DIY OR BUY? Lawn Games for Family Summer Fun
The warm summer sun may be enough to beckon your family outdoors, but lawn games will guarantee hours of fun outside. If you’re handy, there are plenty of great lawn games you can make yourself. If not, buy an off-the-shelf alternative and enjoy the easy setup. GIANT JENGA: EASY DIY All you need to build a giant Jenga tower are two-by-fours that are cut to length. If you’re handy with a saw, you can do this at home. If not, ask to have the wood cut at your local lumberyard. Be sure to sand down the edges before stacking the boards to create a classic Jenga tower! For extra fun, pick a few paint colors and paint each board. Visit ABeautifulMess.com/make-this-giant-jenga to see a complete set of instructions.
of horseshoes, and you’re ready to go! Many DIY plans are available online, including one from HousefulOfHandmade.com/ultimate-diy-horseshoe-pit.
Buy: Check out the kid-friendly rubber horseshoe set fromWayfair.com, which requires no installation, can be used indoors or alongside your outdoor game, and is safe for younger children.
CORNHOLE: ADVANCED DIY The humble beanbag may be the most versatile backyard game piece. It’s used in the popular game commonly known as cornhole. To build your own cornhole set, you’ll need a couple of sheets of 1/2-inch-thick plywood along with two-by-fours, some hardware, and a variety of tools including a drill, jigsaw, and sander. Visit DIYPete.com/cornhole-board-plans to get both written and video instructions. Buy: Ready to play ASAP? Cornhole sets are available from many large retailers around summertime, or you can order a customized set featuring your favorite team, family name, or characters from your favorite movies by looking at Etsy.com.
Buy: Skip the project and buy GoSports Giant Wooden Toppling Tower online, which retails for about $70 and stacks over 5 feet high.
CLASSIC HORSESHOES: INTERMEDIATE DIY Tossing horseshoes is a great way to pass an afternoon. To play, you’ll just need to set up two sand pits in your yard. Get a handful
Whether you buy or DIY, remember to have fun and always supervise your children while playing outdoors, especially when it comes to yard games!
Our Client, Shaun Berry, and His Little Angel, Heaven
From left to right are Heaven’s big sister Lorali, Heaven’s momTheo, some guy in a red suit, Shaun Berry, and Heaven Berry.
“Heaven was born prematurely with truncus arteriosis (a heart condition where a valve doesn’t grow) and tracheobronchomalacia (where some parts of her lungs didn’t develop, causing floppiness in her airway). She has a trach
tube and is on a ventilator until her growth catches up and her body adjusts to normal breathing. She also has a feeding tube (aka a nasogastric or “ng” tube) because she can’t handle the meds. It’s also to feed her and help her put on weight. She was also born with abnormal ribs and a curved spine with a couple vertebra that didn’t grow all the way. She will be having surgery to insert a rod with two claws to fix her spine and ribs and open-heart surgery to replace a conduit they had to install for her heart to function properly with the meds.
Our friend and client, Shaun Berry, was injured in an explosion at a steel foundry in Lima. He sustained burns from head to toe and later developed cellulitis in his foot and neuropathy in his lower extremities. His injuries prevented him from returning to that work. Despite being fined by OSHA and cited for safety violations, Shaun’s employer fought him at every turn for three years. During that time, Shaun and his wife, Theo, may have gotten discouraged on occasion, but they have always found joy in Heaven. Heaven is their daughter, and she’s a spitfire who accompanied her daddy to his hearings at the Industrial Commission. I asked Shaun to tell you a bit about his special young lady:
“As she grows, when the conduit gets too small, it must be replaced as it’s adjusted to her body, age, weight, and size. This will happen every few years till she stops growing.
“Other than those things, she is a normal 3-year-old girl who loves life and enjoys just waking up every day. I’ve never seen anyone so happy just to be alive in my life. She is very smart and ahead of her time. She’s like Tinkerbell, always trying to learn something new. She’s learning to talk through trachea (which is hard to learn) and gaining weight, up to almost 29 pounds! She also loves to tumble and be acrobatic and loves to play and drive her car she just got for her 3rd birthday. I learn and live every day through her and her joy just to be alive.”
God blesses us in ways we’d never ask or expect. This little slice of Heaven is a blessing to her mom and dad … and the rest of us as well. I’m honored to introduce her to you.
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