Tender Tennessee Christmas

We all have that one holiday tune that sparks a certain warm and fuzzy feeling in us this time of year. There is a song that plays in the background of my favorite childhood Christmas memories as my sister and I practiced piano duets in our family room lit by the twinkling glow of a beautiful tree. The December before I began kindergarten, my family moved to Michigan from Knoxville, Tennessee. I don't remember much about living there, but for my mom it was a place she loved full of friends who became family. Listening to Amy Grant's "Tender Tennessee Christmas" that holiday season helped her settle into a home she would grow to love just as much, if not more than the one she had to say goodbye to. Something about the song stuck, and we have continued to enjoy it every Christmas since. Although a bit odd that I have such strong emotions for a song about a state I can hardly associate with, perhaps it was life's crazy way of giving me a sneak peek into my happy future.

Our last holiday in the home that houses all of my best memories

Twenty years later, the song has true meaning for Brad and me. With orders to report to Fort Campbell in January, we celebrated my birthday weekend scoping out what is soon-to-be our new hometown. We made the road trip with hopes that we would return to Missouri with a better understanding of the area and where we'd like to focus our house hunt in January. Instead we returned as homeowners! We fell in love with Clarksville, Tennessee, a city that has it all: a patriotic military community, a bustling shopping street, a cute boutique college town, and a quaint residential area. About halfway between Fort Campbell and Nashville, Clarksville is the fifth largest city in Tennessee and one of the fastest growing in the country. We've always liked to have a bit of separation from military world, and we will be a quick drive from Nashville with unlimited entertainment, shopping, and dining as well as more nursing job opportunities for me.

We found our new home nestled on a wooded cul-de-sac in Parkvue Village, a neighborhood in the "quaint residential area" previously mentioned. To sum up how much we adore it, out of over 15 homes our realtor showed us, it was the only one that we both agreed was perfect. There is not a single thing we wish we could change or mix-and-match with other houses. It has three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms plus an office and large bonus room. It has a fantastic open floor plan, more than enough room for guests, a big fenced in back yard for Ruby, tons of storage space, an updated kitchen...did I mention lots of room for guests? Start planning your visit please!

I am so ridiculously proud of Brad and myself for working hard to earn this. It is the most rewarding feeling to recognize that the life we are building is a direct reflection of our success, savings, and work ethic together. When we signed our contract with the sellers we learned what the home has meant to them. They built it in 2009 and have since brought two new babies through the front door and will likely welcome their third just in time, a few weeks before we close on the house. I'm glad we will have the opportunity to respect their family's history and fill the house with our own family memories and milestones.

And of course, with Amy Grant on repeat, I am already dreaming about decorating our home for our first Tennessee Christmas together next year!

Ruby Tuesday

Brad grew up with an incredible canine companion named Red Rover, or simply, Red. He was handsome, a self-proclaimed lap dog (although very large), loyal, and a bit of a doofus at times, but above all he was very loved. Red passed away peacefully of old age this December. Although, much to Oliver and Lola's pleasure, Brad now classifies himself as a "cat guy," I have always known that his heart carries a special place for dogs because of Red.

Now we all know I am about as crazy as the crazy cat ladies come. Owning a dog was never something my heart truly yearned for, and the training challenge always felt beyond my scope of knowledge. As an all around animal lover, I of course enjoyed time spent my friends' playful pups, but I even more so enjoyed watching them pick poop up out of the grass after scolding he or she for attempting to eat it. YUCK.

Well, karma and puppy fever have finally won. My days of poop scooping are here as are days full of what I am finding to be one of the best kinds of love --- puppy love. Brad brought this sweet girl home to me last Thursday.

Although she is not quite the same bold hue of Red, "Ruby" just seemed to fit. Her name is a small tribute to a great, old dog and a new one, who will hopefully bring the same amount of happiness to our lives. Ruby amazes us every day with her abounding love, trust, and expanding world. It is such an incredible thing to watch her learn. Her most recent achievement has been successful stair climbing. You would have thought Ruby just won an Olympic gold metal the way Brad and I cheered for and praised her at the top of the steps. We are proud pup parents, to say the least.

So far Ruby has been a dream to train, and her temperament really cannot be beat. When it's quiet time, she cuddles. When it's play time, her happy puppy prance says it all. She has not had one single accident inside. Yes, you read that correct. Not one! She doesn't make a single peep from her crate at night. She trots happily right along beside us on our walks. She lays right down in the passenger seat and rides quietly in the car. When you pick her up she leans hard into your chest, which is possibly the best feeling in the world. In the words of one of Brad's friends, "Is this real life?! It's like I'm snuggling a fluffy cloud!" Everyone who has met Ruby has fallen hard in love with her. She has absolutely stolen our hearts.

And the best part? Ruby is so gentle and calm with Oliver and Lola. My biggest fear of getting a puppy was that it would ruin the personalities of our perfect cats. I researched very in depth how to appropriately introduce them, and so far it is going really well. It will be a slow and cautious but worthwhile process. Right now we have a gate up between Ruby's room and the rest of our place. The cats have been creeping closer every day for a view of the (fluffy and harmless) beast of the master bathroom. We joke that they think they are at the zoo peeking between the bars. So far they have gone nose-to-nose through the gate with no hissing, escape runs, or fear in general. Stay tuned for future pictures of the three of them snuggled up together. Is that too much to hope for?

Even though she is already so well behaved, we will soon be enrolling in some basic puppy training classes together. My ultimate goal is to train Ruby to become a therapy dog. I've experienced first hand on the oncology unit I used to work for how they can completely change the mood of a hospital room, and Ruby's personality is perfect for the job. Everybody can use a little canine love in their lives. Even me. The crazy cat lady who is currently in transition to equally crazy dog lady, all thanks to our little Ruby.