rear patio on house

[eye_josh]

New homeowner here, trying to get some advice about what do with this back patio on my house. The patio "top" is loose and sort of tilts back toward the house. The stairs obviously have sunk back and the walkway tilts toward the house as well.
any ideas? I thought of maybe busting it up and putting an octagonal shaped deck stained reddish, or taking the concrete top off busting up the stairs, re-pouring the stairs, then putting bricks over it...
http://www.emersontheater.com/web/DSC00827.jpg
http://www.emersontheater.com/web/DSC00828.jpg
also I am trying to figure out what to do with my back yard….paver or flagstone patio, or a low deck…
http://www.emersontheater.com/web/DSC00831.jpg

[Stuck in NH]

Not really sure of your intent with this area, nor am I really sure of your location, but I'm guessing your south of NY because last Wed it was pouring up here..

Also, I'm not a landscaper, nor do I play one on TV.

I like the octagon deck idea. I would make it fairly large, wrap it around the back of the house. Put one set of stairs to your walkway, & one into the backyard.

It would be easier to dream if I could see the area to the left of where the cat is standing in the first pic.

[eye_josh]

Indy, here is one of the place where the cat was. i thought of oct. deck with built in benches around the edge instead of railing. But I also thought of "bricking" the patio and stairs then putting in a small paver landing patio and walkway. the landscaping is sorta ugly now but you should have seen it before, the place was a wreck. I'm about to get a job with a landscaper just so i can learn how to do this kind of stuff at my house....:)
I have seen some patios and landscaping on here that are freaking amazing.

http://www.emersontheater.com/web/dsc00830.jpg
http://www.emersontheater.com/web/DSC00838.jpg