Update

Shane and I were able to spend some much needed quality time together last night. He studies every night for the CPA, so quality time has been hard to come by. I am SO proud of his dedication and ambition. He is working very hard, and it is really wonderful to see him succeed.

For years we have gone on a date every Monday. After our date last night, we went to Walmart to pick up our Christmas cards and get a few presents. I am a little behind on the shopping and mailings this year. Work has been so hectic, and Shane and I prefer to spend our limited free time with Nana and Uncle Greg. 

Please keep both of them in your prayers. 

I am looking forward to a short week next week, and we are excited to see family over the holidays. 

Uncle Greg

I am taking a break from updating my own blog as I take time to write far more important posts regarding my Uncle Greg's condition on Caring Bridge.

On Friday, Greg's biopsy revealed that he has a tumor on his brain known as glioblastoma. This aggressive tumor has already taken the life of one of our family members -- my Great Uncle Bobby. The cause of this inoperable tumor is unknown, but according to Greg's doctors it will take his life. 

For now, we pray for a miracle-- the type of miracle that only our Lord and Savior can orchestrate. More realistically, we hope that God will grant each of us with the grace and mercy necessary to deal with this devastating situation.

Please visit the Caring Bridge site for updates, and keep my family in your thoughts and prayers. 

Thank you! 

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