That's one way to do it...

How to Build a House - Belanger style

1. Dig holes and remove any large boulders by hand, utilizing basic lever systems.
2. Remind self that entire civilizations were built before excavators.
3. Haul 80 bags of concrete in buckets for piers.
4. Cross fingers while crane guy wields steal beams over house and into place without a line of sight.
5. Weld steel to existing I-beams and proudly announce that you have a foundation.
6. Frame additions.
7. Pack up house and move everything into snazzy onsite portable storage unit.
8. Move into guest bedroom and commence to demolishing part of the house.
9. Move into large tent on the deck.
10. Plumb outdoor shower and then wave at neighbors while shampooing hair.
11. Be thankful that it is summer when all the leaves are out and neighbors can’t really see.
12. Worry about showering this fall when it gets cold and the leaves fall off.
13. Demolish rest of house.
14. Advertise in local paper for free roof trusses and give the roof away.
15. Round up everyone you know 4th of July weekend to re-frame roof.
16. Sheath main roof with plywood and tar paper.
17. Take a break – go on safari
    (no really, we are going to AFRICA this weekend for a two week safari)
18. Secretly worry than upon returning from exotic and luxurious safari with swanky tents and premier outdoor showers “for adventurous types” current situation at creek house might not seem so cool.
    
    Yep, Matt and I are putting our tools away and going on safari in southern Africa for two weeks! The timing, we admit, is a bit odd, but when my family offered us an opportunity to take this trip with them, it took less than a nano-second to accept. Once we return, we’ll be more determined than ever and ready to tackle our house with even more enthusiasm than before. If we get a chance, we’ll post some photos next week from our trip:)

Last Man Standing

I know it looks like I am a horrible house cleaner...

But really, I just have very challenging conditions.

What I love about this project

What I love about this project:

• Our friends and family. It really has been amazing. Every weekend folks just drop by to work. We never really know who is coming or for how long, but people just seem to keep coming by to work. This past weekend, when the rest of the country was grilling out hotdogs and shooting off firecrackers, we had nine different people come by to help us out! It has kind of been like one long drawn out barn-raising. We couldn’t have done half of what has been accomplished so far without all of the help. Now if I can just keep enough food and cold beer around to keep them coming back!
  
• Watching Matty work (and working for Matty). There is something extremely cool about seeing someone you love in their element.
  
• Discovering once again how well Matty and I work together. Especially with all of the dire warnings and predictions you receive all kinds of people, including the checkout girl at the grocery. A marriage can not only survive, but thrive while living in a tent, working two full time jobs and remodeling/rebuilding a house (due in a large part to the aforementioned friends and family helping out!)
  
• Giving the roof away. As I have mentioned in previous posts, there is something a little crazy with ripping down a perfectly good house. So when it came time to take off the roof, we advertised it as free to anyone willing to come work a weekend to help take it off. We had two local guys come over one Sat., and now our old roof it on its way to becoming a new workshop and shed for a camper trailer. A far better deal than wasting away at the landfill.