Ella has been asking for a trampoline for months. The girls had a pretty small one for quite some time, but they’ve outgrown it and it has been sitting unused in our backyard. She has been adamant that she wanted one for her birthday, but as with all big purchases we waited awhile to make sure she didn’t change her mind. I really wanted to go ahead and get it at the beginning of summer, but Josh isn’t a fan of early gifts and he thought they would enjoy it more in the fall anyway. He is probably right.
If you follow me on Instagram (@tazandbelly), you might have seen this little gem on Saturday morning.
She already knew we were planning on picking it up over the weekend and was helping me put together a grocery list while I cleaned out the fridge. I couldn’t help but laugh when she decided we should add it to the list. I can’t help but think there was no way they would let me forget!
While Ella was helping us lay out all the pieces and assemble it in the backyard, this is what Sophie was doing. Pretty typical. She found herself a soft place to lay, armed with a baby wipe, some bug spray and a tall glass of milk!
Ella was actually a huge help. It took us right at two hours to get the thing put completely together and she carried parts, refilled water bottles and followed her dad as he connected springs, hitting them each with a hammer to make sure they were secure.
They went in to cool off for a minute and Josh and I managed to finish the trampoline itself. We had told them that they could not jump until the screen was in place, but we decided to give it whirl while they were inside. Of course, we were in mid-air when the backdoor swung open and we were caught red-handed. Oh, how I wish I had a photo of their faces! We let them jump for a few minutes and then begin adding the screen and supports.
Hudson and his mama came by for a few minutes before church and he was not sure what to think. It took him a while to warm up to the idea, but he was all smiles before the afternoon was over.
And to be clear, I have no idea why Tazzie is wearing a swimsuit. For the record, the next afternoon she wore a t-shirt, sunhat and houndstooth rain boots. She has a fashion sense all her own!
We took a break for a shower and potluck dinner at church, but the girls made me text their dad from the red-light and have him meet us back outside to play. We’ve spent several hours each night before bed, jumping and talking and watching animals in our backyard. We even saw Beemer chasing a massive groundhog under the fence! It has honestly been some of the sweetest moments we’ve had as a family in recent history and I know this trampoline will see many a sunsets with us outside. The girls have been so sweet to one another. They played together while we worked in the yard on Monday night and I don’t think I ever heard a cross word between them.
Some of my favorite shots of the night were these that I took in rapid succession. They were so funny trying to pose for the camera in mid-air!
