The Sanatorium Moves North--Sort Of

I fell in love this summer.

I fell in love with one not-so-square acre of wilderness in Pine, AZ. A not-so-square acre of wilderness where we will build our family cabin.  A not-so-square acre of wilderness exactly ninety miles from my front door.

To the east of this not-so-square acre is the entire Mogollon Rim and Pine Creek. And a ton of wild blackberry bushes.

The lot is covered in scrub brush and pine trees, with a deep wash running to the south. 

Kid heaven.

When we brought the kids up for the first time, three elk were there to welcome us home, and when Brad went to meet the surveyor later that week, a family of javelina had to be encouraged on their way before the surveyor could completed his job.

The little ones set out immediately to explore--finding sticks and rocks and pine cones everywhere they turned.

Tucker was a good sport about it all, even though he got eaten alive by mosquitoes.  He's a juicy one, that Tuck.

Lily was the official photographer for the trip.

The previous owners had plotted out a home site, put in a driveway, and had begun clearing some of the dead timber before they changed their minds and bought an existing cabin somewhere else.

Brad and I plotted out where we want to build our cabin with caution tape while the kids enjoyed as many cans of root beer as they could sneak past Mom. It was a lot of root beer.  I was a little preoccupied.

To the south lies the town of Pine, and the northern property line is shared with Camp LoMIA, where our girls attend camp every summer.

Someone had left their hunting stand chained to a tree.  I don't know if I want them to remove it or if I hope they leave it.  The kids had an instant tree house.

I have had an itch many times over the past eighteen years to buy a cabin or a time share somewhere in the pines. It was never the right time or the right price or the right place.  Or it just never felt right.

When I took Brad to see this property, we both knew that this is the place where we want to make memories with our family for the rest of our lives.

Final floor plan for the cabin was approved this week, and the architect is busy designing the outside.  Hopefully, if all goes well, we will be filing for permits, digging a septic system and a propane tank, and breaking ground sometime in the spring.

I can't wait.

And I will for sure keep you posted!