Hard at work...

Hello all!!! For those of you who have never seen our new/old house from the outside this is what it looks like.

 Being back in Texas this week is unbearable. Other than it being another week alone in Texas I can't help but feel an intense anxiety that I'm not in Arkansas this week to do more work myself, but I guess somebody has to get the house in TX packed up and ready to go. I think Charli and I will be heading back up to AR this Thursday or Friday though so I can help do more before Brannon comes back with us the next following weekend for us to load up a truck and haul all our junk up there. This weekend Brannon and some of the family have been working away on the new/old place, even grand parents too.  Brannon had told me on the phone the last night that Grandma Tanksley pulled every staple up in the floor the other day getting it ready for the new wood floor and carpets to be put down. I love that sweet lady! Then Grandpa Tanksley helped Les get the rotted window in the front of the house re-framed. You just can't get those Tanksley's to slow down, they are just too adorable. I hope one day Brannon and I can have a relationship like those two. It's amazing the daily rituals those two love birds have like where they share a cup of coffee in bed every day before they get going and even take turns every other day as to who's gonna get up make the coffee. Just thinking of them warms my heart. Anywho, back on track to the renovations on the house and the progress that's being made.  You can see in the picture below the work I have already put in on the landscaping out front.

 

These bushes were as full and over grown as the bushes on the right of the house in the very first picture of the house up above.I just had to chop and trim those suckers down before it started to get too cold to work outside. While working on them my arms got so scrapped up I looked like I had been in a cat fight. Then low and behold I found our little garden friend behind the bushes, at least a three foot garden snake. We decided we'll let him stay there as long as he doesn't end up inside the house. I have  only tackled half of the bushes out front from the last time I was there, so when I get back up there and get all the landscaping cleaned up all around to the otherside I'll post an updated photo of it.

Next up is a picture of the small wall to the right of the stairs of the entry way when you come up the stairs. Brannon busted out the sheetrock on it and they got it widened and anchored down so we can build an shelf system on top of it up to ceiling that will be open from both sides for me to put pictures on and little nik-naks and stuff. I've always wanted to have shelfing that I can put old antiqued jars and bottles in of different colors and shapes for the light to shine through them. I believe we are going to stain the shelves to match the color of the wood that is going on the floor, it's going to look great.

Lastly but not least is a picture of our old dog Bear in his new dog house at his new home with the Drake family.  A few months ago before we had even thought of moving we had been talking of giving our younger choclate lab (Bear) to Brannon's sister Katie for her, her husband and their kids. Ever since we had gotten Bear he's always been a great pup, but our older black lab (Zoei') had become very dominant towards him through the past few years. So dominant to the fact that she would eat her food and his too as soon a we weren't looking, not allowing him to eat enough to pack on any weight or even play fetch and get any attention from us without her butting her fat butt in between us. Since we had Charli both of the dogs went from inside/outside dogs to just outside dogs and neither of them were getting any of the attention they used to. When the family discussed it we all decided that giving Bear to Katie and the kids would be the best for both dogs. That way Bear can get the undivided love and attention that he has always deserved and was never able to get adn Zoei's old butt can become an inside dog again. So the first weekend after Brannon started work up in Arkansas he had come back to Texas and picked up the dogs and went ahead and took them back with him. Turns out Bear and Zoei' are loving this transition. Bear has a whole family that will love him to himself and Zoei' has four other dogs in our neighborhood that she can run around the countryside with and boss around instead. It feels so good to see our dogs happy again!

Well once again that's all that we have for updates today! We are more than glad that you took your time to stop by and check in on what all has been happening with the move/remodel to our new/old home. Everybody stay safe and remember that even though we are all caught up in our busy lives that we are always thinking of you all. Much love to all our family and friends, and a special thanks to the Drake, Maestri, and Tanksley families for all the help with our new home. There's no way we could have ever gotten this much done this last month without all of you!!! x.o.x.o.