Replacing the front porch

Our front porch has been in poor shape since we moved in, but the snow this year has pretty much killed it. The rail on the side closest to the drive way couldn't take the weight of the snow and the entire bottom rail pulled free of all the posts. The support post on that side has looked pretty rotted for a while, so James decided it was time to replace it. He learned how to support the roof while he was changing the old post out with the new post from The Handyman Family magazine (awesome magazine). He took the car jack out and supported a 2x4x8 with it and braced that against another 2x4. At first I thought he was really smart, but I was anxious about it. When he told me hours later it was a tip from Handyman, I just laughed and said, "Why didn't you tell me that before you started?! I wouldn't have been worried."
Anyways, he took down the first post and out of the entire 4x4, there was one corner that wasn't rotted. The day before he was standing on the porch roof getting leaves out of the gutter. He doesn't know how it supported his 200lbs. Anyways, we spent most of the weekend outside. Landon had fun. He did not like the nail gun, which is funny because the compressor is super loud and that didn't bother him at all. Anyways, they are now all replaced, all of them pretty rotten to some degree, but the first was the worst. James tapped it against the brick pillar at the end of the driveway and it snapped in half! Glad we decided to do this.

James took the first post down, see his support from the car jack?
Landon playing with some flower pots

I planted some flowers while James worked

James disgusted with the rotten posts

It looks like they weren't even one entire piece, there are several seems we found in them

This was the last one, not too much rot here, but you get the idea about how bad it was.

Left side, see the missing spindles?

Landon somehow got a leaf stuck in his mouth. When I pulled it out, the entire stem was in his mouth. Had to get a picture!

Playing in the dirt, yes, he took his first taste. I think he liked it...

I caught him a few times this weekend sucking his thumb. Where did that come from???

Laughing at James

James watering our tiny Maple tree.

Helping Daddy water the flowers.