From Grief to Gathering: A Custom Timber Frame Sanctuary of Healing and Hope
Honoring a Shattered Heart
We had the sacred privilege of sitting down with Ed and Aubree, a remarkable couple who opened their hearts to share how a carefully designed timber frame outdoor sanctuary helped them navigate one of life’s deepest sorrows—the loss of their beloved daughter, Cadee.
After Cadee’s passing, the couple found themselves retreating indoors, avoiding social interactions and longing for privacy. Aubree was candid from the very first meeting, saying:
“I don’t want any sales pitches. I’m a broken woman. I need your help.”
She wanted a space that allowed her to breathe again—a place where she could carry her daughter’s memory while helping her family find a new normal.
A Quiet Hope Takes Shape
With the help of Western Timber Frame, what began as a quiet hope for a private refuge transformed into a multi-structure haven—complete with a pavilion, trellises, privacy panels, custom stairs, and covered walkways. All were intentionally crafted to restore peace, dignity, and joy to a grieving family.
“I can’t even thank you enough for the heart that you brought to my home. I was a broken woman. I didn’t know how to even start to breathe. And then the fact that you dealt with me who didn’t even know what perfect was yet.”
This isn’t just a story about building in wood—it’s a story about rebuilding a life, one thoughtful timber frame element at a time.
“You didn’t just transform our yard—you touched our hearts. Our spirits. There simply aren’t enough thank-you’s to say what that means to us.”
A Sanctuary of Trust and Craft
Throughout this journey, Aubree and Ed had worked with other companies—but the experiences had been far from encouraging.
“They damaged our yard,” Aubree said. “They overpromised, overcharged, and then abandoned us. It was disheartening.”
So when they first met with Western Timber Frame, they were understandably skeptical.
“I thought, ‘Okay, can they really deliver on their promises?’” Ed admitted.
But everything changed as the process unfolded.
“You not only delivered on every commitment,” Aubree said,
“but also brought a level of professionalism that was truly remarkable.”
What was built wasn’t just a pavilion—it became a place to honor Cadee’s life.
“While you can never truly ease the pain of losing a child,” Aubree said, “having this beautiful space gave us a way to honor her memory.”
Without telling them, the design manager crafted a quiet surprise: a special plaque for Cadee, placed gently in the yard.
“I see it every time I’m out here, tending to the yard,” Aubree said softly. “You didn’t just transform our yard—you touched our hearts. Our spirits.
There simply aren’t enough thank-you’s to say what that means to us.”
When Privacy Opens the Door to Connection
One of the main reasons behind the project was simple: they needed to live again—outside the house, but still protected.
“One of the foremost reasons that drove us to pursue this entire structure,” Ed said,
“was our desire to step out of our house, continue living our lives, and yet retain our cherished privacy.”
And it worked.
The backyard that was once a retreat became a place of reunion.
“Our family now frequently gathers here,” Ed said, “Just like we’ve shared with you before. Family comes over…”
“We can’t get them to stop coming over,” Aubree laughed.
“Exactly,” Ed added. “And once they’re here, they don’t want to leave. Picture us at one o’clock in the morning, gently urging everyone to keep the noise down because our neighbors don’t appreciate parties going on past that hour.”
Their outdoor space quickly became the go-to hangout—not just for family, but for friends, coworkers, couples, and neighbors.
“We can’t convince anyone to go on a double date anywhere else,” they joked.
“They want to set up hammocks, watch TV on the screen, and they insist on having their meals delivered here.”
“We can’t even recall the last time we persuaded anyone to go anywhere else. Everyone just loves this place. We feel incredibly spoiled.”
The irony isn’t lost on them. The space that began as a hideaway had become the heart of their hospitality.
A Backyard That Gave Their Family Room to Heal
One of the most tender and meaningful parts of this transformation was how it affected their son. Aubree and Ed shared that he and Cadee had always been incredibly close. They were more than siblings—they were best friends.
“His best friend was gone,” Aubree said. “He didn’t know what to do with himself. He didn’t connect with anyone. Nothing clicked. The kind of stuff other kids were doing—he wasn’t into it anymore.”
Grief hung heavy in the house. And the outdoors—which should have offered peace—felt too exposed. But as the timber frame structures took shape, the landscape began to change.
“We screened in the hot tub area and spruced up our backyard with the pavilion and trellises,” Aubree explained. “Even the harshest critics—high schoolers—gave their approval, which allowed him to open up a little.”
He started inviting coworkers, friends—even his bosses. At first, it was small: a movie night, a barbecue. But the gatherings grew.
“Even last weekend,” Aubree said, “what was intended as a small barbecue turned into an unforgettable gathering in our backyard—movies, homemade desserts. Everyone marveled at the unique and serene atmosphere we had created.”
At one point, he told them he had the best of both worlds: the comfort of home and a place where his friends actually wanted to be.
When Healing Space Becomes a Wellness Center
“We have a nice hot tub,” Aubree said. “We really wanted to enjoy it. We bought it with the best intentions.”
But there was a problem.
“My husband didn’t like coming outside due to the lack of privacy in our backyard.”
Their home sits on a hill, with both front and back doors at ground level—creating a steep slope that left their yard fully exposed to neighbors.
“I struggled to convince him to use the hot tub during the day because he worried about being seen,” she explained.
“Strangely, he had the same concerns about nighttime privacy, too.”
That’s when she reached out to Western Timber Frame, asking for a solution that would offer the privacy her husband needed without making their space feel like a cave. The solution came in the form of beautifully crafted stairs leading directly from the house to the backyard, with built-in privacy panels that discreetly shielded the hot tub from the neighbors’ view.
“And once you designed that,” said Aubree, “and did that into my stairs—my exciting stairs—my husband started hot tubbing. And he started enjoying it with us. And he’d sit out there, and it actually helped improve his health.”
A Pavilion That Reopened Her Heart
After Cadee’s passing, Aubree quietly closed the doors to her floral and decor shop. The grief was overwhelming. Creativity stopped. She retreated from her work—and the world—unsure if she’d ever return to either.
But when the pavilion was built, something shifted.
With the comfort, privacy, and peace of their new outdoor space, Aubree began to feel safe again. The pavilion gave her more than shelter—it gave her permission to show up. To create again. To share again.
The pavilion became so much more than a structure—it evolved into her storefront, her display window, her pickup area, and her workshop.
“We turned around and were able to comfortably sell flowers from our home. Then I had my Decor Shop—and I’ve had fun decorating in here,” she smiled.
“I had tons of customers who’d ask, ‘How do you even decorate a backyard?’ And I’d say, ‘We know exactly what to do.’”
She and Ed began photographing their space and sharing it. Word spread. Sales rose.
“It helped our business. So now, personally we’ve had a gain. And business-wise we’ve had a gain.”
In reclaiming her space, Aubree began reclaiming herself. The pavilion gave her the quiet courage to step forward—and the setting to honor Cadee’s legacy with beauty, creativity, and joy once again.
“The one thing you don’t know about us,” Aubree shared, “is that, in three years, we’ve had five major surgeries.”
Given their circumstances, their outdoor space became more than beautiful—it became essential.
“It’s allowed us to stay healthy,” Aubree said. “It’s allowed us to still bring people here when we can’t get mobile somewhere. Where we can still socialize, still enjoy the outdoors, double date—whatever we want to do, even with the limitations we have.”
“That’s something I never even saw,” she continued. “You never know what life’s going to bring you, but this has just enhanced and been such a light for us in so many ways. And it’s still going.”
She smiled and said what they now call it:
“That’s what we should call this—our Wellness Center. Literally, like, this is our Wellness Center. Because we’ve always been active mountain people.”
Unexpected Joys: Sky’s Birthday and the Dog Party Craze
Sky, Cadee’s dog, had originally been a reluctant addition to the family. But after Cadee’s passing, she became a living thread of comfort—a constant presence that kept Cadee close.
“Oh, the other funny thing is,” Aubree laughed, “we’ve been asked to host like five dog parties.”
Joy found its way back to their backyard in the most unexpected ways.
“It started with Sky’s birthday,” she said. “Last fall, we had her first little party. Our friends brought their dogs. They decorated with streamers, brought cakes—it turned into this full-on celebration.”
“We got phone calls like, ‘We could go to the park, but we want to come to Sky’s party!’ And just like that, we’re now hosting dog birthday parties at our home.”
“It’s probably the funnest thing we’ve ever had. I wouldn’t have ever said that before.”
Planning one of your own? Here are some fun ideas for throwing a dog birthday party.
An Evening That Changed Everything: Dinner with the Boss
Ed smiled as he recalled one of his favorite memories:
“One of the best things I like is showing off—showing this stuff off.”
A few years ago, Ed had just had surgery when his boss flew in from Long Beach, California. Instead of going to Ruth’s Chris, they stepped into the backyard.
“They looked in our backyard and said, ‘What have you been holding out?’” Ed laughed.
They said, ‘We’re not going to Ruth’s,’” Aubree recalled. “And I was like, ‘Wait… we don’t want to do all the cooking and entertaining!’”
She laughed, the warmth in her voice giving away that she didn’t mind one bit. And it turned into a tradition. Their backyard became the new five-star spot.
🎥 Watch Ed and Aubree share their full story in their own words:
Watch the Interview
Whether you’re healing, rebuilding, or simply dreaming of a space to gather again, we’re here to help you create a backyard sanctuary as unique as your story.
