Pictures of the house... FINALLY!

I promised pictures of the house over a month ago, okay probably closer to three months now, so I am sorry for taking so long. Camera's and I are officially on the outs. The beautiful camera that my wonderful darling purchased to replace the last camera I lost is now gone itself. I have requested that another NOT be purchased to replace my latest brain fart. This is the third camera I have gone through in the last five years! I am desperately hoping that someone stole our most recent camera, it would do a lot for my self-esteem. It just makes zero sense to me that I have never lost a cell phone, my purse or wallet, keys or any other important item, but I cannot keep my hands on a camera. So not cool.

The house is coming along beautifully! Sometimes I find myself looking around my home wondering how it can possibly be mine. I am only 25 years old, how did I get here? It amazes me. Nik and I have worked very hard, but we have also had tremendous help and support from our family. If it had not been for all of their generosity, we would not be were we are. They are as much to credit as Nik and I are. I can only hope they know how much we appreciate everything they have done for us.

So here they are, finally!

My beautiful home

The foyer

The dining room, this is one of the rooms that is pretty much completed. This is our Arizona room =) The pictures on the wall were all either taken by my sister or my cousin, Mike. The wedding picture is courtesy of Mike, the other's are my sisters. The table has the decorations from Nik and my wedding. If I ever feel home sick, I only need sit in this room to feel a little bit closer to my childhood home.

More dining room, I absolutely adore the bay windows. They remind me of one of my favorite places, San Francisco.

The beautiful display case from my grandmother. This treasure trove is full of history, my family's, Nik's family's and now our family's history.

The living room, still in the process of being completed. Please take the time to observe the beautiful shelves on the on the wall. My husband is a genius! He went and purchased the wood, stain, wall fixtures and everything else needed to create those shelves. Like my father, his gift to create absolutely astounds me. The large cutout in the wall where the TV currently resides will one day be an entertainment center. Nik and my father have big plans for this area, I cannot wait to see how it turns out!

More living room, I just adore those shelves!

And more...

The breakfast nook

The kitchen, my haven. I could not be more thrilled with how this room turned out.

More kitchen, I really really love this room. I just want to stop and cook whenever I walk in. I had big hopes and dreams for this room, the kitchen has always been the most used room in places I have lived. As a child, this was where my family met to discuss the week's activities, share meals, complete homework and discuss all the world's mysteries. It is still the place I spend most of my time in when I go home to visit even now. My favorite part of my new kitchen is the colors; they are so warm and rich, making the heart of my home very welcoming.

The only concern I had in regards to the kitchen when Nik and I purchased our home was what was going to go above the cabinet's. Our ceilings are very high and there was a lot of space to be filled. Thankfully, my mother and sister solved that issue quickly. I think they did a fantastic job!

The guest bedroom, our Alaska room. All of the pictures were taken by my sister when my family, Nik's grandmother, Nik and I went on an Alaskan cruise almost two years ago. Nik and I are very very simple when it comes to decorating. We loathe nik-naks and unnecessary clutter. We will have to work on that before children come along, but for now we are enjoying keeping our home simple and classy.

The other angle of the guest room...

Guest bathroom, also known as Oma's room. The pictures were taken by my sister, all are from Oma's backyard and some of the decorations are from her backyard as well. I never ever dreamed that I would want a green bathroom, somehow I ended up with two green bathrooms.

The office, for now this room will remain plain and undecorated.

The master bedroom, I always feel so relaxed in my bedroom. The bed is huge, the colors soothing and it is filled with black and white pictures taken by Nik or myself on our travels together. I love looking at the pictures and remembering the many adventures Nik and I have been privileged to partake in.

This picture is a bit too dark, sorry = (

Master bathroom, my favorite thing is the Japanese maple outside the window.

I also love the huge shower!

Dog Run

Backyard, we have an outdoor table and chairs set still at Nik's grandmothers house that we need to go and pick up.

Happy New Year!

Out with the old, in with the new.

Cliches are usually not my thing, but this year I am extremely excited about the events to take place. Here are a few things that I am looking forward to:

*Nik will be completing the last of his training (for me, this is the big one)!

*We will actually have an opportunity to enjoy our new home together, including all the household chores and decorating that goes along with owning a home.

*A house warming party, I can't wait to introduce all our friends and family to our beautiful home!

*After two weddings and almost three years of marriage we will finally be going on our honeymoon (only a couple months to go)!

*New babies, three of my friends are expecting little ones within the next four months =)

*The hype over Michael Jackson, Billy Mayes and Tiger Woods (my two least favorite words currently) finally dying down so that we can focus on real world issues.

*Throwing out countdowns, I feel like most of my life has been a countdown to this, that and the other thing... NO MORE!

*The Unknown. Usually this area unsettles me a bit, but this year I plan on embracing all question marks in my life and enjoying the experience of finding the answers.

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, I think they set people up for failure. My belief is that if you need to make a lifestyle change it shouldn't be set within a time limit or be pursued as a result of a holiday. Do it immediately and dedicate yourself to it fully, otherwise, really, what's the point? Instead, if I feel like there are aspects of my life that I need to change, I will work on them as the realization dawns. I feel very strongly about this and here is why...

Back in September I went to a women's veteran conference in LA. I spent three days being enlightened and educated in area's that literally broke my heart. One of the keynote speakers at this event was a woman by the name of Chellie Campbell. Chellie is not a veteran, but Chellie is definitely a survivor. Ms. Campbell is a more than a motivational speaker, she is a financial guru who leads "Financial Stress Reduction" workshops. Although her area of expertise is money; how to make money, save money, spend money, etc., she provides incredible life advice as well. I signed up for her "Daily Affirmation" emails back in September and have received one email a day religiously since then. These emails have in many ways been life transforming. Despite the fact that I am not in financial distress, praise God, and am not running my own business, I get more from these emails than most self-help books. She begins every email with a quote from a well-known individual. For example:

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within."

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

or

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

Michelangelo

Then, she goes on to tell a story that is always extremely applicable and the lesson that can be learned from that story. These stories usually revolve around her own personal experience or someone that has gone through her workshops. She always ends with the "daily affirmation" which typically looks like this:

"I revel in all the wealth and joy that life has to offer!"

This may seem corny to most, I know it was at first to me, but over time you really start to believe what she is saying. It makes sense. All Chellie is doing is providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) over the internet. She is reinforcing positive thinking on an everyday basis and putting a tremendous amount of enthusiasm behind it. As a result, she is a millionaire and is helping those who take her workshops to become financially stable as well. I highly recommend you check her out. Not because I think she will help make you money, which she most likely will, but because I think she will help you look at life from a different perspective. I know she has accomplished this with me and I haven't even seen her since September.

This year I will pass from the first century of my life into the second, I fully intend on embracing this transition. I have worked hard to get to this point in my life, I do not intend to wish myself back into the past. I hope everyone has a fantastic year, take a moment to stop and be thankful for where you are before you criticize all that is wrong.