I wanted to show some of my favorite photos of the building process we started last year. Over 50 folks came out to learn, teach, laugh, sweat, and plank when the train goes by. In my opinion, it's the cutest house that's ever existed- check out our progress from this weekend back alllllll the way to past spring! There are many many people not pictured that helped us get here. 

The first wall of the vaulted living room ceiling done in early May!

Many people helped me order my kitchen backsplash tile since I couldn't afford it on my own. THANK YOU!

Nalline, Sus, and Terry show off my SPRAY FOAM insulation and help me count the drywall sheets I need!

Spenser and Terry helped build my indoor stairs, outdoor stairs, and outdoor railing. They both have helped me SO much- not only with building but with vendors and big decisions. 

The General Cuties in front of the deck railing we strung (along with everything else in the picture)

Siding is DONE

We love Terry!

Marge and Tori spent many a cold weekday this winter helping put up siding

WE HAVE A METAL ROOF! One of the only things we didn't do ourselves, for obvious reasons. A metal roof will last for a long long time, and I love the green that blends in with the forest. 

We spent too many days building interior walls and putting up deadwood, which is officially my least favorite part of building. 

Min Jae brought us treats and dreamed with me throughout this process. I can't wait for us and others to continue figuring stuff out while we sit on the porch. 

One of my favorite photos so far. The beautifully sided (and roofed!) house in the fall.

Tina, Susan, and others were integral to making sure we used EVERY piece of wood/material possible. We wanted to produce as little waste as possible as well as save money with sky high lumber costs. SUCCEEDED. 

Terry built these beautiful dormers for my upstairs windows (all of which I got at Habitat for Humanity)

THEY HAVE HARNESSES ON! We successfully put the porch roof on and Marge fortified all the beams!

WE HAVE AN A FRAME! 

We were planing wood one day (VERY loud) and we moved some wood and found this baby possum sleeping (we made sure it found a new home). On the second day building I found two baby snakes in the foundation holes and I assumed it would be a nightmare, but thankfully except for a million squirrels, just some deer and this baby!

Caleb flew in from CO and joined us for lunches. Huge thanks to everyone who's sponsored a lunch this past year- I'm not paying anyone and the least I could do is provide some of Durham's finest take out. 

IT'S A WRAP! Featuring my lil $8 half moon window from Habitat which is now in my bedroom

We cut out all the windows!!

Confession: I used to dread building. I was exhausted by the time the weekends would come around, and spending two days in the heat doing things I was bad at and thinking I was a burden to everyone while spending money I didn't have... a bad summer. I really struggled with depression and anxiety that I started to get treatment for, and honestly seeing the walls go up helped me feel like the house WOULD happen one day. It was so overwhelming, I couldn't picture it for the first few months. That's why I like going "backwards" for this photo series- I'm seeing how much healing has taken place alongside the house progress. 

And just like that

Momma came up as much as she could to help us build. I am SO grateful for her. 

Our first time putting in my tongue and groove flooring. This was SUCH a fun day.

Oh my sweet roomies. I can't wait for more of our life together

The holes have concrete, and we started prepping for the piers to go in. One of our first big workdays!

You can see all the sewer machinery in the back... I blocked the main entrance to the neighborhood for over a month and it stressed me out to no end. Digging these holes also gave me my only injury of building (knock on wood), and I had to go to physical therapy for 4 months to recover. 

AH. We had just dug the first round of holes (and then failed inspection and had to go back and fix every one) and covered them. This is the first time my family had all been together in over a year because of the pandemic, and it's wild seeing what the land looked like last April. I think about this picture almost every time I'm at the property. I can't believe an actual house, a well-built house, a volunteer-built house, stands there now. 

THANK you everyone. I'll never be able to describe what this generosity and kindness feels like and I hope to spend my life making sure I try my best to help others feel that too.