Marital Bliss

I am married! I am officially Mrs. Lydia Johnson and it feels wonderful! The wedding was perfect from the weather to the people we shared it with. I have listed listed a few pictures... enjoy!




Picture taken on the pre-dinner cruise before the Groom's Dinner.

Picture of the table setting at our awesome Groom's Dinner hosted by the Johnson family. We had all of our favorite foods and it was simply lovely.

My bridesmaid and long time friend Michelle helping me get ready.



The Blushing Bride.



The Happy Couple.



A great picture of my Maid of Honor and sister Georgia and father Walter.

Taking One Day at a Time

It seems our lives have become a bit hectic and just stayed that way for months. My mom had a stint put in her heart on 12/26/07, then my dad had a heart attack and stroke on 12/27/07. Then I traveled to Virginia. Then I purchased my wedding dress. Then I purchased bridesmaids dresses and mailed them to my girls hoping they would fit. Then came the looking for a house. Then came our puppy Marty. Then the closing of our house. Then the moving in, painting, and setting up. Then came Ashley's first birthday party. Then came getting Marty neutered. Then came a girlfriends baby shower. Then came our Housewarming Party for the Johnson family. Last weekend we traveled to North Dakota for a graduation we didn't actually attend.

Breath, sigh, relax.

Now spring is in the air and it is the first week since September that my department has not had mandatory overtime. I am going to enjoy working in my new yard and walking my puppy. I am going to enjoy cooking my fiance dinner. I am going to enjoy singing to Marty before Brent has gotten home at the top of my lungs. Today's tunes came from The Phantom of the Opera. We will have to see what tomorrow brings.

Life is good.

Moved In! (Well, our stuff anyway!)

I tell you what, moving in a pain in the A$%! I feel like I have been kicked by a horse and I didn't even do the heavy lifting! The house is an absolute mess but we have all the time in the world to unpack. Well, not really. We both enjoy comfort so I am sure it will be a max of two weeks. But the painting may slow that process, who knows?!

All I can say is, thank goodness for friends! We had plenty of help and everyone was so nice about helping. The girls even helped me set up our bed, complete with bedskirt!! And since we have been living in the house since 3/3/08 on an air mattress… it's awesome that we got to sleep on a real bed again!

We did have a scare with our puppy Marty. We have a split-level house with stairs going up and down upon entry. He climbed out on a ledge through the wrought iron fence in the livingroom, tried to turn back around, and fell 10 feet to the stairs leading to the basement. Charlie rushed to get him and I quickly followed once I knew what had happened. He seemed like it knocked the wind out of him, but other than that he was unphased. No broken bones or signs of head trauma. Lucky little guy!

Sigh. That was scary.

But yeah, the move is complete. We still have to clean the apartment but the lease is not up until April so we are all good. Exciting times.

Meet Marty

Brent and I frequent a pet shop in town just for fun, I find it therapeutic to see all the puppies and watch them play. Well, today we fell in love. His name is Marty. He is a four month old Pom-Shi Tzu and is adorable. Marty will only be 15 pounds at the most so he is an ideal lap dog. He has a calm temperament but he is still playful as a puppy should be. He isn't potty trained yet so that should be a blast... but he is already part of our family.

Buying a House

Buying a house is a roller coaster of emotions. House hunting is like being given a chance to design your life in multiple locations. Because of course being female, if there isn't anywhere to store bathrooms items- or a place to put storage- that can't possibly be YOUR bathroom, can it!?

On the more serious, reasonable side... it is a very scary experience. My parents have never owned a home. They have always struggled financially so for Brent and I to be looking a few months before we are wed is incredibly hard for me. It's very foreign territory. Once I got over the shock of understanding that we can afford a mortgage... I started to get how nice it would be to have equity.

Can you imagine not throwing money away on renting an apartment where you have no space, no yard, noisy neighbors, and no real privacy? I mean, you pay hundreds of dollars for a roof over your head with nothing to show for it. I have been renting for years now and the prospect of the roof over my head actually helping to better improve my finances overwhelms me. Of course the mortgage and utilities far surpass what we pay in rent, but know we will KNOW where the money is going not just wonder about it.

It's a strange thing being 26, engaged, and a prospective homeowner in 5 days if all goes well. The offer has been made, accepted, and now we are waiting on the bank and a potential closing date of 2/29/2008.

We'll see. I have learned that there are many houses in the Metro for sale and to not put all your eggs in one basket... but I certainly want to start living the American Dream.

It's a real thing.