Building Our New Home: Clearing the Land

Almost 7 years of marriage and two kids later, we are finally going to have a house of our own! And our own land. 5 glorious acres, and we will have a fenced in yard... No more worrying about the kids and dog escaping and getting into trouble...

Someone pinch me ♥

Since Paul owns the land, and happens to build houses for a living, he is graciously helping us with the project. We are doing a lot of the work ourselves to keep costs down, so every moment of free time that Paul and Ryan have goes toward our future home.

Currently, they are clearing out the hundreds of trees that reside there so we can get some sun (and have a place to put a house). In the evenings, Ryan brings the boys and I out to the property so we can see the progress they've made and do little odd jobs to help out. This week we are picking up all the branches from the fallen trees and putting them in piles that are easy to grab with the excavator. It seems like an insignificant job, but it makes it easier for Ryan and Paul to move around. And it feels good to do something to help them.

It's amazing to watch the land develop. It started as nothing but forest, and it was hard for me to visualize anything else being there. Now that some of the trees are down, in my mind's eye I can see Kender and Rhett playing with Sadie in the yard.

I can see friends and family pulling into our future driveway to visit us.

I can see the beauty of my future garden, and I love it.

It feels so surreal. We've wanted our own home for so long, and now it's finally happening! I can't believe this beautiful place will be ours soon.

Most of all, I love that we will be able to look at our house and say, "we built this together."