There’s certain things you learn in your adult life, but only by living and experiencing.  One of those things is learning how to be a good steward of your belongings.  So when you don’t have a lot of experience, and you really don’t know what you’re doing, sometimes things like this happen: 

Last year, we had a gigantic wind storm.  The wind knocked over our fence and then picked up our trampoline and spit it out in the pool.  Sometimes we obviously couldn’t predict what is going to happen.  But I think a lot of things that do happen are preventable.  Obviously, not all things.  But a good portion of them.  Last year, we didn’t secure our trampoline into the ground.  It was completely our fault.  We just didn’t know.  The trampoline had been a Christmas gift for the boys, and they used it a lot.  A good portion of the parts were damaged when the trampoline got twisted up in the pool and the ladder, and I was sad, since we only had it for a season.

Last week we sat down to figure out the replacement parts that would be needed to fix it.  Then we figured out the shipping.  I was blown away.  A new trampoline was going to cost $22 more than the replacement pieces we needed.  What a joke.  But we had gift cards for the boy’s birthdays from both sets of my parents that we were going to use to cover the cost, so we did what any sane person would do and just ordered a new one.  Same size, same brand.  Now we have replacement pieces for the new one, with the parts from the old one, should anything ever happen to this one.

But since we live and learn, and we like to always improve how we take care of our belongings, you better believe that we will figure out a way to secure this one a bit better so we don’t have a repeat misfortune.

In the meantime, trampoline season has begun–and we’re open for business.  So bring your kiddos on over!