This is not a set review, there are plenty of those going around for the Treehouse.

 

I decided to tell a story while I built it. Hope you enjoy reading!

 

Meet the Millers. They're a typical family. Angie and Jack worry about their kids, getting too much screen time, and never getting any fresh air. These days it's getting hard to have any type of conversation, they're glued to their phones.

 

One night, when Charlie and Alice had finally gone to bed after the WiFi was switched off, Angie was paging through a magazine. “Look at this, Jack. Here's a great article on getting out of the rat race. Think of the fresh air! We may just get our children back!”

They agreed it was just what the family needed!

 

 

“Dad, we're, like, in the middle of no-where! There's no signal for my phone! What am I supposed to do here?” moaned Charlie.

“Help your sister with the fire, while your mother and I get the tent sorted out.”

“How long are we going to be here, mom?” complained Charlie further.

“Consider this your new home!” exclaimed Angie.

Alice thought it could be fun. No more irritating boys to deal with at school.

 

 

Jack thought a little landscaping would help improve the surroundings. He hired a TLB and had great fun digging a trench to divert a stream towards their new camp site. Charlie stared at the coals of last nights fire and why his sister was so happy in a cap!

 

 

“If we want to live in a treehouse, we've got to plant a tree!”

Jack dug a hole, Alice was given the duty of carefully placing the seed down inside.

“Why does she get to do it?” cried Charlie.i

“I am the eldest, it comes with certain privilege,” replied Alice.

 

 

“Hey look, mom, dad, its a real tree growing! It's got flowers and everything! I've never seen anything like it!”

Jack and Angie knew they had made a wise choice!

Alice chose to enjoy marshmallows over the fire.

 

 

Some time later, the tree was starting to get strong enough for Charlie to climb. To think, this would become their new home! But it had a little more growing to do still.

 

 

It's the first summer living out in the country. The little stream was cool and refreshing after a hot day in the sun. The tree had grown quite a sturdy trunk, and cast some welcome shade over the tent.

 

 

It was time to start building something more permanent. Winter would be coming and a tent wasn't great protection from the cold.

Jack cut down a few branches, and with Alice's help, started cutting planks. Charlie just wanted to climb the tree.

 

 

While Jack and Angie assembled planks into floor boards, Alice demonstrated how she had perfected the art of making fires. Charlie was starting to think his big sister was actually quite impressive!

 

 

“Alice, you're supposed to be helping, not just lying in bed reading!”

“But mom, your new bed is sooo much nicer than the tent!”

Jack just smiled while he brought more wood. Charlie tried to be invisible enough to not get coerced into helping!

 

 

“I'm glad you remembered my Ship-in-a-bottle!”

“Of course, dad, it was your birthday present, we wouldn't leave it behind” replied Charlie.

Alice was becoming an expert at making the bed.

“You know its for your dad and me, dear. I don't think it's big enough for 3. Or 4... You and Charlie may have to sleep on the floor” winked Angie at her daughter.

 

 

“You've got such a cool room!” cried Charlie. “Are we going to cut down more branches for the roof?”

“Be careful up there! We don't want to to sprain an ankle, we're a long way from a doctor!” warned Jack.

 

 

“I've ordered some roof timber, we can get this room nicely insulated and warm”

“And not a moment too soon!” observed Angie. “The weather is starting to change, summer is leaving us.”

 

 

After a week of assembly, a roof was ready to be lifted onto the room. Charlie helped guide from above, while the other three family members struggled with getting it up. There must be a better way...

 

 

Roof on, and winter coming, it was time to pack up the tent. Rather crowd into a small, warm room, than a small, cold tent.

After months of tent living, the Millers were not too sad to see it go!

 

 

“You know, dad, what would be really nice, is a proper bathroom. I'm getting tired of digging a hole every morning! And with winter coming, it's going to be very uncomfortable going for early morning ablutions.”

Alice looked at her father with pleading eyes.

“Okay, we'll start building a proper bathroom”

 

 

“Mom, dad, the tub can go right here” directed Alice.

Charlie had still managed to avoid most of the hard work, and helped to direct his parents from the side.

 

 

A real toilet! With toilet paper! Alice could hardly remember what such luxury felt like, it had been so long since leaving their old home behind!

 

 

“Charlie, help me get this roof assembled”

No more hiding, Charlie was finally forced into some family labour.

 

 

He cleverly designed a pulley system to help raise the roof in place. Much easier than last time, and Charlie could now once again direct the rest of the workers.

Meanwhile, the seasons moved steadily on, with winter looming just around the corner.

 

 

Leaves started to fall, but a warm (if not small) family room, a well equipped bathroom, and a roaring bonfire was all that was needed to keep the Millers in good spirits. But they knew that the children needed some more space.

 

 

With some practice at building, the third room was assembled very quickly. Charlie managed to escape the hard work (again) and catch up on some reading, while the ladies watched Jack get busy with the roof.

 

 

Winter arrived, the rooms had been completed just in time. The family roasted marshmallows, while talking about plans for the new season.

“Once our tree grows a little more, it will be strong enough for us to start moving up in life” Jack commented to the family, with a smile.

 

 

 

Spring has arrived!! A time of new growth, new life, new promise! And the tree had grown taller, with strong new branches shooting out.

 

 

To start moving up into the tree, first you need a way to move up into the tree. The family started construction on a staircase to get them up to branch level.

 

 

“Great! We're in the tree! But what now?” asked Charlie.

“You can't expect us to carry our rooms into the tree. They must weigh a ton!” exclaimed Alice, nervously.

“Don't worry, I have a plan” reassured Jack.

 

 

A man with a plan!

 

 

“Wow, dad, that's awesome!” called out Charlie.

He eagerly climbed up on the roof to help with the chains.

Alice stood at the top of the stairs, ready to assist.

 

 

“Easy does it!”

Angie and the children helped position and secure the room on the branch.

 

 

Next up, the bathroom. This time, Alice had a turn riding on the crane as it hoisted the wooden room up into the tree.

 

 

The bathroom was secured onto another large branch, positioning the rain water tank to help catch some run-off from the branches above.

 

 

Finally, the children’s bedroom was also secured. Jack gave Charlie and Alice a chance to play and swing on the crane pulley. It was better than the fun fair!

 

 

At last, a proper tree house! Jack built a swing near the mushroom patch, Angie tended the fire for cooking, while the children helped hoist supplies up to the rooms above.

 

 

Alice spent a lot of time with the telescope. Nobody noticed she was not looking upwards at the stars... But rather, she was admiring something a little closer to ground level...

 

 

Early mornings had some surprises...

 

 

But family meal times where always looked forward to. And everyone had something to say, conversations flowed like fresh pumpkin soup!

 

 

While Jack and Angie tended to the vegetable garden, they commented on what a good decision they had made for the family. Moving out of the city, away from the endless pressure of the online world. The children seemed genuinely happy, life had slowed down to a relaxed pace. What could possibly pop this bubble of tranquillity they found themselves in?

 

 

Suddenly, everything changed for Jack and Angie...

Their perfect world came crashing down with 4 words. Only Charlie seemed amused.

 

“Mom, I've met someone” called Alice...

 

 

“I'd like you to meet Dave!”...

 

 

I like your story much. It had to take a lot of effort to take all those pictures and make story. And I don't have to forget funny ending. Good Job!

Thanks! Was a fun build, especially building in such a round about way. 

My daughters weren’t very impressed with Dave joining the story!