The story of a tree fort and simple celebrations

Three years ago on this day I blogged about our finishing making a tree fort for the kids.  The kids had fun playing and then this summer we had a windstorm that caused it to come part way down.

And then it looked like this:


As the summer went on it started to look even worse. We didn't have time to deal with it right then so everybody was just told to stay away from it.

It was Dad to the rescue.

 He came up with a plan and brought his bob-cat in. They attached a rope through the top part and pulled out some of the supports.

 My brother Luke ran the bob-cat and pulled it down. It landed on its side but didn't crash apart like we were concerned it might.

 He was able to tip it up right and now we have a lovely little fort on the ground instead of high in the trees.

The only problem?...... It doesn't have a door. The trap door is next to the ground of course so for now windows are the only way in and out. Hopefully sometime soon we can make ourselves a doorway!

 We did put the tree house to use lately anyway- door or no door.

For a while now I have been wanting to celebrate the Old Testament Festival of Booths (or Sukkoth). Last year it came later in October and it seemed a bit to chilly to eat outside but this year the feast started on the 1st. The 1st was a good day for celebrating because we were already going to be celebrating Ken's birthday (35 this year - he has been joking that he should have run for president!).  My sister Anna had loaned us a book called "Celebrating Biblical Feasts in your home or church" by Martha Zimmerman as well as a tablecloth with fruit and veggie pictures all over it that is perfect for Sukkoth.

For Succoth you are supposed to eat outside in a little booth/shelter that you have made. We did consider the tree house but thought it might be a little to permanent so the kids set about to make a more temporary shelter on the deck above our outside table. I wasn't able to help as I was needing up to finish taking care of the bees/honey and I didn't have any extra time that afternoon.

 They made some good progress at making a shelter but it ended up not working out and rather falling apart so we went back to plan two which was eating in the tree house.

 Of course the tree house (that was) if you recall still doesn't have a door so everything and everybody had to go in and out through the window. We weren't sure if the card table would fit but Jonathan managed to get it through. The kids decorated with veggies, candles and leaves. It looked very pretty  but unfortunately I didn't get good pictures of everything. You also cannot tell from the picture how pretty and fitting the tablecloth is.

  This holiday is a pretty neat one in which we remember to be thankful for the harvest that God has given us and also to remember how the people of Israel about the years of wandering (without permanent homes) in the dessert and how God brought them through. For those of us that are Christians we can also think about how our lives here on earth are not permanent - that we are sojourners through this land looking forward to our permanent home which is in heaven.  (Hebrews 11:13-16)

 Jonathan and Ken at the table.

 Jonathan using the "entrance".

A friend from church grew some lovely pumpkins this year and gave one to each of the kids. They decided it would be fun to make them into lighted "Fairy/Little people house". This is one of those house all lit up. We had them in the corners and it added a neat look to the place. (Mara's poor pumpkin was actually to big to move easily in here and so it stayed out in the yard and then some deer decided to use it for their midnight snack. It has rather big holes in it now!)

   It was rather fun to put the newly "remodeled" tree house (that was) to use in this way. It was one of those times when things didn't really go the way we planned (we rather liked having a tree fort in the trees) but we will enjoy things the way they are.

   Tomorrow is Simhat Torah which is a celebration for the last day of Sukkoth. It is a celebration that celebrates the Law (first 5 books of the Bible)  or in a broader sense a celebration of God's word. We are planning on doing some celebrating tomorrow too.

  Have you ever looked into or celebrated the feasts talked about in the Bible? We to be honest have just done it here and there and rather casually but what we have done has been fun and a time of learning for us.

I am linking this to the Homestead Barn Hop at Homestead Revival