The tour . . .

Here, let me show you around a little bit.

1. The television you see on the kitchen counter doesn't pick up any channels, it is solely there to play VHS videos that we have no other way to watch. This is probably too rare an occurrence to take up valuable counter space, but that's where it is for the time being.

2. The desk that you see James working at James calls the "Borg Cube" as it folds neatly up into one massive, and slightly imposing, cube. It sure is handy though.

3. My bedside table doubles as storage for my stamps and scrapbook supplies. James' bedside table is a bookshelf.

4. The only piece of furniture that I've ever bought new is the desk/china cupboard beyond the dining room table. The closest thing to furniture that we've bought new are the folding end tables that we picked up at the brand new Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Anchorage.

5. The side table with the plant on it, is actually Titus's kennel. We can tell how excited he is when we get home by how fast the leaves quiver.

6. The bed, white couch, white dresser, bookshelves, corner cupboard, table, and chairs are kind hand-me-downs from my parents. The antique dresser and bookshelf/sideboard are also hand-me-downs from James' parents. The couch and "Borg Cube" are used acquisitions of our marriage, and the little table with the roses on it is from Grandma Kuenning's house. We're hoping that we don't have to move it all any time soon!

7. All through the house are evidences of how much people love us. Wedding gifts sprinkle every photo. Probably most people reading this blog could recognize something given to us (even if it's too small in the picture to really see), from the Tibetan lantern hanging in the bedroom, to the tea pot on the kitchen stove. We've been very blessed.

8. There are four beautiful quilts in the bedroom. The one on the bed is a wedding gift from the Tylers. The one above the bed is a hand made graduation gift from Jeanne Hoyt, the blue one behind the dresser is a personalized gift from Loni Bowlus with our names and wedding date embroidered into it. The one quilt not shown is a lovely, hand stitched and hand quilted labor of love from Grandma King. It is awaiting a home not in danger of dog toenails and daily grime, a pretty quilt rack on the wall or some safe place where it will hold up for many years of "your great-grandmother made this for Daddy and me when we got married." All I have to do is touch it to feel the awe of Grandma's great love for me.

9. The fall flowers on the table were left with a FREE sign in our laundry room (which is in the bottom floor of our building). They were fun to arrange.

10. Since our apartment is on the end of a long building of apartments, it is one of the few that has three windows instead of just two. Because we are on the top floor, we have no one walking above our heads, because we are not in the middle, we only share one bedroom wall and the kitchen walls with our neighbor. We try to be good neighbors to the people beneath us and next to us, but we are thankful that we are not dependant on four other apartments to be good neighbors to us.