Celebrating New Chapters

 Copper, myself and James standing in front of our new home. June 2017

I believe sometimes the most important times in our lives are those spent with our closest friends. Those memories are the ones that will live on long after the trees fade and location change. This year has been creating new, great memories with James and I and our dearest friends. When we entered 2017, neither of us knew what would happen. I think our only hope is that our love would continue to grow and that we would be guided in wisdom to greater adventures.

And to that end, I say we definitely have, in ways that we didn't even imagine. We took the leap and bought our first home, a new adventure for both of us. With honey-colored floors, vaulted ceilings, and a sun-room perfect for growing herbs and studying Mandarin. In addition to our beautiful home, we also have a puppy, Copper. A gorgeous mix of Australian/German Shepherd and Husky mix. Although not the brightest pup, he is the sweetest and loves people of all ages, sizes and genders.

During this move, while some of our friends were out of town or too far away to be able to help, the ones that were there put forth 200 percent of their effort and really came through. From sun-up to sun-down, with a rented U-Haul trailer and several cars, half women and half men, we moved 25 miles away from the residence we had proudly called our home for the past year. Yet without the ability of painting, fixing, (pets), or overall adjustments to the home, it didn't ever quite feel like 'home sweet home'.

Now, we have color swatches on the kitchen wall, we are installing a beautiful flag pole to show our American pride, and we are quickly coming up with a plan on how to transform the backyard into a BBQ-ready, midnight movie viewing, friend-haven. This weekend, in the midst of all our busy plans, primer will go on the powder blue walls in the kitchen, in preparation for the change to Sunflower yellow.

Each room still needs something done to it before we can call it finished and complete. The living room needs curtains hung, a rug and a coffee table. The man cave needs shelving built and installed. The guest room needs stripes and touch-up paint, as well as final decor touches. The master needs repainted, curtains lifted off the floor, and is in need of major decoration and wall hangings. Each bathroom needs a special touch and new towels. The sun-room need bookshelves built and installed, as well as new desk. And the kitchen, well, it needs the walls painted and a back-splash added. It also needs the husband to stop moving items around in the well-organized chaos.

The yard needs a few more flowers, as well as some potted plants to ward off pesky bugs. The tables on the front porch need finished painted, as well as some decorative additions to make it not look like a clunky piece of furniture. We need our hammock strung up in the back, and we need our water hoses attached. James organized the sheds this past week and nearly all the boxes are done.

As much as we have to do, and as much as we have already accomplished, we are both beyond happy that we are writing this chapter together, as much as a rough draft as it seems. (I apologize for the run-on).

So, to those we welcome into our new home, come with joy, bring your stories, and make yourself at home.