Our Fire Pit.

The idea of congregating around an open fire on cool evening while roasting marshmallows and hot dogs has been appealing since we moved into this house. I have had the location picked in my mind, but I had been hesitant to bring it up for fear of being disappointed. I was convinced that Scott would not be supportive of a fire pit, and the upkeep and maintenance would fall onto me. Flipping through the ads a few weeks ago, I casually mentioned to Scott that I would like to have a fire pit. To my delight, and shock, he had the same notion and has wanted one for years! Apparently, we experienced a failure to communicate (for the past 7 years).

We grabbed our 20% off Bed Bath and Beyond coupon, piled into the SUV and drove straightaway to pick up our coveted fire pit. Robby, of course, was over the moon excited with the prospect of roasting marshmallows and hot dogs around a "real outdoor fire- like the pioneers did." My boys wasted no time putting it together and, working together, the promised 10 minute assembly time was stretched to 90 minutes.

The entire neighborhood showed up for our inaugural pit lighting. Robby was delighted to play host, offering our neighbors marshmallows and graham crackers for S'mores and constantly asking if they were enjoying his S'more party. It was nice sitting around the fire, chatting and roasting marshmallows with our neighbors. In many ways it was precisely what I had envisioned.

Since our first S'more party, our fire pit has become an evening attraction on our street. After dinner Robby and I head outside and gather sticks (thankfully living in the woods provides us with a seemingly endless supply of kindling). Breaking the sticks against my carbon fiber socket is a breeze and, within 30 minutes we accumulate a large pile of wood for the night. As soon as the fire is lit, our neighbors slowly find their way to our house.

Few things actually materialize as they are envisioned. I can say that our fire pit has exceeded all of my expectations bringing not only family time but also neighborly camaraderie and warmth. I'm so glad that I finally broke down and confessed to wanting a fire pit!