1111 (aka 1/1/2011)

Dear Diary,

Happy New Year! This is going to be a much better than 2010. I won't make resolutions and set up myself up for disappointment. (But then I again, I don't usually make resolutions, so this is nothing new.)

I have many things to look forward to this year. The biggest event (that I need start working on again) is MY WEDDING!!!! I have 8 months and 12 days until I get married. WOO HOO!

I also get to meet my inlaws for the first time... I have a new house, which means new gardens... Once we are married then we will begin IMMEDIATELY on a family (Rockstar is so excited!)... I need to focus on my health (partially for the wedding dress)... I need to focus on balancing work-personal-fun in my life...

If I believe what the Chinese Zodiac says, then this should be a prosperous year. I know we will focus more on financial responsibility and maybe that's what will lead to this prosperous year. Paying for a wedding REALLY tightens the purse strings... and I think I'm doing a decent job of finding 'on-the-cheap' way of doing things. Etsy is becoming a favorite for somethings.

I was hoping to have a more insightful New Years post, but really it turned into a to do list. Wishing all my friends and family much love and health in the coming year!

How do I end 2010? Reflection.

Dear Diary,

It's that time of year where we all begin to look back. I'm not going to get hung up on 2010, but there are things to remember.

What was my number one moment? Rockstar proposing. It was not the most romantic of stories, but he is the best thing that has come into my life.

What was my lowest moment? Foreclosure on my house. I am still waking myself up in the night with a huge feeling of guilt. I am aware of the choices I made that lead to event. I also have become more focused on making smart choices, financially. January 1 is the day that the house officially goes to the bank, so in many ways New Years Day has many meanings for me. I'm hoping that blogging will be a type of therapy for me to get through these life lessons. However, I've thought about the professional route too.

2011 bring the Year of the Rabbit. I found this description online and found it VERY interesting:

A placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger. We should go off to some quiet spot to lick our wounds and get some rest after all the battles of the previous year. Good taste and refinement will shine on everything and people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. A congenial time in which diplomacy, international relations and politics will be given a front seat again.

We will act with discretion and make reasonable concessions without too much difficulty. A time to watch out that we do not become too indulgent. The influence of the Rabbit tends to spoil those who like too much comfort and thus impair their effectiveness and sense of duty. Law and order will be lax; rules and regulations will not be rigidly enforced. No one seems very inclined to bother with these unpleasant realities. They are busy enjoying themselves, entertaining others or simply taking it easy. The scene is quiet and calm, even deteriorating to the point of somnolence.

We will all have a tendency to put off disagreeable tasks as long as possible Money can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be languid and leisurely as we allow ourselves the luxuries we have always craved for. A temperate year with unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree and happy without too many annoyances.

I also see signs of caution in there too. However, I like that this coming year will not be as mentally taxing.

Wishing a Happy New Years to you!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Dear Diary,

This seemed to be a common theme on many FB postings Christmas Eve and Christmas night. Even thought 2010 will be ending on a semi-sad note, the New Year is coming and Christmas was wonderful!

We spent LOTS of time with friends and family... this is one thing that I believe in so much. I hate the idea of people being by themselves for the holidays and hope that I found all of my friends who might have been.

So as I bring this post to a close, I wish you all a Merry Christmas! Now that Winter Vacation has arrived I will post again in the next couple of days.

The Last Load!

Dear Diary,

Well today is was the final day... the final day inside my first house. I thought I was going to be okay, but as we approached the final load in the car, I could feel myself on the edge of tears. However, when Rockstar suggested doing one final walk through to make sure we got everything I sucked in the tears. When I got to the kitchen, I lost it. I couldn't believe that my choices took me down this path. I thought back to when I first lived on my own and tried to figure out how I got here.

Once I got home, I felt closer to being at ease. Rockstar is truly that... he keeps trying comforting me. During all of this I also begin to feel guilty for finding someone so forgiving. I am truly grateful to have found such a wonderful man!

A few key phrases are going through my head as I am trying settle in for the night: Keep moving forward... There are other less fortunate... live and learn... but the most important, LIFE IS GOOD!

Things that are keeping my chin up? Fiance, family, excellent friends, love, Christmas, laughter, kindness, generosity.

And let the projects begin!

Dear Diary, One of the MANY joys of moving, besides the piles of boxes, are the plethora of projects that sneak up. Some are super quick and easy, while others are time and budget consuming. Let's look at the projects we have discovered and/or worked on in the first week.

1. Create a walk-in closet. The bedroom we are using as the master bedroom, has this funky little room off of it. When I saw that, I said, "OOOOOO! Walk in closet!" PLUS, it has a closet in there and that will be come the shoe closet. Every girls dream? Right? We have a good enough start for now so that we can move on to other projects.

2. Insulate the attics. We are getting some MAJOR icicles around the edge of the house and since we have a metal roof, those can be deadly. This is something that is at the top of our to do list, but won't happen until after the holidays. So for now, lots of layers and keep heat turned down.

3. Furnace repair. On our snow day today, I noticed that the living room really wasn't keeping or getting heated like it normally does. So I played with the thermostat. I decided to call a furnace repairman. He's down there right now and is replacing a Zone 1 something or other... and doing some rewiring on the 'hodge podge work' that is down there. Hoping this isn't too pricey!

4. We have 1 3/4 bathrooms. The full bathroom is a little odd...Yes, it is as narrow as it looks. You hit your ass on the toilet paper holder when you sit down. There is no room here! When the guys helped us move, there were MANY jokes made on the cramped quarters. So I decided the least I could do was take off the toilet paper holder. Well... the screws on the one side came out with NO problems. However, on the other side I had some difficulty, so out came a hammer and screwdriver.Needless to say, I got the holder off. However, that just added a little drywall work to my list. LOL

We are truly LOVING the house, but we still have some boxes at the other house. We are staying very focused on our budget. We are making sure that we are not living outside our means and that purchases right now are satisfying wants, but are needs. Stay tuned for project and more life on the farm updates!