The Swing Set

Note: this post is LOOOONG overdue.  I wrote it a long time ago and wanted to take a few photos of the completed project...needless to say, I forgot about it in my drafts. Oops! 

Grandma and Popo Francis bought the boys a swing set for Easter.  They have been asking to get one for the boys for several years now and Jeff finally gave in.  To say it has been a huge hit would be the understatement of the year.  

There are a LOT of photos in this post.  It took us a few weeks to complete this project.  Part of the problem was that it arrive the Monday before Jeff's golf course was hosting the biggest tournament of his career - an NCAA regional championship!  He was working from 4am - 10pm for 4 days the week it arrived.  He is an all-star! We also managed to get it put together often with all three kids at home with us too.  We did have one weekend day with just Grant because Tyler and Nathan went to the farm with Grandma and Popo Zick, Uncle Kyle and Hadley.  We made a LOT of progress that day.  

This box arrived via freight truck and the driver helped me get it to the back yard.   It weighed 425 pounds!  

Inside that box were many other boxes...

...and about 8,000 pieces.  I really don't think I am exaggerating by much.  Building a swing set is really like building LEGOs, only with power tools.  

I got all the tools together that were listed as required in the 48 pages of instructions. 

I wish I would have taken a photo of the screw/bolt table.  There were SO many of every size, shape and length you could imagine.  

I organized the boards, each with a small number on them, in numeric order, and instructed Tyler and Nathan not to touch any of it or their swing set wouldn't get built.  It was incredible how well they listened.  If only they listened to my every day instructions as well as they did this particular one.   The organization process alone took me 2 hours.  Good thing I love a good organization session - although you cannot tell by my house right now. :( 

Jeff was the level master with digging out the yard just so.  

Jeff drilling away on tower #1.  

The boys were so anxious to use the swing set that Jeff got the first tower built and put the ladder and slide on so the boys would stop asking when it would be finished. ;) 

Tyler scales the rock wall with ease.  He thinks it is too easy so he always has us pick a color for him to skip.  Nathan can fly up the rock wall too!  

Morning swings..okay so maybe it was almost lunch time and he was still in his jammies. 

Nathan's "horsey swing" is the perfect fit for him.  

A picnic lunch so we could play on the swing set as SOON as we were finished.  

All three boys have their own swing!  

This outfit is suppose to be pants.  Grant wore it once (day the photo was taken) and it was packed up. 

I love it when these two play together so nicely.  It is totally worth them tracking in sand EVERYWHERE!  

Tyler was helping dad one night dig out the part for the picnic table and he "got really dirty." 

Side view! 

Tyler's favorite part is the swing!  He can pump his own legs but often asks to have someone push him "really high." 

Nathan loves the sand box underneath.  He currently has two sand boxes but Jeff keeps threatening to turn the first one into a raised bed for some gardening.  We shall see who wins the battle: daddy and his garden or Nathan and two sandboxes.  

Grant enjoys the swing and watching his big brothers play.  He constantly makes it a goal to crawl off the blanket and onto the grass.  I don't know why I even put the blanket down anymore.  His sensory exploration LOVES grass.  

The finished product!  

As much as Jeff resisted allowing the swing set, it is the perfect addition to our back yard.  

Thanks, Grandma and Popo Francis!  The boys LOVE it!