Let the deck begin!!

Well folks.... it is PAST time to get this deck down and build a new one.  The next few photos are the before pictures and I will post as we make progress.  Eric and his dad are building the deck.  So, what that means is, it will be done right and it will be done well... but it will not be done quick.  Which is just fine by me.  Plus, they have a good time together building things.  So here we go...

If you look close enough you will notice how badly the house needs to be painted as well... oh and those windows... those need to go too.  So, as you can see, we have our work cut out for us.  We are doing the deck, and when I say we, it's really Eric and Roger but we are hiring the windows and painters.  We are going to lose my Althea bushes because the deck will be coming out more... not sure if I can save them but I am going to try.

This retaining wall will be gone soon and the deck will come to the edge of the house.  The windows here will be built up a bit so they are not floor length and new windows put in.  Do you know what that means?  It means that the paper shades on there now can be replaced with REAL window coverings.  The current windows require custom blinds and I am too cheap for that, it was going to be over $1000 for those three windows.  But soon I can get some pretty ones on there.  My dad always makes a comment on how lovely my paper shades from Home Depot are.

Eric asked my not to take pictures of him... oops!

The first stage of demolition.. the old rotted, bowed railing!

Elise helps Grandpa Hubbard with the tedious task of getting all of the nails out of the boards

Lauren's turn

Daddy's little helper!  I don't know if pajamas and flip-flops are the proper attire in a work zone.

Almost done getting the boards up.  We are just laying them on top for a bit just until we get going on the rest.  We can still access the back yard for a bit this way.. but then it will be a while.

The railing is down!!!  I really want to have an open deck because it's amazing how much better you can see when you don't have a railing, but, unfortunately, code requires a railing for most of it.  We did order a new patio set that is a higher table so that will be good to see out into the yard.  And right now, the view is spectacular, dead, brown grass everywhere, thanks to the drought this summer (insert sarcasm here).

You can see how far out on this side we are going to go too.  It will go to the edge of the house on this side too.  I am so excited I can't stand it.  We have been talking about it for years and something has always come up.  I wasn't sure it was going to happen this summer either but we are on the way.

We had a visitor!!!

Have you seen anything cuter??  We were dog sitting for my cousin Lea for the weekend.  Kaiser the Dachshund.

Kaiser was so funny, he would follow me pretty much everywhere in the house.  If I went upstairs, so did he.  He finally figured out that he can just watch from the couch on the last day.  Those little legs get tired going up and down the stairs.  We gave him an old towel to chew on and play tug-of-war and the girls thought it was hilarious to watch him attack the towel and shake it.

Lauren's new buddy.

Lauren cried full out crocodile tears when Kaiser left.  We need to get her a dog!

My new washer

My new washing machine... not thrilled that I had to buy one but I will say... I love it!  I don't want to spend more money but sure would love the matching dryer!

Cheer Camp!

Lauren and Elise went to cheer camp for 3 weeks.  Monday and Wednesday evenings.  They had a lot of fun.  This was Lauren's first cheer camp.

High "V"

Low "V"

Lauren did a great job, she was the perfect cheerleader because she was REALLY loud.  On the videos, you can hear her over everyone.

Cheer coach from the high school

Elise is really into this cheer as you will see. 

The Grimes Mustang showed up for photos.

King Cousin night out!

This is my sister Mollie... she came up for the night and we met up with our cousins for a girls night out.  We went to dinner at Old Chicago in Ankeny and then headed to Kelly, Iowa (where Mal works at a bar).

Mal was the driver for the night.. since she is young and single, she goes out all of the time, where as the rest of us... we are all married with children and were in need of a fun night out. 

The night was going great until Mallory decided it was a good idea to do shots... I thought "hey, I can hang" so I did a few shots.  What I learned is that I can't actually "hang" with 20 somethings.  My night ended early as I threw up at the bar (I honestly don't know if that has EVER happened to me... at a bar I mean) and then I went directly to bed when we got home.  So I guess turning 40 this year is a good reminder that I can't act like a 20 year old anymore :)

We had a great night and great conversations and most of all ... a lot of laughs.  I love these ladies with all my heart.  We have all been through a lot together..
Me, Mollie, Lea and Mal

Just to warn you... there is a tad bit of cursing here... and... Mal and Lea are going to kill me for putting this up.  ( Hee, Hee)

Cool Clouds on the horizon

We went out for dinner at Biaggi's and when we stepped out of the restaurant, we were hit in the face with the highest humidity I can recall.  It was 99 degrees at 8:30 p.m. (it made it up to 110 today).  There was finally some relief to this drought and the rain never sounded so good.

The Science Center of Iowa

Today's high was 110 Degrees... no joke.  So we decided it was a good day to go to the Science Center.

The girls were in a bat cave and were "really scared".

Getting ready to be on television with the weather lady!

Check out the kids on live television... they loved it!
http://whotv.com/2012/07/25/science-center-noon-2-72412-2/#ooid=d3d2toNTqNSHb8TioSeYgLZmoeh_SnQd

In one of the Imax-like theaters learning about Black Holes... while resting on the ground.

Making race cars.

Lauren setting up Domino's.

The girls made paper rockets and then got to shoot them.  That rocket stuck up in the right hand corner was Elise's first rocket, she was not happy that she had the ONLY rocket that got stuck.

This was really fun, the 3 of us built this arch out of blocks.  It didn't work the first time and of course the 6 year old says... "they are different colors, some are white and some yellow".  So she figured it out for us and it worked!