1999 was a year of massive change for Deanna and I. Her parents relocated to California from Hawaii in November of 1998. By January 1999, Deanna and I moved into a house we bought with them in Simi Valley.

Our domicile -- a modest five bedroom, three bathroom -- would have easily gone for twice our buying price if we had purchased a similar house back home in Hawaii. It's a two story structure with plenty of room for Deanna and I, her two parents, their Shih Tzu dog, our four cats and my pet snake.

Many people I've met think it's strange that Deanna and I live with her parents. The fact is, though, that back home in Hawaii the cost of housing is so prohibitive, virtually EVERY household has at least two generations living under the same roof. Living with family lets you pool your resources and gives everyone a very good support system. Besides, if Deanna and I start having kids, we'll have free childcare whenever we need it!

My father-in-law is a construction worker by trade, so we've been constantly fixing up the house since we moved in. Here are a few pictures of our home in its current state. I'll update these pictures as we make changes.

Being that we live in California, our vehicles have become an extension of our home, since we spend a lot of time driving. For this reason, I've included some photos of my truck and Deanna's snazzy Beetle!