National Dog Day

Yesterday was National Dog Day. I tried posting a blog from my phone last night, but apparently it didn't publish... not that I mind bragging about our sweet doggies again or anything ;)

I find that their distincly different personalities are best described in pictures. So here we go...

They are UGA fans... just like Mom and Daddy

Sweet Polly loves to cuddle... but unlike Rocky she does not shove her self against you and snore loudly in your ear

His ears look like this when he wakes up

They hide together in the closet when storms come, and unless Daddy is home to console them, they stay in there...terrified!

Rocky loves to go where we go... he likes to do anything that anyone else is doing. He is very nosy.

They love car rides with the windows down!

Rocky and I Skyped when Shane and I were long distance.

When I worked from home... this is how Rocky sat until Shane got home from work.

They are Santa's helpers

Polly let's me paint her nails (but hates when we trim them)... she also lets me dress her up ;)

These costumes describe their personalities... Angel and Devil

Rocky hates getting a bath...

But Polly loves it!

Polly sleeps like this

Rocky tries so hard to sit still... but he gets so excited and can't help but jump up and down!

I had to say "squirrel" to get them to look at the camera.

Polly hides under the covers because she isn't supposed to get on the bed

 

 

We got them each a dog house... but they are inseperable and always got in the same one anyway, so we returned one of them.

 

Polly shakes her butt when she is excited... it it the cutest thing! Rocky will run from the other side of the house if he hears Polly's collar jingle because he knows that means she is getting pet. He will run her over to be the center of attention.

 

Polly plays defense when we throw the frisbee with Rocky... but she always lets him win.

 

Rocky knows the difference between his "toy" and his "clothes" and can find them in the house and bring them back to you.

 

Polly always waits for a release command (a.k.a.: permission), and Rocky begs for forgiveness with those big puppy eyes!

 

XoXo,

 

The Dog Lover



Newlywed...

I came across our old wedding website today... it seems like so long ago, but then again it has gone by so quickly! I can't believe we have almost outgrown our "newlywed" title. September 29 will be a year!

My sister, Tina, and her husband Justin will celebrate 3 years of marriage tomorrow.

Shane was my date to their wedding. 

I caught the bouquet.. and we were next in line on my side of the family. His sister Shawna beat us by a few months ;)

I asked him to be my date by giving him a tie and wrote,

"Please tie a knot in this tie and wear it when my sister ties the knot"

 



 

Soon I will pass on the "newlywed" title to my sister Lissa and her fiance. I had a class with Jason in college, and I set them up on a blind date! They are getting married in October.

 

My brother, David, and his AMAZING fiance, Sabrina, are also engaged!! Looks like they are the next in line for the title as long as they beat my sister-in-law, Kelly and her fiance Sean to the alter!!

 

Love is in the air!!

 

XoXo,

 

The Newlywed (for now)

We Put The PRO In Productive

I haven’t posted in a while now because we have been SO busy getting the house together. It is finally starting to come along! This past week, we hired architectural landscapers to level our backyard by building a retaining wall. It looks like a totally different yard!

I spent the weekend running errands and organizing while Shane built a pergola. He is so incredibly talented! He drew out some plans and built a beautiful pergola all by himself! I assisted by bringing him beer ;)
 

Before



After --  "All Decked Out" 

 

Day 0 compared to Day 1

 

Day 1 compared to Day 2

 

Day 2 compared to Day 3

 

 

 

Angela brought us a piece of her butterfly bush. It is the tall green stem in the back corner... fingers crossed we can get it to grow!

 

This is Shane's drawing for the pergola

 

He went to buy the supplies. We had to rent a truck because it wouldn't fit in the Prius.

(We sold his truck this weekend!!) 

 

He measured and drilled. He had to custom build it around our bay window.

 

One side was up in no time...

 

Then the frame was complete

Such a perfectionist...

 

Almost finished....

 

 

On Saturday night, we went with our next door neighbor to another neighbor’s house for a low country boil. It was DELICIOUS. We had such a great time playing Apples to Apples and spending time with our new friends!

On Sunday, I went to church with them while Shane worked to finish the pergola before the rain. Church was incredible. I loved the message, and I can’t wait to bring Shane next week! I have a feeling this is the church that will put our “Church Search” to an end!

Shane worked in the yard in between downpours the rest of the day while I ran a few more errands and organized the house. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the clutter on Saturday, but my sweet mom and grandma came over and helped me tackle my craft room. We have so many bedrooms that I get to have a room dedicated to my crafts and decorations. How fun is that!?

 

Before -- YIKES!!

After -- All of the decorations are organized by season and I have plenty of space in the middle to set up my card table and create my Pinterest Projects.

I also organized the kitchen cabinets, pantry, coat closet, linen closet, and the infamous “junk drawer”!

This week we are going to hang pictures and curtains and maybe even get the Man Room started! We also need to pressure wash the fence and stain it... maybe we just put the PRO in projects!

Thanks to all my prayer warriors who have been praying for my poor Daddy. He had kidney stones and shingles, but has passed the stone and is doing much better!  

XoXo,

The PROductive Blogger

All Decked Out

First of all, let me admit the obvious and say I am not good at keeping up the blog every day. Our life isn't THAT eventful, and we are spending so much time after work with projects for the house that I go a few days without posting.

This past weekend, the dreaded "deck project" continued as soon as I got home from work on Friday evening. Shane and our neighbor Bryan began ripping out the hideous stage/deck that came with the house on Thursday night, leaving Friday to dig out the concrete posts. I try and stay as positive as possible on the blog (and life in general)... so let's just say I am glad this project is behind us, and we are extremely grateful for Bryan's help (and his sledgehammer)!

 

Before

Before

 

Demolition

 

All Decked Out!!

 

Saturday I was invited by my sweet neighbor, Angela, to a women's Bible study at a local church. Cass is a member at Hillside Methodist, so the three of us rode together. What a wonderful group of women I met. I am so blessed the Lord has placed these people in my path, and I am excited to begin my weekly Bible study on August 21.

After church on Saturday morning, Shane and I continued the never-ending yard work until it was time to grill out with Bryan and Cass and their adorable sons Jackson and Bryson. Once they left, Shane and I fell asleep watching a movie... we were both so worn out!

We took all the blinds outside and hosed them down, cleaned them with Clorox and hanged them over the fence to dry.

 

Polly and Rocky got a bath, too!

Sunday we were able to sleep in, and then my Aunt Alison came over to help measure all my windows for curtains that she and I are going to make. (Alison did the measuring while I sat in awe of all the intricacies of the sewing process) I don't even know how to sew a button, and somehow I am determined to unbox the sewing machine that Shane gave me for Christmas and make curtains for the entire house. Hey... ya gotta start somewhere... right? I enjoyed spending the day with Alison shopping for fabric and picking her brain for decorating ideas!

Alison made this gorgeous candle holder!

Check out her website filled with her AMAZING work here!

This is the rug we have in the kitchen with the fabric samples that

Alison and I picked out for the house!!

 

Sunday night, Shane finished putting up the garage door openers. I am so thankful for all of his hard work. He is so handy, and we are able to save so much money since he can fix/build just about anything!

Our weekly date night to Moe's was a blast (as always)! We love having something to look forward to on Mondays (besides the Bachelorette of course). We ordered our food on our Moe's App so we didn't have to wait in the ridiculous line that forms around the building on Mondays. I joke and say that is the only place my husband can order a naked homewrecker ;)

Shane and I are having such an incredible time building friendships with our new neighbors and making our beautiful house feel more and more like our HOME!!

Shout outs to ALL of our sweet neighbors who have made us feel so welcome and prayer requests for my poor Daddy who is battling shingles and kidney stones at the same time. :(

XoXo,
The Deck Free Blogger