Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all rang it in right and are ready to start fulfilling your resolutions! Our first day of 2015 started off with a huge undertaking…the birth of our new climbing wall. I wasn’t sure it was going to happen as we drove home last night from Mario and Maria’s house watching snow fall all around us. We have been trying to beat the weather ever since we got home from vacation at mom’s house and it looked like we would probably be losing this battle. I had enlisted the help of some of our good climbing friends to come over this morning and help us, but wasn’t sure anyone was actually going to show up…especially when half an inch of snow was covering the ground and the temperature was 32 degrees. I had promised them a delectable breakfast but wondered if even that would tempt them. Climbers, after all, can be pretty flaky. However, to my delight and surprise, every single one came and helped out…on a holiday, no less! I am so grateful for such awesomely good friends. =)
Unlike most of our projects, the assembly of this massive beast went off WITHOUT a hitch. I wasn’t sure what I expected to see putting the trusses up, but when we finally had them all erected, I was in utter shock at how massive and beautiful our woody was. Tommy has such a beautiful brain (haha!) and the vision of what he wanted is exactly what is standing outside in our yard right now. I am so excited to get everything together and start climbing on it!! Our plan is to start putting holds on next Saturday…we’ll have a setting party and get everyone over here to help out. So stay tuned…those should be really fun pictures. =)
Hope everyone is well and had an awesome New Year! Love you all – enjoy! And Thank you Grandpa for coming and watching the boys today! This couldn’t have happened without you!! xoxox
I spent all day Monday moving the lumber from the garage to the back patio…and almost died.I somehow tricked Henry into helping me move little pieces…and he impressed the hell out of me by moving ALL of them by himself in his wagon. =) My heart!The sill plates…these are what the trusses will be attached to.Tuesday morning…Tommy starts assembly of the trusses. He gave himself 2 days to get 16 done. I thought it would be a breeze until I realized the labor involved and the fact that we were racing against a storm.It took him about an hour to assemble one…and of course there was nothing I could do to help except cheer him on. =(I had to waterproof the sill plates with a disgusting concoction…It stunk up everything!
End of Tuesday…He was able to complete 7…and the kids loved playing on them.Wednesday. 80% chance of rain at 3 pm and he had 9 more to go.The rain ended up coming around 4 pm and he had 2 left to assemble. He figured he could go to bed and and get up early to finish the rest. Little did we know it would be SNOWING when we went to sleep…at 1 in the morning.Happy Frickin’ New Year! Ugh.Our faithful crew arrived to save the day and stuff their bellies full of Green Chile Casserole and baked French toast. Mmmm.Then they all got distracted looking through our climbing holds…Ha!First Truss up…the worst part. After this, it went so quick it was crazy.Our buddy Mario spotting Tommy. Uuuuuhhhh…When we weren’t hauling these behemoth pieces of wood, we were all mesmerized by Tommy on the ladder. Hahaha!Goofing off…Liz making sure it gets done…The wood around the concrete swelled from the water and it was messing up the set of the truss. We just had to chip away the wood…Coming together!Almost there!Screwing in the last one!Woo hoo!! HOLY COW, LOOK AT THIS THING!!!Our new view…Yeah baby!!Gus was so stoked, he started climbing on the skeleton. Haha!Figuring out a date for our setting party!Shock and awe…
