"Labor" Day!

For the remainder of the weekend we were in Guttenberg at our family cabin.  When Lila got her playset for her birthday my Dad purchased a playset for up at the cabin as well.  He didn't purchase just any playset, he purchased a unit that rivals some Elementary schools!  This year the term Labor Day really meant labor, while putting together the family playset.

The kids always enjoy spending time together.  Even Carson and Cade do a good job of including the little kids in all the fun!  Meanwhile, the guys wasted no time getting to work, only to take a break to watch the "Island Golf Cart Parade!"



The building crew consisted of Mike, my Dad, Jason, my uncle Jeff and his two sons Tom and Nate.  They did a great job of dividing and conquering and before we knew it, it was time to take the framing to the backyard!

A little dance party to keep the kids occupied!

We were all up for supporting the guys as they worked hard on their project, but it was actually pretty chilly out at 65 degrees.  We all discussed how ironic it is that when summer is winding down 65 feels so cold, but when we are coming out of a cold winter, 65 feels like a heatwave!

We were also all together to celebrate Cade's 12th birthday!  He ordered up grilled chicken and pork, cheesy mashed potatoes and some peanut butter/chocolate brownies for the big celebration!  YUM!

"Happy Birthday, Cado"

The guys were bound and determined to get the playset as far as they possibly could, so with a little bit of daylight left they were back at it after dinner.  Lila also recognized that it was still light out and couldn't resist taking the pink, sparkly bike for a spin!

Monday morning the guys were up and outside right after breakfast.  Dad even recommended just calling it quits and enjoying the day, but they weren't stopping now, they wanted to see the playset finished or at least darn close!

The kids spent time playing outside on the trampoline...remember last 4th of July when Lila fell off?  I do, very vividly, but this time we were a lot more prepared.  She had a lot of fun with the big kids and they were very gentle as they jumped around her and she sat and giggled as she would get lifted into the air.

Giggle!  Giggle!  Giggle!

Back at it!

The girls decided to head over to the other side of the island to visit my Grandma at her cabin.  This cabin is very special to me as it is where I have a lot of my summer memories as a kid!  It was only appropriate to have Lila get her picture taken in front of the cabin sign!

When we got back from Grandma's it wasn't long before...the kids were swinging!!!  Woo hoo!  I am not sure who was more excited, the little ones or the guys working on the playset knowing that they were so close to completion!

The building crew!

When we left Guttenberg the playset wasn't 100% complete, but it was darn close!  The only parts left are the "cyclone" style slide that comes off the front, some details on the monkey bars and a few other details.  I was so impressed with the guys for getting as far as they did as this was a huge project!  It was a bonding experience for all of them and it will be fun for them to watch as the kids get so many years of enjoyment out of their hardwork!