Done!

The certificate of occupancy is a done deal! 

Brian Shelton, our contractor, moved heaven and earth (and a few subs) to make sure we could spend Christmas at the new cabin.  I was confident Brian would pull through for us, and he did.  He ought to have a red fur-trimmed hat and a white beard and drive a sleigh instead of a big red truck.  It's going to be a merry Christmas.

Right now I'm taking a quick break from trying to fit three times as much stuff into the SUV as it will actually hold.  I'm starting to work on Sophie's Choice priorities, but the Christmas tree and decorations come first.  Clothes and food follow.  And the pooch will have to make do with half the back seat instead of all of it.

I was going through some of my husband's old photos over the weekend, looking for a photo of his parents that we could take up this trip since this place was their brainstorm almost 50 years ago, and we're just building, quite literally, on their good idea.  I came across this photo of my husband's father standing on the deck of the old A-frame that burned in the Hayman fire.  The new cabin sits almost exactly on the old footprint.

A promise fulfilled

My husband tells me that his Dad was concerned that this place continue on for the family after he and his wife were gone and Bob promised him that he'd see to it that his wish was fulfilled.  It wasn't a hard promise to make as this place is my husband's favorite place on earth.

It almost looks as if he's waiting for us to show up.

Have a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year with lots of good things and times that truly matter in 2011.