The crane operator would lift the already assembled rafters and place them like a puzzle on top of the walls to form the roof. The framers would jump from wall to wall, swinging the pieces around to fit in the proper place.

One day there was a slab and the next day there was a framed house.

It was quite amazing.

Another thing we learned was the value of skilled craftsmen, especially honest, hard-working ones.

The copper wires on the long runs from the junction box up to the rafters were cut and stolen. That was disheartening — and expensive — and it made us feel somewhat violated, dampening our excitement for a time.

We watched as the young electricians returned and tirelessly ferreted out which wires had been stripped, making certain there would be no surprises when it came time to turn on the lights.

And we watched with new appreciation the expertise of the plumbers, the drywallers and all the other people that it takes to turn cement and wood into a house.

An unknown author once said, "It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home."

Now comes the hard part — turning it from a house to a home.

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E-mail: sasyoung2@aol.com