This is 30

The day of Gavin’s party, our buddy Chase arrived with his backhoe. There was a fourth pine at the front of the yard that we wanted to take down (but I was hoping not this day). As I scurried around to prepare for guests arriving, I found Gavin starting his ascent up the tree. I yelled to Chase, “WHAT IS HE DOING?!” He replied with a laugh, “I told him I would climb but you know your husband, he wanted to do it himself.”

Gavin was hoisted up in the claw of the backhoe. I watched in frozen terror as his 200 pound self reached higher and higher. The flimsy pine branches bent like a bow & arrow under his weight.

I had to walk away from the sight of it, fearing he’d fall any moment to his doom. I ran back to check on him. Why did he have to be doing this right now? Our friend Josh, and I stood and stared.

He was slowly nearing the top of it, with thin branches under his feet hardly bearing his weight. Now balancing with one hand still holding the tree, he took a rope & tied it around. Thank you, Lord, he’s almost done.

Just as soon as I could breath again after his feet touched the ground, next thing I know he was firing up the chainsaw. I looked at how close the power lines were from the tree, hoping this wouldn’t end up like Labor Day last year (don’t ask). The rope was tied to the backhoe and as Chase drove back farther and farther, the rope tightened and the sound of roaring machines reverberated in my ears. Then silence. Gavin moved to the side and the tree fell through the air and landed with a muffled thud on the ground.

Okay, I’m so glad that’s over. Can we have a party now please?