A Bittersweet Weekend With a Fond Farewell

It was a bittersweet weekend at our house, as something near and dear to my heart came to an end.

I spent most of Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning taking down and taking apart the trampoline in our backyard. We had that trampoline a good long while. Somethin' like five years now, I think. We got it for our son Justin the summer after he'd come home for good. We left it up a couple of winters in a row. That following November and December, we were back in Ukraine, bringing Ethan home. Then, about a year-and-a-half later, Bella came home in the Spring of 2014.

We wore that trampoline out!

I could see it as I was taking it apart this weekend. The loops that the springs went through were threadbare. There were at least a half dozen spots around the canvas where the loops were gone. That's why we stopped using it a couple months back. I just hadn't gotten around to taking it down.

Taking the trampoline down brings an end to something near and dear to my heart. Popicorn. I learned it from another dad. All the kids, or "little kernels" sit "Indian" style - or "Native American" style, if you prefer - holding onto their feet by the toes. Popi pops all the little kernels, until they're "done".

And I keep hearing that line from that song, We had joy, we had fun/We had seasons in the sun...