New Year is Here!

Well, it is 2012.  How the time flies like a 747, slicing through the sky with such speed; must remember to enjoy the flight instead of just looking forward to the destination.  (I spent a large chunk of my Holiday vacation on airplanes, can you tell?) 

The past few months have been truly a wonderful whirlwind of events and major big-deals.  We moved into our house on Oct. 25th and it has been super busy ever since.  My family helped move us in, literally packing the moving van within the hour of closing on the home.  Buying the house was a real challenge, but I am grateful for all the people that supported us and believed in us, helping this dream become a beautiful reality.  The walls are all painted (yes, mostly every wall is some shade of blue.  I am predictable) and every box has been unpacked.  There is a long list of "to-do's" that we have created, but overall we are slowly settling into a sense of daily life in our new home and loving it.  We have spent countless hours preparing the barn and fence for the horses, who should be arriving this week sometime.  My own horses in my own backyard....I can't believe it and I am so excited! Below is a picture of the barn (the white building) and the soon-to-be (its on our to-do list) dog run/chicken coop is the smaller building.  The picture was taken from my office window, so I feel lucky that even when I am stuck indoors writing a stupid paper for school, I can look out and see my pony friends! 

  So we made our deadline of moving into the house before Halloween, only just barely but it was made.  We were able to carve pumpkins in our living room and light them on our own porch....it really is the little moments that make life.  Another special moment came when my aunt told me that she finally was able to put my address into her address book with PEN!  For someone who moved every 6 months, reaching that mental/emotional place where you are happy to settle down is a big deal.  That's right people, I have a REAL address!  I may even get address return labels, just cause I can.  Ah, home.   

This past quarter in school flew by.  I hardly paid attention and I will admit that I didn't really apply myself.  But, there is a new quarter ahead of me and I will return to "good student" status.  It was just so hard to focus on school last quarter amidst all the moving and planning and dreaming and adjusting.  Also, the beloved family dog passed a month ago.  Our dear Cody left us, leaving our hearts a little lower.  I wish I could have said goodbye, but I know it is probably better that I only have happy, healthy memories of him.  He was a smile in our daily lives for so long that I know that my Mom and the rest of my family will take awhile to heal. 

We had Thanksgiving at our home, which was a first for us...and everyone who reads this will probably agree that I am no cook...so to say that our 15 pound turkey spent the night brining in a bright blue horse water bucket in our fridge is no surprise.  It was a fun time, as this photo of Pasquale playfully getting squirted in the eye as the turkey's final vengeance suggests.  Thanksgiving is an important holiday (although Saint Nick and snowmen and Christmas trees are slowly stealing the Turkey's thunder...why is Christmas stuff out now the day after Halloween?  Hellllooo...one holiday at a time!)  It is always essential to assess your blessings and be grateful for those you love, but daily life gets crazy and things replace people on your "to do" list....which is why Thanksgiving is helpful.  A day of feasting and laughing and sleeping and thanking.  A chance to catch-up on the wonderful moments that make up a year. 
       

     And a mere 4 weeks later, BAM!  You got Christmas, my favorite holiday.  Bring on the tacky Christmas lights, the wreaths, the claymation movies, the fireplaces and the music.  Oh, holiday music, you melt my heart.  I was very lucky to be able to walk on an Atlantic beach AND a Pacific beach within a week of each other.  The family spent Christmas at DeWee's Island, SC where we enjoyed warm Palmetto Sun and night walks with dolphin spotting.  From there I went to Chicago to spend time with Pasquale's family.  It was my first trip to the Windy City and I enjoyed our exploration of art and architecture.  We continued our journey West, where we spent New Year's on a beach in Oregon.  The holidays really were special, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to see all sorts of family, explore new places, and relax and reflect on what an amazing year it has been.  2011 saw us go from apartment renters to homeowners and gave us hundreds of warm memories with our friends and family.  And I will be better about updating this blog now that things have settled down a bit.  ;)