July 20th, 2019

July 20, 2019

Captain’s Log: City to Gritty

Well—we had a great long meeting with our GC yesterday! We stood out on our rocks and chatted for 2+ hours. I’m very sunburned (nothing helicrysm essential oil isn’t healing ASAP) And we have so much work to do! ??????

I took the night to process what is going on and the new updates our amazing GC shared with us. I ? know we manifested him. His attitude, personality, willingness to learn and let us help as much as we can to save money on this build is a GODSEND. ??

We crunched numbers and we are already massively over budget—like 6+ figures over budget and we haven’t even begun yet. ? And that’s with being as frugal as humanly possible!!! Just our unique, mountainous, remote, raw location AND being in a builder’s market adds up. We even asked if there was any way to reduce the cost—but we truly are at the barebones pricing for what we are doing and the new changes in design that need to take place for our ? off-grid homestead. ???

But, seeing as we are buying the backhoe we crashed a few months ago, how handy Todd is and how much of a hard worker I am—it’s not that unrealistic to think we can make up the bulk of the difference in little things that will add up that the VA will let us do. We will literally be doing ? of everything that can be done without being a licensed contractor.

Our homework-still need to hire a surveyor. Also need to hire 2 more engineers. Septic engineer + foundation engineer and possibly a cistern engineer as we still can’t get a well drilling rig to come to our location. The only company that does remote mountain locations—won’t come because they are assuming our roads can’t handle the weight of a million dollar well rig. ??‍♀️

So, long story long, we are all committed to maintain an ASAP schedule. But, need to understand that ASAP might literally mean March 2020. ? I expressed my “fantasy” of having the cabin shell done by November or December, and he said that’s not unrealistic at all and in fact we can start the septic foundation next month! Which is great news—as we are willing to keep doing everything it takes and paying for things out of pocket now instead of later with our loan will help close our gap in our budget too.

So, I’m processing. Processing the information. I’m releasing expectation. I’m learning to surrender. I’m learning to embrace our “temporary situation” becoming our lifestyle for much longer than I thought. And embracing little miracles too.

One of our little miracles happened yesterday. I’ve been focusing the bulk of my meditations on the cabin completion but with our huge fly problem, switched my focus to having the flies leave our property. We’ve been buying fly traps, bug repellents and more—which all have been helping but we have still been fighting flies every time we went outside.

Well, yesterday, a SWARM of DRAGONFLIES (watch the video) came out of no where and ate our flies!! Dragonflies are one of my spirit animals and a positive symbol and omen in my life. So, seeing hundreds of dragonflies come to our land and help us with our fly problem just meant so much to me! ??

So, today, I will again roll up my sleeves. I will again continue to establish our homestead and prepare for winter. I will continue to make phone calls and set up interview calls for surveyors and engineers and work on hiring the best for our project to keep up progress. And continue my morning routine (my supplement routine + meditation has been saving my sanity + mood + energy during all this) to keep me in the game mentally, physically and spiritually. ✨✨✨

COMMENTS:

  • Morgan L. Newey Has Brooke talked to you about fly predators already? They work REALLY well long term in getting rid of flies.
  • Adrianne Reyes I have an engineer for your foundation. What county are you in? Pm me
  • Mario J McCash Rachel – remember the story of the seagulls in Salt Lake? How they came out of nowhere and eat all those crickets that was devouring the source of food for those saints living there? It was an answer to their prayers and a blessing of their faith.

    Likewise, the same has happened to you. You first did all that you could do, then carried a faith & prayer in your heart and lo & behold the dragonflies swooped in and devoured the swarms of those pesky flies.

    A blessing of the Lord it was, starring right in front of you.

    Recognize, acknowledge, (the hand of the Lord) and have gratitude & thanksgiving – and much more like blessings shall be on their way.