We started to design and build our dream home soon after our marriage in December, 1999. We had a huge collection of ideas and things we liked -- both from the Internet and in magazines -- and we learned all about the process of building a home from scratch. The only thing holding us back was our decision of WHERE (which state!) to build.

Everywhere we've lived, we've made a habit of checking out the local "Parade of Homes" -- driving around different parts of town, visiting different neighborhoods, and familiarizing ourselves with the different home builders. A month after we moved to Nashville, we started our search in the Nashville and Franklin areas.

We spent the next 7 months, on and off, exploring neighborhoods and meeting with different builders. Oddly enough, the very FIRST subdivision we looked at was the one we eventually decided to build in.

This photo was taken the day we agreed to build in Franklin, Tennessee -- December 1, 2001.