Home is a wetland refuge for the whole family

To out-of-towners, Goshen is part of northern Indiana. To local residents, it's Amish Country. And for Ted and Sherry Bell, it's been home since 1996 and a haven for their children and grandchildren, especially in the summer.

The Bells had owned 5 acres in Goshen for 23 years, but couldn't develop it right away because of wetlands on the property. "When we first came here it was a swamp," says Sherry. "We had a trailer where the house is now." The Bells dug two ponds to begin stabilizing the soil, a process that took about 16 years. "There were no trees whatsoever," she says. "The ground could not support anything. Once we were able to start planting, it was almost five years before there was any growth."

Ted and Sherry picked the highest spot on the land to build their 2,000-square-foot home, which is a customized version of a log home plan. Amish carpenters helped, but the couple did most of the work themselves.

Ted built a bridge over one pond and a pier for fishing. According to Sherry, the ponds have an abundance of catfish, bass, bluegills, and crappie. "We never knew we had crappie," she says, "until one day Ted caught one that they say is really large for this area." He mounted the prize catch on the wall of the family room.