"I've grown up on the beach," said 28-year-old Rose Kaneakua. "I've always been homeless. It's become a custom for me."

It's been a custom for Rose's entire family. Her children have never before lived indoors. But now all of them will move off the sands of Mokuleia and into a Nanakuli home.

It was built with the help of Habitat for Humanity, dozens of volunteers, and with the family's own hands.

"We ask for 500 hours of sweat equity," said Suzette Hanohaho, of Habitat for Humanity. "Two-hundred and fifty hours on another home and 250 on their home, but I'm sure they have put in more hours than that."

They have worked hundreds of hours to bring children off beach mats and into beds.

"We have beds, but not in this room," Rose said.

The home still needs furniture. What they have now was donated. And the 7 bedroom home will be shared among more people than that.

Two sisters, a husband, 10 ten children, and three dogs and two puppies make a total of 18 in the household. There will be less room than what the beach provided, but the family said their sense of security will be multiplied.

"When we live in the house we don't have to do nothing because when the wind blows, it is strong enough to stay up and doesn't blow away," said 9-year-old Kawai Kaneakua.

It's no tent, and it's theirs. The family owns the home and will pay mortgage that is interest free, and less than $500 a month.

"I'm going to miss all the people that were living on the beach," said 10-year-old Kana Kaneakua.

The children will have some adjusting to do.

"I believe that God has brought us this far," Rose said.

And having four walls and a roof has already proven to be more than 7,000 square feet to smile about.

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