Labor Day weekend

The back porch was done just in time for Labor Day weekend!  Curt and Lisa came over Friday and we all got to enjoy the porch for the first time that evening.  We had a handicapped van lined up to go pick up Charlie at the nursing home, but with all the flooding in Houston and south Louisiana from the hurricane, they were using it to evacuate handicapped people from those areas to Shreveport so we called on Mum and she was more than happy to help...thanks, Mum!!  Kenneth and Curt went and got her van, put the seats down into their cubbies under the floor and wheeled Charlie right on in!  It definitely would be better to have a van equipped for a wheelchair, but this worked in a pinch because we had been planning this for several weeks and were all looking forward to it, especially Charlie.  He loves to get out of the nursing home and go on a road trip!  Mac came up and so did Scott.  None of us have seen Scott in probably 36 years so it was fun to get old friends together and catch up.  There was plenty of food, beautiful cooler weather and a nice porch to sit out on.  We did eventually move into the house when the afternoon sun took over the porch and the temps got up into the 90s.  We packed to-go boxes for everyone and the guys took Charlie and Kathy back home around 6:00 and Lisa and I cleaned the house.  The four of us got to enjoy another evening on the porch and then Sunday morning, Kenneth and I got on the bike and Curt and Lisa followed us to Jefferson for lunch at Auntie Skinner's.  They headed home and we took a nice ride around Lake 'o the Pines and got home around 4:00.  Mum came up to visit on Monday and she got to enjoy the porch, too.  I got all my laundry done and we had a nice visit, too.  Katie got home around 7:00 Monday evening and got to spend a few days with us before she headed to St. Louis, Missouri for her next travel assignment.  We had a wonderful start to September!!

Curt, Kenneth, Charlie and Scott catching up

Scott, Kathy and Mac

Got a little too warm on the back porch in the afternoon!

So happy we were all able to get together!  Only wish all that were supposed to come could have...

I finally got a cake to come out of this bundt pan clean!!

Lisa playing with the face coasters!

Getting Charlie loaded back up into the van.

Love that my beer at Auntie Skinners came in a "21 and havin' fun" mug!!

Beautiful day for a ride around East Texas

We all got together for dinner with Katie before she had to leave.

Back porch rebuild

While I was in Charleston, Kenneth started on the back porch project.  We screened it in two years after we moved into the house, so it has been there for 15 years and badly needed a facelift!  All of the boards at the bottom were rotted, the screens had some holes, the doors were falling apart, the carpet was really dirty, etc.  It was a huge project and he pretty much worked non-stop on it for almost four weeks.  He tore off all the bottom boards, took out all the window framework, moved all the wood furniture into the motorcycle trailer, powerwashed the brick and porch, cleaned the ceiling fans, put in all new bottom boards inside and out, built new window frames, replaced all the screens, put in two new doors, repainted everything, built a new cooktop and replaced the backing, laid new carpet, put up new lights, moved the swing to create a larger seating area and moved everything back onto the porch.  It is SO nice now - I absolutely love it!  Hopefully the cooler weather will be here soon so we can enjoy it more.

Nice, fresh paint!

Lights were up when I got home from Charleston!

Outside boards up

Inside boards up!

Window frames and screens in.

Doors up!

LOVE the new carpet!

Daniel helping his Dad with the swing.

Vacuuming for me and I didn't even have to ask...:)

With the screens in, doors up and furniture back on, we can finally have our first breakfast on the new porch.

Rebuilding his cooktop.