I grew up in a home with an above-ground pool.

JB grew up in a home with an above-ground pool.

When we got married we bought a house without an above-ground pool and promptly had one installed.

When we bought this house, without a pool, in 2007, we said, “We will go one summer without a pool.” 

We went without in 2007 – as expected.
We went without in 2008.
We went without in 2009.
We went without in 2010. 

At this point my mom, Nan, offered to purchase us one.  We refused!  Nan is not well-to-do.  She is a widow on a fixed income.  Besides, our yard is on a hill and it would require a lot of work.  We have a new baby and no time to do it ourselves [as we prefer], and we have no $$$ to hire someone to do the work!

In spring 2011 Nan offered again.  She insisted that she would take it from her 401K gladly, offering, “I know I will have everything I need.”  We prayerfully accepted her offer.

Installation began 7/11.  Because of our septic system and lines, we had exactly one place it could go in our back yard.

The first day we watch a Bobcat work 2 hours to just get an area level enough to start the assembly. 
By dinner time it was starting to fill. 
And the yard work began.

Tuesday, 7/12, at 7 AM when Home Depot opened, JB was at the door to buy the required black silt fence.
You can see here at the back of the pool just how high they had to build it up!  It is taller than me!
He also made the decision to hire out the electric.  This was a hard choice for JB.  He is really good at electric and it was VERY expensive to have it done for us.  But the town’s code has gotten much more complicated than it was 13 years ago, and the yard is very large.

On Wednesday, 7/13, a 5-man team of electricians worked 6 hours to do the electric.
We went to Seabreeze…

On Thursday 7/14, while the girls and I ate at Pizza Hut, JB and the boys worked at home on the landscaping.
As the parents came to pick up their daughters, they picked up their tools and jumped in to help us complete all we needed to complete in order to pass the inspection Friday for our C of C.

 

As we went to bed Thursday night John said, “Isn’t it just like God to send us help like that?” ♥

 

On Friday, 7/15, after passing inspection, I let the kids go in for about 20 minutes before I went to work.
Champ had the Inaugural Splash.

On Saturday, 7/16, I finally got in. 
Scooter, although smiling in this photo, is not all that sure about the big-chilly-bathtub!

 

More friends freely offered up their help.  As kids swam and played the dads built a French drain.

And we had our first “pool party” afterward for our friend, L.