Building a house is a true test of patience and a really good way to find out how good you are at waiting. When we found the land, 2 years ago, we knew that the process was going to be long. We were warned that dealing with government agencies was a real pain (to put it mildly) and that there was going to be a lot of waiting around until we could proceed with the next step. A good portion of our land is in a flood plain. This really wouldn’t have been too big of an issue but where we wanted to put the house was almost smack dab in the middle of it which does cause some issues. FEMA has to get involved and everything with FEMA takes forever and a day. I won’t go into all the details because that would be a really long post and a pretty boring one but I will say that there was a lot of ups and downs in the process. We started out so excited, we met with our architects and designed the house exactly as we wanted it. We hurried up and got in all the forms and plans that FEMA needed. We wrote the checks and sent them everything they needed. Then we waited. Months of waiting and then they told us what we needed to correct. We corrected. We waited. While we waited we started to design the inside of the house, picked out tile and floors, countertops, envisioned every detail of our space. We bought cows! We were ready.
Then they answered and we were crushed because it looked like it was going to be at least another half a year before we could start and we were going to have to remove so many of the beautiful trees that made us fall in love with the land. We had to take a step back and figure out if this is really what we wanted. We talked about just staying in our house and starting the search for another piece of property in the area or find a fixer upper type of house. We put our dreams on hold for a bit and tried to figure out a solution. I don’t know how many conversations I had with friends that asked how the house was coming along and all I could say was, “I don’t even know what is going on or if there is going to be a house.” We had just about reached our limit.
I prayed. We still felt like this was where we were suppose to be. We decided to proceed with the process and with some creative ideas from our builder and Graham, we got approval from the town and at last could start building. We broke ground and then waited some more.
We finally poured foundation on December 2, 2016. Almost 2 years after we bought our land.
Everything started happening so quickly after that. The framing went up and it felt so real.
We could see our ideas coming to life. We could see that the headaches and the countless conversations sitting in the kitchen actually happening right in front of our eyes. All of the hurrying up to wait was paying off.
After framing was finished it really started to take shape, then electrical and plumbing started to go in. It didn’t seem like a lot was happening from the outside but on the inside there was so much going on.
Then the doors went in. The doors that almost didn’t happen but somehow it all came together and happened.
Rooms are formed and I can really envision the kids running around the house and gathering around the table in the school room for their lessons or curling up on the beanbag in the loft to read a book.
Retreating to their rooms and their own space.
Our visits out there are frequent and we usually end up spending a couple of hours just walking through and talking. The cows love it when we visit because we always bring treats. We will stand on the back porch and imagine what it will be like to wake up and see the cows every morning. Hear them calling to us because they want more treats.
The process has been a true labor of love. Things are moving along now but I am not naive enough to think that it’s all going to be smooth sailing from here. I know there will be more bumps in the road and decisions to be made. I look back on what we have been through to get to where we are today and I know that it all happened for a reason. Just like everything that happens in life, we may not understand why it’s happening at the time, but eventually things work out as they should, as He planned. I am so thankful for this life that He has blessed us with. This is a dream that I never imagined would come true but I am so very grateful.