House Cabin

For as long as I have been alive, a cabin in Bear Lake has been a want of my parents'. We have always had a place to go and stay up there, thanks to my Dad's sister, but having their own place to goal has always been the goal.

In 2005 it almost happened permanently. The Pickleville Country Store was up for sale, and Dad saw his dream coming to real life. He has always wanted to own a grocery store, and in Bear Lake would be prime. Things were put in place for them to purchase the store; we spent countless nights remodeling, with so much help from people around us. The plan was to move up there, live there year round. That meant changing schools for Riley and me, but I knew it would be okay.

We ran that store all summer longer, and when it came time to purchase it, it didn't work out. When someone who owns a property doesn't pay their taxes, and document how much money is brought in from an entity, it is impossible to have a bank fund an investment, because they don't just believe that you can profit from said investment.

Everything my dad had worked for, was gone. It was a sad day for all of us, but honestly, it was the best summer of my life. The relationship I have with my dad now is because of that summer in Bear Lake. So I am grateful for that.

Fast forward 8 years. Last summer, we were up there for our annual venture, and on the main road, there was a for sale sign, which is nothing new. So we stopped, like always, and walked around this house. It looked like it needed work, but it looked doable! Mom and Dad checked into it, like with so many other places, but everything started to work out for this place, unlike the others.

There were definitely some bumps along the way. It was being sold by HUD, which meant lots of hoops to jump through. It was a meth house, which meant more hoops to jump through.

It was a lot of waiting, but, in March, we got a text message from Mom

"We've closed and have the keys. It's officially ours!"

Excitement all around.

We've dubbed it the "House Cabin" because it's really a house, but it's the Bear Lake cabin we've always talked about. So, the House Cabin it is.

With it being a meth house, after it was cleaned, it really needed work. We've been up there twice now, and made some progress. But we're not there yet. We're at least able to use the bathroom there though. Which is always nice.

 

Before the cabinets were taken off the walls.

 

And after. Cabinets are a lot heavier than I would have ever guessed. But when Riley asked me to hold one to make sure it didn't come crashing down, holy Hannah.

Or I'm just really weak.

That's probably it.

One of the bedrooms had some holes in the wall, and so we were going to patch them. Dad had me help him demo the wall. I was only supposed to go four feet down from the top, because that is how big a whole piece of sheet rock is. He didn't tell me until after I had already gone too far. Oops.

It worked out though, because we found out that they had glued the sheet rock to the wall instead of screwing it into the studs, so we ended up removing more than four feet.

Phew.

This.

You may say, it's just a patched hole in the wall.

But, it is my patched hole in the wall.

I patched this BY MYSELF.

The hole started out looking like a penis. Not even joking.

I cut out a square in the wall.

Using a SAWSALL. That thing is kind of dangerous. It will take you for a ride if you let it.

Cut out the hole, made sure it was square.

Measured it.

Cut the sheet rock.

Put the sheet rock in, after making some minor adjustments with my utility knife.

And, wa-la!

I was so freaking proud of myself.

And so was everyone else.