That's just crazy talk!

The moment Phil and I have been waiting for has finally come. It only took 8 months and 17 days but it has finally come! We close on the house on Friday! Yippy!!!!!! I am so very excited I can’t even stand it. However, I’m also freaked out and stressed about the whole closing. It has finally become apparent to me how big of a deal buying a house is. That is a lot of money and a big decision! Not that I’m changing my mind or anything, however, it’s a big deal okay! So, as long as all goes to plan we will be starting the New Year off right!! Wahoo!!!!!!!

I had a wonderful Christmas this year but I’m sure glad it’s over! I started my Christmas out with my Monday crew. We had a little potluck and exchanged presents the Monday before Christmas. Great way to start out the holidays I must say! I got a pretty scarf and earrings from Loin (thanks again Loin:))! It was so cute watching Sammie open her presents and seeing what both her and Dex got for Christmas!

On Christmas Eve morning I went to the farm and went through paint colors with my brother. We (well, mostly just me – painting party anyone?) are painting the entire inside of the house. There will be no old paint colors left standing when I’m through with it! Justen and I were not going to do presents this year but when I was shopping I found something I knew he would love and I just had to buy it. I love watching people open presents! After hanging out for a bit and picking a few paint colors, Justen took off to Menards and I went home to clean the house and get ready for Christmas Eve.

Phil and I had his mom and grandparents over on Christmas Eve and made some yummy food and opened more presents. Then after his family left we both decided we were too excited to wait until Christmas Day to open our presents so we opened them that night. It is my family’s tradition to open presents on Christmas Eve and then open our stockings on Christmas Day morning. I’d like to stick with this tradition but Phil doesn’t like it. Anyway, Phil opened his presents and I opened mine. I got him a new chair for his office (the one he wanted from Ikea) and then a few little things. He got me surround sound for my TV upstairs and lots of little things. I think we were both very happy with our gifts this year!

Christmas morning we lounged around the house and then got ready to go our separate ways. Phil went to his mom’s house for Christmas with that side of the family and I went to my Aunt Laura’s house for my mom’s side of the family. Once we have kids we won’t be able to go our separate ways anymore! Christmas with my mom’s side was very nice. I missed everyone and it was very nice to see them all again. I hadn’t seen most of them since last December! The cousins are getting so big! It is weird because now we are all adults drinking beer around the table instead of running around shooting each other with darts or causing some sort of ruckus like when we were kids!

The day after Christmas, Phil and I drove up with Justen and his girlfriend, Ashley to my Aunt Barb’s house to have Christmas with my dad’s side of the family. Again, weird that everyone is grown up!! We had a good time, enjoyed a few mimosas, good food and the annual dice game. When Phil and I got home we took down everything Christmas (except for the outside lights). I usually leave it up until New Years but I just was so done with Christmas and I wanted my living room back. So, all in all it was a very good Christmas this year – much better than last year. I’m hoping that the snow storm I’ve been hearing about doesn’t ruin our New Years Eve. We plan on going out to downtown Hudson.

My new year’s resolution: to cook more (and that doesn't mean spaghetti ;)).

I just had to mention that I had my first “the next time I fill out this form I won’t be using Walton as my last name anymore” moment the other week. I was filling out a W-2 form at work and as I was writing my last name I realized that next year I will be writing Kasinskas. Weird. And very exciting! Which then makes me think about all the things that I have to change after we get married and then I start to get stressed out. I’ll just ignore those details for now. :-)

So Friday night it started snowing and it continued on for about 24 hours. Obviously we were snowed in. They didn't even plow our road until Saturday mid-morning.

Well, it’s decided. Phil and I are getting hitched on September 16, 2011. We are going to have the ceremony at my dad’s farm. Main reason, it means a lot to me. I grew up there, I miss the farm and I also miss my dad and know “he will be there” in his own way. I’m going to help my brother, Justen clean the farm up. It doesn’t need much – just a little TLC. :-) After my mom left about 6 years ago, the farm started to look a little run down. There were no more pretty plants around the house and a nice garden. Nope, everything is overgrown because skank (dad’s skank wife) was too lazy to do anything. Okay, I’m getting a little off track - back to the topic at hand. The ceremony will be at my dad’s farm and the reception will be at The Orchard in Baldwin. I’m quite excited! Now that the date is set, the locations for the ceremony and reception are decided and booked, I can finally look forward to this magical day (well, as magical as Phil and I get)! The only problem is that the photographer I chose is not available on the date we had to switch it to. :’( This is a very sad thing because I liked her a lot! Now I need to find a new photographer. Stupid. But, she recommended a few other photographers and the one I like the best is still available. Hopefully she will be the one! Anyways, now I can breathe a little and slowly work on other things like the invites and the decorations. :-) And next month I’m taking my girls to go dress shopping!! Now that’s something to be excited for!!! Whoot Whoot!