It is finished, and it is good.

The pergola is finished!  I would not believe it if I didn't get to stare at it all day!  We have been talking about this for more than a year now and now that it's done, I keep asking myself why we waited so long to get it started.  I love it!  I don't want to get super-sappy, but I am so proud of my husband for doing this.  He designed and built the entire thing by himself.  He spent 8-10 hours per day in 100 degree weather, and loved every minute of it.  I will never again question his creative-capabilities.

So, here are the step-by-step pictures...

He even worked in the dark...

Don't mind the chalk all over the side!  Hopefully we will get a little rain soon.  This is pretty much the finished project.  The only thing he has left to do is wrap the footings.  Isn't it awesome?!?!

I'm pretty sure that he is addicted now to building projects.  He is walking around with his head hung low, he's lost his appetite, and I might have heard a little whimper coming from his side of the bed last night.....almost like he has lost his best friend.  I give it two months before he has come up with a new building project. :)