The House

The House

So this is the house that we bought three years ago while we were living in Norway.  We have almost completed the remodel and so now I thought would be a good time to start the blog post of the before and after.

Some background on how we ended up here in middle Tennessee.

We spent three tours at Ft. Campbell.  After our second time there we decided to look for some land to buy for retirement or at that time we thought we might be leaving the military at about 10 years of service.  We looked at this house and 175 acres of land.  They were being sold as separately, but owned by the same people.  The house and five acres adjourned the 175.  We made an offer for both, but in the end only bought the land.  There is a road that goes to the backside of the land, and it had two houses that were owned by a mother and daughter.  We approached them and ask that if they ever decided to sell if we could make the first offer.  So about two years later we bought those houses.  We did that to control the road to the backside of the property and because we thought we would build on that side.

We saved and saved to build without taking a loan.  We thought we were good, but then prices went up and so we decided to look for houses nearby that we could get and remodel.  You can get more house for the money in something already there.  

This house had been on and off the market for years and just months after we started looking there it was for sell.  So we bought it.

It has been hard work and long days and nights.  The house had a wall down the center and had two kitchens.  We had to com up with a good inside design and try to do it with as little tearing down of wall as possible.

We are happy with the results and I am looking forward to sharing our story with you.

So here is the first after picture.  We have done a little more to the outside since this one was taken, but I do not have a picture yet.

Thanks for visiting.

Melanie

Blarney Castle

We visited Ireland on our way home to the USA.  We stayed in a little cottage that was owed by a couple that had a farm.  They allowed us to walk around the farm and we even gathered eggs from their chickens.  These are some pictures from our walk.  The mountains were beautiful and river was very tranquil.

  Going to Ireland and visiting these places has always been something that I have wanted to do.  I guess though for Hubby and me it was not our first trip to Ireland.  We once had an emergency landing (read crash landing because the engine on the plane blew up) at the Shannon airport.  

We visited Blarney castle.  It was beautiful.  The gardens were gorgeous, and the day could not have been more perfect for a walk around the castle.  You could spend all day there and many people brought picnics and enjoyed the sun.   

We climbed to the top and N kissed the Blarney Stone, but I could not since I have just had shoulder surgery and you had to lay upside to do it.  The view from the top is spectacular.

When you enter the gardens you see this sign.  We thought it was funny so we took a picture.  We thought it would be hilarious if they had people dressed up like leprechauns in the garden.

The trees were huge and lots of fun to climb.  Some were so big that the limbs were basically on the ground.  The kids loved climbing and exploring.  It was a great day with the family creating last memories.

No trip would be complete without handstands or some theory gymnastic move in front of a landmark.

Remember that we were on our way home moving from Norway.  If you can see from the picture below the girls had braids in their hair and this little girl came up to the them and said Elsa and Anna.  She thought they were from the movie Frozen.  We thought it was just so cute since we had just left Norway.

Blessings,

Melanie

N goes to Nepal

 N had the chance to go on a mission trip with our church in Norway.  In November 2014 N went to Nepal.  He was the only teenager on the trip.  He helped build a retaining wall, visited some villages and got to see baptisms in a river.

 He had a great time and I think he learned a lot.  It was great to see pictures of him working, walking with some village girls and having fun with other team members.

 I think if you get the chance to take a trip to help others is something we all should do.  You don't have to leave the country, you probably don't have to leave your city.  It is a blessing to help others so I challenge you yo go and be blessed.

My favorite picture.

Melanie

Krakow, Poland

In February I went with three lovely ladies to Krakow, Poland.  We had a great time.  We stayed up late playing rummikub and during the day we shopped, visited the salt mine, toured the city on a golf cart and visited Auschwitz.

Me and my friends in Poland.

It is Cold above the Arctic Circle

Our 2014 Christmas trip was to Lofoten, Norway.  We wanted to see the northern lights and this was our last chance .  We took the train from Stavanger to Lofted.  It took around 24 hours of travel time to get there.  We also had to rent two cars and take a ferry.

There was lots of snow, but it was so beautiful.  We rented a house on the North sea! What a great view we had from the house.  We relaxed during the day and waited for the northern lights at night.  We played rummikub, cards and other games.

We had a great trip and saw the northern lights almost every night.

What can you say about the northern lights except they are amazing.  It is so wonderful to see God's handiwork.  It was truly amazing.  Pictures do not really show how wonderful it is to see.  I can see how people could think the gods were trying to tell them something.  I see that my God loves beauty and is amazing.  He created this world and gave us a beautiful place to live and be stunned by his handiwork.

C took a dip in the north sea and said it is very cold.  The girls just stuck their toes in.

You can see the northern lights from places in the states, but it was lots of fun to see them in Norway.

If you get the chance to see them no matter where do it because it is amazing to see the artistry of God.


Melanie

Where have we been?

So the last post was about Paris.  A lot has happened!  So I will countdown what we have been doing.

1- N went to Nepal.
2- We took a trip above the Arctic circle to see the northern lights.
3- I visited Poland with friends.
4- I rupture a tendon in my shoulder.
5- We go to the BJJ British National Championships.
6- A1 breaks her wrist.
7- They pack up our house.
8- C and N go to the states for a month.
9- I have shoulder surgery.
10- We travel to Ireland before back to the states.
11- We arrive in states and start remodeling on house.


So check back as I try to catch up.

Melanie

Paris, France

Paris, France
It was a very unique experience.  This is the Louve and it is amazing in size and collection.  There was a lot of people there, but only at the Mona Lisa did you feel it.  It is a great museum, but none of the information about the items are in English.  It did not make it to the top of my list for museums.  I still find the museum in Amsterdam as one of my favorite.

The Mona Lisa is a small painting and it was very crowded.  It was packed around it worse than a can of sardines.  The Venus Di Milo was easy to get to and incredible to see.  We went to see these the first day we were in Paris so we could then go back and enjoy the museum after seeing the two most famous things to see.

We rented an apartment in a very great place.  It was close to everything or you could easily get to it by train/subway.  The only draw back to the apartment was it was on the 5th floor and no elevator.  

It is great to get an apartment instead of hotel because you can do your own thing and get your own breakfast and for us it was a lot cheaper.  We had a kitchen and could make sandwiches and have our drinks there instead of buying while we were out.  We ate lunch out and the rule was once we talked to the top for the evening we were not going back out, so dinner was sandwiches and fruit.

This is the wall of the original castle.  It was amazing to see the difference between how it started and now.  We also got to see Napoleon's apartment.  It was very over the top.

They had a great Egyptian area and the girls decided to "walk like an Egyptian.

We visited the Louve at least three times.  We bought a museum pass for me and the girls were free.  A museum pass is the way to go in Paris.  It lets you walk right in and not wait in lines in many places.

I hope to post more now.  It has been a long fall and I need to get back to this.  Keep watching for more on Paris.  You don't want to miss what happened the last day we were there.

Melanie