I think back to when we first began and I can still remember digging the foot holes for the initial foundation. I can remember carrying countless sheets of plywood up the driveway in ankle-deep mud and working an entire weekend in the pouring rain and then sleeping in a water-soaked tent. I can remember making the decision to change courses and turn the "shed" into the "cabin". I can remember wearing three layers of clothes, gloves, and two hats to sleep in an unfinished and open cabin in below freezing temperatures. I can remember installing the wood stove on the coldest day of the year, with no option but to complete it that day. I can remember laying across the roof, installing felt paper or shingles. I can remember sitting in the bed of the pickup on a freezing January morning, making sure the wood we bought didn't fall out on the way home. I can remember going over drawing after drawing on bar napkins with Chris as we sat at dinner. I can remember driving to Connecticut to buy the tractor. I can remember putting up the portable garage, thinking at the time that it was so huge and now it can't fit everything we own. I can remember putting up the shiplap in the cabin, first on the ceiling, then on the walls. I can remember hanging drywall, sanding drywall, painting drywall, ordering stone for the chimney, cutting it, and handing it to Chris, piece by piece, for him to install. I can remember driving to buy the mantle, only to later learn it was filled with carpenter ants. I can remember the excitement we shared flipping a switch and turning on a light in the cabin for the first time and the decision to remove more trees and add more culverts. I can remember getting a well, and choosing its place, and filling my cup for the first time. I can remember the walks late at night after we first pulled into the driveway, each eager to see what work had been completed. I can remember the conversations, excitement, setbacks, and hurdles we overcame along the way to get us to this point. And now I can remember installing wood floors and cabinets because we just did that!
I can remember these memories and so many more and they are all locked safe in my mind. For three and a half years we have looked to the future, but now, the future has become the present. These memories come with great satisfaction, but the greatest element to the memories associated with this project is that they are shared with Chris and that we accomplished these things together. For better or worse, through Bigelow work grooves, disagreements and challenges, we did it together and it has been incredible!
