Determination

Mark and the boys have been busy planning the last few days, but the boys are more than ready to move on from the planning phase to the doing phase. Ever since we moved into our new house, the boys have been asking for something fun to be added to the trees behind our house...a swing, a treehouse, anything besides boring ol' trees. So they have collaborated with their dad to come up with a plan for a treehouse.

They have the plan on paper, they went to Home Depot to itemize a list of necessary materials, and Mark put the boys to work using their math skills to figure the cost of the project. But Mark hasn't felt well the last couple of days and so the project has stalled a bit. That's why the boys have decided to take matters into their own hands.

They begin to clear a spot surrounding the tree around which the treehouse will wrap:

I think the soccer socks were a smart choice on Michael's part to deal with that scratchy underbrush that likes to bite ankles.

Jacob tries to uproot a small invasive tree:

All of his pushing, pulling, and prodding is not making much of an impact, so he takes a rest to consider his next move.

Perhaps an ax will accomplish the task:

And if not, there are always Dad's golf clubs. Think it'll work?

(And don't worry, Mark, I gave away my secret upstairs photo lair to rescue the golf club and keep it from being bashed into oblivion.)

LOVE these boys!