Our Parish built a new school last summer. When the move occurred, there was an auction to raise funds and distribute items that weren’t going to be used in our new site. Our close friends were there, aiming to leave with the big swing set. There was a smaller one, and we laughingly suggested we should get the smaller one and help each other haul and set up the swings.

The small set auctioned first. We were the only bidder. I still feel kind of guilty about how little we paid for it (my guilt is outweighed by the money we spent to buy the Sacristy Bell for my father-in-law).

The large set came up next – we were all excited because (obviously) no one wanted swings as we hadn’t even had another bidder for our set.

Ahem.

The large set had numerous bidders and went for hundreds of dollars – not to our friends. A sure sign that the little swing set was really meant for us all along and we just needed the idea planted by our friends.

For nearly a year our little set has waited patiently in pieces beside the old quonset shed. But once the stumps came out of our yard, it’s time had come.

It was a four-person project that required lots of digging. Since then it has required lots of testing out. Over Easter weekend it received a great deal of ‘working the kinks out’ by many children. (And maybe by me as well. I still love swinging.)

I posted this picture on Facebook the week after we put the swing up, and it was very popular:

I love homeschooling. He read four chapters like this.

We moved the grill from the front yard to the back in order to better enjoy the new swing set, cleaned off the back porch and moved the picnic table. I’ve liked it so much that I’ve continued to grill on weekdays while the kids swing and we all enjoy being outside. I’ve been experimenting with some grilling recipes and it’s been fun.

I marinated the chicken in this new beer - then needed to finish up the rest of the bottle, which was so yummy I had another bottle. It was almost as good as the asparagus.

The kids hauled their campfire makings over to the site of a former stump and ‘camped’ between swinging.

I grilled some pita/naan type bread yesterday and it was a big hit! I promise to post the recipe the next time I’m back at my desk. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!