Home is where your heart is for the Holidays

Hello all! Right now, it is all about tag teaming.  The cabin is in a stage of many questions from our foreman, like, how far do you want your windowsill to extend? I honestly never knew that was a choice.  Also, the temps have been dipping (thankfully not daily) in the twenties and we can’t justify leaving the dogs unattended. Please don’t tell me they are farm dogs and can survive. This I know. But, if I am able to make it easier for them, then I will.  Anyway, we feel it important for one of us to be onsite from now until completion. I arrived on Wednesday, the 4th to relieve Al.  He had been here since Saturday, the 30th of November.  We were able to kennel Herc and Teenie this past weekend so, Al drove up and we were able to have a few days together. We got up super early on Saturday and drove to Kingsport.  It’s about 1.5 hours away.  We met up with an old high school friend, Lisa!  It was so good seeing her! She will be my new stylist when I am living up here.  1.5 hour drive beats 4.5 any day and I get to see an old friend at the same time! We met at a Farmers Market where they were having a Christmas craft show. I found a few really good bargains and incredibly nice homemade goods!   I love these!  I’ve been wanting to get back in to either cross stitching or learning to embroider. They both have such a wonderful vintage look.  I snagged both of these for $8!  I’m going to replace the frames with something more vintage or festive. I was so happy to find these! This Santa was handmade by the nicest man at the craft show.  I love how vintage he looks.  This leather door hanger sounds just like Santa on his sleigh!  This was handmade as well. After the market and seeing Lisa, Al and I drove to an antique mall I found on Facebook.  The Vintage Cowgirl. 

I found this little guy for $1!   I just love his vintage look!  We left there and stopped for breakfast in a quaint little cafe.  I know I say this ALOT but, I love it up here so much.  The people, the small town feels, supporting small businesses it just makes it so perfect.

Al left yesterday.  I will stay until Friday the 13th then Al will relieve me.  I probably won’t return until after Christmas.  It’s just plain difficult right now.  I miss the dogs here.  I miss the dogs there.  I miss my husband.  I miss the peacefulness here.  I miss my girls back home.  For the first time ever, I do not have a Christmas tree nor am I able to put up any decorations at home. If you know anything about me you know I live for this time of year! It has not been easy but, I do know that Christmas is much more than decorations.  Christmas, or anything in life really, is all in how you choose to look at it.  It IS what you make it.  So, I improvised and decorated here! Al hung lights on the RV and placed some in our his and her trees out in the front field.  What looked like 3 foot trees are actually about 25 foot trees!  So, Al just kind of abstractly hung them and to our surprise the lights resemble an angel!   We strung garland and hung bows and a wreath at the front gate along with our tobacco sign on the shed.   I also made a 2′ X 2′ barn quilt wreath for my barn.    I even put a small tree up in the RV with a few decorations I brought from home.  That’s my new chicken feeder I purchased awhile back stuffed with brush trees. I brought homemade pumpkin bread from home to all the workers.  I left cookies in the mailbox for our carrier.  I brought a chunk of gifts from home to wrap and I have been playing Christmas music throughout.  I honestly cannot complain.  It’s been cozy and peaceful and I am filled with the Christmas spirit.

I am hoping we can kennel Herc and Teenie for a week after Christmas so that Al and I can spend New Years here together.  It won’t be much longer and we will be here permanently.  Things seem to be moving at a much faster pace.  Al owes us a blog of his last visit with many pictures of the interior of the cabin.  Walls have been added and ceilings as well.

Keep us in your prayers as we navigate this move and all the adjustments that will come with it.

Thank you for reading and riding along with us on this journey.  I hope each and everyone of you have a Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Year!