Paint, paint, paint

Now that we are back in town, we are quickly realizing that the days are getting shorter and this awesome summer will soon come to an end.  and we still have a lot to check off our lists as far as outdoor projects go.  Would be outside painting right now but both the little ones are napping and not sure if one baby monitor will pick up both of them.  I did make a quick trip outside to do a few minutes of sanding on the garage and slapped some primer on the places I sanded.  I think I can sneak out one more time to put the first coat of green over that primer since it should be dry soon.  Just no time to start the whole second coat of paint.
Over the weekend, Steve finished all the little touch ups on the back of the house and then I did the first coat of green Saturday morning (completing the last strokes just as the sun went up over head and painting needed to stop) and the second Sunday morning.  Also got super motivated and decided that it was high time to put some green paint up on the south side of our garage (if you recall from the spring, Steve removed all the old yellow paint and primed it).  This is the part of our garage we never see as it basically comes up to the neighbor's driveway and planter bed.  Sorry, neighbors, we love you and apologize for being such slackers and this taking so long.  Just sort of put it out of our minds and left you with some ugly. 

After First coat:

All finished with the exception of some trim painting, fixing some paint on the back door and updating/fixing the electrical switch for the back deck light

guess we might want to put the dog door back together now

wow does the deck stick out like a dangerous eye sore

And some pix of the garage with boards in place to glue a couple pieces of the lap board siding back together and with the first coat of paint up

the bottom wood rotted as soil was pushed up against it.  we obviously moved the soil away but still need to figure out a way to keep the soil away from now on

And the project Steve started, or began again, after a 4 year siesta....stripping the paint from the front and rear rafters and painting them.  We don't think there will be time to start the back of the boards (which are virtually unseen), but Steve at least hopes to get the front visible portions complete before fall (and RAIN) officially begins.  This project is no fun, hence the four year siesta. Four years?  Four summers ago (our first summer in our home as we got the keys Sept 1, 2006) we spent the ENTIRE summer stripping all the paint off the lap board siding of the house and hand nailing all new shingles as the old ones had rotted under the aluminum siding.  At some point I will try to post more pictures of our process to remove the aluminum siding, strip paint and hang shingles. 

And Ben on Saturday morning...because I like him and he makes me happy :)