Scabbing

We have the beginnings of our new deck!

I have to preemt this post with a big HUGE thank you to everyone who came to help!! There is no way we could have done this alone. Thank you so much!

As always let's get a reminder of how things started looking in the morning. This was after we checked off two soccer games on our list of things to do, but right before we forgot all about Tennyson's soccer practice, but DID remember to attend a baby shower. 

Whew!

 We felt very blessed to have so many wonderful people answer our call for help. We are so, so, SO grateful for all of the time, energy, and strength they spent on Saturday. We are also so grateful for their wives for loaning them to us for many hours.

Left to right: My Dad, Quinn, Dave, Alex, Sanders, Nate

 While I went to a fun baby shower, the boys got to work taking the brick off of the house and installing the 4 x4 posts.

 I came back just in time to BBQ some hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch.

 Sanders was part of the construction crew for most of the day. The other kids were scattered all over playing at friend's homes. THANK YOU FRIENDS!

 And when I say part of the construction crew I really mean it. That kid knows how to use a crow bar and became a professional at taking nails out. It doesn't matter how small you are if you use leverage!

 Look how much further the new deck is from the old!

 The new ledger was installed where we removed the brick. It will be secured right into the structure of the house.

 I had to document that I was there and part of the crew. Albeit the only one of the crew with sparkly sunglasses and a big sun hat! I'll tell you what though, my sawing skills are coming right along :)

 And my nail gun skills. 

Kevin and Nate slipping the post sleeve on.

 The old joists were so warped.

 Megan and Colton popped by to help in the middle of their house hunting day. They are wonderful workers and it was so nice to have them! Alex and Megan quickly crafted an excellent way to put the brackets on the ends of the board so they would be flush with the edge.

 When the new header went in you could really get a sense of just how much bigger the new deck is going to be!

 This is where construction slowed a bit. We had to scab onto the old joist. Not only does it require muscle you also have to use math to make sure both sides line up perfectly and everything is level. Thank goodness we have lots of engineers and math enthusiasts in our family ;)

Leave it up to Nate to photo bomb a perfectly innocent picture.

Megan and Colton

 Most of the day the yard looked like this.

 Beckham loves power tools, who doesn't really? He was thrilled when Dave let him test his skills with the nail gun. Sanders asked if nail guns kill people.

Nice. 

Here's the before again.

And the after!

 Before

After

We almost finished everything we hoped to accomplish today. We were hoping to get the little bridge over the basement door all framed as well as the landing for the stairs. But we are still very, very happy with what we did check off. 

 Look how warped the old joist are!

 We were shocked that we even got this one as straight as this. We got all the old joists scabbed on one side. We still need to do the other side.

We are so pleased with the 6"x6" trex post sleeves. The fit right over 4 x4 posts. It makes everything feel more stately and substantial. Totally worth the cost. 

We were originally going to add post skirts to the end of the posts, but they didn't come on the truck. Turns out that was a good thing because they would have gone past the footing edge and looked like they were floating. We are very happy with how they look with out the skirts!

You can see where the old deck ended. Right about where that sprinkler in the flower bed is. 

 Dave put some loose planks on the joist to ease in helping with construction from the top. The old deck ends abut 5 -6 inches past that furthest plank.

 This is a good view of where the old deck stops to the North. There is a bigger gap right after the last old joist because the dryer vent comes out right there and we need to get an elbow extension and then custom cut the joist around that. 

Looking to the North from the South East corner of the deck.

 Looking to the South from the sliding door because I am not a monkey and I didn't want to test my balance on the joists with out the loose plank on them.

We would not have gotten even 1/4 of this done if Kevin and I had tried to do this ourselves. We are so grateful for everyone who helped and especially Dave who has been such a source of guidance, knowledge and skill during this whole process. 

Thank you!!! 

OH! I forgot to mention that we found a place that will install a railing for us for the same price it would have been to purchase just the materials from Lowe's! I'm sure by the time we get the deck built we are going to very ready to sit back a watch someone finish it off. Hooray!

Friends

Although the little boys and I spend a lot of time with each other I mostly find them like this;

Lost in some fantasy world. The most perfect of companions. 

This particular world was being conquered by Sanders' toxic throw-up.

Boys are very different from girls. 

 Tyler Russon came over tonight to help move a lot of the boards from the garage to the backyard. We finally get to construct things tomorrow!

Most of my day was spent with errands. Either on the phone or from one place to the next. Only part of our order, that was supposed to come in last Friday, but ended up being back ordered until this Friday came in. Everything but the Trex post skirts. 

After we felt like this meant we needed to wait a whole other week before we could do any work. You can't work backwards and the skirts are one of the first things to go on. But then after some measuring and discussing we decided that skirts on the support posts would actually hang over the cement post foundations and look a little silly. In the end, it turned out to be a very good thing in a huge, giant disguise. 

We spent the evening moving boards. THANK YOU, TYLER! Removing the stairs, and cleaning up the joists.

As the sun was setting we were all still outside finishing a bunch of last minute item in preparation. All of the sudden, Sanders stood up from the sand box and said, "Mom. I am tired." He asked to be put to bed. 

He's such a sweet kid. 

Thankfully, our hard work paid off and we are all ready for tomorrow.

But don't think for a second that deck is all we have planned. Oh no, my friend, we are going to also squeeze in two soccer games, a soccer practice, a baby shower,  and a piano performance. As well as tearing off brick, installing a new ledger board, installing brackets, new joists, scabbing new boards onto existing joists, install support posts, and building a new header. 

Lots of great memories to be made tomorrow!

Passions

I was lucky enough to go shopping at a local boutique with my mom this morning. We stumbled across the perfect Mother's Day gift for Candace.

Garden Labels

 I had to rush them right over to her house because the boutique is near her home and I was afraid she would find them and buy them for herself if I waited until Mother's Day to give them to her :) She grew up on a Farm in Bear River. Her home is beautifully decorate and elegant, but she is the first one to admit that she's never gotten the farm life out of her. We wouldn't ever want her to! She has a great green thumb and grows a huge garden every year. These will be perfect!

Anybody who has spent any amount of time around Sanders in his natural habitat has met his best friend, Froggy Blanket. This beloved bit of fabric goes everywhere we will let him take it. It's rather endearing.

 

 My mom and Candace were able to help cheer the kids on in soccer today. I can't tell you how much I appreciate these women help me raise my children. Candace cheered Tennyson on which meant I finally got to see Karaia play! She did great!

After wards Kevin was taking Beckham to go meet Beckham's favorite radio personalities at a pizza place. (More on that tomorrow). So I took the other three out to dinner. This was the first sit down restaurant experience that I have ever truly enjoyed with my children. They were wonderful!

I also got strike offs for my next line today! While the colors still need adjusting and that feels like a huge mountain to climb. I'm excited to see what kinds of adventures this line brings.

Drops

I am choosing to focus on the drops of awesome today.

Even though I was late and  un-showered for two days (don't judge),I made it to the school to volunteer in Beckham's class.

Drop. of. awesome.

Had dinner ready for my family and my friend's family.

Drop.

Folded Tennyson's laundry and didn't hate all the seconds I was doing it.

Drop.

Took both little boys to the grocery store and didn't once feel like leaving them there.

Drop.

I actually enjoyed their company at the grocery store.

Two Drops.

Let Beckham face his own consequences and realized they don't necessarily reflect on me without feeling controlling about his choices.

TEN  Drops of awesome!

Arrived at the baseball game late because of said choices, and didn't even feel one bit bad. His choices. His game. He's old enough for me not to be in control of those things.

Drop.

Blogging early.

Drop.

You (All 16 of you---Hi family!) may have noticed I've missed a few posts recently.  I'm trying really hard to let go of the unneeded stress in my life. If writing felt more stressful than necessary I gave myself permission to let it go without guilt.

It's been very freeing.