some building pictures

Our footer poured and cured. We decided to pour the footer on Wednesday before I left for work. The mixer broke half way through the pour. We had to track down another mixer and didn't get finished until 10pm. I had to catch the bus for work at 1 am.

Working on the first of three sections for our basement slab.

Section 1 of the slab finished.

Another view of the first slab section done.

Charity screeding the second section of the slab pour. Each slab pour was about 3 cubic yards as well as the footer.

Bubba shoveling sand gravel mix into the mixer after it had been repaired.

Tired girls.

Aaron helping mix cement on the last slab section. Bubba kept getting mad because Aaron and I were "talking too much!" We weren't just talking... we were sharing hunting stories!

Now pay attention Wrangell. When mommy and daddy get old you have to build us a nice retirement cabin and you get what's left of this one.

Wrangell learning how to mix cement.

Dumping wheel barrel load after wheel barrel load. Our brand new wheel barrel already has two holes in it from the weight of the cement and our many ramps and bumps.

Finally finished with the slab!

Our names forever in the crete. We were making history here. I got a few bugs in the cement and said look Charity we are making fossils and rock at the same time. It really is taking millions of years to pour this slab.

Charity screening sand for making mortar to lay the blocks for our basement walls. We went up the road and shoveled the sand from a sand dune. We were told we would have to screen what we could buy so we figured we'd just go shovel it up ourselves. I think the sand we shoveled was more pure than what we would have bought from the screener anyhow.

Blocks set around footer to prepare for the first course.

Corner blocks set. Now we will fill in between the corners using string lines as guides.

The first course or two set and corners coming along. This is all the work we got done last week when I was off from work. Now I am back at work to get rested up to finish the block when I come home next Wednesday night. Hopefully I can get up to the logs next week.