hard work to get the trampoline

I didn't pictures before we started to cut this tree away. When we arrived up at my parents place last Thursday, the girls flew out of the van all hyped up to get onto the trampoline.  Instead they found a huge tree branch blocking the trampoline.

 

This big branch fell the first week in August when they had one of the thunderstorms.  I missed the tree house and the trampoline.  My dad was good and waited until someone came up to help with the tree.  He been having some back pain and he has slowed down, I inherited the gene of "I can do it by myself" from my dad.  A few years ago, my dad would have had this all cut and cleared up, but now he has to accept some help.  My 3 younger girls were up to the challenge along with me being the fire keeper.

Monika sweeping the trampoline for all the branches and acorns that land in it.

The smaller branches are now all off, he left the big thick branch for my brother who came up on Saturday.

I was the fire keeper and got the fire to big a couple of times.  Had sandles on and got two small burns on my feet from the embers.

When it was time to start haul the "logs", Jenny got a free ride, her job was to hold the logs.

Teamworking to pull Jenny up the hill

Grandpa attached a small trailer on the back of the golf cart and the girls had fun on that while hauling wood.  Jenny's hair was all fancied up by Erin.

Katie chose to ride in the front with Grandpa

I sometimes had a smoke stack going as the branches and leaves that I was burning where still "wet".

We were at my parents from Thursday afternoon until Saturday afternoon.  The girls played so well and was very little fighting/difference of opnions going on.  It was very nice, It is now Sunday monring and they continue to be getting along just awesome.  I hope this will stay like this for awhile.  Usually once a day we have to have a fight among the 3 of them and since Thursday, there really hasn't been any.  Erin spent a lot of time drawing fashion pictures.  She even did a self potrait of my mom and wrote "happy birthday" on it.  My mom is the first person that got a birthday present from Erin.  Erin is slowly learning about gift giving, birthdays and other special events.
Speaking of Erin, since we had our little "blowout" about not acknowleding people, expecially family members when they say hi or bye or good......, she has been a lot better about that.  She also is learning to smile more because of Cheerleading.  Today she is working at the school with parking for the state fair and then the cheerleading crew is heading to the state fair.  I wish I could have the "first" experience with her at the state fair as I never had miss a year in my life and my girls haven't missed one since they come home.  We are going tomorrow.  I am glad that Erin is spending time with other kids her age and hanging out with them.  Her coach is a distant (4th) cousin and one of the girls that is on the team is also a distant cousin.  I am hoping Erin will enjoy herself at the fair as I have been talking excitely about it.