After installing a wallpaper border in the kitchen, it was time to add a border to Gary's home office. We found this border over a year ago and liked it because of the "Pine Creek Lodge" logo on it. We have named our property "Whitings' Whispering Pines", so it fit our style perfectly.
Office Before Border
Office After Border
Twin Bed in Office
We hada twin bed that we were able to place in the corner of Gary's home office. We are thinking of turning it into a "day bed" eventually.
We added a wallpaper border in our kitchen. It is perfect for our personalities because there are apples for Debi (the teacher) and oil lamps for Gary (who collects oil lamps). This photo shows a close-up view of the border.
East Wall Before the Border
This is how the wall looked before the border was installed. Eventually, the white painted area will have tongue-and-groove, but in the meantime we get to enjoy a little border.
East Wall After Border is Installed
Here is how the wall looks now that the apple/oil lamp wallpaper border is installed. Notice the large red apple on top of the white microwave? It is actually a ceramic Dutch Oven that Gary bought for Debi. It is a great dish to use for serving Apple Cobbler!
Every year we buy a live tree so that in January we can plant it on our property. Last year (2009) was the only year that we didn't get a tree. We knew we'd be out of town on Christmas, and I think we were just too tired to be bothered with putting up a tree, so we didn't. However, since this will be our first Christmas in the log cabin, we made sure we purchased a tree for the living room. It is a 7-foot Aleppo Pine, a tree which does very well in our high desert climate. We placed it in front of the window so you can see it as you come up the driveway. This photo was taken with a flash, so you aren't able to see the lights as well. We are super excited to finally celebrate Christmas in our log home!
Fireplace in the Living Room
We have a fake fireplace in our living room that makes a great place to hang our stockings. It also showcases the three nativity scenes for 2010, plus a nativity scene made of olive wood from Bethlehem.Merry Christmas, everyone!
Every year Debi buys one new nativity scene to add to her collection. This year she purchased a small Amish nativity. The Amish believe that painting faces on their human characters constitutes "idol worship" so they never put facial features on their characters. (Ironically, the animals in this nativity scene have faces painted on them.) In July of 1999, Gary and Debi visited the Amish country in Ohio. We purchased a few books and dolls, but weren't able to find anything for Christmas. When Debi saw this creche, she knew it would be the one she would purchase for Christmas 2010.
Peruvian Nativity 2010
Earlier this year, a fellow teacher at Debi's school purchased this nativity at the San Juan Capistrano Mission in California. She knew Debi collected nativities and bought it for her. The sticker on the bottom said, "Made in Peru". Then, a few days ago, a student of Debi's gave her a similar one from the same California Mission. When a friend of Debi's (Kasey Andruski) from church saw the creche, she exclaimed "I have that same nativity! My parents got it for me in Peru!" Debi was excited to finally have a creche from South America to add to her collection.
Traditional Nativity 2010
The students at school had a fundraiser and one of the items available for purchase was this traditional nativity, so Debi bought it to add to her collection.
Gary installed slate around the kitchen pantry door. He also installed a motion-sensor light so that when you open the door and walk in, the light comes on automatically. It's very handy when your hands are full--you don't have to turn a light switch on or off! Later, Gary will install manufactured stone above the pantry in the area where you see the cement board.
Lights Around Front Door
Gary installed new lights around the front door. We purchased these lights two years ago and are excited to finally be able to put them up and enjoy them. They are from Kalco's "Ponderosa" collection and have little pine cones on them. (We also have a single matching light in the front hall entry way.) Later, Gary will install manufactured stone around the door, as well as around the bottom of the pillars (about three feet high) and at the peak (triangle-shaped area) above the doorway.
Kitchen Cook Top
Gary installed the cook top the day before Thanksgiving. It got a good "breaking in" when Debi's family visited for the holidays. We had 18 people over for Thanksgiving Day. It has six burners and a griddle. We still have to use the old stove for the oven portion. Someday we will have a built-in microwave oven/wall oven combination. We still need to purchase a vent hood over the cook top--all these things take money!
Slate Around the Master Bedroom Fireplace
Gary installed slate around the master bedroom fireplace. He will build a small curio cabinet under the fireplace for books and/or nicknacks.
Gary and Debi met on July 31, 1998 and were married four months later on November 27, 1998 in the Oakland Temple.
We had both been married before. Debi was widowed in February 1998 when her husband, Mike Ramsey, died unexpectedly from a heart attack. Gary was divorced and living in Auburn, California. We met because Debi wanted to sell Mike's guns and her sister's husband (Scott) knew that Gary had owned a gun shop in Washington years before. Gary and Scott came down from Sacramento to look at the guns to see what they were worth. Both Gary and Debi felt something special right away and were engaged a week later! (When you know it's right, why wait?)
Now some "little unknown facts" about us...Debi collects "Cinderella" books from other cultures, anything from Disney's "101 Dalmatians", and Christmas nativities from around the world.
Gary collects oil lamps and has over 20 different types. He served in the United States Navy for ten years and was stationed on three different submarines. He can actually say he has lived underwater!
Close-up of Office Wallpaper Border
Office Before Border
Office After Border
Twin Bed in Office
