2 Months!

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since Kory and I got engaged... which means there are only 2 short months until that proposal comes to fruition!  I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed... and how easily distracted we have been related to the focus on planning our wedding.  From moving, school/work, and our first house, we have had very little spare time to stress about the wedding... which I hear is very unusual.  I suppose most couples take more of a "one challenge at a time" approach while Kory and I seem to have chosen to do it all at once... which may be a blessing in disguise. :)

Our Comic Relief & Her Red Bone

Sam is lucky that we find her undeniably, heart meltingly adorable because she is a terror that I'm certain most people would get fed up with or give up on.  It's not enough that she chews holes in our socks and scares away our visitors (both welcome and unwelcome), we end up with black eyelash looking hair all over every surface and she leaves slime marks on our clothes that must make people wonder if we own a washing machine!  Thank goodness we have a heart for animals and a sense of humor to go along with it - otherwise our "baby" would have likely found herself at an animal shelter instead of in our bed, stretched out to the max.

We have discovered one thing that keeps our little devil occupied and out of trouble - her red Kong bone.  Made of truly indestructible rubber, we are able to stuff it full of the most delectable scented treats and leave her with the challenge of how to get those treats from within the tight rubber holes.  All I can say is, Thank God for Kong!  We never could have guessed that the $15 we invested in that dog toy would be the best $15 we would ever spend. 

When she's finally maneuvered the treat out of the bone, she will cover it with slime and offer one of us an end in order to play tug.   Because we love her, and we find her persistence so darn cute, we humor her... even Grammy Marilyn has been known to give in to those dreamy puppy eyes and take hold of the slimy red bone for a good game of tug-o'-war!

Recently, I spent a couple of days working from home.  One day Sam was particularly energized while I was trying to do my job at my laptop.  Instead of stuffing the bone with a goodie and sending her off with something to do, I just shooed her away and continued what I was doing.  When I got up to grab a snack, this is what I came back to... 

...maybe a reminder of where Sam thinks my priorities should lie? Or maybe a very direct request for a little something special in the empty toy...

In the end, she got a turkey stuffed bone and I got a much needed laugh. Sometimes I think she might be a little smarter than we realize.  Dumb or brilliant, she certainly adds an invaluable comic spice to our lives!

World's most durable dog toys... KONG WEBSITE

If you know a dog owner with an unruly pup... send them the link,

you'll help them preserve their sanity and their possessions!

Project Update

Remember, this is where the wall was when "we" started:

And this is where we are today, after many long hours of hard work and a few early discoveries that will end up saving up big bucks!

This photo shows you the specific addition that was made to support the dining room / living room ceiling, which had been dangling since the previous own ignorantly removed too much of the wall.

This was never meant to be a blog with an underlying HGTV theme, but I am just so proud of the work Kory and my dad have done, and SO thankful for their able hands and awesome attitudes! :)    Of course, there is still lots of work to be done to complete this mini renovation... mudding, sanding, painting, etc.  But frankly, at this phase in the game, I'm just happy to have a structurally sound roof over my head! 

Best Men

We had a mini reunion this weekend with Kory's two "bestmen" and their lovely ladies.  Kory and Jay (right) have been friends since they were just tots, literally!  They've been together through every walk of life - all the way up through college, both majoring in Aerospace Engineering. 

Jay and Kory met Jimmy (left) during their first year at Penn State.   Jimmy (affectionately aka "Slim"), Kory, and Jay have the perfect chemistry.  Something tells me this trio is going to be great friends for a very long time!

Photo:  Kory gave Slim and Jay their wedding accessory - a neck tie.  They clearly couldn't wait to put them on! :)

Lucky for me, Kory's best friends share their lives with amazing gals.  Erin (right) is Slim's girlfriend, whom we all met for the first time today!  As we expected, she was a great fit - layed back and fun! :)  And of course Jen (left) is one of my dearest friends.  She is one of those amazing people that make you feel like you can do anything.  Everyone needs a friend like Jen! :)

And then, of course we had to all squeeze onto our tiny couch for a quick group shot!   Thank goodness for cameras with timers! :)

Slim and Erin surprised us with a super sweet house warming gift, for me:  an amazing piece of pottery and a darling bouquet of flowers.  For Kory: a basket of goodies, including Honey Oh's... a cereal that they apparently ate a lot of during their years together in college! :)   What wonderful reminders they left behind... :)

1 Year Ago - Everything Changed

This week turned out to be one of the worst work weeks I've ever had.  I was beyond stressed and dying to just get home - and leave all the troublemakers and concerns behind me.  Thank God I had my mini support squad waiting for me in our new home, with open arms!  Never have I been more thankful that Kory is such a compassionate and patient fella'... it is turning out to be a frequent requirement for this role of future husband! 

Tomorrow marks our 1 year engagement anniversary.... it's hard to believe it's been that long.  Seems like yesterday I was sitting at the spa, getting spoiled... all building up to THE moment that would change our lives forever!   (The Proposal)  A year ago today, I never would have imagined what the following day would hold.... and even more shocking is where the next year would take us!  Life is such an awesomely crazy adventure! 

67 days until we are finally Mr. & Mrs.!  (That relaxing cruise is sounding better and better...)

Kory's Second Lesson & Much Much More...

Kory and I started our weekend flat on the floor, literally.  Somehow the crowbar managed to make its way under the air mattress we had been sleeping on and cut a massive hole in our makeshift bed.  We woke up to find our "loyal" dog sleeping across the room on her well padded dog bed  while we were on an airless air mattress.  Some dog.  Luckily the timing worked - Kory was heading to Punxsy to get our things, which included our crazy comfortable mattress! What a relief!

The weekend was full of lots of hard work, family style.  We had my mom, dad, and little brother all down to help with some of our work load.  The main focus was creating a space for our acceptably sized refrigerator.  This process would include a bit of layout reconfiguration between our kitchen and living room.  The plan was basically to shift the dividing wall back several feet and add an adjacent wall - think closet type refrigerator enclosure.  While Kory headed to Punxsy to get all of our belongings, my dad did the demolition.

This is the wall before my dad and Kory got started...

And after the demolition and they reframed the refrigerator closet, this is what we have after day 1 - two hopeful men...  stay tuned for the undisclosed surprise that was discovered during this home renovation. 

 

Meanwhile, my hardworkin' little brother, Mikey, was in the basement painting all of our interior doors...

...And my decorator mom was trying to mount curtain rods to the impossibly thick plaster walls.

After my parents wrapped up their work for the day, Mikey and Kory headed out to the moving truck to attack the daunting task of moving all of our over-sized furniture into the house.  Waiting until late evening added an additional challenge - maneuvering in the dark.  Fortunately their catlike senses worked to their advantage and they managed to get everything inside, in one piece.  Thank goodness for strong, hard working guys... And thank goodness for not having to move again, for a very long long time!

Before moving to Denver, Kory purchased an irresistably comfortable recliner which was quickly taken over by Sam.  Because of the small size of the last place we rented, we were forced to put the recliner in storage.   When Sam found her long lost napping spot in the living room she seemed overcome with joy.  She sniffed, and sniffed and sniffed, confirming that her old faithful chair was back!  It was pretty sweet...  I think dogs remember more than the experts claim.  There was definitely a fond memory in the scent of that chair...

After a long day of work, my furry friends welcomed bedtime in what felt like the world's most comfortable bed... (notice, no room for anyone else)

The following day was full of surprises... terrible ones, as usual.
When my dad went into the attic to do some electrical wiring, he found an absolute mess.  He worked in the heat of our tiny attic for hours.  I can barely sit up straight in our attic, so you can imagine the challenge the tiny area would create for my 6'4'' father.  He kept saying, "The guy who did this was a complete idiot!"  All I could think was, "Thank God my dad knows how to fix this stuff!"  I think I thanked him 20 times over the course of the afternoon.  My dad explained to us that the quality of the original work was phenomenal and that all of the problems he saw were related to what the last owner did...


While he was rewiring in the attic, he and Kory pulled back some of the insulation to reveal that the idiot that wired the kitchen also removed a portion of one of the walls that was load bearing.  They explained to me that the living room ceiling was just hanging.  There was nothing to support the ceiling!  Somehow this shocked me... but I was so relieved that they discovered this major structural flaw in time to correct it before it was a major issue.  They pointed out the hairline crack that was slowly revealing the issue that was lying beneath the surface of the drywall. They did the only thing they could and extended the wall out in order to support the living room ceiling.  The layout of the house is much less open, but at least we don't have to worry about the ceiling caving in!

Unfortunately, this took up most of the day and did not leave my dad enough time to teach Kory how to drywall... so we have a framed in box in our living room... for now.  In the coming days, we plan to contact the structural engineer that inspected our home before we purchased it, and gave no indication that there were any issues with the framing of the house.  
What else could possibly be concealed in this house?  I may not want to know the answer to that question!

Seller Deceit... Again!

Like many other things, we overlooked the obvious when it came to the absence of a refrigerator in our first home. Instead of wondering why the seller replaced all the other appliances except the refrigerator, we just assumed away any concerns...  and like all the other "red flags," this one came with a complicated solution.

The gap in the kitchen that was clearly for a refrigerator appeared to be plenty big for a standard refrigerator... which is obviously what the sellers wanted us to think.  Upon measuring the height and width of the hole, we found that only the smallest full size refrigerators would fit - these are the ones that Lowe's tells us are the right size for a family of 1.  With this frig, we would limit our condiments to ketchup and mustard, and certainly no left overs for us!

 In order to fit a larger refrigerator, we would have to replace many cabinets, which we have not yet found a match.  What do we do?  Get a tiny refrigerator?  If we ever decide to sell the house, there is no doubt that this "charming" remedy would surely be an issue!

Again, who saves the day? My dad.  He agreed to reconfigure one of the kitchen walls to allow for a bigger refrigerator - and use the original frig spot for a pantry!   That means that this weekend Kory is going to get his second lesson in "Mike Rosenberger's Handy Man School!"  : ) We were thrilled to get to look at full sized appliances at Lowes - instead of limiting ourselves to the mini aisle!

Meet the newest addition to our humble household... our lovely full sized refrigerator, to be delivered Friday and installed Saturday!  Isn't she a beauty?  : p

Lesson: Take nothing for granted!  If something looks or feels odd... investigate! 

Note:  The other items that may creep up as a cause for concern are the 12 Glade Plugins that we've removed from all over the house...  I'm guessing there is more to it than the cat pee/poop scent coming from the spare bedrooms - though we can hope that is all they were trying to mask!

First Day of School

Yesterday, Kory's first class was cancelled, so after a little bit of housework, we headed to the University of Pittsburgh to wonder around and get Dr. Kory ready for his new life as a student...

After my guided tour aound the Pitt campus, Kory and I headed to Primanti Brothers for a Pittsburgh classic!  Yum!

Kory's First Lesson - Toilet Installation

My dad has always been quite the impressive handy man.  The only household project I've ever heard him decline is related to heating and cooling because of the stiff regulations around the chemicals and installations - other than that, you name it, and he will be able to advise on the best materials and installation methods.

 We've all heard the theory that young girls look for characteristics in a mate that reflect the qualities they love and value most in their dads.  I'm pretty sure I was in denial about this idea until recently, when we purchased a house that needs some TLC and hiring out the labor is beyond our means.  Luckily, Kory is a quick study, and my dad loves spending time with him and was more than happy to give up the "future father in law" hat for a while and put on the "DIY mentor" hat! 
The first thing on the home improvement list: Replacing the circa 1950, blue, wall mounted toilet in our main bathroom. 

My dad came down last Saturday to spend the day showing Kory the ropes of toilet replacement.   From lessons on plumbing with copper and  drilling massive holes through 3 inch thick cement floors to safety precautions in using crazy nightmarish saws and what inspectors look for, the first lesson seemed to be pretty thorough.  8 hours after they got started,  we had ourselves a brand spankin' new power flusher toilet to start out our life together, thanks to the hard work of 2 very special men in my life!

Lesson 1:  How to disconnect a wall mounted toilet.

Lesson 2: Where to put an old nasty toilet.

Lesson 3: Creating huge holes in cement floors 

Lesson 4: Plumbing

Lesson 5: Admire the beauty in your project

Kitchen Inspiration

At my bridal shower I received a set of pots and pans from my future mother in law that I just love!  They are robin's egg blue speckled with a darker blue.  Kory and I decided it would be a great "inspiration piece" for our kitchen... so we painted the walls the light light blue and started collecting accent pieces.  Luckily, this shade of blue is a hot color that is everywhere!  Rugs, candles, throw pillows, curtains, dishes, you name it, it's out there right now! : )  It was the first time I ever used a favorite possession to determine how I would decorate... it is pretty fun, and it gives that special item even more meaning when you decorate an entire room around it. 

Photo of my mama washing our inspiration in our blue kitchen, that she painted for us! 

DEADLINE: September 15

Wednesday, September 15th is the deadline to pay the remaining balance on your cruise. 

(More details to come... a long work week results in no energy to blog! : / )

3 Months!

Three short months until the big day!  Time flies when you're doing a million things at once!

Safe Travels

This morning, Kory and Sam will set out on their journey across the country, leaving Denver behind and setting their sights on our new home.  Their trek will include 1500 miles, 7 states, and probably a lot of junk food and energy drinks.
Please keep them in your prayers as they travel for the next 2 days. 

Kitty Cat Crap Nightmare = Buyers' Remorse

Naively, Kory and I thought we had a good handle on the baggage our first home came with.  A short visit this week revealed that we may have purchased our very own Money Pit.  When my mom and I decided to go to Pittsburgh to finish getting the house ready for Kory and Sam's big arrival, our initial intention was to finish painting and cleaning.  I'd also scheduled an air duct cleaning.  We had high hopes for even squeezing in a little shopping...

When we graduated from the main living areas (kitchen, living room, master bedroom), we moved on to start the 2 spare bedrooms, the only carpeted rooms in the entire house.  I vacuumed the beautiful new carpet and started cleaning walls, windows and trim.  For whatever reason I decided to start on the trim.  I started scrubbing away to reveal they were soiled with a brown residue.  I scrubbed and scrubbed until the odor that dampening the soiled area became too much.  I asked my mom to come take a look at it and see if she could determine what we were dealing with. "Cat poop!  That is definitely cat poop!"  
Immediately I went into "buyer remorse" mode!  What had we gotten ourselves in to?

We knew there were hardwood floors underneath the carpet, and now it seemed blatantly obvious why this room was carpeted - and to our horror, we never could have imagined what would be hidden below new carpeting - raw, untouched cat feces and urine, everywhere.  It appears that no one had made any effort to clean the soiled floors and trim, only to cover them and sell the house as if there was nothing lurking below.  In addition to covering the obvious tangible feces, they filled the entire house with lovely little Glade plugins to mask the odor from the cat poop.  And to think, we had thought it was because the basement was a little stinky... haha ... ha!  If only it were so simple. 

So now we are faced with what to do with these 2 bedrooms that held such a well concealed secret - do we try to clean them or just rip them up and call this our first DIY home project?  The new bathroom and any other cosmetic updates will have to wait until we clean out the crap... literally. 

We ended up leaving the house in more disarray than we found it - but what a relief that we found this when we did... before it becomes Sam's house and she digs up the floor dying to find the animal that left the "surprise."

After the fecal matter is removed... this is what remains...

H2B and the Fur-Baby

My camera was broken and Kory surprised me when I got home from work last week with the parts to fix it!  I feel complete again! .... and lucky for me I have the best subjects in the world to practice my photography skills on! :)  Unlucky for them, their lives are full of flashes again! haha.

Let the Countdown Begin...

100 Days until the Big Day!!!  Unfortunately there's no money back guarantee here! :)

Mile High Finale

For my birthday, Kory got us tickets to the Mile High Music Festival.  The line up for the show was incredible!  From Steve Miller and Weezer to Train, Jack Johnson, and Dave Matthews...  I was anxious to see them all... 2 days I looked forward to all summer long!  

The performances were just as awesome as we'd anticipated!  We spent hours sitting in the hot Denver sun, listening to great music, and eating delicious food... what better way could we have spent our last full weekend in Colorado? 

We're definitely going to miss the Mile High City!

Warm Welcome

We have already learned that we have the most wonderful neighbors! We met Mike a couple of months back and have all become friends through Inga.  He welcomed us with a darling bouquet of wild flower and tomatos, both from his incredible garden.  We found the thoughtful "Welcome" gift on our front porch when we arrived.  When we were working on the house Mike stopped over regularly to make sure we didn't need a thing.  What a guy!  I am so excited to have such "neighborly" neighbors!  This will be a fun place to 'play house! '

On Saturday, we received another housewarming package on our doorstep from the family across the street.  They included the sweetest card introducing themselves, a loaf of bread, a bottle of sparkling grape juice, and a cylinder of salt.  Recognize it? 

"Bread -- that this house may never know hunger.
"Salt -- that life here may always have flavor.
"And wine -- that there will always be joy."

The tradition is documented visually in Frank Capra's 1946 holiday classic, "It's A Wonderful Life," when George Bailey (James Stewart) performs this ritual for Mr. Martini, the Italian immigrant who is able to afford his own home through the good-heartedness of the Bailey Building and Loan.

I don't know if I could have been more touched by the fact that perfect strangers went out of their way to give us such a warm welcome to the neighborhood.    Even if the house turns out to be a money pitt, I have an inkling that we may have the world's greatest neighbors that might make this adventure all worth while! :)

Real Estate Reality: A Nightmare Followed by a Dream Come True

Last Friday was the big day - Kory and I closed on our first home! We are so happy, relieved, and nervous, all at once! Throughout the process of trying to buy this specific house we have learned to postpone our enthusiasm because of all the unexpected twists and turns that we encountered. Kory and I even discussed this on our way to Pittsburgh Friday morning.


S: I wonder if there will be any issues with closing...
K: Probably. There have been problems with everything else.
S: But what else could possibly go wrong?
K: [K gives S the, "You've got to be kidding me!" look.]

Our experience would have surely had high ratings on HGTV's reality shows...
When we got to the house for our final walk through, we snapped a few pictures of the lovely "SOLD" sign and headed to the backyard to map out the fence that we had discussed for weeks - inspired, of course, by Samantha. Is it possible to 'Buyer's Remorse' to set in before you actually buy the house? If so, it did. The steepness of the slope in the backyard was much greater than I had remembered, while the size of the yard was smaller. We didn't have to speak. Somehow we just knew what the other was thinking. Kory, the sweet guy that he is, immediately came to my rescue, putting his own concerns aside, to remind me that it would be okay. Just after we recovered from the "shock" of revisiting the backyard, our real estate agent, Inga, arrived to guide us through our final tour of the house to make sure it was in the condition we expected.
Walking through the house, we turned on every light, tested each appliance, flushed both toilets, and even discovered little details about the house that we'd overlooked previously. Everything in the upstairs looked as we'd remembered it and in some cases better. It was the basement that contained the shocker. Due to some required structural repairs that the seller had to make in order for anyone to get a mortgage for the property, there were massive holes in the drywall. We expected the house to "appear" exactly as it was when we saw it before, prior to the repairs being made. I immediately felt nauseous. Kory and Inga expressed their surprise and as we headed to the car to make our way to the real estate building where the closing would be facilitated, how to proceed with this new knowledge was the topic of conversation. Inga encouraged us to ask for a credit to fix the walls. With all the trouble we have had buying this house, I couldn't help but think, "This is it! ...It's over!... Kory flew here for nothing...." etc. etc.
As we drove to Howard Hanna's corporate office, Inga received a call from the underwriter of the loan. The seller and/or seller's agent had tried to pass off a real estate license number as an electrician's license number when the loan company asked for further details around who did some the required electrical work. I had no idea what this meant for our ability to get a mortgage for this house. I was surprised at the amount of information and detail that the mortgage company required for this type of loan, and at the same time, so relieved that they were the ones questioning the sellers and we didn't have to.
When we arrived at the office, I was ready for a fight. I felt as though we were being played for complete fools. It finally started to feel as though they were taking advantage of the fact that we are first time home buyers and do not know the "rules of negotiation" or more importantly, the laws around real estate. So when we bumped into the seller's agent and he met our concern about the basement walls with, "Enough is enough. We have done more than our part!" it was all I could do to keep myself from tackling the guy and taking out all of my pent of stress and frustration on his face! I did give him a little preview of what I was feeling... luckily Kory and I had agreed that he would handle all of the remaining negotiations or discussions.
With the news that they were still trying to find a LICENCED electrician to take a look at the electrical work and confirm that it was done and done well, Inga, Kory, and I headed across the street to Max&Erma's for a bite to eat and a drink. During our outing, the seller's agent called and Kory was able to negotiate a little bit of a credit for the basement walls - still far less than what it will cost. When we finally got the call that they found an electrician to examine the fixes, we headed back to the office.
To our surprise, the only body in the room we'd reserved was the seller's agent - the jerk we'd met in the parking lot. When we asked where the seller was, the agent said he wouldn't be coming. "He is on the golf course today and doesn't want to be bother." Kory and I agreed that this was terribly disappointing. We were so curious to see what this man that put us through hell looked like! But if I were him, I would be embarrassed to come to the closing with the way he did business.

The tensions were high. The seller's agent (Phil Anthony) was terrible. He was quite rude and often condescending. He showed moments of potential when he almost resembled a compassionate human being, but he was mostly unbearable to interact with. He admitted that the seller was irrational and very cheap. I found this comment particularly amusing because of all the emails Inga forwarded us where he stated, "My seller is very rational!"

Even though the electrician hadn't reported back, we were allowed to start signing the massive stacks of legally binding documentation. A legal intern highlighted each page and paused to answer questions when we had them. Finally, the electrician had some results. He typed them up and faxed them in on letterhead from the real estate agency. This would not work. After several failed attempts to fax in the correct information, and many hours, Phil Anthony called the electrician to talk him through the process of sending in the correct documents and any other requirements. "I promise, Frank, I'll get you alllll kinds of business if you just do this for me!" was all we could hear on our end. I wish I could have heard what was being said on the other end of the line. Maybe, "But Phil, I didn't actually look at it!" or "What are you going to do if we get caught?" Of course, we had no reason to believe the man wasn't a licensed electrician except for the fact that they fraudulently tried to pass off a real estate agent as an electrician earlier. The doubt was further supported when the underwriter revealed that this specific electrician's license number was actually that of a mortgage broker. Oh my gosh! At this point, Kory and I were laughing. We had been waiting to sign 2 final papers for 2.5 hours. It was 6 pm on a Friday afternoon and we were trying to buy a house from a scam artist. Fun.

Finally, the electrician sent in enough documentation (which included a certificate from 1970 stating that he had passed an electrical design course and his liability insurance) to convince the underwriter of the loan that he was legitimate. Knowing that we have my dad's support and skill on our side, I was not at all concerned about whether or not the electrical work had been done - I knew my dad would probably be redoing it anyway. So when our mortgage agent came into the room and gave us the "two thumbs up," I believe I let out a squeal and even shook Kory! I was SOOOOO relieved it was finally over. We had the keys in hand and the house was finally ours and somehow all the grief and emotional angst that we went through to get to that point didn't seem nearly as relevant as the potential our futures now held! 

With the keys to our first home in our hands, we headed to the nearest home improvement store to buy our first batch of paint!  We ended the night with a grand finale of half priced appetizers at Apple Bees... stuffing our faces with fried food and washing it down with beer seemed like the perfect ending to this crazy ride we've been on since we first laid eyes on what would become our first home!

Warning:  This may appear to be us advertising for Phil Anthony or Albert Anthony Real Estate.  To the contrary, we advise avoiding this man and this real estate company at all cost... and I'm certain that anyone that has been involved in this purchase would agree.  : /

Buy House.Move.Get Married.Breathe.

I heard that buying a house is exhausting and stressful. True.
I heard (and have experienced) that moving long distances is daunting. True.
I heard that planning a wedding is overwhelming and often frustrating.  True.

Our lives have been turned upside down by our naive decision to do so much at once.  We are making 4  major life changes within a very small window of time.  Kory is quitting his job to go back to school (Go Kory!), we're uprooting ourselves and moving back to Pennsylvania (only a 2000 mile trek!), we are buying a house (Don't use our real estate agent!), and getting married (we save the best for last!) ... I don't know if it is humanly possible to add anything else to our plates without losing our minds.
(I was thinking of adopting a few children from a third world country, but we can't find the time to grocery shop for ourselves so we thought we'd hold off on that one until we have a little bit more time... something to look forward to later. :P)

 The good news is that we are bound to have an unusually relaxing first year of marriage...  all the huge decisions should be behind us, right?  Hopefully we'll get the opportunity to enjoy some of the less significant decisions in life before the next big ones come along!

114 Days ... we'll be walkin' into the sunset as Mr. and Mrs. ... and it will all be behind us!

Home (?) Sweet Home (?)

The appraisals are in... and guess what?!  In 11 days Kory and I will sign over our lives to a mortgage company and will buy our first home!

While it would seem that it is "downhill" from here, if the past is any indication of the future, there are sure to be a few hiccups before the keys are handed over...  but for now I am just going to bask in the glory that we are one more step closer to becoming homeowners.

(Tomorrow I will contact our mortgage broker and real estate agent to confirm that this is in fact reality and just a very optimistic dream.) 

11 hopeful days until home ownership... and 121 days until wedded bliss!   : )

Family Secret Garden

This would be in the category "Before and After" on Wheel of Fortune.  Pretty clever, eh?

When you read the following article, you will not have to wonder where I get my silly sense of humor.  First read it, then we will discuss... it will make much more sense.

click here for the article


A little background info: Sherry and Mike are my parents.

... Now pay special attention to the the last quote.

... Yep, that's my dad!  And this article was printed on the front page of their local newspaper.  Each time I read it, I can't help but laugh until my stomach hurts. (Maybe you just have to know guy behind the quote. ) 

Map: Fort Lauderdale vs. Miami

For those of us who are visual creatures, here is a map to give you some points of reference. 

Note: The distance between the Fort Lauderdale Airport and the Miami Airport is 25.3 miles and keep in mind that there is transportation from Fort Lauderdale to the Port of Miami.

Getting There: Booking Flights

Now that we've all booked our cruises, it is time to start thinking about booking a flight.  With all the thought and consideration that we put into this wedding planning and making it as easy as possible for everyone, somehow we completely  overlooked the fact that Friday, the day the cruise returns to Miami, is one of the biggest travel days of the year.  The good news is that flights are still fairly affordable. 

Everything I have read and everyone I have spoken to suggests that cruisers arrive the day before the cruise departure.  This would mean arriving on or before November 21, for the Monday, November 22 departure. 

A few flight search Tips

Checkout Southwest.com
While they do not fly into Miami, they do fly into Ft. Lauderdale, which is approximately 30 miles away.  Southwest does not charge for checked bags and has a much more flexible rescheduling/cancellation policy.  (Don't get the wrong idea, you won't be cancelling on our behalf! )  The free checked bags could save you up to $50 per person each way!

Check surrounding departure Cities
For those of living in western PA that would normally fly out of Pittsburgh, this might include Cleveland, Akron/Canton, and even State College. 

Groups
If you're traveling in a group greater than 5 or 6, sometimes the airlines will give discounts.  This of course depends on your smooth talkin' group leader's skills and the dates in which you are planning to travel.  It maybe worth giving them a call. 

Check with Kristi
While she charges a service fee for booking, our travel agent, Kristi, may be able to give you the one-on-one help you need in booking your flights.  Feel free to contact her with any questions.

Book Early!
The sooner you book your flights, the more likely you are to get a good deal... especially considering the high volume of travel that is expected for this particular time of the year
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On a side note, we are working on getting a group rate at a hotel near the Port of Miami and negotiating transportation to and from the airports.  If you hear or read anything too good to keep to yourself, please share!  We're working our hardest to get everyone the best deal possible!