My dream house...it was a lovely dream

I want to write a big post complete with pics about the recent journey I've had to take.  It's been painful and amazing all at the same time.  For now, I will tackle the building and the exterior. 

After years and years of planning, we were finally able to build our dream home (well mine, with a few things thrown in for the husband, he's not picky) in 2008. 

We went from the home we'd been in for 5 years on our beautiful property

It's a lovely piece of property (2 acres) with a view of the valley below.  No neighbors on 3 sides for almost complete privacy.

And my beautiful garden (that's my sister's home you see in the background)

 
My sister and I lived next to each other.  We each had our own gardens and a community garden we did together (for canning that we never got around to, haha).  It was the life I'd always wanted.  Both sets of parents lived close.  We lived in the Northwest in Washington.  We both grew up here and love it.  I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Then we built this beauty.  We general contracted it ourselves with creative financing and using subcontractors.  I had an awesome guy that was out of work and needed a job who came in halfway through and pretty much worked for me full time....building decks, hanging cabinets, fixing all the other guys' mistakes (and there were lots), laying flooring and tile...etc.  Richard was a Godsend to us.  It was stressful and fun all at the same time.

Oh, did I mention I had 3 kids and was 8 months pregnant with baby #4?  The funny thing is, I really dislike chaos on a normal basis.  I bit off a lot with this one for sure.

I guess I do look a little tired

Ephraim was born 6 weeks before we moved in.  It was an interesting time.  But I loved the process.

Isn't it gorgeous? 

I'm a big fan of symmetry. I designed the whole house around it. Keeping those windows lined up was challenging.

And oh, the view off the back deck...breathtaking

It's getting late, so I'll call it a night and do another long post tomorrow.  Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your feedback.