Finally, we can relax!

What a feeling it is to know that we did a very big project ourselves. Of course, we had help from family and friends!! We decided to build a deck. We built a deck during the hottest time of the year- to boot. After many weekends of hard work, sweat, and some minor injuries, we're finished. Now we can enjoy it for many years to come.

The eating area...Notice the lights hanging above Grilling area...

The Loveseat...

Our sitting area- I still need to paint the chairs.

Our house guest

Here a few pics of our house guest. His name is Freddy and Vito loves him! Maybe a bit too much. I think Freddy is getting a bit tired of Vito following him around and trying to box him. Little Bit is terrified of Freddy. He's been hiding under the bed. This is the cat that parades around in front of Vito. Very strange...

We're finished! Well, almost...

Every single board is down and screwed into the joists. The railings are up. The only big part that remains is the stairs. Brook has already hung the lights in the trees. I'll try to get a picture of those soon. We still have to powerwash and stain. We won't be able to stain until sometime next month when the temperatures drop a little. I also need to paint the chairs. Other than that, we're done! As you can see, Vito is very pleased that he doesn't have to jump over boards anymore.

Deck Accessories

I found this bright green lantern on clearance at Pier 1 a couple of weeks ago. One of the glass panes is missing, so they had it marked way down! :o) I found some adirondack furniture on craigslist for super cheap. I'm working on painting everything. I decided to paint the tables bright colors. I decided on white for the chairs and loveseat. All of it reminds me of my aunt's beach house in Hilton Head, SC.

Deck Progress

Slowly, but surely, the deck is coming along!

The Deck Project

So, a few weeks ago, Brook's dad told us he knew some lady who was tearing down her old deck and getting a new one. She was just going to throw away all of the lumber from her old deck. We very quickly decided we would take it. We've wanted to extend our deck ever since we moved into this house and this was the perfect opportunity. Brook, a few of his friends and Dale, collected this lady's old lumber and brought it to our house. The demolition of our old deck and the construction of our new deck has now begun! Our hope is to have it completed by the fall. I did manage to find an old picnic table on craigslist for $20 so we'll stain it and use it for eating, but we still want to purchase a couple more chairs. Any suggestions?

Here are a few before pics...

I mixed concrete for the first time. 1 bag of quickcrete and 2 coffee cans of water!

I dug this little trench. It was EXTREMELY hard work, especially in the 100 degree heat.

Posts...

The last post hole!!!! We were so excited, so I had to document this moment.

Our helper----he really didn't help that much except supervise and nap in the cool dirt.

Building your own deck is such hard work. I've never helped with anything like this, so it is a great experience. I appreciate people who do this for a living because it is not easy!!! I'll try to post pictures of our progress throughout the rest of the summer. Thank you, Dale, for helping us out with this project!!! :)

Lemonade Icebox Pie

This pie will put you in a good mood. It is so yummy and perfect for the summertime.

This recipe will make 2 pies. Even better! :)

2 ready made graham cracker crusts

1 can frozen lemonade

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 large tub of cool whip (16 oz, I believe)

1 can eagle brand milk

Mix all ingredients and freeze for at least 2 hours. Then, eat a piece or two everyday until it is gone.