Jenny realized the email had, in fact, been authentic, but that fact didn't do much to make the pair warm up to the idea. Jenny was Dave's "sugar mama" for a while After the couple moved to Arkansas in 2004, Dave started his own construction company, Marrs Developing. This is the house where the couple raises their five children and their countless animals. "We don't know how we got on that list -- maybe they were just sick of hearing from us," says Jenny, who says that she and Dave were relentless in petitioning their congressional representatives for help in getting Sylvie home. "Arkansas was booming -- it was crazy, really busy," he continues. "He said, 'We're doing this in 95 other areas,'" says Dave. Copyright © 2021, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Enter Dave and Jenny whose favorite thing to do is to tear down some walls and create beautiful designs. They didn't have beds. It was this inability to turn their backs on the suffering they had witnessed during their adoption ordeal that led to what happened next. I don't know what, but my dream would be to do this agricultural training program with teenagers, for the kids that came in as teenagers. }); "We didn't really have an interest. Likewise, Jenny and Dave could not get a baby, and they even started thinking of adopting as published on Arkansas Online. and we would say, 'Why, yes, yes we do.'". They made their property purchases right before the downtown revitalization push in Bentonville took off. Compounding the heartache was the fact that Sylvie had a congenital health issue that made her prone to illness, and, worse yet, the orphanage she was in was shockingly decrepit. They owe a large part of their philanthropy success to the fact that their sincerity and faith moves others toward generosity. But a few days later a friend told her that the couple's names had been submitted to an HGTV executive who was looking for potential stars for a new concept involving "small town America" that was being pitched to the network. "She has such good faith in that stuff," says Dave, with a nod towards his wife. On the season finale of Dave and Jenny Marrsâ âFixer to Fabulousâ, a young Literature teacher Bowman Cooper was their client. Then, suddenly, they got pregnant with twin boys. Jenny organized an online raffle with a couple of the other moms who were adopting children from the area. eventAction: 'click_ads' }); ga('ads.send', { At some point along the way, Sylvie was allowed to finally come home, making it 600 days exactly between the time her parents found her to the day she walked off the airplane to greet her new siblings -- which now included a fourth child. And every month, somehow, something would happen. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of RELATED: Meet the HGTV Star (and Father of Six!) -- Melissa Halford. Cancel anytime. And it was like, nobody could walk out the door all of a sudden, and somebody was always crying. They each took turns visiting, but the visits were never long enough to form a close bond with Sylvie, and each time they left and came back, it was like starting over. Dave Jenny and the rest of the Marrs family lives on a small farm in a home that has been restored from 1906. ", "John said, 'I just want to teach them a trade that would be valuable here, and there's such a need for good farmers," says Jenny. "[John] said, 'I really think we should do something with this land. It was 2004, and the area's population would grow by around 15,000 people a year for the next several years. They seem like somebody you would be friends with, someone who would be your neighbor.â â Melissa Halford, âI think it will be interesting to watch Jennyâs ability to capture the written word and storytelling in a way that will speak to peopleâs hearts and minds. pg.acq.push(function() { They've been living on the streets, they have a kindergartner's school knowledge, and they're not set up for success. Watch out, Chip and Joanna Gaines â Jenny and Dave Marrs are coming for your HGTV crown! hitType: 'event', "They have this affect on people -- you feel really energized by them, and like you really need to support those efforts, too," says family friend Bethany Stephens. ðð #FixerToFab is ð Tuesdays at 9|8c.Catch up on the first season now on @discoveryplus. And it gave us a lot of credibility with the rehabbers, so it was great. "We had her moved into a foster home with a Congolese doctor who we had met through the process, and she was living with her," says Jenny. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ ga('ads.send', { The resourceful couple preserves and transforms the area's historic houses into charming, updated masterpieces for young, potential buyers looking for a slower-paced lifestyle. If a small part of that could be shared, it could make a huge difference, and I think that was their biggest motivator for finally saying 'yes' and going for it. The mayor tells the colonel at the secret meeting of the Turkish army that the Turks and Armenians have always lived in peace. The first time they did it, we were inside the house, and they just wanted us to walk out the door, that was all, just a scene of us walking out the door. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Popular home renovators Dave and Jenny Marrs are all set to renovate Casey and Greg Lukaâs home that was built in 1967. Home renovators Dave and Jenny Marrs bring old houses back to life in HGTVâs Fixer to Fabulous. "We were in South Africa in January [of 2018] -- we never thought anything would ever come of it, never even saw the sizzle reel -- and they called us and said, 'We got approval to film a pilot.'". eventAction: 'click_image_ads' }) They said, 'If we don't have to pay $20,000 to have it torn down and you moved it, then it's a gain for us.' And Jenny said, 'You know, if, at the end of the day, we did all this, and we're a laughing stock on television, but maybe we got a little more publicity for the nonprofit. When we started this, I said, 'No, absolutely not, I have no desire to do it. Cooper who used to live in New York is a seventh grade English teacher. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { But changes within the Congolese government would stymie their efforts. In a stroke of kismet, they were about to open their own farm -- The Berry Farm -- that they had planted in hopes of using the harvests to fund their efforts in Africa. } hitType: 'event', Debuting in January, "Almost Home" is a reality television show that will follow the duo as they renovate and rebuild historic houses in the Northwest Arkansas area. Seeing their hearts for other people, their hearts for the vulnerable -- they walk what they talk. Just act like normal people, OK?' "So I told him what my concern was. That is, the heart part of the search ended when they found Sylvie, but, unfortunately, the legal part of the process was just beginning. } They want to foster kids but the layout of their house doesnât allow them to do that. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by camera crews on a regular basis. Dave, in particular, was relocated frequently; when he finally decided it was time to settle in one place, he returned to Northwest Arkansas, where he had been stationed briefly right out of college. ", "We had this nice, quiet little life," says Dave, wryly. Bluetiful job, @DaveMarrs + @marrs_jenny! eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), "They tend to galvanize others towards a common cause.". Prime Video Channels is the Prime benefit that lets you choose your channels. I was thinking, 'Small town? While Dave was traveling in Africa with the organization, he met John Chinyowa, pastor of the Family Praise Fellowship and head of Musha Wevana Village in Zimbabwe, an orphanage that cares for around 100 orphaned youth. },false) Despite their initial reticence, things warmed up when they found out that he was from the area. Because the couple switched adoption programs when they found Sylvie, they lost the money they had already invested and had to start from scratch with the reams and reams of paperwork required. Jenny & Dave renovate multiple houses at one time Three homes at one time, to be exact. I think people are going to be drawn to the show, just because they seem so real. People will see that unfold on the show â she has an ability to shine a light on issues and people and places. "That's when we went to meet her for the first time. "I always forget I have a microphone on. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. "We never intended to do anything that we did, or do," says Jenny, laughing. By Jessilyn Lancaster, Managing Editor. I think so, too!'". window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { They put a painting of a horse portrait over it for that Kentucky touch.They gave them a classic white kitchen with a hardwood island that Dave built with his own hands and he insisted they can do all sorts of hard pounding on it since it was so tough. "When they film with the kids, that's always unpredictable," she says. The two are very passionate about ⦠Jenny wrote on her Instagram handle, âAn all new episode of #fixertofab tonight at 9|8c on HGTV! It was agony for the couple. But then he told me, 'I think we should start the process again,' and I said, 'Really? "That was his dream." "Right after she came home, they shut down medical visas, too, so it was wonderful and hard, because we knew all of these other families -- we had all grown close, because we were all going through this together -- and they were still waiting for their children.". In addition to the harvests, The Berry Farm features an event barn rented out for special occasions. He also put a wooden criss-cross on its side for that farm aesthetic. They're both eminently watchable. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); They had a ban on exit letters -- if you were a Congolese citizen, you needed an exit letter to leave the country.". "We met with Senator Boozman and Representative Womack, and their offices were amazing, constantly advocating for us. "We went to the U.S. Embassy, and they said, 'We recognize her as your daughter, and you can come here and live with her, but if you try to take her out of the country, you'll be charged with child trafficking, and you'll be arrested," remembers Dave. Jenny wrote on her Instagram handle, âAn all new ⦠They're from Knoxville. My husband and I have gotten to see a couple of the episodes, and theyâre just so natural. The garage that was of no use for the family was renovated into a living space with lots of horse portraits for that Kentucky influence. pg.acq.push(function() { They're going to try and portray it as this backwoods thing.'". "There were so many months where we would say, 'We don't have enough money to continue feeding 200 kids, we just don't.' It would be unsurprising for these no-nonsense, down-to-earth folks to brush off the opportunity to be television stars. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), '", "And once they hit 18, they age out of the orphanage," says Dave. While keeping the home's history and character, they come up with a plan for a open-concept kitchen, a one-of-a-kind playroom and ⦠House + Love = Home. Her health issues landed her on a special, medical needs list, and she was one of four children that were allowed to leave the country to be united with their new families. Between the two of them, they blend their skills in a way thatâs really cool to watch.â â Bethany Stephens. Jenny also put a family photo in the laundry room. Jenny and Dave are challenged to completely overhaul a historic Dutch Colonial home for a couple of farm owners and their two small children. I would love to tell you that I saw it coming, but I didn't see it coming, or I would have bought 10 times the property down there.". Dave says a lot with just a few sincere words, and Jenny tells engaging stories with joy and heart and enthusiastic hand gestures. gads_event = event; ga('ads.send', { And then I was like, 'Oh, you can hear all of that, can't you? With a little love and a lot of talent, t he husband-wife duo rest ores timeworn homes into contemporar y living spaces in their hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. But it did, and, a short time later, they found out the pilot was picked up for a series. "When the boys were about a year and a half -- which is crazy, thinking back, that we thought that it was a good idea, I mean, it was chaos with year-and-a-half old boys -- we both felt like we should restart the [adoption] process," says Jenny. "John had this land that he had showed Dave the year before," remembers Jenny. Tonight, we remodel a home for a family who moved here from Kentucky. At that time, she was about a year-and-a-half old, and, when we left, we were thinking that we would come back in a month to bring her back home because we only had one step left." And we would save a house.". "They said, 'Hey, would you tear this house down?' "Delete!". Marrs Developing became synonymous with the kind of builds that made it look like the house had been on its lot for a hundred years -- a perfect fit for the historic vibe of downtown Bentonville. "I said, 'Our farm could fund your farm!'". eventAction: 'view' The outside porch that was closed before was torn down and turned into an open front porch. Even after Sylvie was taken in by her foster mother, the couple received updates from the doctor she was living with about the kids still living in the orphanage. "The Methodist church came to me with a house right on Central [Avenue]," says Dave. "She was one of 12 kids there, but it was still better than her orphanage. The stars of Fixer to Fabulous actually have quite a lot in common with the Fixer Upper hosts (in addition to their shows having very similar titles). Besides, said the producer, the chances were very slim that this initial project would ever go further. All rights reserved. It was a little bit of Bentonville that we saved.". All I need is five minutes! }); "It was lucky timing -- no one else was doing it yet, and it kind of grew. "That was in the fall, and then we did a Christmas drive and fed them for three months, and it kept on growing.". "Not only adoption, but causes outside of Bentonville -- looking bigger, looking globally. One hundred percent of the proceeds from both the food harvests and the event rentals goes straight to Pastor John. He wanted to talk the couple into filming something called a "sizzle reel," brief example of what a show might look like with them at the helm. But the work wasn't limited to only new builds. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. If you have an entertainment scoop or a story for us, please reach out to us on (323) 421-7515. And I was just worried. That kind of sudden, constant scrutiny takes some time to get used to, says Jenny. Who Adopted Four Children with Special Needs. They're charismatic, too. Photo courtesy HGTV "The pilot started with a house in downtown Rogers. }); "So, of course, we were like, 'OK, so what can we do?'". They incorporated a wooden mantle which was from the Marrs' store room that they couldnât use in their own house. pg.acq.push(function() { When they first tried to start a family, they struggled with infertility, says Jenny. ga('ads.send', { eventAction: 'load' Husband and wife team, Dave and Jenny Marrs, renovate historic homes, and build new homes, in Bentonville, Arkansas. It was neat, watching a home that we had driven past, literally every day, for over a decade. }); }); He said, 'I want to put your fear at ease -- this isn't an LA-based production company. Casey and Greg have been married for 17 years and have two children together. hitType: 'event', eventAction: 'render' '", "We would get random check donations," says Jenny. -- Bethany Stephens, Photo Courtesy HGTV "They are two of the most real people you'll ever meet. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Instead of focusing solely on Sylvie and the rest of their family in Arkansas, the couple were determined to make a change for the others they had seen. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. They got into the habit of routinely sending her money so that she could cook large batches of food to take to the orphanage to feed the kids.
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