Knowing...

So, the saying goes, "You know when you're done." (I am referring to baby making.) Over the last few months I have found this expression extremely annoying.

Here is what I know.

I know I like a certain lifestyle. One that involves going to the movies and out to eat from time to time and maybe even a vacation once in a while. I know that I love my husband and my relationship with him means the world and more to me.

I know that I want to be able to afford to let Liam keep skiing for as long as he likes. And swim. And whatever. And Finn, too.

I know these things to be true. So, while some deep inner...something, yearns for one more babe from time to time, I KNOW it is not best for me and the lifestyle I have chosen.

I know this. I had to write it out. It is a choice. So...the whole "you know when you're done" thing seems so black and white and I feel like I am in the gray. As usual.

Teaser...

Our house is finally turning into our HOME. Here's a shot of Finn's room. I need to get a shot of his bed corner, but here's the main gist of his room. He is SO happy to have a train table in there.

Here you can see Liam in all his glory. He LOVES his room. Thus far, we have not been involved int he placement of anything except the furniture. He has things hanging and piled all over. We'll organize it eventually, but for now, he just loves having his own space.
And more than anything in the world he LOVE LOVE LOVES his bunk bed.
Here's the master. It's very calming...except for the boxes and unfinished closet, but all in good time.
Okay, two things of note in this picture. We bought our bed from a Japanese company in California. There are no screws or nails, all the wood fits together like a puzzle! It is pretty awesome...but a real pain in the neck to move. Now that our lovely carpet is in, I don't think we'll ever move it again.
Here's another shot of the room. You can see the reflection of the window in our mirror.
In case you didn't know, I LOVE our house. I love it. I am so happy. (Sore, exhausted, and totally tired of opening, unpacking, and breaking down boxes.) But, so so happy. I look forward to the months ahead - watching our property change with the seasons. I am counting the days until I can rent a roto-tiller and 'till' the garden. I actually can't wait to smell the earth as I dig and plant and rearrange stones...there will be so much to do and all of it outside...on my little piece of the earth. All the while my little boys will be filling their pockets with rocks and mud, hanging on trees, and getting into all sorts of trouble...ahhh....

We are still awaiting a dining room table and fancy futon for the basement. The fancy futon is a housewarming gift from my mom and David and I want you folks who are far away to pay special attention. We bought a queen size with a VERY nice mattress SO when you visit you will have a cozy, comfy place to sleep (and air mattresses for the kids). Yep, start booking your tickets and I'll get the buttermilk stocked for pancakes.

C'mon over...

So, I'd like to begin by showing you the amazing, dazzling light fixture that my Dad and Krissy gave us as a house warming present. 16 mason jars will hang from our ceiling and fill our evenings with a warm and magical glow. It arrived today and once we get our table, we will center and install. OOoooooo!!!!

Below is one of my favorite trees. I imagine she and I will share many a gaze as I wash endless dishes at my kitchen sink. This beauty is right outside.
So, when you pull up the 217 foot drive way, our abode will be to your left.
In warmer weather, you might want to just walk around back and look for us, as we will most likely be outside. Or grilling by the deck.
There are going to be some killer bbq's on this deck.
But, let's say, it's chilly and we are not outside. You'll want to walk up to the front door. Finn might greet you with a balloon if you are super lucky.
You might want to visit our cozy upstairs bedrooms. They are all sporting brand new hard wood floors. (Oak, in case you are wondering and they are absolutely gorgeous.)
Liam's room has the most windows. We hope to have paint on the walls in the next week or so and a bunk bed for the buddy as soon as it dries.
I have to admit, all the rooms look kind of the same. They aren't huge, but they are just right. This is the master...just a tad bigger than the boys' rooms.
And this is Finn's room - and even though it looks like all the others, I had to include this to show my brother and Mira how good the walls ended up. :)
I keep forgetting to take pictures of our gorgeous bathroom. It really is gorgeous...I'll try to remember tomorrow. In the meantime, we have been very busy in the playroom. We're priming all the window trim. They will be painted white.
Here's the view of our awesome front lawn from the playroom windows.
And finally, on these super chilly days, we can gather around the amazingly cozy wood stove. It warms the house like you wouldn't believe.
So c'mon over. It's super cozy over here, even if we don't have a lot of furniture. And who knows, you might meet Alien Finn. He's really cute and funny. He's also NOT ALLERGIC TO WHEAT ANYMORE!! WOOT WOOT!
He was tested for cat, dog, peanuts, various tree nuts, three different milk proteins, soy, wheat, egg white, and egg yolk. He only had bad reactions to: peanuts, black walnuts, and all three milk proteins. (The milk reactions were the worst). And, the only three nut he's allergic to is the black walnut). He actually had NO response to egg white and a small response to egg yolk. The doctor wants to play it safe, so we are going to keep away from eggs for one more year. We are also not taking any chances with tree nuts. He's never actually ingested this things, just responded to skin pricks. Anyway, the big news is that he can now have WHEAT. Tonight he ate his first REAL pasta! It was a mix of wheat and corn pasta...I don't want to overload him and have him in tummy pains. We'll work our way up to it. But I am thrilled about this. I am sure he'll be on to eggs next year...yipee!

Little by little...

While neither of them really gets "New Year's," both boys could feel a sense of festiveness in the air.

On to the house - we had our couch delivered. Amazing how just one piece of furniture makes the place feel like home already. Can't wait to replace the paper blinds...

I managed to get all the wallpaper off the playroom walls. The whole place looks lighter now. I have no idea what color we will put down there...but definitely something light.
More new year's eve pics with Mormor.
David caught this great and special moment my mom and I were having. She just got an iPhone. I'm just going to say it - I look pretty awesome for someone who spent the last 6 hours scraping wall paper...
Awww, tired little Finny Finn. This afternoon, as a reward for being so patient and helpful these last few days, I took Liam to see The Adventures of Tin Tin. Apparently, just minutes after we left, Finn conked out right at Bill's feet!
And so it goes. Scraping, spackling, priming, painting, scrubbing, vacuuming, and the list goes on and on. Every day a little closer to moving in. Today the former owner came to pick up a few last things they left in the yard. He gave me a tour of the property lines. I can't tell you how many trees we have...It would be fun to try and count them one day. There are so many...pines, paper birches, maples, evergreens...we've been scoping out spots for swings and tree forts. Yipee and happy new year, every one!