Building the swingset

 This swing set was a long time in the making.  We started by watching craigslist for someone selling a wooden swing set.  We came close a few times but it never worked out.  That went on for probably a year.  Then we decided we would build one.  That happened in a series of drawn out steps.  We had to decide what we wanted it to have.  We wanted to plan for the future, so it would be something the kids could enjoy now and when they are big. We went to parks and measured the height of swings that adults could swing on.  We wanted it to be quality so it will last forever and we needed enough features that all five kids would have something to play on at the same time.  And for our little monkeys, Katelyn and Naiya, we knew we needed monkey bars.

Once we established what we wanted we had to decide how to build it.  Holly and I mow the lawn and we didn't want to have to mow around a huge A-frame swing set.  So Mike and Rusty started calculating what type of beams we would need to withstand the force of swings.  Once the supply list was complete we ordered everything to be delivered.  In the meantime I ordered the tire swing, swings, chains, and gear from a swing set supply company.  The beams arrived and were dropped off on my front lawn.  And there they stayed.  For about 3 months.  Mike and Rusty were so busy with work that the swing set waited.  The plan was to dig four foot holes to place the beams in.  When digging day came it was quickly apparent that hand digging the holes wasn't the best plan.  So off to Tates rents we went.  We rented an attachment for the skidsteer that dug a mean hole.  The holes were done in less than an hour.  Then, while Holly and I were both running errands, the boys decided to try to dig a deeper hole just to see how deep the water table really was.  So a random 8 foot hole in my yard was born.  Really, they just wanted to play with the hole digger.  We reminded them that a tiny 8 foot hole with lots of water wasn't the best option for a backyard full of kids, so they filled it back up.  However, it sunk a little and became Ridge and Aliya's new favorite playplace.  For months they filled it with water to throw rocks in it, make "stew" in it, and anything else you can imagine.  The posts were set in concrete in the holes that day, and again, there they stayed-for several months.  I painted the posts with deck over to improve their longevity.  A few more months went by and then a miracle happened.  Another day to work on the swing set!!!  The horizontal posts were placed.  The gears were screwed in.  The monkey bars were lined out. And finally, the swings and tire swing were hung!  We even got a monkey bar bonus.  There was some unused vertical post in the monkey bar section so we drilled holes and placed vertical monkey bars.  Katelyn especially loves these.  You have to do a pull up on each bar to reach the top.

The kids have played with the swing set non-stop since it was done.  They love it.  The frame type is very easy to mow around.  We have also acquired three trampolines in our backyard.  The kids jump from one to the next.  They like to use the top of the monkey bar beam for a balance beam.  They feel pretty cool on top of the beam.  The swings are strong enough to hold adults and the monkey bars have been used by the Dads on several occasions.  It was worth the wait!