Little Cabin in the Big Woods

When my parents bought property from us several years ago, I envisioned us sitting on the porch in rocking chairs, and chatting while the sun went down. I should have known better! We are not very good at sitting still.:-) No. Our form of bonding is coming about in a different way, with hammers and nails. My Dad started building a picnic shelter and cabin two years ago, on the top of our hill. He has had a few set backs along the way because of his health, but has not given up on his dream of building a cabin for he and my mom. He needs more help now though...and that is where I step in. I know I am not the best carpenter, but he is teaching me. I can drive a nail pretty fast now. ;-) My Dad is a quiet man, but loves to tell stories of his past. I treasure those stories and have been eating them up as fast as he can tell them. I am learning so much about him that I never knew. The other day he started telling of a time he was swimming in the river..."Wait, You used to swim?" I didn't know that about him. See what I would have missed out on knowing, If I wasn't up in the woods sweating profusely with him. He is a good listener too. Sweet Man and I were talking about a documentary show on sugar that we watched. I mentioned that it showed Twinkies and how I had been craving Twinkies ever since. The next day when I showed up for "work" he had brought me Twinkies. :-) I know they are terrible for you, but at that moment, they felt so right.

My Dad cut and sawed all the lumber himself....and it is a BUNCH! Especially when you have to carry it in 98 degree weather. :-o

Princess #1 has been keeping a fire burning for us. No, not because we are cold. It keeps the bugs away. Whew...if that's true, I would hate to see how many bugs would be up there without a fire! 

The ever tidy Princess #2, has been sweeping up and trying to help out in anyway that she can.

Princess #3? Well, she pretty much does this. She hangs out and colors, or stacks up leftover pieces of wood.  Actually this whole process has been really good for the kids. Think, nothing but wilderness for about 6 hours a day. No TV or Wii, just dirt and nature. They have had a nut cracking contest, nature walks, tree identifying, clubhouses made out of ferns etc. This is the imagination stuff that I have been trying to encourage at home. It's just too hard when they have so many options. Out here...they have to make stuff up and pretend, and I love that!

The cabin is going to have a loft, which will be the bedroom. Dad and I built the trusses on the ground, and were then stuck with the problem of how to get them up on the second story by our self?? We tried really hard, but after we both just about took a nose dive over the rail, we called for back up. Sweet Man was at a testing facility taking an exam for college, so my brother-in-law graciously came to help us, until Sweet Man could come.

We ended up getting seven up that evening, and it really feels like it is coming together.

The picnic shelter is the one wrapped in plastic, and the chimney and fireplace divide the cabin from it. I am hoping we can have thanksgiving dinner up here this year. Wouldn't that be awesome?! A big fire roaring, heating up some of our dishes of home made food. And perhaps there will even be a few rocking chairs on that porch. Yes, that sounds nice. We might finally be able to sit and chat till the sun goes down about how thankful we are for all the Lord has done for this family.