Finding your new forever dream home.

I've lived many places. I've lived in a 3 bedroom brick ranch, I've lived in a 2 story house with the biggest bedroom I will ever have in my life, I've lived in dorm rooms with some crazy roommates, weird apartment complexes and now I share a tiny rental house with my husband & my dog.

As next year comes into focus we are going to look for a new home to call our "forever dream" home. Sure I've spent many hours looking at houses online, and I assume what I think we need.

3-4 bedroom
more than one bathroom (I'm cool with a half bath)
finished basement
fenced great big yard
good school district
a formal dining room (or a basement not filled with spiders where I can host Thanksgiving)
close to friends/family (harder than I wish it was)
1200 sqft+ (we deserve that, considering we all lived in my 526 sqft apartment for too many months)

Maybe that list is a little ambitious for our first house, but it is what I am looking for. I'm not afraid of an ugly house, I actually prefer retro.

I wish we could start looking now, but later is better (since we are in a lease & all).

I'm excited for the future.

30 days & counting.

In 30 days, I am going to marry my very best friend. I feel so honored & so blessed to have the opportunity to feel this great love. I wish every person could feel this good in love.
To connect with a person so right, to compliment each other so well, to laugh every day, to lift each other up, to enjoy the same things, to understand each other, to have the same life goals & to grow along side with another person- while still thinking they are pretty neat- that is love. We have that.
People keep asking me if I am nervous about the wedding. I can't think of a single thing to be nervous about. We have been planning the big day for over a year, so all of the big details are already mapped out, clearly & have been for months. Sure, things going a bit crazy during the wedding, but I am only going to be focused on one thing: love. There will be so much love going on that day, the walls will be electric with good vibrations. If the wind is right over Lake Huron, the people in Canada will feel a burst of love.
I am happy. I am ready. I am going to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. 30 days & counting.

For the Love of Dogs.

I ended up working late on Friday night. Just a few minutes, but on a friday - before a holiday weekend- even 5 minutes can seem like 20. But it was all for a good purpose.
Driving home on the road I travel every day, I saw something running across the road. Little and black. This little puppy couldn't have weighed more than 10# and she was just running in the road. From the distance, I actually thought it was a cat. But I put my car to a stop, threw on my emergency flashers & opened my door. To my surprise this sweet gal hopped RIGHT into my car, onto my lap, gave me a kiss on the chin & skipped right into the back seat. She had a bright orange collar on. On her collar was imprinted a phone number on a gold tag. There were 2 numbers, I called the first, got a voice mail so I called the 2nd. A man answered, told me it was his dog & that he had just let her out a few minutes ago. I told him I would take her home if he gave me his address.  Here she is driving as a passenger in my car. What a sweet baby.

So I started driving. back & forth, up and down this country road & I can't find the house. SO i called the guy again, got the address again & called Keith to let him know what I was doing (this was taking forever). I finally find this house & start down the LONG driveway. This house was scary, the driveway was super long & I was WAY OFF the road. There were HUGE pits in the driveway & my car was bouncing all over the place.  He had two, five dollar bills in his hand to give me as a reward for bringing his dog home. He told me it was all he could afford. I told him I didn't return her for the money, but I just was happy she was home. Small talk goes on from here. He told me how pretty I was, told me he he couldn't read after reading my name to me after asking for my card from work after I said I was on my way home from work, then told me to find him a house he could buy for 20k & he would cut me commission, as he didn't have a computer & can't read. He turns to the dog & says "now I have to teach her a lesson". He then told me he was going to WHIP THE DOG. I begged for him not to with tears in my eyes & he told me he was going to do it, right now, in front of me. Everything in my power was telling me to snatch the dog up and drive as fast as I could down the driveway, but I was frozen with fear. Plus there was no way I was going to get the dog, get into my RUNNING car & get it turned around fast enough. So he grabbed the dog & took of his hat & brushed it lightly on the dog & said "Bad dog". I started laughing really hard. But really couldn't find a REASON to get out of there & stop the small talk. This guy was nice, but in the back of my head I just had these horror stories going back & forth in my head about being abducted, shot & thrown into the back of this house. So I excused myself, for the 4th time & hopped in the car. I had to do a 6 point turn to get my car turned around & almost got stuck into a pit. He was talking as I was driving away, but I just left. The dog was happy & safe & I was on my way home to snuggle my own dog.
Maybe I should have gone home & gotten Keith first since I was only 10 minutes from the house, but I didn't want her to be "lost" that long if someone was looking for her. She was super sweet. I hope she stays out of the road & keeps being the ultimate little snuggle bug. Good things happens to those who do good things. I know it was God looking over me because he too, loves all dogs.

Nature refreshes my soul, Labor Day Weekend update.

What a wonderful peaceful Labor Day Weekend. I feel blessed, refreshed & renewed.

Unknowingly, we have made going up to the cabin a Labor Day weekend tradition (3rd year in a row).

We have exactly 33 days until the wedding. Every weekend has been planned out Since April through the end of October. We needed a weekend to get away & just be us. With all of the hooplah going on with life & our pursuit of happiness it was nice to have a few days to unplug & unwind.

Big changes have been going on. Keith got a shiny new job. We are looking at purchasing our first home in a few months after the wedding. We are getting married. My brain has also shifted into baby mode to the fact that I have joked with friends about making a BABY PACT for 2013 (my baby is going to need friends!). Life is changing, fast.

Being able to spend time away from all of the distractions & just being able to spend time together was amazing. Sometimes we have to make time to recharge & refresh. Life is a blessing.

Getting Psyched for my bridal shower/bachelorette party

I am the luckiest gal in town.

I have the best life. I have the best man, the best family, the best dog, the best friends. I'm lucky beyond belief. What a blessing to have every female you love in the same place.

I'm bursting with love here.

Contrary to popular belief, I've never been one to want to be the real center of attention, maybe the comic relief, but never the center of attention. So I think this whole day of ME is going to be a bit overwhelming. Thankfully it's a crowd I've known since the beginning of time, so I won't have to dance the dance. Just enjoy, relax & be myself.

I feel like my wedding is coming up so fast. We've been engaged for just about a year now & in less than 2 months I will be his bride. I felt like I had so much time and now time is just rushing by. I'm hoping to get a ton of photos taken to I can have the little moments paused.

My sister is coming in from Vermont & my wonderful friend is coming in from Iowa today. How neat is that? I can barely contain my excitement, which might be why I've been up since 4 am.

I should go walk the dog & get some of this energy out of my system. lucky lucky lucky.

I've been on vacation, in exotic Michigan

Sometimes a girl needs to get away. So away was where I went. I went to a place where the trees are full of leaves & the pool was sparkling & someone who loves me very much washed my dog. Yes, I went and spent a nice long weekend with my parents. I truly had a wonderful, relaxing time. The only television I watched was the Olympics. I spent quality time laughing with both my mom & my dad individually for full days & together. It was bliss. I ate, I shopped, I created, I crafted, I slept, I laughed. I have been feeling wound up tighter than a spring & I finally feel back down to sweet lush green earth.

More to come. More to follow. My bed is calling.

My worst habits.

Well I gave up smoking, I don't drink all that often & I do NOT do drugs.
What in the hell is left? Well, I'm a nail biter. I will ruin a good manicure in a few days.
I am also a person who constantly checks my social media during the day (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). Some would say a touch OCD. *I leave at the same minute every day, everything has a place, my shampoo faces the same direction every day. I tend to notice when things are not in order.

But I don't smoke anymore, or drink alone & this girl can pass a drug test with flying colors--that ish has to count for something.