As October comes to an end, I can only describe it in one word, UNBELIEVABLE! By the end of the week we will have boarded 83 dogs this month, yes 83. Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed that I would be where I am today, and it wouldn’t be possible without Danny, my mom, my family, and all of you, our customers, that have trusted us with caring for your fur babies!! Now let me tell you, somedays were a little bit more hectic(thanks to Danny for getting me through those days) than others, but at the end of the day I realized that as long as I gave it 100%, and that each dog was loved on it was a good day!!
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 When you look up the definition for vacation this is what it says, “A vacation, or holiday, is a leave of absence from a regular occupation, or a specific trip or journey, usually for the purpose of recreation or tourism.” Danny and I just returned from our first vacation that we have taken together since we opened Country Bark Boarding two years ago. We were ready, and we had the best time! We fished a lot, we laughed a lot, we sat on the beach a lot and my favorite we rode horses on the beach yes on the beach and I guess you could say this will be a memory that I will always treasure!!
It was nice to get away if only for a short time, but now we are relaxed, refreshed, and recharged and ready to care for your dogs for you all to go on your summer vacations! I know you all are ready just like we were! But let me warn you it goes by fast! But we all need to get away from the everyday routine we are in every now and then and enjoy life and take the trip if you can even if it’s for a few days or a few weeks! The one thing I want our customers to be reassured of is that when you do take your vacation this summer, that we are loving on your fur baby and that they are having the best time while staying with us! We want you to enjoy your vacation like we did our vacation and not to worry! We will send you pictures and let you know how they are doing so you will have peace of mind and you too will be relaxed, refreshed, and recharged when you return home! Thanks to you all that have made your reservations for summer and fall already too! We will be working hard the next few months to get our addition of 9 kennels completed!! So, stay tuned for updates!! We look forward to seeing everyone in the country!!! Charlotte and Danny P.S. We have updated some things on our website so be sure and check that out!! www.countrybarkboarding.com “I will send down showers in season: there will be showers of blessings.” Ezekiel 34:26
I am sure that over the past few months I have learned more from the dogs we have boarded than they have ever learned from me. Such as love, acceptance, loyalty, compassion, and “PATIENCE”. Being patient is something that has always been hard for me, and the dogs have taught me to be more patient and realize that there is nothing we can do about the weather! So, we all know it has rained and rained and rained, and I have felt so bad for the dogs in the kennel because we can’t get out and play all day like we normally do. I will go in the kennel and tell them how sorry I am that it is raining again, and they still look at me with those eyes and they still wag their tails and if they could talk, I know they would tell me that it’s not my fault that it is rainy! 😊 Then Danny tells me “Charlotte if they were at home they would be inside too” which he is right (as usual), but it still makes my heart ache because I want them to be able to go outside and play. So, I must be patient and remind myself that they are warm, dry, safe and being loved on bunches while they are here with us!! Just a few more weeks of Winter and Spring will be here! We are hoping the sun comes out soon and dries up all this rain, the grass starts growing and I can start mowing (I love to mow! Lol), flowers will be blooming, and we can finally start again on our new addition!! With all this rain its been a slow go! (Where the patience comes in again) But the plumbing is in and ready for some concrete! We will be adding 9 more kennels and another play yard for our guests to run and play. We are so excited and so blessed!! As always thank you for letting us keep your fur babies! We really do love what we are doing, and I hope you will continue to bring them to see us in the country!!! Here’s to sunny days ahead!!! Charlotte Today is the first day of February, the 2nd month of the year or as I like to say the month of LOVE. February is one of my most favorite months of the year! I have had a lot of life changing things happen to me in February. I married my best friend, the love of my life in February and I am so lucky to be doing life with him. He is my rock, the one that would do anything for me and my one true love and the one I am so glad I get to spend the rest of my life with. We have so much fun together and we really don’t go and do anything we love to just be at home! Lol We laugh a lot and he laughs at me a lot. As my mom always says you cannot get through this life without a sense of humor!! And when he sits with you every night for the past 2-3 weeks and watches every single episode of When Calls the Heart on Netflix you know he is a keeper! 😊 In February I received one of the greatest gifts ever as my son was born. There is nothing like becoming a mom as it changes your life forever. He will forever be my little boy and so glad that God made me his mom. February has also brought some sadness as my grandmother past away at the age of 92. She was one of a kind and what I wouldn’t give to eat a home-cooked meal in her kitchen again! So, you see love comes in all aspects of your life whether it is getting married, or having a child, or losing a loved one. Love is what makes the world go around.
One of my favorite kinds of love is the unconditional love. Dogs love in a way that is unconditional and without limitations. As humans we could learn so much from our dogs if we could just take the time. I know since God has taken me down this path that I am on that I have learned so many lessons from our dogs we have boarded. Did you know that dogs make great listeners? No matter how bad a day I have had or if I just don’t feel good a dog is always there to listen and they comfort you with those big eyes, nose nudges, sloppy wet kisses or just sitting beside you while you pet them. Did you know that dogs always see the best in you? Maybe you had a rough day at work or school. You didn’t do good on a test or you made a mistake at work and you think your life is not going the way you want it to. Your dog still thinks you can do anything! They see us at our very worst and still think we are worth a million dollars! Did you know that dogs never hold a grudge? I witness this every time I walk in my door. Whether I have been gone for 5 minutes or all day my dogs are always happy to see me, and I also see it when our customers come pick up their dog after they have boarded with us, they are so glad to see their owners and nothing could make me happier! Did you know that a dog’s affection is unwavering? Even though they may not be here with us long, dogs love us with their whole heart. Our dogs love us more than they love themselves, and that is something that we can all learn a lesson from. I hope your February brings you much love and happiness and I just want to thank you all for letting me love on your dogs and for letting your dog’s love on me! I truly do love each one of them! 1 Corinthians 13:13- And now these three things remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love. Spring is just around the corner! I hope you will remember us when making those vacation plans! Hope to see you in the country! Love, Charlotte 2018 described in one word- AMAZING! Never in a million years did I dream that two years ago when I brought up the idea of opening a dog boarding kennel to Danny that we would be where we are today. When we first opened in June 2017, I started keeping a log of every dog that came through our doors to stay with us, and as of today we have had 653 boarders. 😊 Some one-time boarders and then some that have stayed with us multiple times. They have come in all different sizes and all different breeds. Each one of them special in their own way. Honestly there is nothing more loving than a dog. I am sure many of you have heard the saying “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself” and this is so true!!
With this year ending I want to tell each of our customers how thankful we are for each of you, the friendships we have formed, and how much you mean to us!! We would not be where we are today with out you all!! Thank you so much for trusting us with your family member! Our main goal is for you to enjoy your vacation without worrying about how your dog is doing! (I promise you I am loving on them as much as I can!) We can’t always see where the road leads, but God promises there’s something better up ahead we must trust him. (Psalm 56:3) Hard work, dedication, love, and trusting God has got us this far in our adventure and we are going to continue trusting him as we have begun Country Bark Boarding phase 2. 😊 Yes, we are expanding!!! We will be adding 9 more kennels all large sizes. If there is one thing, we have learned is you can put a small dog in a large kennel but those big dogs they need a lot more room! Lol We want to be able to have one section for small dogs and the other for large dogs. As for a completion date that is yet to be determined for some reason mother nature thinks we have needed a lot of rain lately so that has kind of slowed our progress down. But you know I will keep you updated!! So, as you begin 2019, I hope you will pray for us as we continue this journey we are on and as you start planning your upcoming vacations, please give us a call for your boarding needs!! We would love your fur baby to come to the country and stay!! We hope your New Year brings you much love, laughter, and happiness!! Charlotte and Danny Reese Witherspoon says it best in her new book Whiskey in a Teacup, “Dogs help us understand unconditional love and that humans aren’t the only beings in the universe. Dogs bring out our compassion – something that’s much needed in the world right now. They provide us with companionship and acceptance. We get so much love and joy from spending time with our dogs.” She is so right, and we are the lucky ones because we get to spend time with your dogs at Country Bark Boarding!!😊
Can you believe we are already halfway through October? Where has this year gone? The holidays are fast approaching!!! Fall break was extremely busy and so are the next few weeks. We are so blessed with all our customers and their dogs and we thank you for choosing and trusting us for your boarding needs. One of the hardest parts about this business is telling customers we are full and don’t have anymore room. So, Danny and I have decided that we just might need to add some more kennels!!! God took us down this path and I pray every day that he doesn’t give us more than we can handle! It will be a slow process but hopefully by this time next year we will have a new addition with more kennels, so we can love on more dogs!!! 😊 I had a customer ask me recently if I was still enjoying this or if I was getting burned out yet. I said no I am still loving it and it truly is the best job ever, but every now and then Danny and I need to take a break and recharge. Sometimes we have some upkeep that needs to be done in the kennel and it is hard when we have guests in there. So, we have gone ahead and tentatively chosen some dates when we know we are going to be closed. Oct. 27-31, 2018, December 7-10, 2018, February 23-28, 2019, April 29-May 12, 2019. So, if you already have a vacation scheduled go ahead and give us call so we can reserve you a spot. We already have some scheduled for spring break and 4th of July!! As always if you ever have any questions please feel free to call us and we hope to see you in the country!!! Hope everyone has a great week! Charlotte and Danny www.countrybarkboarding.com Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. I get asked all the time if I miss working out in the real world? I laugh because I am working harder at home than I have ever worked before. Yes, I take care of dogs daily 24/7, but you know that dogs love you unconditionally and are so much fun!! For that I thank God every day for taking me down this path. It is the best feeling when you wake in the morning knowing you have a purpose a job you love! I like to think I have the best job in the world!! I get to play with dogs all day!! 😊 We are so thankful for all our customers, y’all are the best! Thank you so much for letting your fur baby be a part of our family whether it’s for a few days or a few weeks!!! Each one of our guests are special to us!! Just the other day Danny was in town and he sees a dog that we had recently boarded beside him with their owner in their vehicle and he rolled down the window and called out the dog’s name and the dog looked up and just started wagging his tail the dog he remembered him!!! It’s funny sometimes we can recognize the dogs now before we recognize their owners! Lol Well, Labor Day is over, summer is coming to an end, and fall is upon us! That means football game weekends, camping, trips to the mountains or maybe even a fall beach trip is what you have planned? Whatever your fall getaway is we hope you will remember us and let your dog stay at Country Bark Boarding while you get away! We have had an amazing summer and we already have some bookings for next summer! 😊 So, it’s never too early to make those reservations!! Thanks for reading my post! We hope everyone has a great September! Charlotte P.S. We will be closed October 26-October 31. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34
The last day of July, WOW! I know they say the older you get the faster the days go, but I believe this has been the fastest summer yet!! We never dreamed how busy we would be and the hardest thing I have had to do is to tell people we are full when they call to make a reservation!We are blessed beyond measure and I thank God everyday for taking me down this path. A path that I had no idea if it would work or not, but we have worked hard and have had tremendous support and we would not be where we are with out you our friends, family and of course all of our four-legged guests!! One of my favorite parts about this summer is hearing about all the trips our customers have been on. When they come and drop their dog off I have to ask “ok where are you all going? And when they tell me I am either like oh I have been there let me tell you where to eat, lol or I have never been there I can’t wait to hear all about it!Then I will have to add that destination to mine and Danny’s bucket list. We even have one customer who has been doing a lot of traveling and I just asked them if they would save all their itineraries for us!😊 Our main goal is to make sure that you enjoy your vacation without having to worry about how your dog is doing. We love them like our own and everyone knows how much I love to take pictures😊 and I love that I am able to send pictures to you and post on Facebook/Instagram to give you peace of mind knowing your pet is safe, having a good time, and being loved on each and every day that you are away! We hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer and we are looking forward to fall and hearing all about your fall adventures when you leave your dog with us!! Remember it’s never too early to make those reservations! Thanks for reading and hope you have a great day!! Charlotte and Danny www.countrybarkboarding.com In Ephesians 3:20, we are told that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” and boy do I believe this!
Have you ever set a goal for yourself and then you have second thoughts at how you were going to achieve that goal and tell yourself I can’t do this what was I thinking… Yep me too! Well, let me tell you don’t give up, don’t quit because if you stick with it I promise you when you achieve that goal it will be the best feeling in the world!!! When we first began our journey of opening our business of Country Bark Boarding I had a goal in mind, now mind you I had no idea what to expect I was new at this business thing and all I knew was that I loved dogs and wanted our customers to feel comfortable about leaving their family member with us, but I did have a goal and was determined that if I could keep 9 dogs a month for a total of 7 nights each then I felt like we could make this work and be a successful business. We had no idea if we would make it or not, but thanks to all our support from our family, friends, and now new friends (customers) we have exceeded all expectations we have ever dreamed of. By the end of this month for June only we will have kept 51 dogs for a total of 242 nights!😊 WOW! So, you see don’t give up on whatever goal you are trying to achieve with God by your side and the faith that you have you will get there!! We hope that everyone is having a fabulous summer like we are and we hope to see you in the country! Charlotte and Danny www.countrybarkboarding.com 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Love what you do, do what you love. What makes me happy- spending time with my family, flowers, walking in nature, spending time with the Lord, a clean house, baking cookies, pretty dishes, mowing the yard, swimming, and DOGS all kinds of DOGS. YES, this past year has been nothing but amazing for me, I was able to resign from the school system and be able to do what I love full time and I am loving taking care of all the dogs that come to stay with us. This time last year we were just getting started and trying to get everything done so we could be open by the first of June. Even though we still had some things to finish we were able to open and since then we have had 300 boarders stay in our kennel!! The opening of Country Bark Boarding was taken on a huge leap of FAITH. All I knew was that I love dogs and I wanted to take care of them like I would want my dogs taken care of if they where to stay somewhere. I wanted to make sure they are as comfortable as could be and know that they are loved while they are away from their owners, and each morning as I do my daily devotional and write in my prayer journal I pray for the dogs that are staying with us. I ask the Lord to keep them safe, healthy, and happy until their owners return, and I put my trust in him! As we begin our 2nd year I want to thank all our customers for trusting us with your dogs. We are looking forward to a busy summer and meeting our new customers and their dogs! If you know someone that is looking for a place to board their dog send them our way Danny and I love it when people come to visit! (If nothing else we can do some porch sitting and take in the view I think you might like it!)😊 Thanks for reading my post and we hope that everyone has a great summer! Charlotte and Danny |