Lovin' It!

Okay, so it's been 2-1/2 weeks since we moved into our little studio addition... and we love it! :-)
I think Kerry was on to something when she said it's because we built this place ourselves. We've always lived in houses we designed and built ourselves, and now we are again, and truly, it does feel like home. I love the way the light plays across the walls and fills the entire space with a glow. I love the view of the ohia and kukui trees and looking over the top of the viney jungle ferns. I love sitting outside on our deck right at tree level, and the birds that break out into song and dance every morning and throughout the day. I love the smooth bamboo floors. I love being further from the road and the lesser amount of road noise. It's working out well with our paying guests in the hale, and it's so much fun to be here to greet them when they first arrive. And I'm having fun creating a new entry garden for our new entry.

But it is small. The biggest problem is that the countertops are not in yet. I'm working off of a 2'x18" piece of plywood that is now warped from humidity... so we'll be remedying this asap. I think we'll fly Matt over from Maui to take advantage of his professional expertise in finish-work; it'd be cheaper than hiring the local firm to install it the way we want. Plus, we get an extra visit in this way! I've picked out the laminate I want already and we'll get that locally, of course. After that, it'll pretty much just be trim and finishing touches to do... but since I've never had that done anyway, it'll really feel like home. ;-)

I plan on posting several more lots of photos as soon as I have enough time to download about 150 pics from my camera and sort them all out. Hopefully this weekend, maybe later today... unless we decide to go do something fun - swimming, take a hike, get the bikes down for a ride... Anyway, I'll let you know when they're ready.

Wedding plans are proceeding and things are coming together on that front. We had to completely rearrange our tickets to the mainland after all the airplane collapses in the last weeks. But fortunately Mike got us all rescheduled, refunded and rebooked - and we're arriving in Bonners on the same day as originally planned! That's a relief! Kerry's bridesmaid gown arrived in yesterday's mail. It fits perfectly and is absolutely gorgeous! We're very happy with the company we used. (Let me know if any of you need a lead on custom-made formals for a low price.) Now Mike and I have to find our wedding day outfits...

Mostly, we are relaxing and enjoying our new home and island life. We're taking a breather, now that the building rush is over and before the next flurry of activity. There's only a month before we go back to Idaho for the wedding and moving the rest of our stuff and getting Kerry set up in Seattle and all that. Until then, we hope to enjoy our tropical surroundings to the fullest and especially to do 'all the fun stuff' with Kerry while we still have her with us.

Aloha, Liz