The family learned how to frame a house.

And pour a foundation.
Courtesy Cara Brookins
The Brookins’ also learned how to be a better family. “As we were trying to do this, we were also learning how to communicate,” said Cara.
Courtesy Cara Brookins
The finished product? Inkwell Manor, where Cara and her family have been living for the past eight years.
Courtesy Cara Brookins
CAN YOU EVEN?
The house boasts five bedrooms and built-in bookshelves.
Courtesy Cara Brookins
Now three of her four kids are in their 20s, and the experience of building their own home has had a profound impact.
Courtesy Cara Brookson
“They’re now fearless,” Cara told BuzzFeed. “They dive into anything. There’s nothing you could suggest to them that they could not do. it’s an incredible thing.”