great room

I have been reminded to post another picture of the house.  So here you go.  This is the great room and it was nearly impossible to get a picture that even sort of represents it.  It is a really bright, two story room with floor to ceiling windows.  The lighting is partly why I had a hard time getting any sort of a decent picture.

The room is open to the kitchen and dining area, which we of course love.  I love that the girls can be playing while I get dinner ready and I can keep my eyes on what they are doing.  Most of the toys are in the bonus room, but we keep a few downstairs in the storage under the stairs.  Our furniture seems  a lot smaller in this room than it did in our old house.  Funny story about the couches.  In the apartment we were in while we waited for the house to be built, we only had room for the love seat.  When we pulled the couch out of storage, Heidi was fascinated that we had two.  She started calling the couch the 'fancy couch'.  I have no idea why.  "Put Care Bear on the fancy couch."  "Let's sit on the fancy couch."  When we asked her what the love seat was she said it was the 'plain couch'.  I guess if you sit in storage long enough you become fancy.

This is from the top of the stairs.  I guess you can kind of see the high windows.  The view out the windows is gorgeous.  The fireplace is the one thing I would have done differently.  We were 6 inches short of what we needed to do the alcove, but it was too late by the time we realized it.  Oh well.  It keeps us nice and toasty all the same...sometimes a bit too toasty, but I'm not complaining.  I can't believe how well it heats the whole house and both girls love to sit and watch the flames.  There's nothing quite like heat from a wood burning stove.  I hope Savanna is as cautious as Heidi because I am a little nervous about next winter when she is crawling and walking, but I am sure Heidi will keep her in check.  :)