Tag: get into nature

When I was a kid, I loved knowing how things went together and how things were made. I loved watching Mr. Roger’s because he always did a little blip on how various things were made. I particularly remember the crayon video for some reason. And it wasn’t just small things being made. I loved watching people building things. My dad also enjoyed watching the building projects around our neighborhood, and I remember on many occasions going with him to home building sites after the crews had left to just walk around and see what kind of house it would be. As a teen I enjoyed drawing my own floor plans and at one point thought it might be fun to be an architect. I have always been able to visualize what a house would look like, and how big the rooms would be from a set of blueprints. I thought that was normal growing up, but I have learned that most people can’t visualize things that way.

Fast forward to getting married. I married a builder of all things! He wasn’t in business for himself when we first got married, but that is what he had been working toward. So, two years after we got married, we started our Constuction company – L & S Enterprises. He has been building custom homes, garages, hangers, outbuildings, and all sorts of other things ever since. When we were first married, I went to work with him every day. 5 years after we were married, we started having kids, which meant that I stayed home for the most part, however in the summer we spent a lot of time at dad’s job site anyway. Because we build in Alaska, and because we build custom homes, we rarely build anything that doesn’t have an awesome view, and often it is on a lake, so the kids always enjoyed going to dad’s job, just to play in the water. But over time they also learned how to work hard as well. I have had the opportunity to draw many of the floorplans that we have built, which I have enjoyed immensely, and I love watching the paper drawing turn into an actual home that someone will live in and love.

Now that the kids are teenagers or older, they spend a lot of time working for dad in the summers, but they have the added perk of getting paid a lot better than they did when they were little. I also get to spend a lot more time on the job. Most days I don’t mind too much. But some days, like when the weather is bad, or I have a lot to do, I don’t enjoy it as much. Those are the days that I am grateful for the kids. They usually relieve me of my obligation to be there when I have other things that I need to get done at home or with my business. But, if I go visit to see how things are coming, even when I’m busy, I find myself draw to stay just a little longer, just to watch and help with whatever is going on that day.

Today was one of those days though, that makes you grateful that you can work outside. It was sunny, warm, and beautiful! Sometimes I joke with my husband that if he had a desk job, we would probably make more money. But he says, especially on days like today, that there is no desk job, even if it paid more money, that he would be willing to trade if he couldn’t be outside working instead of sitting at a desk. I also love the fact that what he builds will last for many generations. He may not be around forever, and people may not know he built it, but he knows, the kids know, and whether anyone knows him or not, he is leaving a legacy behind in the beautiful homes and buildings he has built. It’s been a great day today, and because of the sunshine everyone went home with a touch of sunburn, the first of the year. The picture below is the slab that we finished insulating today. Just a couple more things and we will be ready for concrete.