Our Trenton Beginnings

I was just perusing a scrapbook I made about building our first house. The memories flooded my mind and heart, giving me the desire to record as many as I can.
So here you go, the beginnings of our adventures in Trenton:

One summer day in 1995, when David came home from a full work day of installing windows and doors all over the Salt Lake valley, he exclaimed, "It is rush hour all day long here! We have got to get out of this place!" He was also fed up with working for someone who did not fully appreciate his skill and efficiency and wanted to branch out on his own. So we signed him up for a course to obtain his General Contractor's License, and began searching for the best spot to begin a business and to raise our children (the first of which was less than a year old.) We basically drew a circle on the map to indicate how far we were willing to live from our extended family, (which was the equivalent of 2 hours driving time) and started searching. Our first hunt began in and near Heber Valley. We loved the quaint little town and knew the building economy was strong there and that it was growing. We scoured the real estate that was for sale there and nothing felt exactly right.

Then my sister and her husband decided to attend Utah State and they suggested we look up in Cache Valley. So we set up an appointment with a realtor to spend a Saturday looking at homes around the valley. We specified what we were looking for (something in the country with a bit of acreage) and he selected about 8 homes for us to look at.

Having previously been to Logan maybe twice in my life, I knew little what to expect of that trip. It was the last Saturday in August, 1995, when we took that trip. Our first child had just turned one and just learned to walk. Little did I know how much that trip would alter our lives. The moment we entered Cache Valley at the mouth of Sardine Canyon, and witnessed the beauty of the patchwork quilt that the farmers laid out, seemingly just for our arrival, we felt that this was the place for us. I didn't remember that Cache Valley was ever this beautiful. (Upon reflection, I only visited Logan in the winter and mid-summer, and besides I was likely to young to appreciate the beauty.) It was truly breathtaking.

Our realtor, Mr. Max Delgado, graciously showed us around the valley in his van. We took to his wit and wisdom quickly and enjoyed spending the day with him. First, he drove us out to a log home between Newton and Trenton. Of course we were enamored with that. But then, he took us to this small bungalow in Trenton. It was on a 17 acre plot with water shares and lots of small trees. The owner had purchased this property to fuel his hobby of gardening and landscaping and I immediately fell in love with the trees, the long driveway, and the brick paths winding through the garden. There was a stacked-rock wall around this amazing, secret garden. It was like being transported into another world! We walked into the 528 square foot, low-ceilinged, cinderblock bungalow with interest because of it's surroundings. It had no electricity, no toilet or shower, no water heater, and no furnace. However, amazingly, we could picture ourselves in it. There was only one small bedroom, a living area that was more like a hallway, a six foot kitchen counter with a sink, a small woodburning stove in the center of the house, a bathroom area without any fixtures, and a food storage closet. Because of David's experience as an electrician's apprentice and a plumber's assistant, he knew he could fix those things the home lacked. The price was right for us and we had a strong feeling immediately that this was the place for our family. Every other home we stopped at that day had more to offer in conveniences, but lost its appeal on us because we had already found the place of our dreams. It just felt right.

We made an offer on it the next week, which was accepted, and we immediately put our home for sale by owner. Surprisingly, my older sister and her husband were interested in purchasing our home. It was closer to his work and a better area than the one they were living in. So within a month, they bought our home, we purchased this home in Trenton, David and his Dad spent a weekend putting electricity and plumbing in the bungalow, and we all moved the last day of September and first day of October, 1995. David finished his class and passed his test in September and officially obtained his License to be a General Contractor in October. We were ready to begin a new life. (I am sure that nearly every one who knew thought we were crazy.)

Our Homestead, a.k.a. "The Love Shack"
These pictures ignite a desire to go back to those simple days.
We couldn't lose each other in that small home.
There was no television antennae, even if there was any reception.
Our days were spent out doors and our evenings were spent curled up by the fire.
I am so grateful that I kept a daily journal then.
I look back on those days with fondness.

Our first holiday in our new home was Halloween.
We dressed Amber as "Smurfette" and David as a scarecrow,
and went to a town party to introduce ourselves.
Of course, they all loved Amber at first sight (who wouldn't?)
and we quickly made friends in our new location.
Below, Amber, age 16 months, is walking in the winter wonderland behind our home with "Gus," our first cat. The secret garden lay dormant beneath those layers of snow and ice.
You can see the roof of our home in the background. The west and north sides of the house had dirt piled up around them to better insulate. It worked! There were winter days we got the wood stove going so hot that we had to open the windows to cool off!

Ah, those were the days!

Thanks for letting me reminisce.

Adventures in Trenton to be continued...