347 unread messages...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my fabulous readers!!

A bit MIA I know... my google reader reminded me of this fact when I opened her up this morning to find 347 unread messages?! WOWZA! I briefly buzzed through them, but mostly just clicked the ol' "next item" button. I know I know, it's bad, but 347?!

So, first of all, I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who voted for my hubs and I in our photogs' best shots of '09 contest!! Your support really meant a lot, and best of all, it got as a freakin beautiful canvas... yep, WE WON!! So thanks thanks thanks for visiting [6:8] Photography's site and voting for us! We are very appreciative! And now the task becomes... where do we hang this new canvas?


maybe here:

or how about here:

What are these new locations you ask?! Well, in the midst of the usual Christmas activities (mainly eating, drinking, playing in the snow, and eating some more!!), the hubs and I made a pretty exciting purchase! Yep, we bought a new house! Wait, here comes the kicker... it's our second house. As in, 2nd mortgage. As in... yikes!! What I haven't totally filled you all in on yet is the fact that the hubs and I are living LD... the dreaded long-distance! Let's be completely honest here... the first year of marriage is not designed to be LD. It sucks. BUT, it will be better now that I will be moving out of my sister's house, and into OUR new house! The hubs will continue to live in Ctown (about 3 hrs south of Etown where I live) during the week, but he will now be joining me in our new home on the weekends. It has been a very stressful time (I definitely understand why Christmas is a slow time in real estate... it really is NOT a good time to buy a house people!!), but we are coming out of it now! We take possession on January 15th, so we are moving out of the bad stress (i.e. trying to convince the bank that we can afford the second mortgage, trying to buy a house during holiday hours, and trying to find time for 3hr home inspections in the middle of the work week all the while trying to finish Christmas shopping!), and sliding on in to the good-stress... like what colors in the new bathroom, what to cook for the first dinner party in the new kitchen, and best of all... where-oh-where is my dream dining table?!

So, the next few weeks (or months) of blogging will definitely continue to recap our Mountaintop Wedding, but there will probably be spurts of house-stuff in there too (cause let's face it, this is all I can think about now!). A year ago this time, I was freshly engaged, and all I could think about was WEDDING! And now, 4 months into an LD marriage, 10 days away from a new house, all I can think about is decorating, renovating, moving, cooking, hosting... so much to do with a new house... where to start?!

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season, and I hope you have come into 2010 with great ideas, creative projects, exciting goals, and best of all, a strong love with your partner!! I will be honest with you all, my hubs and I have had to WORK to stay strong during these last few weeks... the stress has tested us, we have definitely fought, but I know these are all trials and tribulations that will make us stronger. Afterall, he is my man, forever!