Kevin Arnold was so wise...

Since I work online, as I scouring the web I came across content for the show "The Wonder Years." As one of my childhood favorites (I'll be honest, I had a huge crush on Kevin Arnold and wished I was Winnie Cooper!) I took some time to look around and reflect back. One quote greatly resonated with me...

"Growing up is never easy. You hold on to the things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come."

I wanted to put this up here, and write about my thoughts because it seems so applicable to where I am today. Growing up is definitely not easy...making your own decisions, and having others trust in the decisions you make. But growing up is also fun and exciting! I've been able to figure out who I am over the years, and be comfortable and happy with the person I've grown into. I've had horrible jobs and great jobs, but all of them laid the foundation for a successful career. And I get to look ahead of what can be. Other days. New days. Days to come...

I get to look ahead to the days when I'm officially a home owner. Days when I get to unpack in my new home and live my life there. Make memories there. And one day look back as I am now, and think about how my time building the house and living my life in that house further shaped my path. And when I've done that, the cycle can continue as there will always be other days, new days, and days to come...

“We think in generalities, but we live in the details” ~Alfred Whitehead

In music, you have general notes/choruses/rhythms which provide the overall tone of a score, but it is in the minor details which truly make the song. As such is the case with a house. The beams, boards, and structure form the shape and design of the house, but it is in the little details which truly make it my home.

One of those details was a mandatory component: Adding a touch of crimson to the purple Seattle skyline. The final touches of exterior crimson elements were completed.















Another detail was a complete surprise to me...a custom built arbor for my deck!

Direct Quote: "OMG! It's a house!"

Recently, more walls went up in the house; except this time these walls helped make my house look and feel like a home...

Sheet rock began going up in early/mid January, and it was one of the few moments that I truly freaked out. Being able to touch the walls, walk thru hallways, actually "be in" a room, was such a surreal feeling for me, because I was finally able to take in the fact that this house will be mine. It became more than just beams and wires. I was able to see rooms. Envision where I would sit to do my work, fold laundry, watch tv, and eat dinner. I was able to imagine memories in the making.

That isn't to say that I was not able to see and feel those same emotions before, but now it all seems real. So unbelievably, and amazingly real.

Looking back...

As we near closer to completion of the house, I wanted to look back and reflect on the transformation of a field to a house, and the progression we've made along the way.

Hi Mom!

I've always wanted to be on TV shouting "Hi Mom!" but since my chances of TV stardom are very slim, I'll resort to making my call-out here. A couple weeks ago we got my mom up to Seattle to view all of the progress on the house. Needless to say, she was completely blown away! It's not often that she is able to come, so I was so very happy that she was able to see the work my dad has done.

Here a few pictures from her visit:

Summer is in the air...

And no, Seattle has not been experiencing an unusually warm and dry winter. In fact, our winter has been as gray, wet, and dreary...what you would expect for this city in this time of year. But despite the conditions, I still feel a sense of summer in the air. Maybe it's because football season is coming to a close, or that we are getting an extra minute of light each day...or maybe, just maybe, it is because I have an amazing, gorgeous, beautiful deck that was just recently completed :)

Looking at I can already imagine my summer: weekend BBQ's and dinner parties, evenings on the deck watching the sunset over the Olympics; days laying out basking in the sun; and on the cool summer nights warming up by the fireplace.

Behind the walls

Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to spend a portion of our days at home; whether it be an apartment, house, or condo; or you rent, own, or live off of others. However; how we define "home" is different and personal to each individual, but what is common amongst all are many of the actions we make inside our dwellings. We sleep, we wake, we cook (or microwave), we eat, we relax, we stress, we cry, and we rejoice...the list is virtually endless, but the end result is we make memories in our home.

Each day we go about our routines, and rarely have I stopped to think about how my home came to be. I take for granted what is inside the walls because I am able to see/touch/experience it on a daily basis, but never thought to appreciate what is behind the walls. Until now...

A couple weeks ago, the plumbing, electrical, and mechanical were completed on the house. Each day I went by, I was in awe at the complexity and intricacy of this work. Behind the walls, and under the surfaces lies a complex maze of pipes, wire, and ducts. It truly does take great skill to see a mass of walls and understand how to lock each piece together to complete the perfect puzzle. And having seen how this the three separate puzzles were able to conjoin into one, I now have a much greater appreciation and respect for what is behind the walls.