We Did It!

Several weeks ago, my husband and I went to Home Depot to get some necessary light bulbs. While we were walking in, I brought up the topic that we both had on our mind....we need a new grill.

When we first moved to Lebanon 11 1/2 years ago, we had a very nice gas grill that we won in a silent auction from a local church festival. It came built and all I had to do was get a propane gas canister for it and it was ready to roll. I was not fond of the gas grill, because I was constantly being eaten by mosquitoes when I used it. But the first summer we lived in Lebanon, we had many wind storms and our grill was picked and flown through the neighbors yards. The next morning, I had to go and claim the grill (in pieces). It was now not usable because the part for the gas was damaged. We then bought a small charcoal grill and used it frequently, but it rusted from exposure to elements (hey, it's a grill and is outside). So we waited for an end of summer sale on grills and bought another charcoal grill. It was nice and we used it, a lot, and it served it's purpose. But now it is rusted and needed to be replaced. So going into Home Depot with all the grills set up, we saw a nice sized charcoal grill with a smoker and it was a great price! So we discussed buying the grill and the man there also wanting one, said that these were the last three grills! Then the man who worked for the store said that the new ones had come in and they had to get rid of the "old" ones. The new ones were almost $200. Yep, we took one! As we were going through the rest of the store, we ran into a friend and he said we should have the store assemble the grill. We said, no, we would put it together at home with the girls. We felt that it was a good project for the girls.

So, today as I was coming home from church with the youngest, I commented that it is a really nice day and since no one else wanted to go to the zoo, we were going to assemble the grill and grill supper outside. We stopped at the store and got charcoal, a new lighter and some smoke chips (yeah, it's got a smoker, we want to experiment with) and went home and told her sisters and dad the plan!

This afternoon, we built a grill! This is the 2nd time that he and I built a grill together (the first being for his sister). It was a bit frustrating because the girls were not as into the process as they could have been, but it was a good lesson for them. When you buy something that has to be put together, check off the list and make sure you have all the parts. Read all the directions! This is important because if there is an issue while you are building you will have to stop and read the directions all the way through anyhow. Then get your tools. This is a great family project as the kids can learn how to put things together and you get something useful in the end (a grill for a cookout)!


My new grill. I am presently seasoning it, so I can start using it. Cheers!