The moment and event we’ve all been waiting for has finally descended upon us!!

(Drumroll please!…...).

(Cymbal crash!….K-sh!)

Ahhhhh!

Chinking!!!

But you ask, “What’s that?” (Yes…. I heard you thinking it.)

As much as we’ve loved confusing and baffling the local community, our neighbors, friends, family, and all visitors and blog readers with our “Texas air-conditioning”…gaps between logs…it has come time to fill them.

I think that has been the #1 question we’re asked the most…”What will you do with the gaps between the logs??”

Keep ’em!

Who needs windows when you’ve got great gaps? (Hey! Now there’s a t-shirt for ya! “Got gaps?”).

Or, whata great pick-up line! “Wanna see my big gaps?” (Ok…I’ve gone too far…but admit it, you thought it was funny.)

But, FIRST, I had to stain all the logs inside twice, not to mention a 3rd coat of shiny sealer, after already sanding all of them, and staining all the outside logs twice.

(Getting a tad tired of touching and looking at every centimeter of these logs, over and over again, I must say). Just THINKING about it wears me out.

After staining and wiring, it was time to put in insulation. We used a wool product.  (If ever pictures don’t show up, just click on where the picture should be, and it’ll enlarge for you)…

After insulation came nails (and metal lath in wider spaces). This grips the concrete, holding it in. Steve rigged our nail gun so that it wouldn’t shoot nails all the way into the log.

Can you see the nails?

Then the concrete!

The residue gets brushed or washed off afterwards, creating nice, clean, chinked logs!

Before we chink all the logs inside, however, they needed to be varnished! (ugh)…

….SO….it was time to pull out the brushes, AGAAAAIN, and varnish. 😫 At least my girls helped me. (The can says a MINIMUM of 2 coats is recommended. If you see a crazy woman running down the street screaming with paint brushes in hand…get out of my way!)

Then it was PARTY time!!

Anyone can have a party…but WE had a chinking party.

Now I fully realize that many of you wanted to come for that, and this is the first you’re hearing about it (oops).

I’m blaming it ALL on Carrie, my sister-in-law. (So, take it up with her.).

She texted me Thursday (?) and said they wanted to come out and chink on Saturday, if we’d be doing it. Steve said sure!

Then we decided to go ahead and shoot a quick text to just the people who have continuously texted us for months, telling us they wanted to chink. Seeing that it was ….mmmmm….2 -3 days notice (?), some were unable to come. But we had fun!

I provided burgers, hot dogs, veggies, chips, dips, donuts, cider, and coffee…and they provided the labor (while I literally watched…exhausted).

They FINISHED our insulation, and chinked a huge amount of the house!! (Hmmm…what else can I pawn off on this handy crew??)

In an unexpected turn of events, the KIDS took over the man-lift outside, chinking, while the adults were all inside. Hmmmm? It worked great! Never underestimate the capabilities of kids! And the 10-year old is running it!

SURPRISE!!!! You’re on camera!! (They HATE that.)

Gina and Charlie brought extra trowels. Charlie said they can now be called the “Trowel-bridges”.

Resemblance??

After a long day of fun and work, LOOK at what got DONE!!

Many, many thanks to the “Trowel”bridges, Judy, Pastor Dave, the Walkers, Jeff Johnson, Carolyn, Mallory, Dixie, and Jacob! Official chinkers! (Ummm, guys? Your chinking is showing. 😝)

The next day we got our window trims painted. (The stuff you see outside between the logs is insulation, not chinking.)

And we took a spin on the man-lift before they took it back.

Remember, soon we will have wrap-around porches dividing the height in half. Green metal roof all around.

A/c gets installed this week. Dry-wall. And more!

Thank you to Rosalie and Pascale for coming out to visit, and to the Flummers for texting me with offers to bring us a meal and work! Ya’ll are awesome!

I also want to sneak in a huge congratulations to my hubby! Weeks ago, the photographer for Field and Stream magazine contacted him. The magazine wanted a picture of a goose for one of their articles.

The photographer saw Steve’s website (www.WaterfowlStudios.com), and asked if they could pay him to use his goose!

This photographer won best cover for Time Magazine, is Oprah’s photographer, does work for most major magazines and companies. It was really exciting. Steve’s goose will have its published debut on shelves the end of November! I’m proud of you, Steve!!

Before I close, I learned two words of wisdom from Gina Trowel-bridge during our chinking party, that I think we can all benefit from: grilled donuts.

WOW! Mind-blowing, isn’t it?? That Gina’s a pretty smart cookie! (Or donut?)

She also suggested that we write Scripture verses on the 2×4’s before we Sheetrock. I really love the sentimental and symbolic idea of God’s words being written within the walls of our family home.

One that seems fitting now is: “I am willing to endure ANYTHING (even a log home build and living in a b&b 😉) if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus…” 2 Timothy 2:10.

If anyone would like to come write one before the walls go in, feel free!

I particularly love Psalm 14:1 “A wise woman builds her home…” ☺

I don’t know about the “wise” part … but if the Bible says it!

I’ll close with pics from past week. Reese running the man-lift, Reiley chinking, both girls insulating, and Steve’s goose (can’t leave HIM out!). Enjoy! (A link to the next post is at bottom)

Party’s over!  To move on to next post, click here: “TIME”.  If you just stumbled onto this post from the internet and haven’t been here before, click here: “What is Cottonwood Creek?”   Or simply start from the beginning of our ongoing story by clicking here: ‘Welcome to Cottonwood Creek!”   If you want to start with the building of the log house, click here: “What do Vegas and logs have in common?”