We Have a Full Day Ahead of Us

Moving day is tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited! There's still a few small things to pack, but all of the big things are packed away in boxes, labeled, and have a post-it on it with a color to show what room it belongs in. Yes, I am one of those people when it comes to moving.

I am also loving my job right now. It gives me so much flexibility and allows me to change things last minute. That's the great thing about being a teacher!

We still have a lot to do today that is not packing related, but that's ok. I welcome other things at this point. Some of the things we have to do today are:

1. Go to the Circuit Court to get our marriage license (yay!)
2. Go check out and decide on the tuxes the men are wearing.
3. *Hopefully, pick up the key for the new apartment!!!
4. Get Phil's desk and computer ready to move. It would be a lot easier to do now with the truck we're getting rather than waiting until February.
5. Finish packing my apartment.
6. Go to the bank to get the certified check for the first month's rent.
7. Pay rent at my other apartment.

I'm sure there's tons more, but that's all I can think of right now.

ps...I'm also ecstatic that our wreaths came in and the bridesmaid's gifts came in today as well!!!

Next Year...

This time next year...

• I will be married.
• My apartment will be unpacked and it will be "our home" together
• I will have visited two countries outside of the US.
• I will be even more thankful for family and friends.
• I will be able to call Phil my husband :)

Decisions, Decisions

I have around 6 personal training sessions left and three months until the wedding. My first thought was to buy more to get me through the wedding, but then what happens after the wedding? Personal training is expensive and I know that we won't be able to afford me to have a trainer for the rest of my life. I mean, I love the idea of having a trainer to motivate me and tell me what to do and talk to me the whole time to keep my mind off of working out, but seriously?

It's been no secret that I haven't been thrilled with my current gym. I've looked into other gyms in the past and decided that with the move, I should continue to look closer to my new place. So, I looked and you know what I realized? Unless I have someone holding my hand (aka a trainer), I probably won't go on a regular basis, so why pay for it? We don't really need to spend all of that money on a trainer or a gym membership, so why not just cancel it and figure something else out?

I've been thinking about this for weeks now and I finally have my conclusion. If I'm not going to go, then we shouldn't waste our money. Phil's parents have a perfectly good treadmill at home, they also have an exercise ball and Phil has some adjustable weights that I can use while being there and the new apartment has a fitness center I can use.

I've come to the realization that I can't have someone "holding my hand" through the weight-loss process. I need to take responsibility for myself and make it happen. I've had trainers before and I know what to do...now, it is up to me to make it happen. We have the equipment, so, let's use it!

I'm working with Phil on a goal for me to attain. We've been talking about our budget and establishing weekly allowances for all of the little "extras" we spend on. I was thinking that maybe, in the beginning, I could earn my allowance by working out. Each day would be a set dollar amount and we would set limitations. I'm also looking into a "workout planner/scheduler" where I can write down what I did each day or check off all of the days I've worked out.

Basically, I'm trying to figure a way to motivate myself to do what I need to. No one can make me do this, it has to be my decision. I'm tired of paying for people to tell me to do what I already know how to just because I don't want to do it by myself. It's time for me to get motivated and stop wasting money!

Wedding Wednesdays--Funny Story

This past Sunday, Phil and I went with his parents to sign the lease on the new apartment! It was nice to have his parents there to make sure that everything in the lease was "standard" and there would be no red flags. We were reading the lease and got to the Animal Addendum which states that we are not bringing any pets. It also has breed restrictions for certain dogs. I was joking around and said that, because of the breed restrictions, he wasn't allowed in the apartment. Well, this prompted this conversation...

Dad R.: "Well, Philip, I didn't know you were an animal!"

Phil: "I guess you're just going to have to ask Kathleen about that after we get back from the honeymoon!"

Yes, my ultra-conservative fiance just said that to his even more ultra-conservative parents. My response...

"Well, at least then we'd be married!"

It was just the thing we needed to break up the boringness of reading the lease.

Deal Breakers

When looking for a new place to live, we all have our deal-breakers. Some things are smaller than others, but for me some bigger things are:

• Not having enough space to live. I know this seems simple or petty, but if there isn't enough space for my furniture and belongings, what am I supposed to do?
• Bedbugs. I haven't experienced them, but I have heard they are horrific.
• Pesky neighbors. You may not be able to control this, but since I've had "crazy neighbors" before, I would like some decent ones.
• Bad maintenance. My current place has no maintenance team and things are always done sub-par.
• Unsafe environment. I don't want to be worried about being robbed on the way to/from my car.
• Outrageous rent prices. I'm not willing to give up my future children in order to live there.

These are just a few of my deal-breakers. What are some of yours?

Moving?

Moving has always been hard for me. As a child, I moved back and forth between my parents' houses a lot. It was my choice each time, but it was still hard. As a young adult, I moved 17 times in 2 years. It was rough and unstable and it sucked. Then, in 2007, I moved across the country and lived in Virginia for a year and a half before moving to Maryland in January of 2009. To say that I've moved a lot is an understatement.

Moving brings all sorts of emotions. Happy, sad, scared, anxious, excited...pretty much anything goes when I think about moving.

I mention this because the other day Phil mentioned that we might move this next year into a better apartment. We had discussed this many times and I really never thought it was an option...until yesterday. I was talking with another teacher from my school and she mentioned that her apartment complex is pretty decently priced for what you get. I immediately, looked on their website to view prices/floor plans and called Phil to tell him. He said we should book an appointment to view the apartments available and should look into it.

We were able to make an appointment for today and went with his mom to see the apartments. I must admit, they were much nicer than what I currently have. They also have great amenities (like a pool, fitness center, volleyball court, tennis court, etc.) and are priced at a really decent rate.

The thought of moving really excites me, because I seriously dislike my current apartment, but I still get nervous thinking about it. Moving is a whole lot of work and I would be living there without Phil for a month or two before we are married.

On the plus side, he would gain anywhere from a half an hour to forty-five minutes each day because the apartment is closer to his metro stop. That also means that I would have a half an hour commute each way (which is so not a big deal). Seeing as his commute is about two hours each way, I feel that if it is worth it to him to have a little bit of extra time each day, then I'm all for it....that's love right there!

The next step in the process is to have his dad go and look at the apartments with us to determine if there are any issues with the apartment itself (you have no idea how many things he has had to "fix" where I am now to make them work) and fill out an application. We also have to choose between a one or two bedroom apartment. Since there is only a $25 difference, his mom suggested the two bedroom "just in case" we have a baby while we are living there and still can't afford a house.

As you can see, we have a lot of decisions to make. We would like to have everything figured out (and moved if necessary) before the wedding so that is one less thing we have to worry about when we get back.

Great finds

The hardest part about planning for the wedding is planning for what happens after the wedding. Phil and I have decided to stay in my apartment to try to save and buy a house. The only problem is that my apartment is a little small. I can easily fill the apartment with my furniture and things so to add in one more person and all of his stuff is a challenge! Phil's mom and I are working on re-organizing pretty much everything. We have a plan and are going to make it work so that he and I can both be comfortable living there for as long as we need. This means getting rid of a lot of things of mine and getting new things to make more space and to offer better storage options.

We have been going to thrift stores to try to find a sewing table for my sewing machine my awesome friend gave me last year and were lucky enough to come across a sewing table and a curio/china cabinet today for a great price! We bought both of these pieces of furniture for what someone online wanted for just the sewing table...incredible!

Now, it's just a matter of getting everything taken care of, but we have plenty of time and a lot of help to get it all done!