More blueberry face

Every night when we get home from daycare, Rachel says three things:
1) "Up dairs" - I want to climb the stairs (of the new porch).
2) "Ow-dide" - let's go back outside (to the new porch).
3) "Ead Borts" - I want to eat (on the new porch).

We're thinking she likes it...

Blueberries on the new porch

Rachel enjoys a good faceful of blue-coloured berries now and again. Who doesn't really?

Also, who knew blueberries leave stains on cedar? A shocker to us, it was!

The big stairs

 

Railings, stairs and lattice done...

After two weeks of phenomenal weather, things have moved along very quickly. The boys tell me they'll be done by mid-week next week. 

Family portrait

This would make a GREAT Christmas card photo... except by Christmas, there will be four of us (DV). 

The whole Van clan

 

Rachel gives cousin Erin a flower

Another July Stratford pic. 

The Van S Sibs

Here's a great photo from Stratford in July of all four Van Staalduinen siblings. 

Cedar decking in place

By Friday evening, we were able to have dinner out on the porch. Still no railings or stairs -- or trim or siding -- but we've got a functional deck with a waterproof shingled roof.
Dennis spent all evening fielding questions from curious neighbours while trying to research names for the new baby... 

One little surprise...

Turns out that at one point in history, carpenter ants were gnawing away behind the stucco along the top of the foundation. Fortunately, they're long gone, and we had a chance to fix it before the new siding went on. 

Before the framing

This is a picture of the first day of con (de) struction. The guys removed our stucco and the small gable over the door.

Rachel enjoying the "booms"

Rachel watches the construction with a mixture of fascination and terror: fascination when the big trucks arrive; terror when they make loud or sudden noises.
The hat she's wearing was a present uncle Brent brought home from Kuwait. 

Our new porch taking shape

Here's the front of our house with the new porch we're building after the little sewage "issue" deprived us of our front steps.