Come on in!

This week has been filled with appointments, visits, and activities, so we put deep-cleaning on hold until next week. However, last week we did get the living room and kitchen finished.

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I'm pleased to say the kids have done a great job keeping the cleaned rooms clean these past 2 weeks.

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Maybe there's hope for them yet!

In the photo above, Jacob and Sarah are hard at work. It took a day and a half to do the job.

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At right is the finished product. That's the living room as seen from the kitchen.

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Now, you just come on in, have a seat, and make yourself comfortable!

Our house is tiny, just 1200 square feet. It seems to shrink as my kids grow. There are many things I'd love to improve: a bigger kitchen, a full-size laundry room, showers in both bathrooms, more storage space.

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Even so, it is our home. Small is cozy when you enjoy each others' company. Old, worn out furniture is undeniably comfortable. We are surrounded by shared memories.

Our favorite books and collections rest on the shelves. I no longer collect anything, but for a while I collected ceramic cats, castles, and Japanese art.

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I worked in a Japanese factory in Anaheim from May 1978 to March 1980. We manufactured heat-shrink labels, like the ones on the necks of the old Kraft salad dressing bottles. You broke open the label at the perforation.

My co-workers were fresh from Japan and spoke only a little English. They gave themselves American names like John Wayne or Kirk Douglas.

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This fan collection is on the wall of my home office. Each was a gift from a co-worker. They went home to Japan and returned with gifts, including Japanese candies and a raw silk scarf.

This is the side of the room with a view, but it's sure hard to get a clear picture with sunlight pouring in the window in the background!

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How do those home and garden magazines do it?

On the opposite side of the room is the entertainment center. Dylan spends more time here than anyone, playing Wii and GameCube with his friends.

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My favorite souvenirs are also on this side of the room.

We always come home with tee-shirts proclaiming our vacation destinations, but my favorite souvenirs are the ones that show our family together.
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This portrait was done at Disneyland in July 2007. Everyone who sees it agrees that the artist drew us all well, but that she captured my likeness especially well. I'm not too sure I like that!
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Our photographs were etched by laser into this big crystal cube when we went to Las Vegas in 2003, creating a 3-dimensional portrait. It is hands down the most money I ever spent on a souvenir, but I just love it. (The cost: $220)

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It was hard to get a decent shot of it, but if you click on this picture I think you'll be able to see all of our 3-D faces pretty well.

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This is my roll-top desk on a little wall between the kitchen and the hall.

And here we have our short little hall. There isn't much wall space in my house, but I've filled nearly every inch with family portraits.
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I truly appreciate art. I like to look at the gorgeous art that beautifies the homes of the rich and famous in magazines.

But to me, nothing is more beautiful to hang on my walls than my family. Except paintings of our Savior, of course! I have a few of those, too.

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Thanks so much for coming. I really enjoyed our little visit. Please come back to see us any time!