Welcome 2012. We Are Happy You're Here! No Really, We Are.

As I was sitting at my desk today at work, I realized I needed to make up a January broker of the day calendar. Holy Sheet!rock people, JANUARY! That exact wordage escaped my mouth, and as it did my co-worker looked at me as if I had murdered a kitten...which of course I would never ever do because I think kittens are adorkable! So, what's so significant about January anyway? Well, it's a new year, for one. It's a chance at a fresh start, for another. And it means we can all leave a really shitty 2011 behind. Ok, was all 2011 shitty? Not really, fantastic parts occured as well. With that said, let's take a stroll down memory lane and re-visit 2011 and what it brought to us during our first full year as a married couple.

• We decided New York can keep its outrageous rent prices and decided to buy a hizzy.
• We met the ever wonderful Jan Kaplan though her husband Richie who owns Max's on Main when we were having dinner one night.
• We looked at seven hundred houses. Ok, not quite that many, but a lot.
• We decided to embark on a journey of home renovation.
• We survived said journey and are still happily married. 
• We celebrated our first wedding anniversary and Ed's first Broadway show.
• We mourned the loss of a brother and a best friend.
•  We still mourn the loss of a brother and best friend.
• Mama still never caught the elusive chipmunk that taunted her all summer.
• Cman ranked 4 belts in a few months at tae-kwon-do.
• We gut and rebuilt an entire full bathroom and kitchen. On our own. In less than seven months. Weekends only. (well, with help from family too of course!)
• We got iPhones. 
• Ed got a promotion-of-sorts at work.
• We moved in only two weeks after proposed deadline. 
• Katie and I raised $5000 for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
• Pa survived a bad fall, six broken ribs, a car accident, and a stent procedure on his heart.
• We successfully held Christmas dinner for 13 people and everyone had a blast.
• We have successfully made this house into a home. Our home.
• We are still happily married. 
• I chopped 15 inches off my hair and donated it to Lock of Love.
• We are officially happily house poor home owners and damn proud of it!

 2012 will definitely be bringing happier times our way. So, what do we have in store for the new year? Well, we have chatted about traveling. We want to hit up a couple of islands and Alaska. Maybe Montauk if we can squeeze er' in. Although if it were up to Cman, he'd live on Paul's fishing boat all summer. My brother and I are definitely doing the Warrior Dash in August and the Spartan Race in June. I would like to fit a 10k race in there somewhere and get back to my pre-wedding weight. Also in June we will be hosting a Plattsburgh State University reunion for Ed's buddies here at RHN. As we continue into 2012, we will be attempting and completing more house projects (Um, hello? Frumpka's room anybody? The basement? Bathrooms?) and keeping you all up to date as each project evolves. We will hopefully be upgrading furniture as well as adding things like art work and decor.

So, there you have it. Our 2012 will be more living and a smidge less working. What? After the 2011 we had, I think we've earned it! 

Happy New Year to each and every one of you! May your 2012 be fabulous!