After escaping an abusive marriage, American mom Cara Brookins made a bold and unconventional choice to rebuild her life—by building her own house with the help of her kids and YouTube tutorials.

Back in 2007, Cara couldn’t afford a new home that would fit her and her five children. So, with a $20,000 piece of land and a $150,000 construction loan, she decided they’d build one themselves. None of them had construction experience, but that didn’t stop them. Her oldest was 17, and her youngest was just 2. Eleven-year-old Jada carried water to mix concrete, and teenage son Drew even helped sketch out the blueprints. For the trickier parts, Cara brought in a part-time firefighter at $25 an hour.

By March 31, 2009, the family had finished a 3,500-square-foot house, which they proudly named Inkwell Manor. “If I, a 110-pound computer programmer, can build an entire house, you can do anything,” Cara said.

Her story is a testament to grit, love, and what’s possible when a family comes together to start over.