Meet Tebow

Meet Tebow.

 

Tebow is our other dog.  He lives on our front porch and watches over our house.  Tebow was a gift from Allan for my 25th birthday.  Most people would think a dog statue is an unconventional birthday gift, but to me it was love at first sight.  I still get giddy coming home to my beautiful 150 pound concrete Labrador.  We do have a secret about our darling watch dog Tebow... Riley is jealous.

 

Do you see it? Riley glaring through the front door at her younger yet bigger brother.  Don't worry Riley, just because Tebow is strong, muscular, handsome and an amazing football player... er... wait, wrong Tebow. Scratch that, just because Tebow is a better guard dog doesn't mean we love you any less.  You are still top dog (hehe) in our book.

xo

Wendy & Allan

What's All the Commotion About?

The past two mornings Riley has been driving me crazy, like really crazy. She barks like a maniac, howls out the sun room window (in true beagle style) and scratches and whines at the back door. At first I thought she just had issues.... then I saw what she saw.

Do you see it?? Not our lovely swimming pool or our lovely pool leaf scooper-outer. That tiny little black thing on the neighbor's roof. Need a closer look?

Yep, there has been a C-A-T (don't say it out loud or else Riley will get upset again) hanging out on the roof that overlooks our back yard. Riley does not approve. And as hard as she may try, her little toothpick legs just can't propel her sausage-sized body on top of that roof. Poor thing. And that mean cat likes to taunt her by glaring down and flapping its tail. I honestly think it is saying "nanny nanny boo boo, stick your head in doo-doo"... come to think of it, I don't think Riley would mind that too much, dogs do like poop ya know. Anyway, later in the day that mean kitty continues the torture my poor dog by walking along the top of the fence. Riley-no-likey.

So, what should I do about our C-A-T (ssshhhhh) problem? Be the crazy lady and bang some pots and pans in the backyard? Let Riley keep thinking she can make it on the roof? Borrow a bb gun from the little boy across the street? (ok, that one is a joke, I am a lover of all animals. Unless bugs and snakes and creeply-crawly things count as animals. I don't love them).

xo
Wendy

Guest Bloggle

Riley is my name, guest bloggin' is my game. That and eating. And chasing squirrels. Sleeping too. I am a three and a half year old puggle. That's half pug, half beagle. I have a short, black snout, big floppy ears and a curly tail. Yep, I'm as cute as I sound... I know it too and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I often use my extreme cuteness to get me out of trouble. I'd like to think that doesn't happen often but I gotta be honest... I may or may not get into the trash, bite holes in my mom and dad's undies and socks, and steal the food from their plates sometimes. But they still love me. My mom and dad tell me I need to go on a diet. I don't know what that means but it doesn't sound like very much fun. Mom and dad also like to make up songs about me, they think they are sssooooo funny but they aren't. They also like to humiliate me from time to time.


See. There is the evidence. But mom and dad aren't all bad. They let me sleep in the bed with them, snuggled right in the middle where I like it. Sometimes my mommy even lets me share her pillow while I snore in her ear. They give me a ton of lovin' too. If I roll over they'll rub my belly as much as I want. It works like magic! I also have a big, huge back yard that is all mine, perfect for squirrel hunting. I also like to bark at my neighbor dog, who is also a puggle, through the fence.

Well that is all for now. I'm late for my third two-hour nap of the day. I'll leave you with this super adorable picture from back when I was just a little puppy.



Yes. I'm cute. You don't need to remind me.


Lot of love and sloppy kisses,

Riley

The Call

WE GOT THE CALL!! After 10 weeks of anxiously waiting, the bank had given us a response to our offer!

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at work, pounding away on another countless appraisal and Wendy calls. "Allan, I just talked to Friendly Shark Realtor and she said the bank gave us a counteroffer and we have to accept it by 5 o'clock or the house is gonna be foreclosed on tomorrow morning. the bank's attorneys have already filed all the paperwork..."

The time was 3 o'clock. After 10 weeks of waiting, we have TWO hours to decide if their counteroffer (which happened to be about $50k more than our original offer!) was do-able. Yikes! Wendy quickly drove to my office as Friendly Shark Realtor haggled with the bank and drew up a new contract for us. She talked 'em down another $20K, which was "the banks absolute bottom line" and after a lot of soul-searching, it was gut-check time. Either we accept the offer or lose all chance of getting our dream house.

We did it. The house was going to be ours! Woo-hoo!!

Then the next day, we called Friendly Shark Realtor and told her we didn't like the new price and she needed to get us a better deal. "What?" was her response. Yep, we wanted her to do basically the impossible. But, thankfully, she did it! It took a lot of work and it took an extra few weeks, but she did it! How she did it may or may not have been ethical, but when you save $7,000 it's hard to care about things like that. And now, finally, the house was going to be ours. (We got the official final call the day before Wendy's birthday. What a great present)! All that was left was getting our mortgage and insurance finalized, getting the appraisal and inspection taken care of and countless, countless trips with Wendy to Home Depot to look at paint swatches and pick out the perfect colors to paint each room. Yes, she is quite indecisive but I don't think I'd take her any other way.

Allan