HOME!

Wow! Time has passed, and I haven't updated things. November and December were really busy months. Finishing up on the acupuncture for DB, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for DA, finals and the end of the first semester for JB, and the most exciting part of all... I GOT NEW WOOD FLOORS! After three months of wavering about what we wanted on the floor in the living room after the flood, John and I finally decided to put in wood laminate. We actually agreed on a flooring! (We seldom agree on anything regarding decorating our house.) We ended up with something called Bahimian Teak. It's beautiful - a mixture of dark and light browns with a high gloss. And to top it all off it's on the diagonal so that a long line goes from the farthest corner of the living room into the kitchen tying everything together. John put it in for me (with help from JB). He even took out two posts in our entry that made the room seem smaller. That required several hours in the attic to reinforce support. After the job was finished he told me that he wasn't sure he could do it when he started. That was not something I ever thought of. He's always been able to do anything he sets his mind to, so I didn't even consider he might be intimidated by it. Nevertheless, it looks better than professionally installed. It was done with immeasurable love.

When I look at our house now compared to the way it looked almost 17 years ago when we first moved in, it's hard to believe it's the same house. Little by little we've been turning this so-so house into my dream home. We've moved walls, added a bathroom, made our bedroom and the dining area bigger, added another opening between the dining and living areas, put in new countertops, stove top, oven, and dishwasher, added a pool and covered patio and a practice room. I can't imagine living anywhere else. This house that I didn't think much of in the beginning (we actually just bought the yard and the house came with it) is now a place I love to come home to. It's the place where many wonderful memories have been created. I can't imagine living anywhere else. There are still a few things I'd like to change. And some that will be changed as the kids leave to build their own lives, but all in all - I'm glad we're here in our small but cozy house with our wonderful family and our wonderful neighbors.