Thursday, February 9, 2012

another building project

i often hear people say something along the lines of if you can build a house together, you can stay together.  and, you know what - IT'S TRUE!  when we were building our house back in 2007, i was pregnant.  we were newly married.  our first "baby" (bulldog), kage, was tragically no longer with us.  we were experiencing major life events, all in a few months time.  i really think the pregnancy alone put us into another category when it comes to stresses-over-all-things-house-buidling-y.

we agreed on a floor plan.  we compromised on closets and doorway placements.  i got my way here (house), he got his way there (garage).  isn't that the way it should be?!  he trusted me not at all when it came to paint color.  or the stone color for the fireplace.  when ordering our cabinets, we met at the store, and naturally, 7 months pregnant, i was running late.  he told the sales dude which ones i would pick.  the gorgeous hickory ones on display.  and which ones did i choose, you ask?  do you really have to ask?  of course i picked those.  mindmeld, benji and i.  we were, and still are, a nice blend.

we're building a cabin.  so far, i've spent countless nights, looking over ben's shoulder at possible layouts.  we know it's going to be 16' x 24' and we know where it will be built on our 5 acres.  we just haven't figured out ALL the other specifics just yet.  oh, and i think we determined where the wood stove would go.  maybe.  baby steps, here.



it's a lot to process.  it's a lot to take on.  i know there are going to be weekends were i don't see my husband.  (and if i'm real lucky, maybe i won't see jb either!)  ok, alright, that wasn't nice.  he's been quite the turkey these past few weeks.  can you believe a 40-pound human could make you shed tears when you're finally alone and can feel ok about showing weakness?!

ben had pointed out our property on a map before, but i still had yet to see it in person.  it's not accessible by roads but by snowmachine or four wheeler only.  or if you have a float plane handy, just get dropped off on our yet-to-be dock.  it's all very magical, huh?!

well...

while i've spent plenty of time on four wheelers, i can count on two hands the times i've been on a snowmachine.  see, i'm not a huge fan of the cold.  yes, i take my kiddos out in it, i suffer through so they can get out their pent-up energy.  but, that's, like, 30 minutes to an hour - at most.  and when i'm cold, the truck's nearby or the house is steps away.  well, to view the property, there was a little more to it.

from where we parked our truck to the railroad tracks was 15 miles.  from the railroad tracks to the property was another 5 miles.  see, i know.  these are not big numbers.  i run 5 miles.  but in the cold, despite it being a gorgeous day, when you're traveling at speeds of 50 mph or so, with just layers of fleece and poly pro and other stiff, scratchy material between you and the air, you're gonna feel that nip.

i'm just not built to ride snowmachines.  i'm not made to handle hundreds of pounds of metal between my legs.  i don't like the jarring and the way you have to hold the throttle with your thumb.  i start to feel arthritis coming on after, like, 2 measly minutes.  i'm a huge weenie.  i wear socks and slippers all day long and my feet are still cold - and that's in a house set to 68 degrees!  so obviously, they're gonna turn to ice (if not, dust!) by being out in those temperatures.  my hands and fingers were cold too, but my dear, sweet husband knows this (obviously) and installed hand warmers in my arm rests.  ha!  arm rests on a snowmachine?  yes, yes we do.

ok, so i got cold, didn't have the best of time, physically.  but the scenery?  made it all worth it.  just next time, i'm requesting to be put in a bubble.          

the guys unloading.
supplies: 
chainsaw, snowshoes, a bolt cutter to clear the trail and shovel that broke at first scoop.  
(note for next time: bring metal shovel)
you like benji's big-a$$ red sled?  that was his birthday present last year.  
i'd give you 100 guesses, and you still wouldn't guess how much that piece of plastic cost.
{but, i'm not bitter.
 thumbs up!  
uncle bob is ready to ride.
 benji, finally got his woman out for a ride.
he's excited, i'm dreading it.
 sunrise


 i jumped off to snap a picture, and i sunk.
it had to be captured.
oh and look, it happened again at another spot.  
only this time, much deeper.  
i'm 5'7'.  
and the more i kicked, the further down i went.
have you heard about all the snowfall this year???
 the sinking did place me at an ideal perspective:
 cruisin right along
 it's fun watching your uncle from this angle.  
you're able to capture this...
and shots like this...
 {uncle bob, gettin rather cocky}
yep, it was only a matter of time.
 hehehe
 whatta good sport!
 gorgeous day
 from our property, looking out to the lake and mountains in the distance.

the property next to ours used to belong to ben's granddad.  he sold the large parcel, with cabin, and the family built a new cabin right next door to the old one.  their new place is from a log cabin kit, with large windows, complete with leather furniture inside and granddad's wood stove from the old cabin.  they now use granddad's cabin as a bunk house.  plenty of space for sleeping.  at the new cabin, it looks like that is where they hang out, cook meals and maybe play a card game or two, while sitting around their large circular table with big, cushy over-sized leather chairs on wheels.  must have been some feat to get all that furniture in there.  

we're still debating on how we're gonna get our lumber back there.  snowmachine the 20 miles with trailerful-o-wood or load it on a train in anchorage, have it dropped at the 5 mile railroad location and still have to snowmachine a trailerful-o-wood, supplies, tools, nails, windows, doors, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...

 granddad's {former} cabin
 i'm currently looking for a black and reddish-orange sign that states
BEWARE 
OF 
BEAR
...but i think they only make those dog ones...
 inside granddad's cabin
 looking pretty great for being built in the '50s
 a balmy 28*
 back of the cabin
 standing with our backs to granddad's cabin, looking out at the lake.
our property is to the right.
 a smaller cabin built by granddad and a friend that previously was on our property,
but now has found a home on the lot to our right.
        

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