By Jennifer Lomax, wife of DIG DIG owner.
Living with Billy is a little like driving behind a car that can’t decide if it wants to turn left or right. You never really know what’s coming next, so you just hang on and hope for the best. When he retired from trucking, he said he didn’t know what he wanted to do, but he would do something. That turned out to be very true.
Billy took a road trip to the West Coast, and I had no idea what he was going to bring back. I expected maybe a souvenir or a funny story. Instead, he came home with an idea: to open the world’s largest indoor sandbox. Wait, what?
At first, I was sure it was just a phase. But day after day, Billy kept working on the idea – researching, making calls, and even booking flights. One week he was meeting with the founder of a conveyor belt company, the next he was in Salt Lake City talking with a geologist about sand. That’s when I realized I was witnessing what I now call the Billy Effect: once an idea hits him, it takes on a life of its own.”
Before long, there was a lease on the table. I still remember the joke about it – the landlord required a huge deposit for sand removal and only gave us a one-year renewable lease. His words: “I’m doing you a favor.”
I had never seen him work so hard on a project. Day after day, twelve hours at a time, he poured himself into building the concept. I joined in on weekends, mostly cleaning and organizing and providing insights on interior design. I also wrote the checks and kept track of expenses – because let’s be honest, someone has to keep the receipts in case the “world’s largest sandbox” turns into the world’s biggest yard sale.
We started construction in mid-September and circled December 6, 2023, for the grand opening. It was a Wednesday, 4 p.m. sharp. As that date got closer, it became clear we weren’t on track to be ready. That’s when it officially turned into a family business. If you were related to us and could hold a broom or hang a shelf, congratulations, you were hired.
That day was all hands-on deck. Cleaning, organizing, hauling away trash, changing light bulbs, stocking toys, hanging shelves. Anything and everything to get ready. I was just putting away the vacuum cleaner when the first customer walked in. Justin, of course, was at the register. The customer handed him a $20 bill, and that’s when Justin realized there wasn’t a single dollar of change in the drawer.
Today, Billy is still on the idea path. He’s on the third version of the SandMaster, the second version of a kinetic sand table, experimenting with types of sand molds he calls “shapers,” and just released a new fabricated sand toy (the Hopper). He’s right where he wants to be: experimenting.
So yes, living with Billy is unpredictable, exhausting, and sometimes downright nerve-wracking. But it’s also the greatest ride I could have signed up for back in October of 1993. And if you ever stop by Dig Dig, just know that behind every shovel, conveyor belt, and sandbox dream is a guy who couldn’t decide between left or right, and a wife in the passenger seat whispering, please, Lord, let this be the right turn.
Because that’s the Billy Effect – the kind of wild idea that somehow turns into something real, something big, and something worth believing in.
Dig Dig – Where imagination meets excavation!
PLAY TODAY, BUILD TOMORROW
Monday-Friday 9am – 5pm / Saturday 9am – 7pm
Sunday: closed (Private Parties Only)
#indykids #digdigforkids fishersin #fishers #fishersindiana #fishersmoms #carmel #carmelin #carmelindiana #carmelmoms #indykids #indykidsactivities #kidsactivities #westfieldindiana #westfield #westfieldin #zionsvillein #noblesville #noblesvillein #noblesvilleindiana #noblesvillemom
Subscribe to Our Blog
Stay up-to-date with our latest blog posts by subscribing here! Join our community and be part of the conversation.
Follow Us on Facebook and Instagram!
For vibrant snapshots, fun stories, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and the freshest updates from our indoor sandbox, and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks:
Follow us on Instagram! Click here and hit the ‘Follow’ button to dive into our colorful world. Let’s make every moment picture-perfect! 🌟❤️
Follow us on Facebook! Click here and hit the ‘Like’ button to be part of our growing community. Let’s build memories together! 💬🎉
Subscribe to our YOUTUBE CHANNEL Click here
