The Cabin (under the Pines)

Shannon and family for the weekend- snow & Bunkie

We received a dusting of snow last weekend...Happy Day.   Shannon and her family arrived the day it started to snow, which made a fun afternoon for the kids.

 

(the Bunkie)

 

Anna made a snow nativity for the cabin....so sweet.

1. Roasting marshmallows- too cold outside
2. Little Red...over 100 years old
3. The perfect roasted marshmallow...thanks to Conner
4. Santa pillow made from a dish towel
5. flannel throw- made from all my little boys flannel shirts....over 20 years old.
6. Bunkie enjoying the snow. 

 

Shannon and Anna- wearing LulaRoe

 

 

We just spent Saturday and Sunday with them...but what a joy. (they are still there enjoying some quiet family time)

Love spending time with my family at the cabin.

Merry Christmas

 

Related articles

Bunkie and play

The Cabin- Part two of our Trip

Snowshoeing with the girls-

Heidi planned a cute little snowshoeing get together with a few women from our Church, a fun little way to get to know the sisters better.

(wish our cabin were bigger, maybe in the spring when it is warm outside we could have a bigger gathering.)

 Sandi and I went up the night before...just for fun and to get the cabin ready for Christmas.

The set up

 

That night Sandi and I made a few mittens to put on the table....best ginger bread recipe ever....(I will share at the end of this post)

On the table- vintage green goblets, tiny houses with lights, red tipped reindeer plates, birch wood paper-thanks to Farm House Turlock. 

Bunkie

 

Gathering at Big Trees

You may be wondering why I titled this Post snowshoeing with the girls...well, we were hoping for more snow so we could go snowshoeing....but no such luck =(.....had a blast anyway.

 

 

 

 

Fun times at Big trees.  (note to self....don't wear 15 pound boots for a 2 mile walk. (#arcticboots, #hotfeet)

 Back to the Cabin for Dinner and Crafts

 

 

 

Wonderful day with some wonderful women.   

Thankful for sisters in the Gospel.

Happy Day!

 

Download Gingerbread recipe

 

Bunkie and play

 

We took the kids away to the cabin....their family is moving to a new home....so, we wanted to give their parents some kid free time ...in the hopes that it would help free them up... to finish what they needed to do for the move.

We were also hoping to have lots of snow...that didn't happen.  When we left for the cabin they were reporting 100% snow....which it did...for about an hour.

by the next day....0% snow.

We played anyway.

Bunkie became their space ship/time travel capsule and the "hail" that fell became meteorites. 

 

Carlee said- things I know about the cabin

• You know you are having hot chocolate at the cabin
• build a fire
• play in the hot tub
• imagine, dream, pretend and explore.

 

While there this weekend she wrote two poems-  Sharing them below.

Snow

Snow! It's pretty like a little girl.

It sparkles like stars

It's soft like a blanket and it's cold just like the winter time.

 

The Forest

The forest has squirrels and chipmunks.

It has the trees and leaves on them.

It has acorns and grass, oh my! 

There's a fire pit and benches to stay warm-

By- Carlee

 

 

Preston flying the space "bunkie"/time capsule 

Happy Day 

Weekend project- benches and Hammock

The project for this week-end -  Making benches for the fire-pit area and hanging a Hammock.

Before we headed up to the cabin, Danny measured, cut and bent the iron. He  also drilled holes so we can attach the wood. (That will be next week-end}

We wanted to be able to set around the fire-pit without worry about falling over.  The ground is very uneven and sitting in chairs is pretty much at your own risk.

Fire-pit benches-

• 8 holes dug
•  8 iron frames added ( the makings of 4 benches}
• cement to hold them in place
• all the frames were leveled
• spray painted red/primer then black 

We will stain the wood here at home and then just attach the wood with bolts when we go back up.  (They will look something like these.  More fire pit benches)

What Happens around the campfire stays at the campfire. (smile)

I've also been toying with the idea of doing something a little bit different with "bunkie"  now sure what. I do what to stay true to her cowboy history....any ideas? 

We have used the kitchen several times now that it has been finished!  We just love it.

See before and after here.

We are slowly getting to the point of just enjoying the cabin....the to do list is getting shorter.

Happy Day

Related articles

A Bunkie Gathering-

Cabin work weekend

Christmas visit-

Heidi, Sam and kids spent Christmas up at the cabin....we came up later in the day to spend a couple days with them. (before we headed up to see them...we stopped in at Denver and Bree's home for a brief Merry Christmas visit...Bree's parent were there visiting them for Christmas..Happy Day.}

We were able to see the kids open some of their gifts.

Heidi and Sam were sweet to let us crash their party-

Sam's gift to us a homemade cutting board!  (made with three different types of wood} Awesome.

The snow had melted (sad for the kids...they wanted snow for Christmas}

but we found other ways to have fun.

 

-roasting marshmallows-

Playing in the bunkie-

-a game of war-

-a tea party-

 She was sad she couldn't start the fire in the wood burning stove...that was Preston's job.

Preston got a lesson on how to chop wood.

 

- swimming in the hot tub-

 

We got some much needed rest....and had a couple days of fun with the Sam, Heidi and their kids.

Happy New Year.

Related articles

What I made...Homemade Christmas

Three Things Christmas-

Progressive Family Christmas Dinner

A Bunkie Gathering-

We have this little "bunkie" in back of the cabin (in another life it was shelter to cowboys} ...well, it just calls to me..."dress me up"....so, I enlisted the help of Sandi....and we dressed her up...for a little gathering with friends....here's how it went.

First off if you are going to have a little gathering...you have to have a couple fun things like

• chalkboard mugs
• pine log cake stands and platters
• candy filled "fake" birch logs

1. Take a white mug
2. Paint as you wish with chalkboard black porcelaine paint
3. Bake for 35 min. in the oven
4. Cool...then ready to use like you would any other chalkboard.
5. Fill with hot chocolate- our recipe- 2 prints of heavy whipping cream, half gallon of milk, one can of sweeten condensed milk.....heat through....add chocolate as you wish.  (you will thank me later...so, your welcome =)

Sandi and I dressing up the bunkie- cider mug lamps- twinkle lights, a couple stockings hung and a fire in the vintage wood stove.

 Sandi surprised me with robes for the Cabin!!! how adorable are these!  They say- "The Cabin (under the pines}  They will be perfect for the Hot Tub...Thanks Sandi!

 

1. Take a Paper roll...
2. glue paper that looks like birch bark to them
3. Fill with treats
4. add a wood circle to the end to close it off
5. Then put next to real birch log...hard to tell the difference 

 

1. We took pine logs...sliced them thin
2. glued a 4-6 inch tall sliced birch log to the bottom
3. Used as serving trays and cheese platters.

 

Then a couple sweet dear friends came to join us-

Sandi, Ellen and Bev-

Awesome fun in the bunkie...making copper stars and burnt wooden ornaments. 

We had a wonderful time setting around the table and enjoying wonderful conversation!  These gals are awesome.

We even went to a parade, ate "chestnuts roasting", shared a few cupcakes and did a little shopping.

We had originally planned this evening to be a big gathering with lots and lots of friends....but life happens...people get busy.....but....Sandi and I thought...We are still going to go even if  we were to be "celebrating"  just us two.... (we are trying to keep our twirl} 

It is wonderful how things all worked out...even better than then we could of planned!

Happy Day!

 

I think it is important to recognize tiny miracles in my life ....always keeping in mind His promise that all things shall work together for our good.

 

 “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.

Thanks Dear Friends!

 

Merry Christmas 

 

Antler bathroom-

This was the light fixture that came with the cabin...not my favorite.

I wanted to create something different...a little bit unusual...maybe even a bit "out there"

All in the effort to not take this mustard bathroom too seriously. 

I took a garden hook that I bought at Home Depot along with a vintage lamp "ghost" shade I found at The Vintage Market in Turlock....and created this....but wait...I'm not finished.

At Hobby Lobby I found a perfect set of antlers....finally the final step in the light fixture. {these antlers will do...until I can get my hands on some "real" antlers....my brother is on the hunt.

Then I added a few birds nest....and now it is finished. (there is very little natural light in this room....so it is hard to get a good picture}

 

I want to keep the bathroom cabinets the same as they started out.... I just plan on adding some "funky" knobs....still looking for them.

Bunkie has antlers too....can't wait to dress them up for Christmas.

The pathway to the Bunkie is finished...Happy Day!

This is our next project-

I think we will get our boys to do this.

Happy Day

 

Pathway to Bunkie-

Because we have chosen to keep the grounds around the cabin "natural" the pathway to the bunkie was a problem...at some point during the year...dirt- mud-snow.

So...Danny decided to add a pathway to the Bunkie from the cabin....he thought it would be easier for the grandkids...to make their way there and back. (love this man....always thinking of our children}

He almost finished the path....2 boards short. =)

While Danny was building the path....I raked up pine needles....5 large bags just from the side yard.

Hoping to finish the pathway next week....if we get the time and energy. (smile, not 20 years old anymore}

 

 

On a funny note....this is how they handle crime in the mountains.

3 Bears and Bunkie-

Here is a sneak peek at one of the upstairs bedrooms- "3 Bears"  I was hoping to have the upstairs bedrooms completely done this week....well, maybe next week.

Almost done...this weekend we did a couple DIY projects.

First project-

Build a light fixture for "3 bears" 

The Vintage Market in Turlock has these awesome "metal globes" and they also carry fun hanging wire pendents.... that are just screaming to go together.  

Both bedrooms upstairs had no over head lighting.....I think we fixed that problem!  Just some simple wiring and it was done. ( there was no electrical box in the ceiling so we had to swag a wire and chain to a wall outlet.)

The second DIY was using one of two shutters I have for a  headboard...easy ...just attached it to the wall. (More on that later}

The second shutter we DIY it into a hall coat rack.

I have a few more hooks to add...then it will be finished.

The next project was to clean up Bunkie...above picture before clean up

After clean up....we still have a ways to go...but Bunkie is looking better.

Curtains to hang...beds to make...stove to repaint....etc. etc.

But for now he is clean!   

Happy Day

 

 

Related articles

DIY Bird Cage floor lamp

Cowboy History-

Last Saturday we finally were told the "History" for Bunkie.

Bunkie was sitting on the front of the property a little over 100 years ago.  Around 1960 they moved him to the back of this property.

But, while he was sitting up front he was used by Cowboys herding cattle....During cattle herding season {if that's what they called it}  they would stake out a bunk and call it their space for the season.

I image they looked something like this.

and the bunk looked something like this.

My Dad would love this little bunkie...he always dreamed of herding cattle in the mountains.

Today she looks like this inside...

and this...

I want to keep the "cowboy" spirit....and hold back the temptation to "girl-la-fie" it.   I was thinking about white washing everything....but I can't bring myself to do that after hearing bunkie's history.

Oh, what to do?

Maybe a gun rack with BB guns?

rolled up sleeping bags?

cowboy posters?

red tables?

I'm also looking for about 7-9 old used cowboy hats....

 What would you do?