Recently in Background and History Category

Thought I should include a plot of the land.  The house will be in the upper left corner of the land.

Thought you might enjoy seeing some early sketches I made in designing the plan.  We later added an additional bathroom on the main floor and two bedrooms upstairs.  Adding the bathroom was in reaction to almost consensus request from the second generation and the bedrooms were added based on Evan's thought that the relative cost would be minimal just kicking the roof out and turning storage space to full height rooms.  The overall concept isn't far from the final plan.

As I remember it, the dream or vision of the "Mountain Cabin" started almost six years ago. Miles and Brooklynne were married July 5, 2003 in Colorado Springs, CO.  The day after the wedding Larry and I, along with Kristy, Ross, and Elizabeth, made a trip up into the huge, green, smooth mountains of Wyoming.  Ross had an uncle who had built a cabin there many years before.  He was being so generous to let us use it for a few days.  Evan and one of his friends, Chris Skena, came too.  We had a time of hiking to the top of Medicine Bow Peak and exploring around the area. The night the vision was realized, we all sat around the fire and the small kitchen table talking ... just talking about anything and everything.  There was even a time in the conversation that got rather heated with disagreement and sensitivity was felt by some.  But, in the end, I thought it was so good to be sitting and communicating.  Without a radio or TV to put us in our own worlds, apart from each others' thoughts, we were talking!  In the days that followed, I started thinking about the great value in having a gathering place where people could be together on a whole different level - for fun and fellowship _ but also for sharing, communicating, and growing in understanding of each other.  It is my expectation and dream that every now and then there will be times - some quiet and fleeting- others boisterous - sometimes contentious - when the people in the cabin will feel like they have connected with each other.  I hope that stronger bonds of familiarity and love will grow, not only for the ones present now, but for generations to come.  This is our prayer.

The dream was just a dream for 2 or 3 years.  Finally Larry and I made a trip to the mountains exploring possibilities.  We also made a trip with Ross and Kristy looking, looking at many different areas, checking prices, elevations, roads.  We found a place, but thought it was too expensive.  It sold before we got the chance to reconsider it later.  One weekend in October 2006, all of our children and their spouses (Elizabeth & David, Miles & Brooklynne with Halleigh, Evan & Kelly) were free to go on a trip exploring for property.  Halleigh was about a month old and a very good traveler!  Larry had researched and found 5 or 6 places to see.  Just before sunset that day we finally located the property in Grayson County off Powerhouse Road.  Elizabeth wasn't feeling well, so she and I stayed in the car with Halleigh while everyone else hiked to the top of the mountain.  When they came back down, they were excited, telling about the view of the beautiful sunset.  It seemed like the decision was made!  But, like usual, Larry and I are very slow to move.  We finally bought the property in June the following year (2007).

Larry and I took a vacation the long weekend of July 2-5, 2009.  July 2nd we met with our prospective builders.  On July 3^rd we signed the contract with Sherman Davis of S&D Davis Associates to build the house.  July 4^th we enjoyed the Independence parade, a street fair, food and music, and at the night the Independence fireworks.  It was fun.  On July 5^th we spent some quiet time on the mountain land and hiked some adjacent property.  We came home the afternoon of the 5^th.

On July 7^th Sherman got the building permit.  The dozer crew cut vegetation on the road in, smoothed the roadway and they started clearing the site for the house.

On July 8^th they continued to clear the site and began digging the basement.  They brought in two loads of gravel.

On July 9^th, not sure what thy did but Jerry said they had about half of the basement dug out.

Don't think they worked on Friday.  It rained some Thursday and Friday.