Replacing Brakes

November 13, 2015 - Noah replacing brakes on a friend's car over the weekend.

Car Scrapyard

March 7, 2015 - This afternoon we met up with the Bridges at the U-PICK-A-PART junkyard.  Benjamin needs a few parts for his new truck, so he was hoping to strip the parts from the scrap vehicles on the lot:

The piles of cars that have been scrapped and crushed were pretty incredible!

(Sorry, just had to throw in this Wall-E reference since its one of my favorite Pixar films)

They have thousands and thousands of cars, off the ground, with their hoods up, waiting to be scrapped for parts

Yes, my friends, it felt a bit like a playground for any car repair enthusiast

Now, unfortunately, I didn't get it on video, but these two reenacted the "Boys Are Back" dance number from High School Musical. (YouTube)

Okay, I'm totally kidding.  

It's bad enough that this scene even entered our minds...especially since none of us have seen HSM.

Oh well, it still might make fitting background music while you read the rest of this post: (Spotify link)

You know you've come to the right place when you have shop with a 50 pound wagon and not a  shopping cart

Uh yeah, they may have given each other wagon rides...meanwhile I acted like I wasn't with them...

This chunk of metal is all that remains of a Ford Ranger

Reading a notebook we found in it

Benjamin had a friend who needed a new sun roof motor, so we found a Mercury Cougar and pulled the motor out for him

Josiah in the back of a retired K-9 police vehicle

Okay, so we took a look in this prototypical "kidnapper van..."

...and saw this picture taped to the front dash.

Form your own conclusions.

Someone had repainted their car with this design on the hood.

Oh, and it was a Volkswagen.

We took a look at some older cars from the 60s-80s like a 70s Chevelle and a 1987 Fiero

Benjamin immediately jumped into this ambulance and had me send a text to Mom that said "Ben is in the back of an ambulance."

Yeah, not the nicest prank.

I'd already been texting her photos of us at the junkyard, that were actually stills from Wall-E.

♫♫ "It only...takes a moment..." ♫♫
Ah, I like that movie....

Yeah, two homeschoolers in a school bus - betcha don't see that everyday.

Jumping out of the emergency exit

Unfortunately, Ben wasn't able to really find the parts he was looking for, but we did have entirely way too much fun in the process. ;)

Cutting Down a Tree

January 6, 2015

Chainsaw

November 25, 2014

Play as Work– #ThrowbackThursday

November 20, 2014 - Today's ‪#‎tbt‬ photo is one of my favorites because it really encapsulates the approach that my Mom took to training my brothers and I.  Mom, I am so thankful for how you emphasized that even our play was a training ground for real life. Thank you for all that you've done to prepare my brothers and I for life, and for your continued support as we prepare to someday raise our own sons.

1998 - At ages 2 and 4, Benjamin and I pulled our battery powered jeep into the garage, set up a work light, jacked up the car, and got our hands on a socket set.

2008 - Disassembling an engine with Ken and Nathaniel Bauwens.
I'm so thankful for the men in my life who took the time to mentor my brothers and I.

2008 - Benjamin and I are back in the garage together 10 years later.

2011 - All three of us are doing a tune up on the family van.

Bush Hogggin'

May 24, 2014 - Today we headed south to help a family member prepare for a Memorial Day get together and camp out.

Clearing the trails with a brush hog

Benjamin tilling an area for a food plot

Brush-hogging the field with a four wheeler

Putting up Christmas lights…

 

…70 feet up in the air!