In February 2000 we moved out of and sold Melinda's house, and purchased a place of our own. Although it's a typical 1970s tract home in appearance, it's got three big things going for it: a good floor plan under all that brown paint, proximity to the Phoenix Mountains Preserve and the city in general, and a location smack in the middle of the best school district in the state.

The photos above are from our walkthrough, just before we moved in, and show the previous owners' decor.

It may not look like much now, but the sketch should be a hint to you that we have quite involved plans for our modest little home. Our ultimate goal is to make it look like the Royal Palms, where we got married. We're convinced it's possible, especially since we're willing to expend a lot of elbow grease in the process.