Puppyhood

Ahhh, puppyhood!  Much like parenthood, Dottie's puppyhood has given me more joy than I could have imagined while simultaneously being more work than I bargained for.  

Dottie has brought so much more joy to my life.  That unconditional love is hard to beat.  Her sweet enthusiasm and the sheer volume of kisses I receive each day really make me feel like I'm pretty special.  The weight of her little body snuggled up on my chest while I watch tv on the couch is the best hit of serotonin out there.        

Puppyhood is not without its challenges, however.  When we got our first dog Jazzy, she was at least two years old.  She was potty-trained and crate-trained, walked well on a leash and was content to sit on the back of the couch for hours on end.  Dottie, on the other hand, needs so much more attention!  I knew a puppy would be a lot of work, but it has surprised me a bit just how much work.

I was not prepared for how much I would say, "Get that out of your mouth!"  Dottie usually has something in her mouth that's not supposed to be in there.  I've pulled rocks, grass, some random person's used chewing gum on multiple occasions, mushrooms, socks, an entire branch of my hydrangea plant and gobs of other stuff out of her mouth.  It's a wonder any dog survives puppyhood!  I'm constantly worried she's going to choke or eat something that will make her sick.  Her favorite thing to have in her mouth is someone's fingers.  Her little teeth sure are sharp!  I'm looking forward to teething being a thing of the past for sure.  

And potty-training has been a bit of a struggle.  She does pretty good when it's just me and her during the day while the kids and Adam are away.  I can focus my attention on her and have her routine down.  But add more people and take away some of my attention and it's a bit trickier.  I know we'll all get this potty-training thing down eventually.

Other than chewing and potty-training, I'm truly enjoying having a puppy!  And a large majority of people also love puppies.  It is so much fun to take Dottie for walks around our neighborhood!  People love to stop and visit with Dottie.  I think because she's so tiny, that makes her extra cute.  People have pulled their cars over to the side of the street and stopped mid bike ride to tell me how cute she is.  There was also a tree-trimming crew and the guy way up in the tree with a chainsaw stopped cutting down a branch long enough to yell down to me that I had the smallest, cutest puppy he's seen.  Despite being a more introverted person who doesn't love talking with people I don't know, I love sharing Dottie with other people!  Perhaps people with opposing views could get along a little better if they were put in a room together with a puppy. 

It's pretty amazing how quickly Dottie is growing and changing!  When we first got Dottie, she weighed a whopping 2 lbs. 9 oz.  She was tiny!  She was so tiny that she could fit in between some of the fence slats in our backyard.  Adam had to add some strips of cedar all along the bottom of our fence to keep her in.  We have some large rocks strategically placed around some spots, too.  Dottie also kept crawling under our living room sectional and would get way in the back corner so I couldn't reach her.  There are cords from lamps and the router back behind the couch so I definitely didn't want her back there.  I ended up just taking the legs off the sectional.  Our couch sits a little lower now, but it makes it easier for Dottie to get up to her prime window viewing spot.  The things we do for our dogs!  Thankfully, she is getting bigger.  I got a baby scale from someone on my Buy Nothing group so I can keep track of her growth.  She's up to 5 lbs. and will hopefully keep getting a bit bigger.  As cute as she is, I hope she grows a bit more so she won't get as tangled up in our feet and can withstand the kids' more rambunctious methods of play. 

Watching Dottie experience new things is just precious.  She's very curious about new experiences, but still a little cautious.  I've read about how important it is expose puppies to all kinds of different environments and people and animals.  So we've tried to expose her and include her in all sorts of different activities.  I take her with me to pick up the kids from school so she'll be more comfortable in the car.  She was a rockstar on her first road trip to visit my parents!  We've taken her out on the porch when it storms.  I vacuum with her close by and brought her outside while Adam was mowing the lawn.  I let her explore things like ice cubes and toilet paper rolls and the hose while I'm watering my flowers.  We let her greet people on our walks and she's gotten to know our neighbors.  Dottie loves our neighbor who works in his yard everyday.  She sticks her little nose through the fence slats and wags her tail until he comes over to pet her.  It's so sweet.  She'll be all caught up on her puppy vaccines in a few weeks and then she can be around other dogs.  I can't wait to introduce her to all the neighborhood dogs we see on our walks!  

Speaking of walks, she's getting much more comfortable being on a leash.  It doesn't take us quite as long to get around the neighborhood as those first few walks took.  We're working on stopping and sitting when we come to the street and waiting until I tell her "free" to cross.  And despite her little legs, she's more than happy to walk most of the route!  I do pick her up from time to time to give her a little rest.  Sometimes she even wants to run a bit, which I'll give into every once in awhile.  I'm sure our neighbors have some excellent doorbell camera footage of me running behind Dottie.  And I can only imagine the conversations they hear!  I tend to talk to Dottie throughout our walks.  Actually, I tend to talk to Dottie throughout most of the day. 

     

One of the things I've enjoyed most is working on her commands and tricks.  She adores treats and picks up on things very quickly.  So far she knows sit, down, come and shake.  There was a big celebration when Dottie finally figured out how to shake.  Dottie is a very smart girl and I can't wait to add more tricks to her repertoire.  

I am really soaking up these puppy days!  I'm looking forward to all that puppyhood has to offer.  I can't wait until she can be around other dogs so she can make some doggy friends.  I'm also going to try to plan a playdate with her siblings.  Dottie's foster mom arranged for the owners of all three siblings to be in a group chat so we can keep up with each other, which is just the sweetest.  Watching Dottie learn new things and gain more confidence is such an honor.  I'm truly lucky to get to call her my puppy.   

Welcome to the Family, Dottie!

We welcomed a sweet new puppy to our family on August 18, 2023.  Even though the newest member of our family is tiny, she sure has filled our home with a lot of love and happiness.  Our whole family is smitten with our new puppy, Dottie.  

Allow me to tell you the story of how Dottie came into our lives.  I've been feeling the itch to get another dog for several months now.  My heart had done some healing since we said goodbye to Jazzy.  My kids were getting ready to start kindergarten.  I just missed the presence of a dog in our lives.  So I started looking at Petfinder and some websites of local shelters.  I also started to really talk up the idea of a dog to Archer and Lyla.  They are a little leery of bigger dogs and just haven't been around a lot of dogs since Jazzy.  We read library books about dogs, we stopped to pet dogs on our walks and I showed them lots of cute videos of dogs.  Eventually, they started saying they wouldn't mind getting a little dog or maybe they just agreed to it so I would stop talking about it.

  

I happened to notice on Facebook that one of my former school colleagues Cheryl took in a litter of puppies to foster.  The puppies were brought into a local shelter (KC Pet Project) at 5 days old as strays without their momma.  After spending some time with other fosters, they ended up with Cheryl.  She bottle fed them day and night and shared updates on Facebook.  I would be lying if I said I didn't compulsively check for updates each day.  There was something about those sweet puppies that was calling me to them.  Cheryl did a DNA test on one of the pups and it came back saying the puppies were a mix of small breeds.  (47% Chihuahua, 20% Yorkshire Terrier, 12% Boston Terrier, 8% Dachshund, 7% Pug, 2% Miniature Pinscher, 1% Parson Russell Terrier, 1% Toy Fox Terrier, 1% Pomeranian, 1% Beagle)  That particular mix of breeds results in quite possibly the cutest litter of puppies I have ever seen.       

So I reached out to Cheryl and told her I was interested in the puppies and would love to meet them.  Mind you, I did all this without talking to Adam or the kids.  I figured there was time to get them on board and was hopeful that meeting them would be enough to convince them.  I casually mentioned to Adam that a former colleague of mine was fostering some puppies and showed him their pictures.  I asked if we could "just go look" at them.  Adam must have recalled that when I say we should "just go look" at a dog that means we will actually be bringing that dog home with us.  He looked at the pictures for a good while and wasn't really saying anything.  I was worried he would try to talk me out of it.  But instead he said, "Does it make sense to get two of them?"  It's safe to say he was on board.  We arranged to take the kids with us to meet the puppies.  Their reaction would be the true test of whether or not a dog could join our family.  Thankfully, the kids did great and were elated with the puppies.  We learned from Cheryl that the shelter she fosters for won't allow people to adopt puppies from the same litter.  There's something called Littermate Syndrome which can happen when two puppies from the same litter are raised together.  Basically, they form such a close attachment to each other that they have difficulty bonding with humans or other animals.  So we obviously ended up with only one puppy. 

All three puppies in the litter were absolutely adorable and had their own sweet personalities.  But there was just something about Dottie.  I felt like she just looked me in the eyes at one point and I knew it was meant to be.  She was the smallest of the litter, but wasn't afraid to explore a bit.  She was incredibly sweet and playful, but also had a little spunk.  Plus, she was Cheryl's favorite and I figured someone who has fostered lots of puppies before would know a thing or two about picking the perfect puppy.  So we agreed to bring Dottie home with us after her spay surgery at 8 weeks old.  Cheryl was kind enough to invite us to one of the puppies' vaccination appointments at the shelter and allowed us to visit Dottie while we were waiting to take her home.  Even though Dottie had a rough start in her life, Cheryl certainly swooped in and gave her so much love and the absolute best care.  She also made sure Dottie and the other puppies were socialized with people of all ages, along with her cats and dogs.  

I was a little bit nervous to take her home when the time finally came.  We would pick her up the day she had her surgery and I figured she would be sore and loopy from the anestheia.  Plus, we would be taking her away from her foster mom, her siblings and the place she called home.  But when the shelter staff brought her out to us and put her in my arms, I let go of all those worries.  She immediately climbed up to my face and gave me all sorts of kisses.  I might have had to wipe away a few happy tears!  Dottie took to our family so quickly and easily.  Her surgery didn't seem to even phase her at all.  We tried our best to keep her calm and quiet for the required 10 days after her surgery, but she just wanted to act like a puppy!  She never seemed upset or depressed even though she was around new people and a new environment.  She must have been able to feel all the love pouring out of Adam, the kids and me.  

We've had her now for a week and a half and she has adjusted so well!  She is rocking potty training and sleeps through the night.  She is eating well and already looks like she is older and bigger.  She adores playing with her toys and snuggling up next to us on the couch to take naps.  She has learned what "sit" means and has been practicing walking on a leash.  She's just growing up so fast already!  

The kids can't get enough of her!  They want to spend their time before and after school playing with Dottie.  They both request that Dottie wakes them up each morning, so I set Dottie on their bed to go kiss them awake.  It's just about too much for my heart to handle all those giggles and squeals of delight each morning.  I bring Dottie with me to pick up the kids from school so she can get used to being in the car.  Archer and Lyla always greet Dottie before me after they get in the car.

I can't begin to explain how grateful I am that Dottie has joined our family.  She has helped me through the kids' transition to kindergarten.  She had opened up the part of my heart that closed when I had to say goodbye to Jazzy.  Dottie just brings a lightness and happiness to my life that I didn't even realize I needed.  She's snuggled up next to me as I type this.  She's just perfection in puppy form.  

    Welcome to the family, Dottie! 

My Home Composting Experience

When I first started trying to increase my sustainability efforts, composting was something that kept coming up.  I had heard about it, but didn't really know much about it.  I now understand composting is basically recycling organic matter (think food scraps and yard waste) into soil.  According to the EPA, "Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30 percent of what we throw away, and could be composted instead.  Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas."*  That's a really large percentage of stuff that could literally be prevented from ever going into the landfill!

After doing some very basic research, I decided to just go for it and learn along the way.  In January of 2020 I convinced Adam to put what's considered a digester in our backyard.  A digester is essentially an enclosed compost bin.  (Here's a link to a tutorial you can use to make one of your own.)  I decided an enclosed compost bin was best for our situation.  We still had our sweet dog Jazzy and she loved to eat any and all food.  So we wanted to keep all those food scraps contained and away from her.  Plus, Archer and Lyla were younger and like to explore everything.  We also have lots of bunnies and chipmunks and squirrels and probably other critters I don't care to know about hanging around our yard.  The idea of a compost bin that wouldn't encourage more critters was very appealing.  So we got a garbage bin, drilled holes in the bottom and sides, dug a hole and stuck in the bin!  It was simple and didn't take too much time.  

Once we had our bin in place, we added just a bit of dirt to get things set up.  Then I did some more research to determine what exactly we could put in our compost bin.  You want to have a fairly even mix of green matter and brown matter.  Green matter includes things like fruit and vegetable scraps and grass clippings.  Brown matter includes things like cardboard, twigs and dead leaves.  The EPA's website has a good list of items to get you started.  Here's a list of some of the things we compost: fruit and vegetable scraps (think watermelon rinds, apple cores, potato peels), dead flowers, wine corks (make sure they are actually cork and not plastic), hair trimmings, toothpicks, cardboard, eggshells, parchment paper (make sure it says 'home compostable' on the the box- we use the 'If You Care' brand) and floss (again, make sure it says 'home compostable.')  Some things definitely break down faster than others.  The smaller you break down the items to begin with, the quicker they will break down into compost.  So instead of throwing in a whole cardboard box, rip it up first.  And smush up eggshells instead of throwing them in whole.  You get the picture.  Oh, and remember to remove any stickers from your produce before putting them in your compost bin since they won't break down. 

One thing that has been helpful is keeping a bowl in our freezer for all of our food scraps.  This keeps food from smelling and freezing it first actually helps it break down faster.  It also prevents me from having to go outside anytime I end up with an apple core.  I just toss things in there and then take the bowl outside when it gets filled up.  I might just be weird, but it brings me a nice sense of satisfaction each time I empty a bowl of scraps into our compost bin.   

I was a bit overwhelmed when we first started composting.  I think I checked Google before composting anything because I was worried I would do it wrong.  But composting isn't an exact science.  Even if you don't have an exactly equal amount of green and brown matter, it will still break down.  And after doing it for two years, it's become second nature.  Whenever we go on vacation or visit family that doesn't compost, I feel incredibly weird throwing away banana peels in the trash.  Archer and Lyla even have a pretty good sense of what to stick in the freezer versus the recycling bin or the trash.

Another piece of the composting puzzle is to regularly turn it.  Every once in awhile, when I bring out a bowl of scraps, I will grab a shovel from the shed and stir up all the contents of the compost bin.  Since our bins are buried in the ground, water seeps in the sides and we don't really have to add any water.  If you have a compost bin that's above ground, it's a good idea to give it a spritz of water every once in awhile to help it decompose.  

After composting for about two years, we realized our bin was getting pretty full.  Things were definitely decomposing, but we kept adding in new stuff.  Since it was January, we weren't ready to use it in our garden.  So we decided to add a second bin.  That way, we could stop adding stuff to the first bin and let that totally decompose so it would be ready to use in our garden when we planted it in May.  Looking back, we probably should have added two bins to begin with.  But we figured it out eventually.  

So this past May, I got to add our first batch of compost to our little raised garden.  It was pretty amazing that all those food scraps and cardboard somehow turned into soil!  We had enough to give our whole garden a good layer of compost. 

And look at how happy my garden is!  It is thriving this year and I truly think the compost made all the difference.  I planted lettuce and tomatoes this year.  We enjoyed lettuce throughout June and even had extra to share with our neighbors.     

We've had a few cherry tomatoes ripen so far and they are delicious.  I'm looking forward to even more throughout July and August.  We planted mint way back in 2016 and it comes up every year even though I rip it out continuously throughout the year.  We also had a few volunteer plants pop up this year.  They appear to be vines, so it will be fun to see what we end up with.  Could be pumpkins or cucumbers or watermelon, who knows?! 

With our two compost bins being so successful, we decided to add another compost setup strictly for our yard waste.  Adam got the idea from our neighbor who has a similar setup.  Our neighbor even shared some supplies with us.  (We are truly lucky to have so many sweet neighbors.)  The plan is to put all the sticks we pick up from the yard, along with leaves in the fall and plant trimmings into these bins.  It's divided into three sections.  The first section is where we add stuff to begin with.  Once it starts to break down, we add it to the next section.  Once it's fully broken down and ready to be used as compost, we'll keep it in the third section.  With this system, we'll be able to completely eliminate the need for curbside yard waste pick up.  Plus, we'll end up with more compost for our garden and flower beds around the yard.  

So now I just toss all those random sticks and flowers that I've deadheaded into the first section.  When I'm watering the garden, I give the setup a spritz of water to help things break down a bit more since it's above ground.  I'm so glad Adam came up with this idea.  When we were visiting my parents this past weekend, we had some corn on the cob.  Adam asked if he could bring home the husks for our compost bin and I've never been more in love.  Just kidding, but I do love how he's hopped on board this sustainability train with me.       

Composting has allowed me to reduce our household waste by a lot!  We end up with one trash bag each week and usually it's not even full.  It has also helped our little garden grow.  And I'm so happy this is one small thing I can do to help our planet.  I hope you'll consider giving composting a try!  I'm always here to answer any questions.  

*https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home

Goodbye, Sweet Jazzy

I said goodbye to my sweet Jazzy on October 2nd and there's been a gaping hole in my heart ever since then.  There will always be a spot for Jazzy reserved in my heart.  

She was a rescue dog.  Yes, Adam and I adopted her from a little shelter in the middle of Kansas, but Jazzy is the one who truly rescued me.  I was still drowning in the sorrow of losing my first baby and the infertility that came afterwards when Jazzy entered our lives.  Adam and I both desperately wanted a baby, but a human baby wasn't yet in the cards for us.  So Jazzy became our baby.  

While I don't quite understand why things work out the way they do, I do believe there's something bigger than us.  The universe somehow brought Jazzy into our lives.  I knew she was meant to be ours when I saw her picture online.  Adam wasn't convinced until we visited her in person.  As soon as we arrived at the shelter "just to look" at her, she trotted right up to Adam and gave him a big ol' kiss.  Needless to say, we brought her home with us.  

And she was perfect for us.  She was just what I needed.  Looking back, I was severely depressed and really should have gotten some professional therapy.  But my therapy came in the form of Jazzy.  I started taking her for daily walks, which meant exercise for me.  She kept me company during a very lonely time.  She helped me to focus on the joys in my life instead of just the pain.  She helped me to welcome hope back into my life.  I just cannot fully express what she did for me.  She somehow knew when I needed extra snuggles or when I needed some comic relief.  Staring into her soulful little eyes helped me heal.  

Jazzy was such a good girl.  She was eager to learn new tricks and to please us.  She took it upon herself to be our guard dog and protector.  She rarely barked, but did alert us if someone she wasn't familiar with came to our door or if another dog dared to come too close to us.  She adored walks and her excitement for them was contagious.  She was happy to walk around our neighborhood and loved the new smells trails offered her.  

While Jazzy wasn't particularly close with Archer and Lyla, she knew her job was to protect them and she took it very seriously.  She always greeted us when we came home from somewhere and wouldn't head back to her perch on the back of the couch until both kids were in the house.  She put up with their incessant noise and activity in exchange for treats and bits of dropped food.  She never showed any jealousy towards the kids, despite them taking over most of our attention.  She was just as content to get a quick head scratch in passing.    

She was such a good girl.  The best girl.  

Less than a year ago, Jazzy was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  She had always had a pretty prominent heart murmur, so we knew that congestive heart failure might be in her future.  We started her on medications and she responded really well to them for quite awhile.  Eventually, she maxed out on her medications and we knew it was time to start making plans so that her final days could be as comfortable as possible.  I read a lot about how to determine when the time was right to help your pet end their life.  Of course it's a gray area and ultimately you know your own pet best, but I read many accounts of people wishing they had made the decision earlier to eliminate suffering.  Armed with that knowledge, we were able to make the difficult decision before Jazzy had to suffer for very long.

Adam came across an organization called Lap of Love.  Lap of Love is a network of veterinarians all across the United States who offer in-home end-of-life care for pets.  Once we knew it was time to end Jazzy's suffering, we contacted our local Lap of Love branch.  Every person we spoke with was so thoughtful and helped us feel like we were making the right decision.  The veterinarian who came to our home was so incredibly kind.  I hope no one needs this service any time soon, but keep this organization in the back of your mind.  Allowing Jazzy to pass peacefully in her own home where she felt most comfortable felt like such a gift for her and for us. 

We made sure to give her the best day before her appointment.  We took her to a trail, brought her dog bed outside in the driveway so she could enjoy the fresh air and got her a puppy scoop from our local ice cream shop.  After a bittersweet final walk around our neighborhood, it was time for the veterinarian to arrive.  Dr. Emily was so sweet to Jazzy and brought her lots of treats to enjoy.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the whole experience was very calm and peaceful.  Adam wrote and read Jazzy a letter which had all of us (Dr. Emily included) in tears.  As sad as it was, there sure was a lot of love in the room. 

Here's Adam's sweet letter: 

Dear Jazzy,  

When Sara and I left our house on December 13, 2014, with the intention of “just looking” I had no  idea I’d be finding my very best friend. The moment we saw one another, you trotted across that dog  haired matted couch we sat on at the shelter and gave me a nice kiss right on the face. I knew Sara was  hooked from that moment (I was too), my only reservations were how much hair you left all over me  after sitting in my lap for such a short time (you were just nervous).  

We’re so glad you took a chance on us; we are so lucky to have spent the last nearly 7 years of our lives  with you. You helped us both out of the darkness of unexpectedly losing our first unborn daughter. And  later the unexpected death of our friend Tim. You were there to graciously greet your newborn brother and sister four years ago, even if it meant stepping out of the primary spotlight. Please know that you’ll  always be our first baby.  

We will miss your unconditional love and affection. Your excitement of when one of us has come home  from the office or even a short errand. We will miss your excitement every time we pull your leash  down for your next adventure. I will miss our late-night outings and runs. I will miss walking and  running you while pushing your siblings in every kind of buggy imaginable the last 4 years, no matter  how tricky that might be. I will miss your unwavering interest in the outdoor hikes we’ve taken around  here. Thank you for exploring with us. I will miss you snuggling with Sara and I and despite your size  somehow taking over the queen size bed.  

There’s so much more we wish we had time to do and so much I regret not finding time to do so. But I  realize that no one can divide their time enough, you just do the best you can. The regret / guilt we might feel just means we care for you so much.  

You’ve done so much to help heal, serve and protect this family. You’ve given so much to everyone  you’ve known (even cleaning up a dead mouse in my Dad’s basement yesterday). As gut-wrenching as it  may be, it’s time for us to return the favor and help you along as peacefully as we can.  

We love you so much and if there is a heaven, I know you’ll be there waiting for us. So, till we meet again my friend.  

Love you always and forever,  

Adam and Sara

I miss Jazzy so much.  Our house feels so empty without her presence.  She wove herself so tightly into our lives and there are so many times I find myself still thinking about her.  I miss her little snores that would wake me up in the middle of the night and the way she would scoot her little body right next to mine in bed.  (The bed Adam and I said she would never sleep in.)  I miss the way she always seemed to know when I took out a pair of socks from my drawer and thought it was time for a walk.  I miss her laying in the sunshine in our yard.  I miss her toenails prancing along our floors.  I miss her crunching her dog food.  I miss her excitement when I opened up the bag of her favorite treat.  I miss her warm greetings whenever I came home.  I miss her rolling around on her back when she thought she needed some attention.  I miss her help in cleaning up all the crumbs under our kitchen table.  

I know eventually thinking about Jazzy will bring smiles instead of tears.  I am so lucky to have had her in my life.  Goodbye, Sweet Jazzy.  

All Decked Out

We've (mainly Adam) been working on sprucing up our deck over these last few months.  Updating the exterior siding of our house started the process off.  Adam has always wanted to improve our deck.  When we bought our house, the deck spanned a large portion of the back of the house and was mostly covered.  It was a nice idea, but after we took a closer look at it, the deck wasn't built in the most structurally sound way.  When we first moved in, Adam and some very kind family members came to help shore everything up and make sure it was nice and sturdy.  It was very clear the deck had been built in three different installments.  There was the original covered deck, then an extension of the deck (also covered), and finally a smaller section that was probably used for a grill.  There were lots of vertical posts and two doorways so we assume it was once screened in or the previous owners had planned to screen it in at some point.  It was alright, but there was an overall lack of craftsmanship and was starting to show its age.  It was time to make our deck shine!       

Here's where our deck started out: 

This was after it had been shored up to be structurally sound and Adam had replaced some of the lattice that critters had chewed through.  Again, it was okay, but it certainly wasn't anything special.  

With plans to have new siding added to our exterior, Adam got to work planning how to reconfigure our deck to maximize using materials we already had on hand.  We wanted to keep what we could, but rework sections to make them look and function better.  All the extra posts, beams and horizontal pieces served as a jungle gym for the neighborhood squirrels.  They had started chewing up a bunch of parts of our deck and even some of our siding!  (Fun fact: Squirrels' incisors never stop growing, which is why they continuously chew on acorns, siding, decking and even plastic solar lights.)  

We decided to remove part of deck roof (the middle section that looks a little taller in the above picture.)  We don't typically get sun on the back of the deck until the middle of the afternoon because the house blocks it.  We also have several shady trees, which adds even more protection from the sun.  So we weren't too concerned with removing part of the deck covering.  There was also some water damage happening where the two deck roofs met and we wanted to eliminate any further mold issues.  The crew who worked on our siding removed the upper deck roof.  Adam marked which pieces of lumber he wanted to save and actually used most of that lumber to build the kids' swing set.  You know I'm all about reusing things we already have these days, so this made me very happy!  

Removing half of the covered deck made such a big difference!  I didn't realize how much of a difference it would make until I saw it with my own eyes!  It really opened up the back of the house and let some of our house's architecture shine through.  

Once a portion of the deck roof was removed, Adam got busy reworking the posts for the remaining portion of the deck roof.  He took out two of the posts and added some bracing to the two posts that stayed to offer up support and decorative details.    

You'll also notice Adam replaced the very tired-looking lattice on the side of the deck.  He replaced the lattice with deck skirting.  He used deck boards to finish off the sides and help keep critters out.  There's a small gap in between the boards to allow for airflow.  This really helped make the deck look finished and like a cohesive part of the exterior of our house.   

The next order of business was to figure out what to do with the railings.  We tossed around the idea of removing them completely, like we did on our front porch.  That would definitely open things up!  But parts of our deck are fairly high off the ground, so we didn't want anyone toppling off of it.  We also thought about doing stairs that wrapped around the whole deck.  But we thought furniture placement might be tricky, and again might not be the safest option.  So we knew we needed some sort of railings.  The wooden railings we had before just seemed so bulky and obstructed the view.  We considered doing slimmer wrought iron rails, but thought that might look equally busy to the wood railings.  I've always been a fan of cable railings and got Adam to entertain the idea after finding some inspiration photos online.  Once Adam was convinced cable railings were the way to go, he got to work researching every possible option out there.  He finally settled on buying the HAAS REVO Stainless Steel Cable Railing System from E-Rigging.  He liked that the materials were made in the United States and had lots of handy how-to videos to help with installation.  

The supplies took awhile to arrive from ....due to COVID-19 and hurricanes, neither of which could be helped.  While we were waiting on the supplies, we got busy prepping the posts.  Adam started by cutting off some of the posts, lowering the overall height of the handrail.  Lowering the height of the handrail helped free up our line of sight while seated on the deck.  Whenever we sat at the table on the deck, the handrail was smack dab in the middle of our sight line.  So lowering it was the perfect solution.  Adam made sure to check our local codes to make sure it was still at an appropriate height.  Once the posts were cut and leveled, he added new wood for the handrails.  The previous handrails were pretty boogered up and a bit warped.  He also had to work on shoring and leveling up some of the posts to make sure the cable railing would be level when it was installed.  

Once all the posts and handrails were good to go, we got to work painting them white.  We decided the white would tie in with the other white trim on the house.  Plus, we had leftover wood primer and white paint from the front porch we could use.  Nana and Ted came over to help us out.  Ted pitched in with the painting while Nana watched Archer and Lyla.  The fresh white paint definitely crisped things up!  Adam eventually added a clear coat (General Finishes Exterior 450 Water-Based Topcoat in Gloss) to the handrail to help keep the white looking fresh since its prone to bird poop and grubby, little hands.  Once the paint was dry, Adam drilled holes in the posts in preparation for the cable rail system.  

Adam was also working on the deck boards during this time.  Our deck floor has always been a bit bouncy, so Adam pulled up some decking boards to figure out what was happening.  It turned out some of the floor joists were missing joist hangers, so he added the necessary joist hangers to make the floor nice and sturdy.  He also replaced a few deck boards that were looking a little too worn.  Adam then turned his attention into making the deck floor look like one cohesive floor instead of looking like a deck floor that had been installed in three distinct, different sections.  He feathered in new pieces and sanded down the whole floor, as you can see in the above photo.  It was starting to look like a whole new deck after he was finished with these steps!  

Speaking of steps, Adam also reworked the stairs on either side of the deck, along with the set of stairs that lead down from the door in the kitchen.  Widening the stairs on either side of the deck helped to open things up, but also make them look more intentional.  These are the kinds of details that sometimes seem like overkill to me when Adam is in the planning stages, but the details that totally make a difference once he brings them to life.  

Now that all the reworking and prepping was complete, it was time to stain the deck floor.  As usual, Adam researched every possible option and scoured the internet for reviews on every product on the market.  Ultimately, Adam decided to go with Osmo Decking Oil.  While it was on the pricier side, it promises no peeling and will allow the wood to breathe.  It claims to be water-repellent and weather and UV resistant.  It also boasts very low VOCs, which makes us feel better knowing Archer, Lyla and Jazzy will be clocking many hours on the deck.  He ordered a few different color samples so we could see what they would look like in person.  We decided Rosewood would be the best option.  It was the perfect brown tone that played well with the blue siding, looked crisp against the white painted posts and handrails and tied in with the shutters on the front of our house.

Adam ordered the Wood Reviver Power Gel, the Decking Oil in Rosewood and a couple brushes.  He got the deck good and clean using the Wood Reviver Power Gel and then made sure it was fully dry before we moved onto the staining step.  Nana was kind enough to come over and watch the kids so I could lend a hand to the staining process.  Adam and I tackled this step over the course of two days.  We put on the first coat on day one, let it dry overnight, then added the second and final coat the following day.  It covered beautifully and really soaked into the wood.  We did use some clean rags to wipe away the excess stain after brushing it on.  In addition to the deck floor, we also stained the three sets of stairs and the deck skirting on the sides of the deck.  

It turned out gorgeous!  The finish is very luxe and the color is perfect.  It is definitely water-repellent and hasn't faded in the few months since we've stained it.  I will mention that since it's a darker color, it does show some dirt and dust.  But it's also a deck and that's to be expected.  I don't really mind seeing Jazzy's sweet little footprints on the deck occasionally.  

Once the deck was stained, the cable rail supplies arrived and Adam got to work on installing the railing.  It wasn't a horribly complex process, but it did take some time and an extra set of hands during a few parts.  The finished railing is perfect for our deck!  It keeps that open feeling we were after, but also provides some safety.  While we've discouraged Lyla and Archer from climbing up the wires, it is sturdy enough to hold their weight.  I love that I can sit on the deck and my view of the kids playing on their swing set isn't obstructed.  So far the squirrels haven't bothered it at all.  It's also a lot easier to blow off any leaves that accumulate on the deck with the leaf blower since we don't have bulky railings in the way.

To make things even more comfortable, Adam installed a new ceiling fan under the deck roof.  Turning it on keeps flying insects at bay and adds a nice breeze.  And since we've removed all the extra beams and posts, the squirrels can't get on top of the new fan like they did with the old fan.  Adam also added an outlet so we can add lights if we ever want to.  

With the deck looking so picture perfect, we couldn't not complete the final step of adding rock around the deck.  We had planned to tackle this at a later date, but before I knew it 7 tons of rock was delivered to our driveway!  We created a new border around the deck using large cobblestones.  The large cobblestones will allow the tree roots to grow without disturbing a more permanent border.  We tried to make it a little curvier and reclaim some of the yard, too.  While we were both pretty sore after lugging 7 tons of rock around our yard, it really does finish off the backyard so nicely!  Adam added some grass seed around the border to help fill in some of the bare spots.  Just over the last couple weeks the grass has finally filled in.    

Along with all the cobbles, we also got some larger flagstone to create the perfect little path to the hammock.

 

Let's end with a few before and after shots, shall we? 

It's safe to say the backyard is looking pretty snazzy these days.  We love to spend time on the deck and have enjoyed lots of meals and playtime out there.  As I was pushing the kids in their swings the other day, I was gazing at the sweet swing set, the gorgeous deck and our cute little shed and felt a huge wave of gratitude.  I sure am lucky to have such a beautiful home with a beautiful backyard!  I'm lucky to have such a handy husband who can complete so many of these projects!  And I'm very lucky to get to watch Lyla, Archer and Jazzy enjoy this space we call home!  I'm a lucky girl indeed.  

Making Over My Living Room For Free!

Spending more time at home during this pandemic has made me a little stir-crazy!  It's been trickier to try to find things to do to keep myself entertained.  While I was sitting on our couch the other day watching Cocomelon for the thousandth time, it dawned on me that I should rearrange my living room!  I realized that as soon as you walk into our living room, the first thing that stands out is the TV.  While it lives on a very cute cabinet, it's still not the prettiest thing to look at upon walking into my living room.  So the gears started turning in my head and I considered what it might look like if I swapped where the couch and the TV cabinet were situated.  I decided a nice view of the couch would be more welcoming than the TV.  

So I whipped out my measuring tape and measured our sofa table and couch to make sure it would fit beside the fireplace.  According to my measurements, it would just fit.  Now, I'm a very visual person.  I typically need to see something in person before I make a decision about it.  So it was a little bit risky to swap around my whole living room on a whim.  Switching things up meant I'd also have to move artwork, fill in nail holes and repaint.  Plus, I'd have to deal with all those cords behind the TV cabinet.  After hemming and hawing about it for a few days, I decided to just go for it.  What else did I have to do?   

So while Adam gave the kids a bath, I got to work.  I decided our couch cushion covers could use a good cleaning while I was at it.  Luckily they are removable, so I took all those off (along with Archer and Lyla's chair covers) and started the laundry.  Then I got to work doing the heavy lifting. 

While moving around the couch and TV cabinet, I took the opportunity to give the carpets a good vacuuming and I dusted all the baseboards.  I thought my house was clean, but my baseboards behind the couch told a different story!    

It was at this point in the evening, when I started to regret my decision to rearrange.  But I continued on!  

As I got the sofa table and couch in their new home, things started to fall into place.  I knew it was the right call and was glad to have made the switch!  Even without all the cushions on the couch, it seemed so much more welcoming!  (You know, for all the guests we have these days.)

Once the couch cushion covers were dry, I wrangled those back on the cushions.  Boy, was that a job!  I was sweating by the end of that task.  I also plan to never remove those covers from Lyla and Archer's chairs ever again.  I think I burned 1,000 calories trying to get them back on!  

But let's take a look at some before and afters so you can see what I'm talking about: 

So much better, right? 

I took advantage of some more space in the corner next to the TV cabinet to make a little reading nook for Archer and Lyla.  I tucked in their chairs and toy basket to make them a space all their own.  While Lyla and Archer have free reign of the living room, it is nice to have their chairs and toys tucked into the corner.  Plus, it gives them more room to spin around and dance and build train tracks.  Archer and Lyla have certainly taken full advantage of all the new space! 

Adam and the kids were happy with the changes, but poor Jazzy took some time getting used to the new setup!  She had a designated spot on the couch where she would look out the window.  I moved her blanket over to the other window, but she wasn't too excited about her new perch.  The day after I rearranged, I would find Jazzy in a different spot on the couch each time I walked into the living room.  She couldn't quite figure out where she was supposed to sit! 

But some treats helped her get it all sorted out.  I'm sure she'll have a Jazzy-sized dent in this new couch cushion in no time at all. 

So there you have it!  I completely transformed our living room without spending a dime!  So if you're bored like me, wander around your house and try to find a room to tackle.  Even sitting on the couch now makes me feel like I have a whole new point of view.  Happy rearranging!