A dream come true...

I am a firm believer that you can do anything you put your mind to. Whether it's overcoming a personal obstacle or building a log home - if you want it bad enough, you'll do it. I found this out the hard way!

About a year ago, I watched a friend of mine run a half marathon - 13.1 miles! I couldn't believe it. The whole time, I kept thinking, "there's no way I could EVER do this!" It seemed impossible to me. I had never really run before and I didn't even belong to a gym! A few months later, my mom bought me a pair of running shoes and I decided to give running a try. Shortly after that, another friend of mine told me she was running in the Nashville Country Music Half Marathon and asked me if I wanted to try and run it with her. I must admit, it was after a few drinks so I accepted, not really realizing how much training this required... Running became my life. I ran 3 - 4 times a week. When I would tell my friends and colleagues about the race, almost everyone doubted me. No one, not even my mom, thought I could do it but that just made me want it even more! Two months before the race, I began having severe hip pain - it hurt to walk, let alone run. I stopped running for a month before I finally went to the doctor. Apparently, I wasn't stretching correctly so I got tendonitis of my hip flexor making it near impossible to run. I was devastated! I kept thinking of how much I wanted to finish this race and prove to everyone - most of all, myself - that I COULD do it! Nothing was going to stop me. I was going to walk the whole 13 miles if I had to. So when race time came, I went to Nashville even though I hadn't run in two months. I was going to finish that race if it killed me... and I did! It took me three hours of walking in between jogging, but I did it! It was the toughest thing I've ever done in my life... but making that dream come true had to be the greatest feeling ever. I cried tears of joy as soon as I crossed that finish line! I put my mind to something and I did it regardless of all the obstacles I came across and it felt GREAT!!

Okay, okay, I realize this doesn't have anything to do with log homes but I hope my story brings you inspiration. Building a log home may seem like a distant dream to you. You may think that it's something you'll never be able to accomplish... but you CAN! As corny as this sounds, if you want it bad enough, you'll get it. All you have to do is try! Attend a show or pick up a magazine! Pick out your favorite floorplan and find a builder who can turn it into your dream home. Apply for a loan! Put your plan into action. If I can run over 13 miles with a bad hip, you can build a log home! You just have to want it bad enough. :)