bringing memories to life

My whole life growing up was in our fantastic yard in Ohio.  I have a million memories of running through the wet grass in my pajamas during summer vacation, sledding, slip-n-sliding, climbing trees, bonfires, picnics on the playground, swinging, playing in the creek, building forts in the woods, carving pumpkins on the porch, plucking through the garden, playing baseball and kickball in the evenings with the whole family, catching fireflies, riding bikes, camping out, watching deer eat the sour apples, eating hundreds of dinners on the porch, bringing college friends home for fall break, our wedding reception in the yard, bathing my babies on the deck...on and on and on.

This is what it looked like then and it still does now!, but now it's MY girlies loving the same yard and playground and ME watching them from the kitchen window.  

So I've been bothering Matt for a playground for the girlies in Haiti ever since Lily was little.  However, Matt can build a sermon or a curriculum or a presentation like nobody's business, but not so much a playground :)

  Then I started bothering Uncle Don, and then Phil came and I started bothering him.

And I finally bothered everyone too much, wanting so badly for the girls to talk to their girls one day about the beautiful yards and playgrounds where they were free and friends and warriors and princesses and tarzans like my brother and sister and neighbors and I were.  

Phil has fifty other things to do, at least, but when he and Don started planning, and then Phil started sawing, I knew it would be amazing.  Every project Phil takes on ends up beautiful.  He works so hard, and is so detailed and dedicated!

And it IS amazing.  Our own little Swiss Family Robinson :)  

 

Magloire got going on the roofing, using the old-style palm weaving that once was used frequently in Haiti for mattresses. He learned it from his mother, who owned a frame and was the mattress-maker of Saccanville, many many years ago.  How cool is that?

The only good time I've had with the girls since it was finished on Friday have been IN the tree-house.  The only person who loves it more than them is me :)  I'm so incredibly grateful, for all of Phil's (and Turtle and Magloire) hard work, and for Uncle Don and Aunt Brenda, Mr. Oval Head and Grandpa who bought the wood and swings and iron needed to make it happen.  

There may not be zoos, nor libraries, no movie theaters nor ice-skating rinks, no snow days, no festivals, no parades, no pumpkin patches, no museums, no aquariums, no baseball games...

But there is the coolest tree-house and swing set you ever did see, with a view to boot, and I'm so thankful.

 

So so very thankful!!!

Next time you come, we'll take you up!