Back Porch Update

The back porch has never really been a priority since we still have so much to complete on the more visible areas of the house. But we've tried to make the best of it until we can give it the attention it deserves. During the entire construction period and for the first 8 months that we lived here, it was basically a storage area for lumber and other building supplies. But with the arrival of warm weather came the desire to utilize the porch the best we could. So one kid-less day I went outside and arranged all the lumber, etc. so that it only took up about one third of the porch instead of the whole:

July 2010

That's the way we used the porch all last summer, and we really enjoyed it. Then, this past March, I got the notion that if we moved all those bags of cement and other baggy-things (up against the far-left window), we'd have even more porch at our disposal. So, at my request, my hulking husband moved 30 eighty-pound bags around the house and into the garage. And it was awesome!

March 2011

Then I got the idea that we might make it even better for Lee's birthday party later in the month if all the lumber was used up/found a new home permanently. Most of it was scrap and wouldn't ever be used, so we kept the few pieces that were good, and got rid of the rest. It was so great to have the whole porch to host Lee's party.

Then I started thinking that since we already had the stucco material (remember all those 80-pound bags?), that maybe we could go ahead and finish the walls to cover the block since the porch will probably remain this way for at least another year. That wonderful man of mine obliged and not only stucco-d the walls, but painted them to match the rest of the house...all in time for Jessalyn's outdoor crafty birthday party!

May 2011

We were able to bring two rattan love seats that we already owned outside to make it more porch-y feeling. I added a bright rug to the mix, so it really feels like an outdoor room now. We are gonna be spending a lot of time out there this summer, that's for sure!

May 2011

Step Right Up

Front steps have been a long time coming. And we finally have them. They are not quite complete yet, but they are fully functional and I thrill at the prospect of welcoming guests through our front door rather than the garage. Here's a look at the progress the front of the house has made since January 2010 (remember, we moved in November 2009).

January 2010: Building front columns

February 2010: Front columns complete AND we have a driveway!

May 2010: Stucco now covers the block on either side of the front porch

July 2010: Stucco gets color

August 2010: Grass!

October 2010: Digging begins to start steps

October 2010:First steps started

March 2011: More step progress

March 2011: Forms built to pour the remainder of steps

May 2011: Functional steps

The columns and walls on either side of the steps still need to be built, as well as finishing them in brick. But next on the work list is to frame out the windows under the front porch so that Tom can brick the porch. It's all a process and I think we've come a long way!

Hello, Summer!

School is out and summer has officially arrived! I sure hope it doesn't zip by too quickly!

Five Head

Me: "Lee, come here so I can put sunscreen on your forehead."

Lee: "Where's my forehead?"

Me: Tapping his forehead.

Lee: "Oh. When I'm older, I'm going to have a five head."

Spring is in the Air...

...as well as birthday and Easter celebrations. Here are some pictures from our recent festivities:

My baby turned 4. FOUR! I can't believe it...

Party at preschool and at home. He was so happy.

Lee enjoying cake at his cousin, Ren's (on right) 2nd birthday.

My first baby turned 8. EIGHT!!!!! I am in shock.

Jessalyn's crafty birthday party (we painted frames, made headbands and bracelets)

Cake #2

The week after her birthday Jessalyn got braces...she is so excited!

Lee's preschool Easter Egg Hunt

Lee and Me (a rare occasion to get a pic of us together!)

Snack time after the egg hunt at church

Easter Day

We dyed and created "Monster Eggs!"

These chick cupcakes are my favorite. My sister-in-law, Christy, is so talented.

Egg Hunt at MawMaw & Brick's. Lee found one of his own eggs!

Pony tail monster egg was my favorite.

Lee counting his eggs.

Russ and Jess count their eggs.

Samantha and Jessalyn

Kaitlyn and Lee played a lot of basketball.

It was his favorite part of the day.

Kaitlyn and Lee

Happy Springtime, everyone! :)

She's Baaaaaaack!

Hello my poor, neglected little blog. Life has gotten in the way of updates and posting pictures the last few months, but I will try to make it up to you. Maybe I'll get around to posting "Halloween Part 2," "Thanksgiving," and "Christmas." But that'll have to wait for another day. Today I'm posting about today!

It's Reading Fair time again. My avid little reader has been working very hard on her project and has been rewarded handsomely, in the form of first place at the local level and first place again at the district level! She moves on to the regional competition in March! So here's a look at this year's project, along with projects from years past...

Jessalyn discovering the first place trophy in front of her project today.

She and her BFF Alexis were soooo excited!

Can you tell?

Some cute details from her project that are hard to see in the big pictures. Click to see larger.

Last year's project earned her second place!

Doesn't she look cute!?

Two years ago in kindergarten she won first place twice, both at the local and district levels!

Her individual project didn't win at regionals, but the group project she participated in did! She and her classmates presented it at state and even won first place!

We are so proud of you, Jessalyn!