Gatlinburg — A Gatlinburg family is one step closer to completing their new home.
The 2016 Sevier County wildfires destroyed the home of Pete and Joy Jucker. They had lived there since 2003.
After the wildfires, they waited to start building so they could plan their home.
"It's been a long time into planning, a long time waiting," Pete Jucker said. "I see a huge difference between doing it right and doing it half-right."
The Juckers are making their new home firewise. They laid the foundation in May. Thursday, they saw the walls go up.
"It feels really, really good," Joy Jucker said. "Been waiting all year and waiting all day and now that it's up, it's just marvelous, really terrific. It's just that new beginning."
Still, it's been hard. They say each time they take a new step in the home building process, it brings back some tough memories.
"Every once in a while I go back to look at the pictures, try not to dwell on them," Pete Jucker said. "But I'll look at the pictures to learn from what went on back then."
Now they say they are trying to move on and make new memories, starting with a new house.
"This house is going to stay here," Pete Jucker said. "Unless the mountain slides down the mountain, it's going to be here."
The Juckers hope the home will be finished around Thanksgiving.