Deck update #2

Continuing on from the last post...

The yard sat untouched for another very long time.  (are you sensing the theme here?)

Then one day, apparently I had nagged enough and all of the right phone calls had been made.  I believe I was in the kitchen when I heard, "ohhhh emmmm jeeeeee.  omg.  OMG!" come from a certain teenage daughter who was sitting on the couch.  This is what she saw out the front window:

The day had finally arrived, and the people had finally arrived.  Work was really really going to start happening to rebuild my deck.  

I was sort of in shock, and needed to take lots of pictures to make sure I wasn't just dreaming it.

Since the old footings were basically little pieces of wood tapped into the ground a few inches and not secured with anything, we decided to go full out and do everything the right way.  The system we used for the footings this time are called helical piles.  They are basically a huge screw that gets screwed right into the ground.  No digging, no pouring cement around them, and they are probably 10 feet long.  I don't think these suckers are budging.

They had a special attachment on the arm of the bobcat that hooked right on to the end of the helical pile and they screwed them right in!

All the way down to about a foot or two sticking out of the ground for the deck to attach to.

Once the footings were in place, our favorite landscapers, ZR Ziemski Landscaping (Zach, you need a website for me to link to!) came back to do some more prep work. 

They tore out all of my old shrubs that were 20 years old, overgrown, and not really taken care of as they should have been.  I was a little sad to lose my flowering crab apple tree, but it was necessary for the plans we have brewing.

I love seeing all these people working on making my yard look pretty again!

They also routed some downspouts and added some underground drains that will keep the water away from the house and my new landscaping.

Out with the old, in with the new (someday!)

They prepped the new deck spot with good weed barrier (nothin' worse than weeds growing up through your deck, amiright???) and a huge load of rocks so it's nice and pretty.

Hooray for progress!

Ahh, just looks so clean, doesn't it?  Well, I mean if you look past all the dirt.  I just love having all of the weeds out of there, and having it ready for the next steps!

Progress, people! 

More to come...

XOXOX

NH

There is nothing fast about getting a new deck.

I don't know if you remember way back to THIS post about the water troubles I had in my yard, but it was not a happy time on the Hooper homestead.  Water is good for you to drink, it is fun to swim in, and it keeps us clean, but it is not good when it saturates your clay filled yard, seeps into your basement, and makes your deck heave.

We were able to waterproof the basement back then (you probably shouldn't look at the date to see just how long ago it was), but unfortunately the funds were not there to fix the deck, which had heaved so much that the hot tub had become unusable.  Also, when they had to dig up the ground around the house, they had to cut out part of the deck so they could get to the house.  So my deck was left to look like this after the project was done:

So the deck looked like this for a long, long time.  I decided it was cruel to make the neighbors look at it like that for another year, so we pulled it down.  Demo is fun, but still a lot of work.

My boys like using power tools, I think.

Maybe we just waited so long to pull it down until Andy was strong enough to help with hauling the wood away?  Sure, I'll go with that story.

It sure looked different from inside the kitchen without that big wall up!

Almost all down!  It was a big project to get it all down and taken away, but we did it.

Then our favorite landscapers came and knocked the posts out for us, which were way shorter than we were told they were, and filled in with some dirt to prep for the new deck to come!

And this is how it sat for a very, very long time.  Sorry neighbors, but it's better than looking at the old, falling down deck, right?

I am happy to report that big things are finally happening on this very spot right now, so I finally feel like it's time to blog about it, so you didn't have to wait years for an update.  Stay tuned, friends!

XOXOX,

NH

Relay For Life 2015 Edition

Last Friday night was the 2015 Relay for Life.  It was a balmy 80 degrees out at the start, but with a little breeze it was manageable.

I just want to take a minute and thank EVERY person that donated towards my fundraising efforts this year.  Each year my goal is a measly $100, and I'm continually amazed at everyone that is willing to pitch in and try to help END cancer.  I blew my $100 goal out of the water, and upped my goal to $300, which thanks to you all, was also blown out of the water.  I believe my total raised this year was $320, which I plan to beat next year!

Some of my favorite peeps participated in the walk with me this year.  I love having these guys by my side all night.  It can get long, but I guess it's my little measly way of doing something that matters against this dumb disease.  I sure wish there was a dang cure already.

Also, a huge shout out to those who liked and commented on my Facebook posts.  (Sorry if I bombarded you with too many!)  To those that asked, I walked laps for you and those you love.

It was a good thing I got my new Brooks all ready to go before the big day.  I had some achy muscles after the 10 miles that I completed, but not a single blister!

Luminary bags were decorated for some of our favorite people that were bitten by the "C" bug.

True story.

This was my 5 mile progress update.  Lap beads that we purchase help keep track of our distance.

Sometimes we have to carry each other.  In the relay, and in life. 

Seeing the bags lit is very emotional.  I know mom would love them.

I also need to take a minute and talk about my sister Erin, who is the one who decided to get us involved in this annual fundraiser.

Erin began participating in the Relay a few years ago, starting a team at her church.  I didn't participate her first few years, but she eventually convinced me to join in the cause.  Every year the amount of money her team raises astonishes me.  This year was her best year yet, surpassing her goal of $10,000!  She puts in so much time and energy in raising money for this awesome event, from selling freezy pops in Canal Park on a busy weekend, to holding her own Color Run at the school she teaches at!  She's just awesome.  Her personal fundraising this year was $7889.  That's a lot of moo-lah.  I'm just glad I get to be a part of it.

Thanks Erin, for doing this.  I can't help but think we are making a difference!

XOXOX

NH

My Girl

I just can't not post these pictures.  That's all.

Evening light is my favorite.

Thanks for letting me play tonight, Morgsie Pie.

XOXOX,

NH