Setting a Goal ... Post

Dear Friend,

It's been three weeks since all the kids have been here.

Week one was spent wrapping our heads around the magnitude of this project by taking in all the details. We are building a 24' by 44' timber frame-style house - except that instead of erecting and joining heavy timbers for the posts and beams, we are making the posts and beams with regular lumber that's nailed together.

There are a lot of details and measurements to study!

Week two was spent putting down the sills around the perimeter of the house - these connect the concrete slab to our wood structure - and then carefully making the first "goal post" (the long 24' beam across and three posts) and the rafter (the top of the triangle for the roof) to make sure everything fit together properly.

The first goal post and rafter made and checked for fit.

The project felt real once the first goal post was installed.

Isaac and Tait: Is it straight, square, and level?

Anna inspects the guys' work and gives them a few pointers.

And once the guys really got the hang of it this week - how they work best together, which factors to take into account when cutting each post, how to remedy various issues - they really flew! They made all 14 goal posts, and then installed the final 8 goal posts on Friday. They also added a lot of bracing between the posts, just in case a big storm comes through. The first floor has some structure now!

We didn't only work this week. We spent some time reading, singing, watching movies, playing games, and, of course, eating.

A fun way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.

The evening weather was too nice not to eat outside.

I should probably include some of the not-so-perfect details: the loudness and unrelenting intensity of my small children can be a bit shocking to those used to living a quiet life, especially early in the morning (the guys are taking it so well, but it's still stressful to me!), my power-tool-obsessed son was quite upset that there would only be hand-hammering at this stage and he let everyone know about it, and we seemed to have lost Isaac's jeans, belt, and wallet - we've all been looking everywhere! :{

But besides that, everyone is excited for this next week's building projects.

Until next time!

xo,

Next post: Our Ceiling Is Now Our Floor