Our final weekend of tree chopping...for now. The skid-steer comes in handy while moving around and stacking giant logs. It is especially nice to use the heavy machinery to drag a freshly downed tree closer to the fire, and then cut it into easier to manage pieces to be thrown into the flames. I think we have a pretty good system in place.

To catch a break from the heat- 91* this weekend- we ran down to our new Menards to pick up the culverts needed for the driveway. We pulled into the lot and the worker said he wasn't sure where they were as the floor location wasn't specified. Cody pointed down the aisle and said they were impossible to miss. Boy, was he right. 

The boys would have played inside them all evening if we let them. Remind me why we buy them toys again? lol At least I will know where to find them if they ever go missing. 

As our two gigantic culverts were being loaded onto the trailer at Menards, a truck pulled up next to us to pick up some small culverts as well. He yelled out the window, "Now that's a culvert!" We laughed because he probably thought the ones he was buying were big.

While I am not the firebug in the family, using the "jetpack" as we call it, was my favorite job! Have a fire that wouldn't keep going? Maybe the trees were too green and wouldn't start burning? I'VE GOT IT! It is insane at how high the flames would reach when you blow a little air into the fire. Not to mention it was the easiest job- sans the whole standing beside a fire in 90 degree heat. Well, actually...sharpening the blade on the chainsaw might have been the easiest job. Look at Cody sitting down on the job. ;)

The boys decided to bring in reinforcements to help move around some of the logs...enter the skid-steer! The big boys used it to move logs to the front of the property to be hauled away to the lumber yard, and the little boys used it simply to put a huge smile on their faces. 

Several more trees came down this weekend. The thick canopy has now been opened and sunlight happily rests on our build site. Now when you walk out there, you can clearly see "Oh, that is where the driveway will be...and there's the house site." It has been fun imagining how everything is going to end up. 

Cody wanted to take the boys out to snap a picture with the stump of one of the biggest trees that fell this weekend. Callen was all too excited to see the baby snakes, Arlo couldn't wait until it was his turn in the skid-steer, and Jade clung tightly to me.

We ended our weekend celebrating Chloe's 16th birthday at the lake. I'd say the boys had a blast!