Saturday, August 1, 2015

Wood and Water

The day after our adventurous hike, our church did a Habitat for Humanity house-framing build in their parking lot. We were broken out into about 10 teams and we knocked out (I think) 37 walls in a couple of hours.  Owen even got to swing the hammer a few times.

Our team consisted of six adults and two 5-year-olds, who they enjoyed drawing pictures on the finished walls. This was encouraged, along with written blessings and messages for the future builders/homeowners.  

It was a hot morning, but they provided breakfast and lunch for us and lots of water!

It should be noted that the treated wood and the treated nails did not agree with each other very much. And we did not have any power tools to help out, so we had a lot of do-overs.  But, this led to a very steady job for Owen to walk around the teams and collect the garbage nails!

At the end, we placed all of the interior and exterior walls together to frame up the first story of the house. Pretty impressive work for a couple of hours!  It stayed there for a day and then we dismantled it back into wall sections to be transported to their future, permanent home.

A few days after that, we picnicked at the park with friends after swim lessons.  While eating our sandwiches, we got to watch a crew setting up lots of fun stuff for a Ronald McDonald House fundraiser at the same park.  It looked like so much fun, we just had to stay longer. They had all kinds of games and water toys for the kids, and they had a blast!

Although it was a little cool for water immersion, they had a dunk tank.  I was surprised to see Owen get in line to be dunked!  I think he must have just followed his friends. After a few chilly dunkings, they realized there was a line to try to hit the target, too!

Owen also enjoyed this cup race where the force of a water gun moved it down the string. Partly because he loves water guns, and partly because the prize was candy!

Speaking of candy, Hadley found the 'toddler beach' area set up with very simple games where just participation earned you something from the prize bowl.  Well, the first few times she got little trinkets and necklaces, but on the fourth game, she found some candy in the bowl.  Game over.  She really worked the system, staying in that area the rest of the time, going through the motions, and then running back to me yelling, "Look what my got!!", proudly displaying a roll of Smarties.

Owen caught wind of the set-up and wanted in on the action, but I told him he was too old for the toddler beach.  So, Hadley graciously shared her earnings with her big brother - every time!  Their manipulation of the candy scene really just made me laugh.  So clever at age 3 already, Lord help me!

With all of the cooler July weather, I was beginning to be concerned that we wouldn't get to break in the new water guns or even see the old water toys at all this summer.  So the first day we got back over 80 degrees, guess what!

Even the big kid got in on the water gun fun!  Nana-nana-boo...

Duck!

Ah, we're safe....  Until he comes sneaking through the garage to get us from behind!!!

And the garden has been doing pretty well, though we're kind of in a lull between cool and hot weather crops.  Owen was very excited to see our first tomato ripen!  He still loves cherry tomatoes, and if I bring any inside and set them on the counter they are gone by the next time I look for them.  :)

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