Swingset!

Both Todd and I really wanted to put a swingset in our backyard for the kiddos.  Todd has the skills to design and build a custom one, but our current schedule does not allow the time to actually make that happen.  There are a lot of great options out there of pre-built sets, but their price tag was way out of our budget.  Enter my good friend Craigslist!  Swingsets are not super numerous on Craigslist, and when they are listed, they go fast, so you have to look very regularly and contact the seller immediately to have a chance at it.  It's kind of like a virtual garage sale-ing adventure.  I had lost out on a few, and then got all excited about another, only to receive a picture of it and realize that it was way too big and unwieldy, and would take over our entire backyard.

Fast forward to last week, when the ideally sized swingset at a great price popped up on Craigslist.  Of course I immediately emailed the seller and then obsessively refreshed my Gmail waiting for a response.  When I heard back from the seller, it turned out that it was a woman whose kids attend the same daycare as Nathan and Natalie!  Small world! :)  We bought the swingset, and over the weekend Todd brought the shop truck home so that we could ferry the new toy to our house.

In my vision, we were just going to pick up the swingset and then reassemble it in the most level area of our grassy lawn.  Todd had a different vision that required clearing some of the woods at the back corner of our yard, and doing some excavating and re-grading to create a wonderful, shaded nook of fun for the kiddos.  As per usual, his idea was much better even though it required a lot more work!

The swingset unloaded from the truck and waiting to be reassembled in its new home.  Notice the amount of trees and grass in the background.

Nathan was helping Todd while he worked.  He had to take his shirt off just like Daddy. :)  The brush and grass has been cleared.

Nathan did some excavation and land sculpting in the sandbox.

Testing out some different locations and configurations.

Done! And ready to be tried out!

First trip down the slide.

Approved!

We need to put down some mulch, but isn't this a great play space??

Cuties