausting evening. We had two rounds with estimates on replacing our deck. You might know how long and drawn out it takes to get that done. And if I have to be honest, this is the real core of my emotional spikes. I have always held the thought I would someday blow out the back wall of my kitchen to enlarge the house the size of our current deck. It would give me more kitchen space, but more importantly, it would give me a dining area. For some odd reason, our house was built without any dining room. We have a table in the kitchen but that is all. Considering I have one of the smallest kitchens ever, (for someone that cooks)! there isn't much room when the entire family comes over and we have to cram ourselves around the kitchen table. So I thought the room addition would solve this.
I realize the cost of that would run into about the same amounts we spent for the entire house. It didn't make sense to spend that sort of money. It wouldn't add the same value to the house so the last glimpses of my dining area idea floated away. By replacing the deck, it seals the deal for no room addition and I had a hard time giving that long time idea it's final hug before I let it go.
But the good news is, we will have an entirely new deck built with a cover! It is as close to an outside (dining) room we can get and this will actually add value to the house. After grueling through the estimates we decided on a contractor and they will have the cover up this week. The entire deck will be completed before Easter!
It would be great if we all got the things we think we want so badly. It would probably alleviate some emotional spikes. Or maybe not. Maybe having to do things another way make the memories so much richer.
TT